Washington DC – District of Columbia

By | July 5, 2022

Center of world power

Washington DC is the capital of the United States of America. Approximately 550,000 people live in Washington DC. Aside from the government district, the pleasant city of Washington has plenty of cultural and historical attractions to offer.

  • Medicinelearners: Offers a full list of top medical schools and their profiles in Washington DC.

US Capitol in Washington DC (Seat of Congress)

US Capitol in Washington DC

 

Americans are proud of their capital. Washington DC is home to the Capitol, the meeting place of the United States Congress. The White House is also located in the city of Washington. The President of the USA, currently Barack Obama, lives and resides there.

Important monuments in US history

Great figures in US history are honored in Washington DC. In addition to the Lincoln Memorial, Library of Congress and the Washington Monument, there are numerous other historical memorials and museums in Washington.

Abraham Lincoln Memorial

District with special status

Washington DC is located on the Potomac River. The area originally belonged to Virginia and Maryland. Washington DC is a planned and artificially grown city. The center is the Washington Capitol. All the important streets of the American capital begin there. Numerous parks and gardens can be discovered in Washington DC. Washington and the District of Columbia are two names for the city on the Potomac River.

The city was given the name “District of Columbia” in honor of the Spanish explorer Christopher Columbus; Washington was named in honor of the first US President George Washington. The Washington Capitol was completed in 1825. Millions of tourists visit Washington DC every year. The size of the District of Columbia is 177 km².

Washington DC with many cultural highlights

Away from politics, Washington DC also has a lot to offer culturally, such as museums, theaters and shows. Although Washington DC enjoys a special status within the United States, the social structure is comparable to any other major city in the USA. Washington DC has a particularly large number and monuments to discover. These are mostly reminiscent of famous American politicians and important people in the USA, or of the wars in the United States of America.

D.C. = Washington D.C

Washington DC Landmarks

  • National Air and Space Museum
  • National Museum of American History
  • United States Capitol
  • The Library of Congress
  • National Gallery of Art
  • Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
  • Arlington National Cemetery
  • Washington Monument
  • Pentagon
  • Lincoln Memorial
  • White House
  • Washington National Cathedral
  • Thomas Jefferson Memorial

Washington DC – United States

The Washington DC street map shows the location of the major buildings and streets in the borough. In the center of the map, highlighted in light brown, is the government district, the center of power in the USA. The “White House”, the seat of government of the incumbent US President, is relatively close to the Potomac River. The “Unites States Capitol” is also in the “centre of power”. The US Senate and House of Representatives meet there. The US Capitol is the seat of Congress. In addition to the government buildings, there are also numerous sights in the government district of Washington DC that are important in the young history of the USA.

The White House

The White House is not only the residence of the president of the country with his family, but also for more than 200 years it has been a symbol of the government, the president and the people of America.

The history of this building, as well as the capital of the country, began after the signing by President George Washington in December 1790 of an act of Congress that announced that the government would be located in an area “not exceeding 10 square meters. miles… on the river. Potomac. The President chose a location for the residence and invited an architect from France, Pierre Charles Lanfant, to lead the construction. Then there was a competition for the best design of the house. The winner was architect James Hoban, who won the gold medal for impressive and practical design.

Construction began in late 1792 at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, where the first foundation stone was laid. Washington, who oversaw the construction, is the only president not to have lived in the built residence. In 1800, the 2nd President of America, John Adams, and his wife drove into the almost finished building. Since that time, all presidents have made, at their discretion, small additions and changes in the White House.

The building has a very rich history. The White House survived the British fire in 1814 and the West Wing fire in 1929 when Herbert Hoover was president. During the Truman presidency, almost the entire interior of the building was restored, and at that time the president lived in Blair House, which is located right there on Pennsylvania Avenue. The exterior of the White House has always been left as it was two hundred years ago.

Most presidents have added something of their own to the style of the building or made changes to the way ceremonies are held and guests are received. For example, Jefferson held an “open day” in 1805 – most of those who were in the Capitol on the oath followed him to the White House, where the president met them in the drawing room. Even Jefferson first opened the doors of the residence to the public, which has become a tradition to this day. He also created the tradition of receptions on Independence Day and New Year’s Day.