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WASHINGTON - USA
Washington is a state in the Pacific Northwest
of the United States. It should not be confused with Washington, DC, the
nation's capital. To avoid confusion, the state is often called Washington
state. Although the state capital is Olympia, the largest city in Washington
is Seattle. As of the 2000 census, the state population is approximately 5.9
million. Residents are called "Washingtonians."
Washington is the only state named after a president, George Washington.
The USS Washington was named in honor of this state.
History
In 1853, Washington Territory was formed from part of Oregon Territory.
Washington became the 42nd state in the United States on November 11, 1889.
Geography
Washington is bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west, Oregon to the south
(the Columbia River forming most of this border), Idaho to the east, and
British Columbia, Canada to the north. It is famous for scenery of
breathtaking beauty and sharp contrasts. High mountains rise above evergreen
forests and sparkling coastal waters. Its coastal location and Puget Sound
harbors give it a leading role in trade with Alaska, Canada, and the Pacific
Rim. Puget Sound's many islands are served by the largest state ferry fleet
in the world. Washington is a land of contrasts. The deep forests of the
Olympic Peninsula are among the rainiest places in the world, but the flat
semi-desert that lies east of the Cascade Range stretches for long distances
without a single tree. Snow-covered peaks tower above the foothills and
lowlands around them. Mount Rainier, the highest mountain in the state,
appears to "float" on the horizon southeast of Seattle and Tacoma on clear
days. The eastern side of the state can be divided into two regions: the
Okanogan Highlands, and the Columbia River Basin.
Washington is also notable for being home to four of the five longest
floating bridges in the world: the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge, Lacey V.
Murrow Memorial Bridge, and Third Lake Washington Bridge over Lake
Washington, and the Hood Canal Bridge connecting the Olympic and Kitsap
Peninsulas.
Geographical features
Bainbridge Island
Camano Island
San Juan Islands
Whidbey Island
Vashon Island
Columbia River
Snake River
Yakima River
Cascade Range
Mount Adams
Mount Baker
Glacier Peak
Mount Rainier
Mount St. Helens
Mount Stuart
Olympic Mountains
Mount Olympus
Demographics
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2003, Washington's population was
estimated at 6,131,445 people.
The racial makeup of the state is:
81.8% White
3.2% Black
7.5% Hispanic or Latino
5.5% Asian
1.6% American Indian
3.9% from other races
3.6% belong to two or more races
The top 5 ancestry groups in Washington are German (18.7%), English (12%),
Irish (11.4%), Norwegian (6.2%), Mexican (5.6%).
The 5 largest religions in Washington are Roman Catholic (20%), Christian
(11%), Lutheran (6%), Baptist (6%), Methodist (4%). 25% of the population is
nonreligious.
6.7% of Washington's population were reported as under 5, 25.7% under 18,
and 11.2% were 65 or older. Females made up approximately 50.2% of the
population.
Important cities and towns
Olympia
Spokane
Tacoma
Bellevue
Redmond
Vancouver
Everett
Tri-Cities
Walla Walla
Wenatchee
Yakima
Bremerton
Agriculture
Washington is a leading agricultural state. (The following figures are from
the Washington State Office of Financial Management (http://www.ofm.wa.gov/databook/pdf/nt14.pdf)
and the Washington Agricultural Statistics Service (http://www.nass.usda.gov/wa/ssoinfo.htm).)
For 2001, the total value of Washington's agricultural products was $5.4
billion, the 12th highest in the country. The total value of its crops was
$3.2 billion, the 8th highest.
In 2002, Washington ranked first in the nation in production of raspberries
(87.8% of total U.S. production), hops (74.4%), spearmint oil (also 74.4%),
wrinkled seed peas (65.6%), apples (60.2%), Concord grapes (51.8%), sweet
cherries (48%), pears (44.9%), lentils (41.9%), peppermint oil (35.2%),
carrots for processing (34.5%), tart cherries (32.8%), Niagara grapes
(32.4%), and sweet corn for processing (29.2%). Washington also ranked
second in the nation in grapes (all varieties taken together), apricots,
asparagus (over a third of the country's production), and green peas for
processing; third in the nation for wheat, prunes and plums, summer dry
onions, trout, and butter; fourth in barley and peaches; and fifth in
cranberries and strawberries.
Education
Colleges and universities
Argosy University/Seattle
Art Institute of Seattle
Bastyr University
Central Washington University
City University
Cornish College of the Arts
DeVry University
Eastern Washington University
The Evergreen State College
Gonzaga University
Henry Cogswell College
Heritage College
Northwest University
Pacific Lutheran University
St. Martin's College
School of Visual Concepts
Seattle Bible College
Seattle Pacific University
Seattle University
Trinity Lutheran College
University of Puget Sound
University of Washington
Walla Walla College
Washington State University
Western Washington University
Whitman College
Whitworth College
Community colleges
Bates Technical College
Bellevue Community College
Bellingham Technical College
Big Bend Community College
Cascadia Community College
Centralia College
Clark College
Clover Park Technical College
Columbia Basin College
Edmonds Community College
Everett Community College
Grays Harbor College
Green River Community College
Highline Community College
Lake Washington Technical College
Lower Columbia College
Olympic College
Peninsula College
Pierce College
Renton Technical College
Seattle Community College District
Shoreline Community College
Skagit Valley College
South Puget Sound Community College
Spokane Community College
Spokane Falls Community College
Tacoma Community College
Walla Walla Community College
Wenatchee Valley College
Whatcom Community College
Yakima Valley Community College
Professional sports teams
Seattle Seahawks, National Football League
Seattle Mariners, Major League Baseball
Seattle SuperSonics, National Basketball Association
Seattle Storm, Women's National Basketball Association
Seattle Thunderbirds, Western Hockey League
Seattle Sounders, A-League Soccer League
Everett Silvertips, Western Hockey League
Spokane Chiefs, Western Hockey League
Minor League Baseball Teams
Tacoma Rainiers
Everett AquaSox
Bellingham Bells
Yakima Bears
Spokane Indians
Tri-City Dust Devils
Arts and culture
List of Washington state parks
Music of Washington
Government and political activism
Elected officials
Gary Locke, governor
Christine Gregoire, attorney general
Brad Owen, lieutenant governor
Sam Reed, secretary of state
Michael J. Murphy, treasurer
Brian Sonntag, auditor
Terry Bergeson, superintendent of public education
Doug Sutherland, commissioner of public lands
Mike Kreidler, insurance commissioner
Political activism
Tim Eyman has worked on many tax-reduction initatives.
Major highways
Interstate 5
Interstate 82
Interstate 90
Interstate 405
U.S. Highway 2
U.S. Highway 12
U.S. Highway 97
U.S. Highway 101
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