Washington, D.C. 108956 225850379 2008-07-15T18:13:31Z Epicadam 6917939 /* Transportation */ ce {{otheruses}} {{Infobox Settlement |official_name = District of Columbia |motto = ''Justitia Omnibus'' (''Justice for All'') |image_skyline = WashMonument WhiteHouse.jpg |image_flag = Flag of Washington, D.C..svg |image_seal = Seal-DC.png |image_map = DC_locator_map_with_state_names_w_usmap.png |mapsize = 260px |map_caption = Location of Washington, D.C. in relation to the states Maryland and Virginia |subdivision_type = [[List of countries|Country]] |subdivision_name = [[United States]] |subdivision_type1 = [[Federal district]] |subdivision_name1 = District of Columbia |leader_title = [[List of mayors of Washington, D.C.|Mayor]] |leader_title1 = [[Council of the District of Columbia|D.C. Council]] |leader_name = [[Adrian Fenty]] ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]]) |leader_name1 = Chairperson: [[Vincent C. Gray|Vincent Gray]] (D) |established = Founded |established_date = [[July 16]], [[1790]] |area_magnitude = 1 E8 |area_total_km2 = 177.0 |area_total_sq_mi = 68.3 |area_land_km2 = 159.0 |area_land_sq_mi = 61.4 |area_water_km2 = 18.0 |area_water_sq_mi = 6.9 |population_as_of = 2007 |population_total = 588,292 |population_metro = 5.30 million |population_footnotes =<ref name=CensusEst/><ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.census.gov/population/www/estimates/metro_general/2007/CBSA-EST2007-01.xls |title=Annual Estimates of the Population of Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2007 |accessdate=2008-06-03 |date=2008-03-27 |format=XLS |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] }}</ref> |population_density_km2 = 3481 |population_density_sq_mi = 9015 |timezone = [[Eastern Time Zone|EST]] |utc_offset = -5 |timezone_DST = [[Eastern Time Zone|EDT]] |utc_offset_DST = -4 |latd=38 |latm=53 |lats=42.4 |latNS=N |longd=77 |longm=02 |longs=12.0 |longEW=W |elevation_ft = 0–409 |elevation_m = 0–125 |Area_code = [[Area code 202|202]] |website = http://www.dc.gov/ }} '''Washington, D.C.''' ({{pronEng|ˈwɒʃɪŋtən diːsiː}}) (formally the '''District of Columbia''' and commonly referred to as ''Washington'', ''the District'', or simply ''D.C.'') is the [[capital]] of the [[United States]], founded on [[July 16]], [[1790]]. The City of Washington used to be a separate [[municipality]] within the District of Columbia. An [[Act of Congress]] in 1871 created a single government for the entire federal territory, effectively merging the City and the District into a single entity. The District of Columbia is located on the north bank of the [[Potomac River]] and is bordered by the [[U.S. State|states]] of [[Maryland]] to the northwest, northeast, and southeast and [[Virginia]] to the southwest. The District has a resident population of 588,292; however, its population rises to over one million people during the [[workweek]], due to [[commuting|commuters]] from the surrounding suburbs. The [[Washington Metropolitan Area]], of which the District of Columbia is a part, has a population of 5.3 million, the eighth-largest [[United States metropolitan area|metropolitan area]] in the country. [[Article One of the United States Constitution]] provides for a federal district, distinct from the states, to serve as the permanent national capital. The centers of all three branches of the [[federal government of the United States]] are located in the District, as are many of the nation's monuments and museums. Washington, D.C. hosts 172 [[List of diplomatic missions in the United States|foreign embassies]] as well as the headquarters of the [[World Bank Group|World Bank]], the [[International Monetary Fund]] (IMF), the [[Organization of American States]] (OAS), the [[Inter-American Development Bank]], and the [[Pan American Health Organization]] (PAHO). The headquarters of other institutions such as [[trade union]]s, [[lobbying]] groups, and professional associations are also located in the District. The [[United States Congress]] has supreme authority over Washington, D.C.; residents of the city therefore have less self-governance than residents of the states. The District has a non-voting [[at-large]] Congressional [[Delegate (United States Congress)|delegate]], but no senators. If Washington, D.C. were a state, it would rank last in [[List of U.S. states by area|area]] (behind [[Rhode Island]]), second to last in [[List of U.S. states by population|population]] (ahead of [[Wyoming]]), first in [[List of U.S. states by population density|population density]], 35th in [[gross state product]], and first in percentage of [[African American]]s, which would make Washington, D.C. a [[minority-majority state]]. ==History== {{main|History of Washington, D.C.|Washington, D.C. in the American Civil War}} [[Image:L'Enfant plan.jpg|left|thumb|[[Pierre Charles L'Enfant]]'s plan for the City of Washington]] [[James Madison]] first suggested the need for a federal district in the [[Federalist No. 43]]. He argued that the national capital needed to be distinct from the states, in order to provide for its own maintenance and safety.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://thomas.loc.gov/home/fedpapers/fed_43.html |title=The Federalist No. 43 |accessdate=2008-05-31 |last=Madison |first=James |date=1996-04-30 |work=The Independent Journal |publisher=Library of Congress }}</ref> An attack on the Congress at [[Philadelphia]] in June 1783 by a mob of angry soldiers emphasized the need for the government to see to its own security.<ref>{{cite book | last = Crew | first = Harvey W. | authorlink = | coauthors = William Bensing Webb, John Wooldridge | title = Centennial History of the City of Washington, D. C. | publisher = United Brethren Publishing House | date = 1892 | location = [[Dayton, Ohio]] | url = http://books.google.com/books?id=5Q81AAAAIAAJ |pages= 66}}</ref> In what later became known as the [[Compromise of 1790]], Madison, [[Alexander Hamilton]], and [[Thomas Jefferson]] came to an agreement that the federal government would assume war debt carried by the states, on the condition that the new national capital would be located in the [[Southern United States|South]].<ref>{{cite book | last = Crew | first = Harvey W. | authorlink = | coauthors = William Bensing Webb, John Wooldridge | title = Centennial History of the City of Washington, D. C. | publisher = United Brethren Publishing House | date = 1892 | location = [[Dayton, Ohio]] | url = http://books.google.com/books?id=5Q81AAAAIAAJ |pages= 124 }}</ref>{{ref|debts|a}} On [[July 16]], [[1790]], the [[Residence Act]] provided for a new permanent capital to be located on the [[Potomac River]].<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/Residence.html |title=Residence Act: Primary Documents in American History |accessdate=2008-06-10 |date=2007-09-21 |work=Virtual Programs & Services|publisher=Library of Congress }}</ref> [[George Washington]] chose the exact site for the city, and it was named in his honor on [[September 9]], [[1791]].<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.nbm.org/exhibitions-collections/exhibitions/washington.html |title=Washington: Symbol and City |accessdate=2008-06-10 |date=2007-03-13 |publisher=[[National Building Museum]] }}</ref> The initial shape of the federal district was a diamond, measuring {{convert|10|mi|km|}} on each side, totaling {{convert|100|mi2|km2|}}. As originally [[plat]]ted, both Maryland and Virginia ceded portions of their territory to form the new capital. During 1791&ndash;92, [[Andrew Ellicott]] and [[Benjamin Banneker]] surveyed the border of the District with both states, placing [[Boundary Stones (District of Columbia)|boundary stones]] at every mile point; many of these are still standing.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.boundarystones.org/ |title=Boundary Stones of Washington, D.C. |publisher=BoundaryStones.org |accessdate=2008-05-27 }}</ref> The federal district was named the District of Columbia; [[Columbia (name)|Columbia]] being a poetic name for the United States in use at that time.<ref name=dcfaq> {{cite web|url=http://www.historydc.org/gettoknow/faq.asp |title=Get to know D.C. |accessdate=2008-05-27 |date=2004 |publisher=The Historical Society of Washington, D.C. }}</ref> Congress held its first session in Washington on [[November 17]], [[1800]].<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/minute/The_Senate_Moves_to_Washington.htm |title=The Senate Moves to Washington |accessdate=2008-07-11 |date=2006-02-14 |publisher=[[United States Senate]] }}</ref> The [[District of Columbia Organic Act of 1801|Organic Act of 1801]] officially incorporated the District of Columbia and placed it under the exclusive control of Congress. The District was organized into two counties: the [[Washington County, D.C.|County of Washington]] on the north bank of the Potomac, and the [[Alexandria County|County of Alexandria]] on the south bank.<ref>{{cite book | last = Crew | first = Harvey W. | authorlink = | coauthors = William Bensing Webb, John Wooldridge | title = Centennial History of the City of Washington, D. C. | publisher = United Brethren Publishing House | date = 1892 | location = [[Dayton, Ohio]] | url = http://books.google.com/books?id=5Q81AAAAIAAJ |pages= 103 }}</ref> The laws of both Maryland and Virginia continued to apply in each county; however, following this Act, citizens in the District were no longer residents of either state, thus ending their representation in Congress.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.abanet.org/poladv/letters/electionlaw/060914testimony_dcvoting.pdf |title=Statement on the subject of The District of Columbia Fair and Equal Voting Rights Act |accessdate=2008-07-10 |date=2006-09-14 |format=PDF |publisher=[[American Bar Association]] }}</ref> The plans for the City of Washington were largely the work of [[Pierre Charles L’Enfant]], a French-born architect, engineer, and city planner who first arrived in the American colonies as a military engineer with [[Major General]] [[Gilbert du Motier, marquis de La Fayette|Lafayette]].<ref name=lenfant /> Although plans for the new City of Washington placed it in the geographic center of the federal territory, other communities such as [[Georgetown, Washington, D.C.|Georgetown]] were also located in the District of Columbia .<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/Wash/dc15.htm |title=Georgetown Historic District |accessdate=2008-07-05 |publisher=[[National Park Service]] }}</ref> [[Image:Fords Theatre.jpg|thumb|right|[[Ford's Theatre]] in the 19th century, site of the 1865 [[Abraham Lincoln assassination|assassination]] of [[Abraham Lincoln|President Lincoln]]]] On [[August 24]], [[1814]], British forces [[Burning of Washington|burned the capital]] during the most notable raid of the [[War of 1812]], in retaliation for the [[Battle of York|sacking and burning]] of [[York, Upper Canada|York]] (modern-day [[Toronto]]). The [[United States Capitol|Capitol]], [[United States Department of the Treasury|Treasury]], and [[White House]] were burned and gutted during the attack.<ref> {{cite journal|title=The British Are Coming: Historian Anthony Pitch Describes Washington Ablaze|journal=Library of Congress Bulletin|date=1998-09|first=John|last=Martin|coauthors=|volume=57|issue=9|pages=|id= |url=http://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/9809/pitch.html|format=|accessdate=2008-07-12 }}</ref> Most government buildings were quickly repaired, but the Capitol, which was at the time largely under construction, would not be completed until 1868.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aoc.gov/cc/capitol/capitol_construction.cfm |title=A Brief Construction History of the Capitol |accessdate=2008-06-04 |publisher=Architect of the Capitol }}</ref> In the 1830s the District's southern county of Alexandria went into economic decline, due in part to heavy competition from the port of Georgetown, which was further inland and on the [[Chesapeake and Ohio Canal|C&O Canal]].<ref name=dcfaq/> At the time, Alexandria was a major market in the American [[slavery|slave]] trade, but rumors circulated that [[Abolitionism|abolitionists]] were attempting to end slavery in the nation's capital.<ref>{{cite book | last = Greeley | first = Horace | title = The American Conflict: A History of the Great Rebellion in the United States | publisher = G. & C.W. Sherwood | date = 1864 | location = [[Chicago]] | url = http://books.google.com/books?id=ZlIMAAAAYAAJ |pages= 142-144}}</ref> In 1846, partly to avoid an end to the lucrative slave trade, a [[referendum]] to ask for the [[District of Columbia retrocession|retrocession]] of Alexandria back to the Commonwealth of Virginia succeeded. Congress complied on [[July 9]] of that year.<ref name=dcfaq/> Four years later, the [[Compromise of 1850]] outlawed the slave trade in the District, though not slavery itself. Washington remained a small city until the outbreak of the [[American Civil War]] in 1861. The significant expansion of the federal government as a result of the war led to notable growth in the city's population, as did a large influx of freed slaves.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/sep20.html |title=Today in History: September 20 |accessdate=2008-07-12 |date=2007-09-18 |publisher=[[Library of Congress]]}}</ref> By 1870, the District's population had grown to nearly 132,000.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.census.gov/population/documentation/twps0056/tab23.pdf |title=Historical Census Statistics on Population Totals By Race, 1790 to 1990 |accessdate=2008-07-07 |date=2002-09-13 |format=PDF |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] }}</ref> Despite the city's growth, Washington still had dirt roads and lacked basic sanitation; the situation was so bad that some members of Congress proposed moving the capital elsewhere.<ref name=weta> {{cite web|url=http://www.exploredc.org/index.php?id=4 |title="Boss" Shepherd Remakes the City |accessdate=2008-06-03 |date=2001 |work=ExploreDC.org |publisher=[[WETA-TV|WETA Public Broadcasting]] }}</ref> [[Image:March on Washington edit.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Crowds surrounding the [[Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool|Reflecting Pool]], during the 1963 [[March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom|March on Washington]]]] With the [[District of Columbia Organic Act of 1871|Organic Act of 1871]], Congress created a single [[municipality|municipal government]] for the entire District, effectively [[Annexation|annexing]] Georgetown and other areas. In the same Act, Congress also appointed a [[Public works|Board of Public Works]] charged with modernizing the city.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=llsl&fileName=016/llsl016.db&recNum=0454 |title=Statutes at Large, 41st Congress, 3rd Session |accessdate=2008-07-10 |work=A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774 - 1875 |publisher=[[Library of Congress]] }}</ref> In 1873, [[Ulysses S. Grant|President Grant]] appointed the board's most influential member, [[Alexander Robey Shepherd|Alexander Shepherd]], to the new post of governor. That year, Shepherd spent $20&nbsp;million on public works ($357&nbsp;million in 2007),<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.measuringworth.com/uscompare/ |title=Measuring Worth - Relative Value of US Dollars |accessdate=2008-07-03 |last=Williamson |first=Samuel |date=2008 |publisher=Institute for the Measurement of Worth }}</ref> which modernized Washington but also bankrupted the city. In 1874, Congress abolished Shepherd's office in favor of direct rule that would continue for a century.<ref name=weta /> The District's population remained relatively stable until the [[Great Depression]] in the 1930s when President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]]'s [[New Deal]] legislation expanded the [[bureaucracy]] in Washington. [[World War II]] further increased government activity, adding to the number of federal employees in the capital;<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.exploredc.org/index.php?id=189 |title=WWII: Changes |accessdate=2008-07-12 |date=2001 |work=ExploreDC.org |publisher=[[WETA-TV|WETA Public Broadcasting]] }}</ref> by 1950, the District's population reached a peak of 802,178 residents.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/001574.html |title=Anniversary of Washington, D.C. as Nation’s Capital |accessdate=2008-07-09 |date=2003-12-01 |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] }}</ref> After the assassination of civil rights leader [[Martin Luther King, Jr.]], in [[Memphis, Tennessee]] on [[April 4]], [[1968]], [[1968 Washington, D.C. riots|riots]] broke out in the District, primarily in the [[U Street Corridor|U Street]], [[14th Street Northwest and Southwest (Washington, D.C.)|14th Street]], and [[7th Street (Washington, D.C.)|7th Street]] corridors in Northwest Washington. The riots raged for three days until over 13,000 federal and [[District of Columbia Army National Guard|national guard]] troops managed to quell the violence. Many stores and other buildings were burned; most remained in ruins and were not rebuilt until the late 1990s.<ref>{{cite news | first=Paul | last=Schwartzman | coauthors= Robert E. Pierre | title=From Ruins To Rebirth | date=2008-04-06 | url =http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/05/AR2008040501607.html | work =The Washington Post | accessdate = 2008-06-06}}</ref> In 1973, Congress enacted the District of Columbia Self-Rule and Governmental Reorganization Act, providing for an elected mayor and [[city council]] for the District.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.abfa.com/ogc/hract.htm |title=District of Columbia Home Rule Act |accessdate=2008-05-27 |date=1999-02 |publisher=Government of the District of Columbia }}</ref> In 1975, [[Walter Washington]] became the first elected and first black mayor of the District. In 1979, [[Marion Barry]] was elected, serving three successive four-year terms. Due to legal problems, Barry decided not to run for reelection and in 1991 [[Sharon Pratt Kelly]] became the first black woman to lead a U.S. city of Washington's size.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.exploredc.org/index.php?id=288 |title=Sharon Pratt Kelly |accessdate=2008-07-08 |date=2001 |work=ExploreDC.org |publisher=[[WETA-TV|WETA Public Broadcasting]] }}</ref> Barry was elected again in 1994 and soon after the city became nearly [[insolvency|insolvent]]. In 1995, Congress created an appointed financial control board, which had the authority to oversee all city spending;<ref>{{cite news | first=Michael | last=Janofsky | title=Congress creates board to oversee Washington, D.C. | date=1995-04-08 |url =http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990CE7DB1739F93BA35757C0A963958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all | work =The New York Times |accessdate = 2008-05-27}}</ref> however, in September 2001, the District regained control over its finances and the oversight board's operations were suspended.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://oig.dc.gov/news/view1.asp?url=testimony%2Fwhole.pdf&mode=testimony&archived=1&month=20015 |title=Testimony of the D.C. Inspector General |accessdate=2008-07-06 |last=Maddox |first=Charles |date=2001-06-19 |format=PDF |publisher=Office of the Inspector General }}</ref> On [[September 11, 2001 attacks|September 11, 2001]], terrorists hijacked [[American Airlines Flight 77]] and deliberately crashed the plane into [[The Pentagon]], located outside the city in [[Arlington, Virginia]]. Either the [[White House]] or the [[United States Capitol]] was another intended target for [[United Airlines Flight 93]], which crashed near [[Shanksville, Pennsylvania]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://archives.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/meast/09/12/alqaeda.911.claim/index.html |title=Al-Jazeera offers accounts of 9/11 planning |publisher=CNN |accessdate=2008-06-03 |date=2002-09-12}}</ref><ref> {{cite web|url=http://archives.cnn.com/2002/US/05/23/flight.93/index.html |title=White House target of Flight 93, officials say |accessdate=2008-06-03 |date=2002-05-23 |publisher=CNN }}</ref> ==Geography== {{main|Geography of Washington, D.C.}} [[Image:DC satellite image.jpg|thumb|upright|Washington, D.C. is divided into four [[Address (geography)#Quadrants|quadrants]].]] Washington, D.C. is located at {{coor dms|38|53|42|N|77|02|11|W|region:US-DC_type:city(582,000)}} (the coordinates of the [[Zero Milestone]], on the [[President's Park|Ellipse]]). The city has a total area of {{convert|68.3|mi2|km2}}, of which {{convert|61.4|mi2|km2}} is land and {{convert|6.9|mi2|km2}} (10.16%) is water.<ref name=quickfacts /> The District is no longer {{convert|100|mi2|km2}} due to the [[District of Columbia retrocession|retrocession]] of the southern portion of the District back to the Commonwealth of Virginia in 1846. The District's current area consists only of territory ceded by the state of Maryland.<ref name=dcfaq> {{cite web|url=http://www.potomacriver.org/about_potomac/about_the_potomac.htm |title=About the Potomac River |accessdate=2008-06-29 |date=2002-04-01 |publisher=Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin }}</ref> Washington is surrounded by the [[U.S. state|states]] of Maryland to the southeast, northeast, and northwest and Virginia to the southwest. The District interrupts those states' common border, the [[Potomac River]], both upstream and downstream from the District. Washington has three major natural flowing streams: the Potomac River, the [[Anacostia River]], and [[Rock Creek (Potomac River)|Rock Creek]]. The Anacostia River and Rock Creek are tributaries of the Potomac River.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.potomacriver.org/about_potomac/basin-facts.htm |title=Potomac Basin Facts |accessdate=2008-07-11 |date=2002-04-01 |publisher=Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin }}</ref> Contrary to the [[urban legend]], Washington was not built on [[Land reclamation|reclaimed]] [[swamp]]land.<ref>{{cite news | first=Marc | last=Fisher | coauthors= | title=Built On A Swamp and Other Myths of D.C. | date=2006-04-05 | publisher= | url =http://blog.washingtonpost.com/rawfisher/2006/04/built_on_a_swamp_and_other_myt.html | work =The Washington Post | pages = | accessdate = 2008-07-01 | language = }}</ref> While [[wetland]]s did cover areas along the two rivers and other natural streams, the majority of District's territory consisted of farmland and tree-covered hills.<ref>{{cite book | last = Crew | first = Harvey W. | authorlink = | coauthors = William Bensing Webb, John Wooldridge | title = Centennial History of the City of Washington, D. C. | publisher = United Brethren Publishing House | date = 1892 | location = [[Dayton, Ohio]] | url = http://books.google.com/books?id=5Q81AAAAIAAJ |pages= 92 }}</ref> The highest natural point in the District of Columbia is {{convert|409|ft|m}} above sea level in [[Tenleytown]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Rock Creek Park: Fort Reno |url=http://www.nps.gov/archive/rocr/ftcircle/reno.htm |publisher=[[National Park Service]] |date=2001-08-01 |accessdate=2008-06-10 }}</ref> The lowest point is sea level at the Potomac River. The geographic center of Washington is located near the intersection of 4th and L Streets NW.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.usgs.gov/state/state.asp?State=DC |title=Science In Your State: District of Columbia |accessdate=2008-07-07 |date=2007-07-30 |publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]] }}</ref> ===Cityscape=== {{seealso|List of neighborhoods of the District of Columbia by ward|Streets and highways of Washington, D.C.|List of tallest buildings in Washington, D.C.}} Washington, D.C. is a [[New town|planned city]]. In 1791, [[Pierre L'Enfant]] drew up a basic plan modeled in the [[Baroque]] style, which incorporated broad avenues radiating out from [[traffic circle]]s, providing for maximum open space and landscaping.<ref name=lenfant> {{cite web|url=http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/wash/lenfant.htm |title=The L'Enfant and McMillian Plans |accessdate=2008-05-27 |publisher=[[National Park Service]] }}</ref> However, at the start of the 20th century, L'Enfant's vision of a capital with open parks and grand national monuments had become marred by [[slum]]s and randomly-placed buildings, including a railroad station on the [[National Mall]].<ref name=lenfant /> In 1900, Congress formed a [[joint committee]], headed by Senator [[James McMillan (Senator)|James McMillan]], charged with beautifying Washington's ceremonial core. What became known as the [[McMillan Plan]] was finalized in 1901, and included the re-landscaping of the Capitol grounds and Mall, constructing new Federal buildings and monuments, clearing slums, and establishing a new citywide park system. Architects recruited by the committee kept the city's original layout, and their work is thought to be the grand completion of L'Enfant's intended design.<ref name=lenfant /> [[Image:Washington DC at night.jpg|thumb|upright|left|The [[Lincoln Memorial]], [[Washington Monument]], and [[United States Capitol|U.S. Capitol]] at night]] After the construction of the twelve-story [[Cairo Apartment Building]] in 1899, Congress passed the Heights of Buildings Act, which declared that no building could be taller than the Capitol. The Act was amended in 1910 to restrict building height to the width of the adjacent street plus {{convert|20|ft|m}}.<ref name=buildheight>{{cite news | first=Michael | last=Grunwald | coauthors= | title=D.C.'s Fear of Heights | date=2006-07-02 | publisher= | url =http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/30/AR2006063001316.html | work =The Washington Post | pages =B02 | accessdate = 2008-06-10 | language = }}</ref> Today the skyline remains low and sprawling, in keeping with [[Thomas Jefferson]]'s wishes to make Washington an "American [[Paris]]" with "low and convenient" buildings on "light and airy" streets.<ref name=buildheight/> As a result, the [[Washington Monument]] remains the District's tallest structure.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=20080221_1_A2_hhpsp76588 |title= Way back when: Today in history |first= Gene |last= Curtis |date= 2008-02-21 |work= [[Tulsa World]] |accessdate= 2008-07-02}}</ref> However, Washington's height restriction has been assailed as a primary reason why the city has limited affordable housing and traffic problems as a result of [[urban sprawl]]. To escape the District's height restriction, taller buildings close to downtown are often constructed across the Potomac River in [[Rosslyn, Virginia]].<ref>{{cite news | first=Annie | last=Gowen | coauthors= | title=Planned Rosslyn Tower Might Be Hazard, FAA Says | date=2006-12-08 | publisher= | url =http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/07/AR2006120701790.html | work =The Washington Post | pages =B03 | accessdate = 2008-07-14 | language = }}</ref> The District is divided into four [[Address (geography)#Quadrants|quadrants]] of unequal area: [[Northwest, Washington, D.C.|Northwest (NW)]]; [[Northeast, Washington, D.C.|Northeast (NE)]]; [[Southeast, Washington, D.C.|Southeast (SE)]]; and [[Southwest, Washington, D.C.|Southwest (SW)]]. The axes bounding the quadrants radiate from the U.S. Capitol building.<ref name=dcstreets> {{cite web|url=http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/visiting/one_item_and_teasers/layout_of_washington.htm |title=Layout of Washington DC |accessdate=2008-07-14 |date=2005-09-30 |work=Visitors Center Home |publisher=[[United States Senate]] }}</ref> All road names include the quadrant abbreviation to indicate their location. In most of the city, the streets are set out in a grid pattern with east-west streets named with letters (e.g. C Street SW) and north-south streets with numbers (e.g. 4th Street NW).<ref name=dcstreets /> The avenues radiating from the traffic circles are primarily named after the states; all 50 states are included in the street [[nomenclature]]. As the city grew, the streets were simply extended, where possible. Some Washington streets are particularly noteworthy such as [[Pennsylvania Avenue]], which connects the [[White House]] with the [[United States Capitol|Capitol]], and [[K Street (Washington, D.C.)|K Street]], which houses the offices of many [[lobbyists|lobbying groups]].<ref>{{cite news | first=Jeffrey H. | last=Birnbaum | coauthors= | title=The Road to Riches Is Called K Street | date=2005-06-22 | publisher= | url =http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/21/AR2005062101632.html | work =The Washington Post | pages =A01 | accessdate = 2008-06-17 | language = }}</ref> Washington hosts 172 [[List of diplomatic missions in Washington, D.C.|foreign embassies]], 57 of which are located on a section of [[Massachusetts Avenue (Washington, D.C.)|Massachusetts Avenue]] informally known as [[Embassy Row]].<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.state.gov/s/cpr/rls/dpl/ |title=Diplomatic List |accessdate=2008-06-25 |date=2008-02-25 |publisher=U.S. Department of State }}</ref> ===Architecture=== [[Image:North Façade White House.JPG|thumb|In 2007, the [[White House]] ranked second on the [[American Institute of Architects|AIA's]] "[[List of America's Favorite Architecture according to the AIA|List of America's Favorite Architecture]]".]] The architecture of Washington, D.C. varies greatly. Six of the top ten buildings in the [[American Institute of Architects]]' 2007 ranking of "[[List of America's Favorite Architecture according to the AIA|America's Favorite Architecture]]" are located in the District of Columbia,<ref> {{cite web|url=http://favoritearchitecture.org/afa150.php |title=America's Favorite Architecture |accessdate=2008-07-03 |date=2007 |publisher=American Institute of Architects and Harris Interactive }}</ref> including: the [[White House]]; the [[Washington National Cathedral]]; the [[Thomas Jefferson Memorial]]; the [[United States Capitol]]; the [[Lincoln Memorial]]; and the [[Vietnam Veterans Memorial]]. The [[neoclassical architecture|neoclassical]], [[georgian architecture|Georgian]], [[gothic architecture|gothic]], and [[modern architecture|modern]] architectural styles are all reflected among those six buildings and many other prominent government buildings in Washington. Notable exceptions include buildings constructed in the French [[Second Empire]] style such as the [[Old Executive Office Building]] and [[Library of Congress]].<ref name=nps> {{cite web|url=http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/wash/sitelist.htm |title=Washington, D.C. List of Sites |accessdate=2008-06-05 |publisher=[[National Park Service]] }}</ref> Outside downtown Washington, architectural styles are even more varied. In parts of the "Old City" (the area planned by L'Enfant), historic buildings are designed primarily in the [[Queen Anne Style architecture|Queen Anne]], [[Châteauesque]], [[Richardsonian Romanesque]], Georgian revival, and [[Beaux-Arts architecture|Beaux-Arts]] styles, as well as other varieties of [[Victorian architecture]]. [[Terraced house|Rowhouses]] from the 19th century are especially prominent in areas of the Old City and typically follow "[[Federal architecture|Federalist]]" and late Victorian designs.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/adecenter/essays/Scott.html |title= Residential Architecture of Washington, D.C., and Its Suburbs |accessdate=2008-06-05 |last=Scott |first=Pamela |date=2005 |publisher=Library of Congress }}</ref> [[Georgetown, Washington, D.C.|Georgetown]] has the most cohesive architecture in the city; most homes reflect the late Victorian style from the 1870s. [[Georgetown University]], however, is more distinct, with a mix of Romanesque and [[Gothic Revival architecture|Gothic Revival]] architecture.<ref name=nps /> ===Natural features=== {{seealso|List of parks in the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area}} The U.S. [[National Park Service]] manages most of the natural habitat in Washington, D.C., including [[Rock Creek Park]], the [[Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park]], the [[National Mall]], [[Theodore Roosevelt Island]], and [[Anacostia Park]].<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.nps.gov/state/dc/ |title=District of Columbia |accessdate=2008-07-07 |publisher=[[National Park Service]] }}</ref> The only significant area of natural habitat not managed by the National Park Service is the [[United States National Arboretum|U.S. National Arboretum]], which is operated by the [[United States Department of Agriculture|U.S. Department of Agriculture]].<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.usna.usda.gov/Information/historymissn.html |title=U.S. National Arboretum History and Mission |accessdate=2008-07-07 |date=2007-10-16 |publisher=[[United States National Arboretum]] }}</ref> The [[Great Falls (Potomac River)|Great Falls]] of the [[Potomac River]] are located upstream (i.e. northwest) of Washington. During the 19th century, the [[Chesapeake and Ohio Canal|C&O Canal]], which starts in [[Georgetown, Washington, D.C.|Georgetown]], was used to allow barge traffic to bypass the falls.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.nps.gov/choh/historyculture/index.htm |title=C&O Canal National Historic Park: History & Culture |accessdate=2008-07-03 |publisher=[[National Park Service]] }}</ref> President [[Lyndon Johnson]] called the Potomac River a "national disgrace" in 1965, and used the river to illustrate the need for the Clean Water Restoration Act of 1966.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.potomacriver.org/about_potomac/history.htm |title=Potomac Basin History |accessdate=2008-06-02 |date=2002-04-01 |publisher=Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin }}</ref> The river is now home to a vibrant warm-water fishery and naturally reproducing [[Bald Eagle]]s have returned to its banks.<ref>{{cite news | first=Elizabeth | last=Shogren | title=Eagle Population Up, But Prime Habitat Threatened | date=2007-03-14 | url =http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7805391 | publisher=National Public Radio | accessdate = 2008-06-10}}</ref> Despite its intensely urbanized landscape, the District of Columbia is a center for research on urban wildlife management, invasive species management, urban stream restoration, and the aquatic ecology of urban streams.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.ddoe.dc.gov/ddoe/cwp/view,a,1210,q,494364,ddoeNav,%7C31007%7C,.asp |title=Environmental Resources |accessdate=2008-06-03 |publisher=D.C. Department of the Environment }}</ref> The National Park Service's Center For Urban Ecology is a regional source of expertise and applied science for the region.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.nps.gov/cue/ecology.htm |title=Center for Urban Ecology |accessdate=2008-05-27 |publisher=[[National Park Service]] }}</ref> ===Climate=== Washington has a [[humid subtropical climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]]: ''Cfa''), typical of [[Mid-Atlantic States|Mid-Atlantic U.S.]] areas removed from bodies of water, with four distinct seasons. Spring and fall are mild, with low humidity, while winter brings sustained cool temperatures and annual snowfall averaging {{convert|16.6|in|mm}}.<ref name=dcwinter> {{cite web|url=http://www.erh.noaa.gov/er/lwx/Historic_Events/DC-Winters.htm |title=Washington Area Winters |accessdate=2008-06-03 |last=Watson |first=Barbara McNaught |date=1999-11-17 |publisher=National Weather Service }}</ref> Average winter lows tend to be around 30&nbsp;°F (-1&nbsp;°C) from mid-December to mid-February. Summers tend to be hot and humid, with daily high temperatures in July and August averaging in the high 80s&nbsp;°F (about 30&nbsp;°C).<ref name=weather> {{cite web|url=http://www.weather.com/outlook/homeandgarden/garden/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USDC0001?from=36hr_bottomnav_garden |title=Average Weather for Washington, DC&nbsp;— Temperature and Precipitation |accessdate=2008-06-03 |publisher=The Weather Channel }}</ref> The combination of heat and humidity in the summer brings very frequent thunderstorms, some of which occasionally produce tornadoes in the area. While [[tropical cyclone|hurricanes]] (or their remnants) occasionally track through the area in late summer and early fall, they have often weakened by the time they reach Washington, partly due to the city's inland location. Flooding of the Potomac River, however, caused by a combination of [[tide|high tide]], [[storm surge]], and [[surface runoff|runoff]], has been known to cause extensive property damage in [[Georgetown, Washington, D.C.|Georgetown]] as well as in nearby [[Alexandria, Virginia|Old Town Alexandria, Virginia]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Vogel|first=Steve|title=Bulk of Flooding Expected in Old Town, Washington Harbour | url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/27/AR2006062701527.html|date=2006-06-28|work=The Washington Post|page=B02|accessdate = 2008-07-11}}</ref> The highest recorded temperature was {{convert|106|F|C|abbr=on}} on [[July 20]], [[1930]] and [[August 6]], [[1918]], while the lowest recorded temperature was {{convert|-15|F|C|abbr=on}} on [[February 11]], [[1899]], during the [[Great Blizzard of 1899]]. The city averages 36.7 days hotter than {{convert|90|F|C|abbr=on}}, and only 64.4 nights below freezing.<ref name=dcwinter /><ref name=weather /> <center><!--Infobox begins-->{{Infobox Weather |metric_first= |single_line=Yes |location = Washington, D.C. |Jan_Hi_°F = 42 |Jan_REC_Hi_°F = 79 |Feb_Hi_°F = 47 |Feb_REC_Hi_°F = 84 |Mar_Hi_°F = 56 |Mar_REC_Hi_°F = 93 |Apr_Hi_°F = 66 |Apr_REC_Hi_°F = 95 |May_Hi_°F = 75 |May_REC_Hi_°F = 99 |Jun_Hi_°F = 84 |Jun_REC_Hi_°F = 102 |Jul_Hi_°F = 88 |Jul_REC_Hi_°F = 106 |Aug_Hi_°F = 86 |Aug_REC_Hi_°F = 106 |Sep_Hi_°F = 79 |Sep_REC_Hi_°F = 104 |Oct_Hi_°F = 68 |Oct_REC_Hi_°F = 96 |Nov_Hi_°F = 57 |Nov_REC_Hi_°F = 86 |Dec_Hi_°F = 47 |Dec_REC_Hi_°F = 79 |Year_Hi_°F = 66 |Year_REC_Hi_°F = 106 |Jan_Lo_°F = 27 |Jan_REC_Lo_°F = -14 |Feb_Lo_°F = 30 |Feb_REC_Lo_°F = -15 |Mar_Lo_°F = 37 |Mar_REC_Lo_°F = 4 |Apr_Lo_°F = 46 |Apr_REC_Lo_°F = 15 |May_Lo_°F = 56 |May_REC_Lo_°F = 33 |Jun_Lo_°F = 65 |Jun_REC_Lo_°F = 43 |Jul_Lo_°F = 70 |Jul_REC_Lo_°F = 52 |Aug_Lo_°F = 69 |Aug_REC_Lo_°F = 49 |Sep_Lo_°F = 62 |Sep_REC_Lo_°F = 36 |Oct_Lo_°F = 50 |Oct_REC_Lo_°F = 26 |Nov_Lo_°F = 40 |Nov_REC_Lo_°F = 11 |Dec_Lo_°F = 32 |Dec_REC_Lo_°F = -13 |Year_Lo_°F = 49 |Year_REC_Lo_°F = -15 |Jan_Precip_inch = 3.2 |Feb_Precip_inch = 2.6 |Mar_Precip_inch = 3.6 |Apr_Precip_inch = 2.8 |May_Precip_inch = 3.8 |Jun_Precip_inch = 3.1 |Jul_Precip_inch = 3.6 |Aug_Precip_inch = 3.4 |Sep_Precip_inch = 3.8 |Oct_Precip_inch = 3.2 |Nov_Precip_inch = 3.0 |Dec_Precip_inch = 3.0 |Year_Precip_inch = 39.1 |source = The Weather Channel<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.weather.com/outlook/homeandgarden/garden/wxclimatology/monthly/USDC0001 |title=Monthly Averages for Washington, D.C. |accessdate=2008-07-12 |date=2008 |publisher=[[The Weather Channel]] }}</ref> |accessdate = July 2008<!--Infobox ends-->}}</center> ==Demographics== {{main|Demographics of Washington, D.C.}} {{USCensusPop | 1800= 8144 | 1810= 15471 | 1820= 23336 | 1830= 30261 | 1840= 33745 | 1850= 51687 | 1860= 75080 | 1870= 131700 | 1880= 177624 | 1890= 230392 | 1900= 278718 | 1910= 331069 | 1920= 437571 | 1930= 486869 | 1940= 663091 | 1950= 802178 | 1960= 763956 | 1970= 756510 | 1980= 638333 | 1990= 606900 | 2000= 572059 | estimate= 588292 | estyear=2007 | estref=<ref name=CensusEst> {{cite web|title=District of Columbia|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/SAFFPopulation?_event=Search&_name=&_state=04000US11&_county=&_cityTown=&_zip=&_sse=on&_lang=en&pctxt=fph |accessdate=2008-02-12 |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] }}</ref> }} The current 2007 U.S. Census Bureau data estimates the District's population at 588,292 residents, continuing a trend of population growth in the city since the [[United States Census, 2000|2000 Census]]. The trend reverses what had been a 50-year decline in the District's population.<ref name=CensusEst/> During the workweek, however, the number of commuters from the suburbs into the city swells the District's population by an estimated 71.8%, to a daytime population of over one million people.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://money.cnn.com/2005/10/21/real_estate/buying_selling/daytime_population_cities/ |title=Biggest commuter cities |accessdate=2008-06-03 |date=2005-10-21 |publisher=CNNMoney.com }}</ref> The [[Washington Metropolitan Area]], which includes the surrounding counties in Maryland and Virginia, is the eighth-largest in the United States with more than five million residents. When combined with Baltimore and its suburbs, the [[Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area]] has a population exceeding eight million residents, the fourth-largest in the country.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.census.gov/population/www/estimates/metro_general/2007/CBSA-EST2007-02.xls |title=Annual Estimates of the Population of Combined Statistical Areas |accessdate=2008-05-25 |date=2008-03-27 |format=XLS |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref> [[Image:Chinatown, DC gate.jpg|thumb|left|The "Friendship Arch" is at the center of [[Chinatown, Washington, D.C.|Chinatown]].]] In 2006, the population distribution was 55.5% [[African American]], 34.5% [[Caucasian race|Caucasian]], 8.2% [[Hispanic]] (of any race), 5.1% other (including [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native Americans]], [[Alaska Natives|Alaskans]], [[Native Hawaiians|Hawaiians]], and [[Pacific Islander]]s), 3.4% Asian, and 1.5% mixed (two or more races).<ref name="dc_demographic_data"> {{cite web |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ACSSAFFFacts?_event=&geo_id=04000US11&_geoContext=01000US%7C04000US11&_street=&_county=&_cityTown=&_state=04000US11&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&ActiveGeoDiv=&_useEV=&pctxt=fph&pgsl=040&_submenuId=factsheet_1&ds_name=DEC_2000_SAFF&_ci_nbr=null&qr_name=null®=null%3Anull&_keyword=&_industry= |title=District of Columbia Fact Sheet |accessdate=2008-06-05 |date=2006 |work= American Community Survey |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] }}</ref> Even though they comprise the city's largest ethnic group, Washington has a steadily declining black population, due to many African Americans leaving the city for suburbs. At the same time, the city's white population has steadily increased, in part due to effects of gentrification in many of Washington's traditionally black neighborhoods.<ref>{{cite news | title=Washington’s Black Majority Is Shrinking | date=2007-09-16 | publisher=Associated Press | url =http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/16/us/16washington.html?_r=1&oref=slogin | accessdate = 2008-07-12 | language = }}</ref> This is evident in a 4.6% decrease in the African American population, and a corresponding 3.7% increase in the Caucasian population since 2000.<ref name="dc_demographic_data"/> The 2000 census revealed that there were an estimated 33,000 [[Homosexuality|gay]], [[lesbian]], or [[Bisexuality|bisexual]] adults in the District of Columbia, about 6% of the city's population;<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.law.ucla.edu/williamsinstitute/publications/WashingtonDCCensusSnapshot.pdf |title=Census Snapshot: Washington, D.C. |accessdate=2008-05-27 |last=Romero |first=Adam P. |coauthors=Amanda Baumle, M.V. Lee Badgett, Gary J. Gates |date=2007-12 |format=PDF |work=The Williams Institute }}</ref> twice the national average of 2.9%.<ref>{{cite news | first=Kerry | last=Eleveld | coauthors= | title=Poll: Only 2.9% of Americans Are LGB | date=2008-05-01 | publisher= | url =http://www.advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid53742.asp | work =The Advocate | pages = | accessdate = 2008-05-27 | language = }}</ref> Despite the city's sizable [[LGBT]] population and [[Modern liberalism in the United States|liberal]] political climate, [[same-sex marriage]] is not legal in the District; due in part to opposition in Congress.<ref name=blade /> However, Washington's [[Domestic partnership in the District of Columbia|domestic partnership law]] does provide same-sex couples legal recognition similar to [[civil union]]s offered in other jurisdictions.<ref name=blade>{{cite news | first=Lou | last=Chibbaro | title=D.C. Council expands DP law | date=2008-05-16 | work=[[Washington Blade]] | url=http://www.washingtonblade.com/2008/5-16/news/localnews/12599.cfm | accessdate = 2008-06-20 }}</ref> A 2007 report found that about one-third of Washington residents are [[functional illiteracy|functionally illiterate]], compared to a national rate of about one in five. This is attributed in part to [[Hispanic]], [[Ethiopia]]n, and [[Eritrea]]n immigrants that make up 12.7% of the District's population but are not proficient in English.<ref name="illiteracy">{{cite news | title=Study Finds One-Third in D.C. Illiterate | date=2007-03-19 | publisher=Associated Press | url =http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=d8nvbuv81&show_article=1 | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2008-06-10 | language = }}</ref> However, while one-third are functionally illiterate, 45% of D.C. residents have at least a four-year college degree, the fourth-highest rate in the nation, which further illustrates the social divide present in the city.<ref name=acs> {{cite web|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ADPTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=04000US11&-qr_name=ACS_2006_EST_G00_DP2&-ds_name=ACS_2006_EST_G00_&-_lang=en&-_sse=on |title=Selected Social Characteristics in the United States: 2006 |accessdate=2008-06-06 |date=2006 |work=American Community Survey |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] }}</ref> A 2005 study shows that 85.16% of Washington, D.C. residents age five and older speak only [[English language|English]] at home and 8.78% speak [[Spanish language|Spanish]]. [[French language|French]] is the third-most-spoken language at 1.35%.<ref name="language_distro"> {{cite web|url=http://www.mla.org/cgi-shl/docstudio/docs.pl?map_data_results&SRVY_YEAR=compare&geo=state&state_id=11&county_id=&mode=geographic&lang_id=&zip=&place_id=&cty_id=&region_id=&division_id=&ll=&ea=&order=&a= |title=Data Center Results: District of Columbia |accessdate=2008-07-03 |publisher=Modern Language Association }}</ref> In 2000 more than half of District residents identify themselves as [[Christian]]; 28% of residents are [[Roman Catholicism in the United States|Catholic]], 6.8% are [[Southern Baptist Convention|Southern Baptist]], 1.3% are [[Oriental Orthodoxy|Eastern Orthodox]], and 21.8% are members of other [[Protestantism|Protestant]] denominations. Residents who practice [[Islam]] make up 10.6% of the population, and followers of [[Judaism]] comprise 4.5%. 26.8% of residents do not practice a religion.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.thearda.com/mapsReports/reports/counties/11001_2000.asp |title=District of Columbia Denominational Groups, 2000 |accessdate=2008-07-03 |publisher=The Association of Religious Data Archives }}</ref> ===Crime=== {{main|Crime in Washington, D.C.}} {{seealso|Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia}} During the [[violent crime|violent crime wave]] of the early 1990s, Washington, D.C. was known as the "murder capital" of the United States and often rivaled [[New Orleans, Louisiana|New Orleans]] in the number of homicides.<ref>{{cite news | first=Ian | last=Urbina | coauthors= | title=Washington Officials Try to Ease Crime Fear | date=2006-07-13 | publisher= | url =http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/13/us/13deecee.html?n=Top%2FReference%2FTimes%20Topics%2FPeople%2FW%2FWilliams%2C%20Anthony%20A. | work =The New York Times | pages = | accessdate = 2008-06-10 | language = }}</ref> The number of murders peaked in 1991 at 482, but the level of violence declined drastically in the 1990s. By 2006, the annual murder count in the city had declined to 169.<ref>{{cite web|title=2006 Annual Report |url=http://cjcc.dc.gov/cjcc/lib/cjcc/Annual-Report-2006-CJCC.pdf |accessdate=2008-06-10 |date=2007 |format=PDF |work=Criminal Justice Coordinating Council |publisher=Government of the District of Columbia }}</ref> Other forms of property crime, including thefts and robberies, also declined by similar percentages.<ref>{{cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Citywide Crime Statistics Annual Totals, 1993-2005 | date= | publisher=District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department | url =http://mpdc.dc.gov/mpdc/cwp/view,a,1239,q,547256,mpdcNav_GID,1556.asp | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2008-05-27 | language = }}</ref> Despite the declining trends, the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI's]] 2006 [[Uniform Crime Reports|Uniform Crime Report]] still ranks [[United States cities by crime rate|overall crime]] in Washington as the seventh-highest in the nation among cities with populations over 250,000. Like most large cities, crime is highest in areas associated with [[Illegal drug trade|illegal drugs]] and [[gang]]s. The more affluent neighborhoods of [[Northwest, Washington, D.C.|Northwest Washington]] experience low levels of crime, but the incidence of crime increases as one goes further east. Once plagued with violent crime, many D.C. neighborhoods such as [[Columbia Heights, Washington, D.C.|Columbia Heights]] and [[Logan Circle, Washington, D.C.|Logan Circle]] are becoming safe and vibrant areas due to the effects of [[gentrification]]. As a result, crime in the District is being displaced even further east and across the border into [[Prince George's County, Maryland]].<ref>{{cite news | first=Scott | last=Shewfelt | coauthors= | title=Baltimore, Prince George's Reign as State's Murder Capitals | date=2007-04-24 | publisher= | url =http://somd.com/news/headlines/2007/5809.shtml | work =Southern Maryland Online | pages = | accessdate = 2008-06-10 | language = }}</ref> On [[June 26]], [[2008]], the [[Supreme Court of the United States]] [[Holding|held]] in ''[[District of Columbia v. Heller]]'' that the city's 1976 [[Firearms Control Regulations Act of 1975|handgun ban]] violates the [[Second Amendment to the United States Constitution|Second Amendment]] right to gun ownership.<ref>{{cite news | first=Robert | last=Barnes | coauthors= | title=Supreme Court Strikes Down D.C. Ban on Handguns | date=2008-06-26 | publisher= | url =http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/26/AR2008062600615.html | work =The Washington Post | pages = | accessdate = 2008-06-27 | language = }}</ref> However, the ruling does not prohibit all forms of [[gun politics|gun control]]; laws requiring firearm registration remain in place, as does the city's [[assault weapon]] ban.<ref>{{cite news | first=David | last=Nakamura | coauthors= | title=D.C. Attorney General: All Guns Must Be Registered | date=20008-06-26 | publisher= | url =http://blog.washingtonpost.com/dc/2008/06/dc_attorney_general_all_guns_m.html | work =The Washington Post | pages = | accessdate = 2008-06-26 | language = }}</ref> ==Economy== {{see also|Category:Companies based in Washington, D.C.}} [[Image:Dc-unemployment aug2006.png|thumb|upright|Unemployment in the District of Columbia]] Washington, D.C. has a growing, diversified economy with an increasing percentage of professional and business service jobs.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.does.dc.gov/does/frames.asp?doc=/does/lib/does/info/ep2.62105.pdf |title=District of Columbia Employment Projections by Industry and Occupation, 2002-2012 |accessdate=2008-06-10 |last=Whitman |first=Ray D. |coauthors=Fred Siegmund |date=2005-06-01 |format=PDF |publisher=D.C. Office of Labor Market Research and Information }}</ref> The gross state product of the District in 2007 was $93.8 billion, ranking at number 35 when compared with the fifty states.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.bea.gov/regional/gsp/ |title=Gross Domestic Product by State |accessdate=2008-06-22 |date=2008-06-05 |publisher=U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis }}</ref> As of March 2008, the federal government accounted for about 27% of the jobs in Washington, D.C.<ref name="fedjobs">{{cite web|url=http://www.does.dc.gov/does/frames.asp?doc=/does/lib/does/DC_Industry_Employment_2008.pdf |title=Wage and Salary Employment by Industry and Place of Work |accessdate=2008-05-27 |date=2008 |format=PDF |publisher=District of Columbia Department of Employment Services }}</ref> Many other businesses such as [[law firm]]s, [[independent contractors]] (both defense and civilian), nonprofit organizations, [[lobbying]] firms, national associations of [[labor union|labor]] and professional groups, catering, and administrative services companies are directly or indirectly sustained by the federal government. Washington is thought to be relatively immune to downturns in the national economy because the federal government, and those who work with it, continue operations even during economic recessions.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.prwatch.org/node/7279 |title=Lobbying: A Recession-Proof Industry |accessdate=2008-05-27 |date=2008-05-01 |publisher=Center for Media and Democracy }}</ref> As of March 2008, the Washington Metropolitan Area had an [[unemployment rate]] of 3.4%; the lowest rate among the 40 largest [[Table of United States Metropolitan Statistical Areas|metro areas]] in the nation. It is also significantly lower than the national average unemployment rate during the same period of 5.2%.<ref>{{cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Unemployment Rates for Metropolitan Areas | date=2008-04-29 | publisher=Bureau of Labor Statistics | url =http://www.bls.gov/web/laummtrk.htm | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2008-05-27 | language = }}</ref> Washington has growing industry unrelated to government, especially in the areas of [[education]], [[finance]] and scientific research. [[The George Washington University]], [[Georgetown University]], [[Washington Hospital Center]], [[Howard University]], and [[Federal National Mortgage Association|Fannie Mae]] are the top five non-government-related employers in the city.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://does.dc.gov/does/frames.asp?doc=/does/lib/does/frames/top200__2004__36pgs.pdf |title=Top 200 Chief Executive Officers of the Major Employers in the District of Columbia |accessdate=2008-06-03 |date=2004-09 |format=PDF |publisher=D.C. Office of Labor Market Research and Information }}</ref> There are five [[Fortune 1000]] companies based in Washington, of which two are also [[Fortune 500]] companies.<ref>"[http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2007/states/DC.html 2007 Fortune 500 Annual Ranking]." ''[[Fortune Magazine]].'' [[April 30]], [[2007]]. Retrieved on [[July 9]], [[2007]].</ref> The city has become a leader in global real estate investment, behind London, New York City, and Paris.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.afire.org/foreign_data/2006/survey.shtm |title=2006 AFIRE Annual Survey |accessdate=2008-06-03 |publisher=Association of Foreign Investors in Real Estate }}</ref> In 2006, ''Expansion Magazine'' ranked D.C. among the top ten areas in the nation favorable to business expansion.<ref>{{cite news|work=Expansion Magazine|url=http://www.expansionmanagement.com/smo/newsviewer/default.asp?cmd=articledetail&articleid=17713&st=3|date=August 7, 2006|title=2006 Mayor's Challenge: Where Are the Best Metros for Future Business Locations?}}</ref> Washington has the third-largest [[downtown]] in the United States in terms of commercial office space, directly behind [[New York City]] and [[Chicago]].<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.buyusa.gov/southafrica/en/washingtondc.html |title=Washington DC: A Capital City |accessdate=2008-06-03 |last=Manoileff |first=Manoileff |coauthors=Camille Richardson |publisher=U.S. Commercial Service }}</ref> [[Gentrification]] efforts are taking hold in Washington, D.C. Most notable are the changes made in the [[List of neighborhoods of the District of Columbia by ward|neighborhoods]] of [[Logan Circle, Washington, D.C.|Logan Circle]], [[Shaw, Washington, D.C.|Shaw]], [[Columbia Heights, Washington, D.C.|Columbia Heights]], the [[U Street Corridor]], and the [[14th Street Northwest and Southwest (Washington, D.C.)|14th Street Corridor]].<ref name=urbaninst> {{cite web|url=http://www.urban.org/publications/900461.html |title=Leading Indicators of Gentrification in D.C. Neighborhoods |accessdate=2008-06-10 |last=Turner |first=Margery Austin |coauthors=Christopher Snow |date=2001-06-14 |publisher=The Urban Institute }}</ref> A new [[shopping mall]] opened in Columbia Heights in March 2008 represents the first new major retail center in the District in 40 years.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.nbc4.com/news/15485670/detail.html |title=New Target Opens Doors In District |accessdate=2008-06-03 |date=2008-03-04 |publisher=NBC4.com }}</ref> Gentrification, however, while helping revitalize the city's economy, is not directly helping poor communities as much as it is replacing them with new higher-income residents.<ref name=urbaninst /> Further, the benefits of economic growth are not evenly distributed throughout the city. For example, the District's unemployment rate fluctuates greatly within the city; in August 2006, unemployment ranged from 1.5% in affluent Ward 4 to 16.3% in Ward 8 (see graphic).<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.does.dc.gov/does/lib/does/DC_Labor_Force_Data_2008.pdf |title=Employment Status for the Civilian Population |accessdate=2008-06-03 |date=2008 |format=PDF |publisher=D.C. Department of Employment Services }}</ref> When compared with the states in 2005, the District had the highest [[States of the United States of America by income|personal income per capita]] in the country but also had the highest [[List of U.S. states by poverty rate|poverty rate]], which further serves to highlight the economic disparities still present in the city.<ref name=quickfacts> {{cite web|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/11000.html |title=State & County QuickFacts |accessdate=2008-06-04 |date=2008-01-02 |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] }}</ref> ==Culture== {{main|Culture of Washington, D.C.}} ===Historic sites and museums=== {{seealso|List of National Historic Landmarks in Washington, D.C.|List of museums in Washington, D.C.}} [[Image:Native American Indian Museum.jpg|thumb|The [[National Museum of the American Indian]] opened in 2004.]] The [[National Mall]] is a large, open park area in the center of the city. Located in the center of the Mall is the [[Washington Monument]]. Also located on the mall are the [[Lincoln Memorial]], the [[National World War II Memorial]] at the east end of the [[Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool|reflecting pool]], the [[Korean War Veterans Memorial]], the [[Vietnam Veterans Memorial]], and the [[Albert Einstein Memorial]].<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.nps.gov/nama/historyculture/index.htm |title=National Mall & Memorial Parks |accessdate=2008-06-28 |date=2006-09-28 |publisher=[[National Park Service]] }}</ref> The [[National Archives and Records Administration|National Archives]] houses thousands of documents important to American history including the [[United States Declaration of Independence|Declaration of Independence]], the [[United States Constitution]], and the [[United States Bill of Rights|Bill of Rights]].<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.archives.gov/nae/visit/rotunda.html |title=Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom |accessdate=2008-06-28 |publisher=The National Archives }}</ref> Located directly south of the mall, the [[Tidal Basin (District of Columbia)|Tidal Basin]] features rows of [[Cherry blossom|Japanese cherry blossom trees]] that were presented as gifts from the nation of [[Japan]]. The [[Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial]], [[Jefferson Memorial]], and the [[District of Columbia War Memorial]] are located around the Tidal Basin.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.nps.gov/nama/ |title=National Mall and Memorial Parks |accessdate=2008-06-02 |date=2008-02-07 |publisher=[[National Park Service]] }}</ref> The [[Smithsonian Institution]] is an educational foundation chartered by Congress in 1846 that maintains most of the nation's official museums and galleries in Washington, D.C. The U.S. government partially funds the Smithsonian, thus making its collections open to the public free of charge.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.si.edu/about/ |title=About the Smithsonian |accessdate=2008-05-27 |publisher=Smithsonian Institution }}</ref> The most visited of the Smithsonian museums is the [[National Museum of Natural History]] located on the National Mall.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://newsdesk.si.edu/visits/default.htm |title=Smithsonian Visit Statistics |accessdate=2008-06-02 |date=2008-05 |publisher=Smithsonian Institution }}</ref> Other Smithsonian Institution museums and galleries located on the mall are: the [[National Air and Space Museum]]; the [[National Museum of African Art]]; the [[National Museum of American History]]; the [[National Museum of the American Indian]]; the [[Arthur M. Sackler Gallery|Sackler]] and [[Freer Gallery of Art|Freer]] galleries, which both focus on Asian art and culture; the [[Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden]]; the [[Arts and Industries Building]]; and the [[Smithsonian Institution Building]] (also known as "The Castle"), which serves as the Smithsonian Institution's headquarters.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://newsdesk.si.edu/factsheets/default.htm |title=Museum and Program Fact Sheets |accessdate=2008-06-02 |publisher=Smithsonian Institution }}</ref> The [[Smithsonian American Art Museum]] (formerly known as the National Museum of American Art) and the [[National Portrait Gallery (United States)|National Portrait Gallery]] are located in the same building, the [[Donald W. Reynolds|Donald W. Reynolds Center]], near Washington's [[Chinatown, Washington, D.C.|Chinatown]]. The [[Renwick Gallery]] is officially part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum but is located in a separate building near the [[White House]]. The Reynolds Center was known as the [[Old Patent Office Building]] until 2006, and many still refer to the building using its former name.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://americanart.si.edu/reynolds_center/faq.cfm |title=The Reynolds Center Frequently Asked Questions |accessdate=2008-05-27 |date=2006 |publisher=Smithsonian Institution }}</ref> Other Smithsonian museums and galleries include: the [[Anacostia Museum|Anacostia Community Museum]] in Southeast Washington; the [[National Postal Museum]] near [[Union Station]]; and the [[Smithsonian National Zoological Park|National Zoo]] in [[Woodley Park, D.C.|Woodley Park]]. [[Image:Nga fg04.jpg|thumb|left|The East Wing of the [[National Gallery of Art]] houses the modern art collection.]] The [[National Gallery of Art]] is located on the National Mall near the Capitol, but is not a part of the Smithsonian Institution. It is instead wholly owned by the U.S. government; thus admission to the gallery is free. The gallery's west wing features the nation's collection of [[Visual arts of the United States|American]] and [[Western art history|European]] art through the 19th century.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.nga.gov/ginfo/aboutnga.shtm |title=About the National Gallery of Art |accessdate=2008-05-27 |date=2008 |publisher=National Gallery of Art }}</ref> The east wing, designed by architect [[I.M. Pei]], features works of [[modern art]].<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.nga.gov/education/schoolarts/east.shtm |title=I.M. Pei's East Building |accessdate=2008-06-04 |date=1999-04 |publisher=National Gallery of Art }}</ref> The Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery are often confused with the National Gallery of Art when they are in fact entirely separate institutions. The [[National Building Museum]], located near [[Judiciary Square]], was chartered by Congress and hosts temporary and traveling exhibits. There are many private art museums in the District of Columbia, which house major collections and exhibits open to the public such as: the [[National Museum of Women in the Arts]]; the [[Corcoran Gallery of Art]], the largest private museum in Washington; and [[The Phillips Collection]] in [[Dupont Circle]], the first museum of modern art in the United States.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.phillipscollection.org/html/about.htm |title=History of the Phillips Collection |accessdate=2008-06-13 |publisher=The Phillips Collection }}</ref> Other private museums in Washington include the [[Newseum]], the [[International Spy Museum]], the [[National Geographic Society]] museum, and the [[Marian Koshland Science Museum]]. The [[United States Holocaust Memorial Museum]] located near the National Mall maintains exhibits, documentation, and artifacts related to [[The Holocaust]].<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.ushmm.org/research/library/faq/details.php?lang=en&topic=06 |title=Frequently Asked Questions |accessdate=2008-05-27 |date=2008-01-14 |publisher=U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum }}</ref> ===Performing arts and music=== {{main|Theater in Washington D.C.|Music of Washington, D.C.}} [[Image:Kennedy Center at Sunset.jpg|thumb|The [[John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts]] is located along the Potomac River.]] Washington, D.C. is a national center for the arts. The [[John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts]] is home to the [[National Symphony Orchestra (United States)|National Symphony Orchestra]], the [[Washington National Opera]], and the [[Washington Ballet]]. The [[Kennedy Center Honors]] are awarded each year to those in the [[performing arts]] who have contributed greatly to the [[culture|cultural life]] of the United States.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.kennedy-center.org/programs/specialevents/honors/about/home.html |title=About the Kennedy Center Honors |accessdate=2008-06-29 |publisher=The Kennedy Center }}</ref> The [[President of the United States|President]] and [[First Lady of the United States|First Lady]] typically attend the Honors ceremony, as the First Lady is the [[Chair (official)|honorary chair]] of the [[Board of Trustees of the Kennedy Center|Kennedy Center Board of Trustees]].<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.kennedy-center.org/about/kctrustees.html |title=The Board of Trustees |accessdate=2008-06-29 |publisher=The Kennedy Center }}</ref> [[Arena Stage]], one of the nation's first [[non-profit]] [[Regional theatre in the United States|regional theaters]], produces an eight-show season that features classic works and new American [[Play (theatre)|plays]].<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.arenastage.org/about/history/ |title=Arena Stage History |accessdate=2008-06-03 |publisher=Arena Stage }}</ref> The [[Shakespeare Theatre Company]] is a non-profit theatre founded in 1985, which critics regard as "one of the world's three great Shakespearean theatres" for its reinterpretations and production of classical plays.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.shakespearetheatre.org/about/history.aspx |title=STC History |accessdate=2008-06-03 |publisher=Shakespeare Theatre Company }}</ref> The [[U Street Corridor]] in Northwest Washington, known as "Washington's Black Broadway", is home to institutions like [[Bohemian Caverns]] and the [[Lincoln Theatre (Washington, D.C.)|Lincoln Theatre]] which hosted music legends such as Washington-native [[Duke Ellington]], [[John Coltrane]], and [[Miles Davis]].<ref>{{cite news | first=Dan | last=Levin | coauthors= | title=Lights Return to ‘Black Broadway’ in Northwest Washington, D.C. | date=2006-09-10 | publisher= | url =http://travel2.nytimes.com/2006/09/10/travel/10surfacing.html?ref=travel | work =The New York Times | pages = | accessdate = 2008-06-20 | language = }}</ref> Other jazz venues feature modern [[blues]] such as [[Madam's Organ Blues Bar|Madam's Organ]] in [[Adams Morgan]] and [[Blues Alley]] in [[Georgetown, Washington, D.C.|Georgetown]]. D.C. has its own native music genre called [[go-go]]; a post-funk, percussion-driven flavor of [[rhythm and blues|R&B]] that blends live sets with relentless dance rhythms, so called because they "go and go and go".<ref name=gogo>{{cite news | first=Alona | last=Wartofsky | coauthors= | title=What Go-Goes Around&nbsp;... | date=2001-06-03 | publisher= | url =http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&contentId=A8247-2001Jun1&notFound=true | work =The Washington Post | pages =G01 | accessdate = 2008-06-10 | language = }}</ref> The most accomplished practitioner was D.C. band leader [[Chuck Brown]], who brought go-go to the brink of national recognition with his 1979 LP ''Bustin' Loose''.<ref name=gogo /> Washington is also an important center for [[Indie (culture)|indie culture]] and [[Indie music scenes|music]] in the United States. The label [[Dischord Records]], formed by [[Ian MacKaye]], was one of the most crucial independent labels in the genesis of 1980s [[punk rock|punk]] and eventually [[indie rock]] in the 1990s.<ref>{{cite news | first=Susie J | last=Horgan | coauthors= | title=Birth of D.C. Punk | date=2007-02-08 | publisher= | url =http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2007/02/07/DI2007020701569.html | work =The Washington Post | pages = | accessdate = 2008-06-17 | language = }}</ref> Washington's [[Independent record label|indie label]] history includes [[TeenBeat Records|TeenBeat]], [[Dischord Records]], [[Simple Machines]], and [[ESL Music]] among others. Modern [[Alternative rock|alternative]] and [[Independent music|indie]] music venues like [[The Black Cat (Washington DC nightclub)|The Black Cat]] and the [[9:30 Club]] near U Street bring popular acts to smaller more-intimate venues.<ref>{{cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Black Cat: A changing club with a changing scene in a changing city | date=2001-09-09 | publisher= | url =http://www.georgetownvoice.com/2004-09-09/feature/black-cat-a-changing-club-with-a-changing-scene-in-a-changing-city | work =The Georgetown Voice | pages = | accessdate = 2008-06-10 | language = }}</ref> ==Media== {{main|Media in Washington, D.C.}} {{seealso|List of newspapers in Washington, D.C.|List of television shows set in Washington, D.C.}} [[Image:Washington dc 1874.jpg|right|thumb|Washington's Newspaper Row on Pennsylvania Avenue in 1874]] Washington, DC is a prominent center for national and international media. ''[[The Washington Post]]'', founded in 1877, is the oldest and most-read local daily [[newspaper]] in Washington.<ref name="wapo"> {{cite web|url=http://washpost.com/gen_info/history/timeline/index.shtml |title=History of the Post Timeline |accessdate=2008-05-27 |work=The Washington Post }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | first=Annys | last=Shin | coauthors= | title=Newspaper Circulation Continues to Decline | date=2005-05-03 | publisher= | url =http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/02/AR2005050201457.html | work =The Washington Post | pages =E03 | accessdate = 2008-06-10 | language = }}</ref> It is probably most notable for its coverage of national and international politics as well as for exposing the [[Watergate scandal]].<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/onpolitics/watergate/chronology.htm |title=The Watergate Story Timeline |accessdate=2008-05-27 |work=The Washington Post }}</ref> "The Post", as it is popularly called, continues to print only three main editions; one each for the District, Maryland, and Virginia. Even without expanded national editions, the newspaper has the sixth-highest [[List of newspapers in the United States by circulation|circulation]] of all news dailies in the country as of March 2008.<ref name=newscirc> {{cite web|url=http://abcas3.accessabc.com/ecirc/newsform.asp |title=eCirc for US Newspapers |accessdate=2008-07-08 |date=2008-03-31 |publisher=Audit Bureau of Circulations }}</ref> ''[[USA Today]]'', the nation's largest daily newspaper by circulation, is headquartered in nearby [[McLean, Virginia]].<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.usatoday.com/media_kit/pressroom/pr_justfacts_usatoday.htm |title=Just the Facts |accessdate=2008-07-08 |publisher=USA Today }}</ref> The [[Washington Post Company]] has a daily free commuter newspaper called the ''[[Express (newspaper)|Express]]'', which summarizes events, sports and entertainment, as well as the Spanish-language paper ''El Tiempo Latino''. Another local daily, ''[[The Washington Times]]'', and the weekly [[Alternative newspaper|alternative]] ''[[Washington City Paper]]'' have substantial readership in the Washington area as well.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/2005/05/washington_times_circulation_growing/ |title=Washington Times Circulation Growing |accessdate=2008-06-10 |last=Joyner |first=James |date=2005-05-18 |work=Outside the Beltway }}</ref><ref> {{cite web|url=http://aan.org/alternative/Aan/ViewCompany?oid=oid%3A95 |title=Washington City Paper |accessdate=2008-05-27 |date=2008 |work=Association of Alternative Newsweeklies }}</ref> A number of community and specialty papers focus on neighborhood and cultural issues including: the weekly ''[[Washington Blade]]'' and ''[[Metro Weekly]]'', which focus on [[LGBT]] issues; and the ''[[Washington Informer]]'' and ''[[The Washington Afro American]]'', which highlight topics of interest to the black community. Two Washington newspapers, ''[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]'' and ''[[Roll Call]]'', focus exclusively on issues related to Congress and the federal government. The [[Washington Metropolitan Area]] is the ninth-largest [[television]] [[media market]] in the U.S. with 2,308,290 homes (2.05% of the U.S. population).<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.nielsenmedia.com/nc/portal/site/Public/menuitem.3437240b94cacebc3a81e810d8a062a0/?vgnextoid=130547f8b5264010VgnVCM100000880a260aRCRD# |title=Local Television Market Universe Estimates |accessdate=2008-05-27 |date=2008-01-01 |format=PDF |publisher=The Nielsen Company }}</ref> Several media companies and [[cable television]] channels have their headquarters in Washington, D.C. including: [[C-SPAN]]; [[Black Entertainment Television]] (BET); the [[National Geographic Channel]]; [[Smithsonian Networks]]; [[XM Satellite Radio]]; [[National Public Radio]] (NPR); [[Discovery Channel|Discovery Communications]] (in [[Silver Spring, Maryland]]); and the [[Public Broadcasting Service]] (PBS) (in [[Arlington, Virginia]]). The headquarters of [[Voice of America]], the U.S. government's [[International broadcasting|international news service]], is located near the Capitol in Southwest Washington. The D.C. area is also home to [[Radio One (company)|Radio One]], the nation's largest African American television and radio conglomerate, founded by [[Media proprietor|media mogul]] [[Cathy Hughes]].<ref>{{cite news | first=Charisse | last=Jones | coauthors= | title=Sweeping national study finds blacks in U.S. diverse, optimistic | date=2008-06-26 | publisher= | url =http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-06-26-Blacksurvey_N.htm | work =[[USA Today]] | pages = | accessdate = 2008-07-12 | language = }}</ref> ==Sports== {{main|Sports in Washington, D.C.}} {{seealso|U.S. cities with teams from four major sports}} [[Image:Mci center jan2006b.jpg|right|thumb|[[Verizon Center]] is home to the [[Washington Capitals]], [[Washington Mystics]], and [[Washington Wizards]].]] Washington, D.C. is home to five major professional mens' teams. The [[Washington Wizards]] ([[National Basketball Association]]) and the [[Washington Capitals]] ([[National Hockey League]]) both play at the [[Verizon Center]] (right) in [[Chinatown, Washington, D.C.|Chinatown]]. [[Nationals Park]], which opened in [[Southeast, Washington, D.C.|Southeast D.C.]] in 2008, is home to the [[Washington Nationals]] ([[Major League Baseball]]). The [[D.C. United]] ([[Major League Soccer]]) play at [[Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium|RFK Stadium]]. The [[Washington Redskins]] ([[National Football League]]) play at nearby [[FedExField]] in [[Landover, Maryland]]. The Washington area is also home to a number of women's professional sports teams. The [[Washington Mystics]] ([[Women's National Basketball Association|WNBA]]) play at the Verizon Center and the [[Washington Glory]] ([[National Pro Fastpitch]] [[Softball]]) play at [[Westfield High School (Fairfax County, Virginia)|Westfield H.S. Sports Complex]] in [[Fairfax County, Virginia]]. The [[Washington Freedom]] are set to be revived in 2009 within the [[Women's Professional Soccer|Women's Professional Soccer league]], the successor to the [[Women's United Soccer Association|WUSA]].<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.womensprosoccer.com/soccer_ektid582.aspx?team=dc |title=Washington Freedom History |accessdate=2008-06-03 |publisher=Women's Professional Soccer Association }}</ref> Other professional and semi-professional teams based in Washington include: the [[Washington Bayhawks]] ([[Major League Lacrosse]]), who play at [[George Mason Stadium]]; the [[Washington D.C. Slayers]] ([[American National Rugby League]]); the Potomac Mavericks ([[Professional Inline Hockey Association|PIHA]]); the Baltimore Washington Eagles ([[Australian rules football|USAFL]]); the D.C. Divas ([[National Women's Football Association|NWFA]]); the D.C. Explosion (Minor League Football); and the [[Washington Rugby Football Club|Washington RFC]] ([[Rugby Super League (US)|Rugby Super League]]). Washington is one of only 13 cities in the United States with a team from all four major mens' sports: [[American football|football]], [[basketball]], [[baseball]], and [[hockey]]. When [[Association football|soccer]] is included, Washington is one of only eight cities to have all five professional mens' sports. D.C. teams have won a combined 11 professional league championships: the D.C. United has won four (the most in MLS history);<ref>{{cite web |title=D.C. United Tradition |publisher=D.C. United |url=http://www.mlsnet.com/t103/load.jsp?section=about&content=tradition |accessdate=2008-03-09}}</ref> the Washington Redskins have won three;<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/history |title=Super Bowl History |accessdate=2008-06-29 |date=2008 |publisher=National Football League }}</ref> the Washington Bayhawks have won two;<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.washingtonbayhawks.com/about/history/ |title=History |accessdate=2008-06-29 |date=2008 |publisher=Washington Bayhawks }}</ref> and the Washington Wizards and the Washington Glory have each won a single championship.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/history/finals/champions.html |title=NBA Finals: All-Time Champions |accessdate=2008-06-29 |date=2008 |publisher=National Basketball Association }}</ref><ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.profastpitch.com/about/history/ |title=NPF History |accessdate=2008-06-29 |date=2008 |publisher=National Pro Fastpitch Association }}</ref> The [[William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center]] in [[Rock Creek Park]] hosts the [[Legg Mason Tennis Classic]]. The [[Marine Corps Marathon]] and the [[National Marathon]] are both held annually in Washington. The D.C. area is home to one regional sports television network, [[Comcast SportsNet]] (CSN), based in [[Bethesda, Maryland]]. ==Government== {{see also|District of Columbia home rule}} [[Image:Wilsonbldg.JPG|thumb|right|The [[John A. Wilson Building]] houses the offices of the mayor and council of the District of Columbia.]] [[Article I of the United States Constitution|Article 1, Section 8 of the United States Constitution]] grants the U.S. Congress ultimate authority over the District of Columbia. The [[District of Columbia Home Rule Act|1973 Home Rule Act]] devolved certain Congressional powers over the District to a local government administered by an elected [[mayor]], currently [[Adrian Fenty]], and the thirteen-member [[Council of the District of Columbia]]. However, Congress retains the right to review and overturn laws created by the [[city council]] and intervene in local affairs. Each of the city's eight [[List of neighborhoods of the District of Columbia by ward|wards]] elects a single member of the council and five members, including the chairman, are elected at large.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.grc.dc.gov/grc/cwp/view,a,1203,q,447121,pm,1,grcnav_gid,1424,,grcNav_GID,0.asp |title=Elected Officials |accessdate=2008-06-03 |publisher=Government of the District of Columbia }}</ref> There are 37 [[Advisory Neighborhood Commission]]s (ANCs) elected by small neighborhood districts. ANCs traditionally wield a great deal of influence and the city government routinely takes their suggestions into careful consideration.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://anc.dc.gov/anc/site/default.asp |title=Advisory Neighborhood Commissions |accessdate=2008-05-27 |publisher=Government of the District of Columbia }}</ref> [[Image:Capitol Building Side.jpg|thumb|left|The [[United States Capitol]] is home to both houses of the [[United States Congress]].]] The mayor and council adopt a budget, which Congress has the right to change. Local [[Income tax|income]], [[Sales tax|sales]], and [[Property tax|property taxes]] provide most of the revenue to fund city government agencies and services. Like the 50 states, D.C. receives funds for federal [[Federal grants (USA)|grants]] and [[Administration of federal assistance in the United States|assistance programs]] like [[Medicare (United States)|Medicare]]. Congress also appropriates money directly to the D.C. government to help offset some of the city's costs; these funds totaled $38 million in 2007, approximately 0.5% of the District's budget.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://cfo.dc.gov/cfo/frames.asp?doc=/cfo/lib/cfo/budget/2007/DC_Budget-Volume_1b.pdf&open=/33210/ |title=Introduction to the FY 2007 Budget and Financial Plan |accessdate=2008-05-31 |format=PDF |publisher=Office of the Chief Financial Officer }}</ref> However, in addition to those funds, the Federal government operates the District's [[Judiciary|court system]], which had a budget of $272 million in 2008, and federal [[List of law enforcement agencies#United States|law enforcement agencies]] like the [[United States Park Police|U.S. Park Police]] help provide security in the city.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.dccourts.gov/dccourts/about/index.jsp |title=About the District of Columbia Courts |accessdate=2008-05-31 |publisher=District of Columbia Courts }}</ref><ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.nps.gov/uspp/tauthorit.htm |title=U.S. Park Police Authority and Jurisdiction |accessdate=2008-06-10 |date=2006-03-03 |publisher=[[National Park Service]] }}</ref> Historically, the city's local government has earned a reputation for mismanagement and waste, particularly during the mayoralty of [[Marion Barry]]. A front-page story in the [[July 20]], [[1997]] ''Washington Post'' reported that Washington had some of the highest-cost yet lowest-quality services in the entire region.<ref>{{cite news | first=Michael | last=Powell | coauthors= | title=Poor Management, Federal Rule, Undermine Services | date=2007-07-20 | publisher= | url =http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/local/longterm/library/dc/mismanage/manage20.htm | work =The Washington Post | pages =A01 | accessdate = 2008-06-10 | language = }}</ref> The administration of [[Anthony A. Williams|Mayor Anthony Williams]] oversaw a period greater prosperity, [[urban renewal]], and budget surpluses starting in the late 1990s that continues on today.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://app.cfo.dc.gov/CFORUI/news/release.asp?id=96&mon=200401 |title=District Government Achieves Balanced Budget and Clean Audit Opinion for FY 2003 |accessdate=2008-06-23 |date=2004-01-30 |publisher=D.C. Office of the Chief Financial Officer }}</ref> In late 2007, investigators found that employees at the D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue embezzled over $44 million in city funds by writing fraudulent tax refund checks. The scandal resulted in a black mark for the Fenty administration, which had made regaining the public trust a top priority.<ref>{{cite news | first=Carol | last=Leonnig | coauthors= Dan Keating | title=D.C. Tax Scandal At $44.3 Million, Analysis Finds | date=2007-12-02 | publisher= | url =http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2007/12/02/ST2007120200563.html | work =The Washington Post | pages = | accessdate = 2008-06-10 | language = }}</ref> Washington, D.C. observes all [[Federal holiday]]s. The District also celebrates [[Emancipation Day]] on [[April 16]], which commemorates the signing of the [[compensated emancipation|Compensated Emancipation Act]] by President [[Abraham Lincoln]] in 1862, nine months prior to the [[Emancipation Proclamation]]. The Act ended [[slavery]] in the District of Columbia and freed about 3,100 enslaved persons.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://os.dc.gov/os/cwp/view,a,1207,q,608954.asp |title=DC Celebrates Emancipation Day |accessdate=2008-06-02 |publisher=D.C. Office of the Secretary }}</ref> ===Federal representation and taxation=== {{see also|District of Columbia voting rights}} [[Image:DC 2003 SAMPLE.jpg|thumb|right|A sample Washington, D.C. license plate with [[No taxation without representation|"Taxation Without Representation"]] slogan]] Citizens of the District of Columbia have no voting representation in Congress. They are represented in the [[United States House of Representatives|House of Representatives]] by a [[Delegate (United States Congress)|non-voting delegate]], [[Eleanor Holmes Norton]] (D-[[District of Columbia's At-large congressional district|D.C. At-Large]]), who may sit on [[United States Congressional committee|committees]], participate in debate, and introduce legislation, but cannot vote on the House floor. D.C. has no representation in the [[United States Senate|Senate]]. Unlike U.S. territories such as [[Puerto Rico]] or [[Guam]], which also have non-voting delegates, citizens of the District of Columbia are subject to all U.S. federal laws and [[Income tax in the United States|taxes]]. In the financial year 2005, D.C. residents and businesses paid $18.1&nbsp;billion in federal taxes; higher than the federal taxes collected from 20 states. The District also pays the most [[Federal tax revenue by state|federal taxes per capita]].<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-soi/05db06co.xls |title=Internal Revenue Gross Collections, by Type of Tax and State, Fiscal Year 2005 |accessdate=2008-05-27 |date=2005 |format=XLS |work=IRS Data Book |publisher=Internal Revenue Service }}</ref> A 2005 poll found that 78% of Americans did not know that residents of the District of Columbia have less representation in Congress than residents of the 50 states.<ref name="votepoll"> {{cite web|url=http://www.dcvote.org/newsletter/spring05.pdf |title=Poll Shows Nationwide Support for DC Voting Rights |accessdate=2008-05-29 |date=2005 |format=PDF |work=DC Vote Voice }}</ref> Efforts to raise awareness about the issue have included campaigns by [[grassroots]] organizations as well as featuring the city's unofficial motto, "[[No taxation without representation|Taxation Without Representation]]", on [[History of vehicle registration plates of Washington, D.C.|D.C. vehicle license plates]].<ref> {{cite web|url=http://dmv.dc.gov/serv/plates/tax.shtm |title='Taxation without Representation' Tags |accessdate=2008-05-27 |work=District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles }}</ref> In a show of support for the city, President [[Bill Clinton]] used the "Taxation Without Representation" plates on the presidential limousine; however, President [[George W. Bush]] had the tags replaced to those without the motto shortly upon taking office.<ref>{{cite news | title=Political License Plate Is Out, Bush Says | date=2001-01-19 | url =http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C06E0DB173CF93AA25752C0A9679C8B63 | work =The New York Times | accessdate = 2008-07-05 }}</ref> There is evidence of nationwide approval for DC voting rights; various polls indicate that 61 to 82% of Americans believe that D.C. should have voting representation in Congress.<ref name=votepoll/><ref>{{cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Washington Post Poll: D.C. Voting Rights | date=2007-04-23 | publisher= | url =http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/polls/postpoll_042307.html | work =The Washington Post | pages = | accessdate = 2008-06-10 | language = }}</ref> Despite public support, attempts to grant the District voting representation, including the [[D.C. statehood movement]] and the proposed [[District of Columbia Voting Rights Amendment]], have been unsuccessful. Opponents of D.C. voting rights propose that the [[Founding Fathers of the United States|Founding Fathers]] never intended for District residents to have a vote in Congress since the Constitution makes clear that representation must come from the states. Those opposed to making D.C. a state claim that such a move would destroy the notion of a separate national capital and that statehood would unfairly grant Senate representation to a single city.<ref>{{cite news | first=John | last=Fortier | coauthors= | title=The D.C. colony | date=2006-05-17 | publisher= | url =http://thehill.com/john-fortier/the-d.c.-colony-2006-05-17.html | work =The Hill | pages = | accessdate = 2008-06-10 | language = }}</ref> District residents were barred from voting for the [[President of the United States]] until 1961; the [[Twenty-third Amendment to the United States Constitution]] grants the District three votes in the [[Electoral College (United States)|Electoral College]]. ==Education and healthcare== {{see also|List of colleges and universities in Washington, D.C.|List of parochial and private schools in Washington, D.C.|Health in Washington, D.C.}} [[Image:Visitation1.jpg|thumb|right|[[Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School]] is an all-girls high school founded in 1799.]] [[District of Columbia Public Schools]] (DCPS) operates the city's public school system, which consists of 167 schools and learning centers. In the 2007&ndash;08 school year, 49,076 students were enrolled in the public school system. Enrollment in DCPS has been steadily decreasing, and by next year the city expects total enrollment to fall to 47,700.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.seo.dc.gov/seo/frames.asp?doc=/seo/lib/seo/information/school_enrollment/2007-2008_Final_Audit_Report.pdf |title=DC Public Schools and Public Charter Schools Enrollment Census SY 2007-2008 |accessdate=2008-06-10 |date=2007-10-05 |format=PDF |publisher=D.C. State Superintendent of Education }}</ref> DCPS has one of the highest-cost yet lowest-performing school systems in the country, both in terms of infrastructure and student achievement.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.forbes.com/2007/07/05/schools-taxes-education-biz-beltway_cz_cs_0705schools_2.html |title=Best And Worst School Districts For The Buck |accessdate=2008-06-10 |last=Settimi |first=Christina |date=2007-07-05 |work=Forbes }}</ref> Under a massive restructuring of the city's school system in 2007, the D.C. Council granted the mayor's office near-total authority over D.C. public schools. Mayor Fenty's new superintendent of DCPS, Chancellor [[Michelle Rhee]], has made sweeping changes to the system by turning some schools over to private management firms, firing principals, and replacing teachers.<ref>{{cite news | first=V. Dion | last=Haynes | coauthors= Bill Turque | title=Rhee Offers Plan To Improve D.C.'s Troubled Schools | date=2008-05-16 | publisher= | url =http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/15/AR2008051502354.html | work =The Washington Post | pages =B01 | accessdate = 2008-06-03 | language = }}</ref> Due to the problems with the D.C. public school system, enrollment in public [[charter school]]s has increased 13% each year since 2001.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/24/AR2007042402542.html |title=A Boom for D.C. Charter Schools |work=The Washington Post |date=April 25, 2007 |author=Haynes, V. Dion and Theola Labbe}}</ref> The District of Columbia Public Charter School Board monitors the 56 public charter schools in the city. As of fall 2007, D.C. charter schools had a total enrollment of 21,859.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dcpubliccharter.com/home/currenroll.html |title=Current Enrollment: 2006-2007 School Year |publisher=D.C. Public Charter School Board | accessdate=2008-07-12}}</ref> The District is also home to some of the nation's most renowned private high schools. Many important public figures and their children have attended schools such as [[Sidwell Friends School|Sidwell Friends]], including [[Chelsea Clinton]] who attended Sidwell during her [[Bill Clinton|father's presidency]].<ref>{{cite news | first=Karen | last=De Witt | coauthors= | title=Chelsea's School; Sidwell Is Often Chosen by Capital's Elite | date=1993-01-06 | publisher= | url =http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CE5DC143DF935A35752C0A965958260 | work =The New York Times | pages = | accessdate = 2008-07-05 | language = }}</ref> [[Image:Founders Library, Howard University.jpg|thumb|left|Founders Library at [[Howard University]], a [[Historically black colleges and universities|historically black university]]]] Washington is home to many notable universities, including [[Georgetown University]] (GU), [[The George Washington University]] (GWU), [[American University]] (AU), [[The Catholic University of America]] (CUA), [[Howard University]], [[Gallaudet University]], and [[Johns Hopkins University|The Johns Hopkins University]] [[Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies|School of Advanced International Studies]] (SAIS). The [[Corcoran College of Art and Design]] provides specialized arts instruction and other higher-education institutions offer continuing, [[Electronic learning|distance]] and adult education. The [[University of the District of Columbia]] (UDC) provides public postsecondary education. The District is a national center for patient care and medical research. There is a total of 16 medical centers and hospitals located within the District of Columbia.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.dcha.org/MemberHospitals.htm |title=Member Hospitals |accessdate=2008-06-03 |publisher=District of Columbia Hospital Association }}</ref> The [[National Institutes of Health]] is located in nearby [[Bethesda, Maryland]]. [[Washington Hospital Center]] (WHC), the largest hospital campus in the District, is both the largest private and the largest non-profit hospital in the Washington area. Immediately adjacent to the WHC is the [[Children's National Medical Center]]. Children's is among the highest ranked pediatric hospitals in the country according to ''[[U.S. News and World Report]]''.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.childrensnational.org/about/AwardsandRecognition/ |title=Awards and Recognition |accessdate=2008-06-03 |publisher=Children's National Medical Center }}</ref> Many of the city's prominent universities, including George Washington, Georgetown, and Howard have [[medical school]]s and associated teaching hospitals. [[Walter Reed Army Medical Center]] is located in Northwest Washington and provides care for active-duty and retired personnel and their dependents. ==Transportation== {{main|Transportation in Washington, D.C.}} [[Image:WMATA metro center crossvault.jpg|right|thumb|[[Metro Center (Washington Metro)| Metro Center]] is the transfer station for the [[Red Line (Washington Metro)|Red]], [[Orange Line (Washington Metro)|Orange]], and [[Blue Line (Washington Metro)|Blue]] [[Metrorail (Washington, D.C.)|Metrorail]] lines.]] Washington, D.C. is often cited as having some of the nation's worst traffic and congestion. In 2007, Washington commuters spent 60&nbsp;hours a year in traffic, which tied for having the worst traffic in the country after [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]].<ref>{{cite news | first=Jonathan | last=Mummalo | coauthors= | title=A Ranking Writ In Brake Lights: D.C. 2nd in Traffic | date=2007-09-19 | publisher= | url =http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/18/AR2007091800777.html | work =The Washington Post | pages =B01 | accessdate = 2008-07-15 | language = }}</ref> However, 37.7% of Washington commuters take [[public transport]]ation to work, also the second-highest rate in the country.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://money.cnn.com/2007/06/13/real_estate/public_transit_commutes/index.htm |title=New Yorkers are top transit users |accessdate=2008-07-15 |last=Christie |first=Les |date=2007-06-29 |work=CNNMoney }}</ref> The [[Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority]] (WMATA) operates the city's [[rapid transit]] system, [[Metrorail (Washington, D.C.)|Metrorail]] (most often referred to as simply "the Metro"), as well as [[Metrobus (Washington, D.C.)|Metrobus]]. The subway and bus systems serve both the District of Columbia and the immediate Maryland and Virginia suburbs. Metrorail opened on [[March 27]], [[1976]] and presently consists of 86&nbsp;stations and {{convert|106.3|mi|km}} of track.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.wmata.com/about/metrofacts.pdf |title=WMATA Facts |accessdate=2008-05-27 |date=2007-09 |format=PDF |publisher=WMATA }}</ref> With an average 950,000&nbsp;trips each weekday in 2008, Metrorail is the nation's [[List of United States rapid transit systems by ridership|second-busiest rapid transit]] system in the country, after the [[New York City Subway]].<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.apta.com/research/stats/ridership/riderep/documents/08q1hr.pdf |title=Estimated Unliked Transit Passenger Trips |accessdate=2008-06-20 |last=Dawson |first=Christie R. |date=2008-06-09 |format=PDF |work=Heavy Rail Transit Ridership Report |publisher=American Public Transport Association }}</ref> WMATA expects an average one million Metrorail riders daily by 2030. The need to increase capacity has renewed plans to add 200&nbsp;trains to the system and reroute subway cars to alleviate congestion at the busiest stations.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.wmata.com/about/met_news/PressReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=2064&string=growth |title=Metro details improvements to meet future capacity needs |accessdate=2008-06-04 |date=2008-04-18 |publisher=WMATA }}</ref> Population growth in the region has revived efforts to construct two additional suburban [[Metrorail (Washington, D.C.)#Future expansion|Metro lines]],<ref>{{cite news | first=Amy | last=Gardner | coauthors= | title=Proposed Extension To Dulles Revived | date=2008-05-01 | publisher= | url =http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/30/AR2008043001674.html | work =The Washington Post | pages =B01 | accessdate = 2008-06-04 | language = }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | first=Katherine | last=Shaver | coauthors= | title=Trips on Purple Line Rail Projected at 68,000 Daily | date=2008-05-30 | publisher= | url =http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/29/AR2008052902261.html | work =The Washington Post | pages =B01 | accessdate = 2008-07-13 | language = }}</ref> as well as a new [[light rail]] system to interconnect the city's neighborhoods; the first [[tram]] line is expected to open in late 2009.<ref>{{cite news | first=Lena | last=Sun | coauthors= | title=Transit Plan on Track | date=2008-07-13 | publisher= | url =http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/12/AR2008071201834.html | work =The Washington Post | pages =C01 | accessdate = 2008-07-13 | language = }}</ref> The surrounding jurisdictions in the Washington area have local bus systems, such as [[Montgomery County, Maryland|Montgomery County's]] [[Ride On (bus)|Ride On]], which compliment service provided by WMATA. Metrorail, Metrobus and all local public bus systems accept [[SmarTrip]], a reloadable transit pass.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.wmata.com/riding/smartrip.cfm |title=SmarTrip |accessdate=2008-06-03 |publisher=WMATA }}</ref> [[Image:DCA.jpg|left|thumb|Interior of terminals B and C at [[Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport]], the closest commercial airport to downtown]] [[Union Station (Washington, D.C.)|Union Station]] is the second-busiest train station in the United States, after [[Pennsylvania Station (New York City)|Penn Station]] in New York, and serves as the southern terminus of [[Amtrak]]'s [[Northeast Corridor]] and [[Acela Express]] service. Maryland's [[MARC Train|MARC]] and Virginia's [[Virginia Railway Express|VRE]] commuter trains and the Metrorail [[Red Line (Washington Metro)|Red Line]] also provide service into Union Station.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.amtrak.com/pdf/AmtrakBackgroundInformationFacts-050108.pdf |title=Amtrak National Fact Sheet FY 2007 |accessdate=2008-05-27 |date=2008-02 |format=PDF |publisher=Amtrak Media Relations }}</ref> Intercity bus service is available from the [[Greyhound Lines]] terminal in Northeast D.C.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.greyhound.com/home/TicketCenter/en/locations.asp?state=dc |title=Locations: District of Columbia |accessdate=2008-06-03 |publisher=Greyhound Lines }}</ref> Three major [[international airport|airports]], one in Maryland and two in Virginia, serve Washington, D.C. [[Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport]], located just across the Potomac River from downtown D.C. in [[Arlington County, Virginia]], is the only Washington-area airport that has its own Metrorail station. Given its proximity to the city, Reagan National has extra security precautions required by the [[Air Defense Identification Zone (Washington DC)|D.C. Air Defense Identification Zone]],<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.faa.gov/airports_airtraffic/air_traffic/publications/notices/media/adiz.pdf |title=D.C. Metropolitan ADIZ and FRZ |accessdate=2008-07-15 |date=2007-08-02 |format=PDF |publisher=[[Federal Aviation Administration]] }}</ref> as well as additional noise restrictions.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.mwaa.com/reagan/about_reagan_national/airport_noise |title=Airport Noise Abatement Program |accessdate=2008-07-15 |publisher=[[Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority]] }}</ref> Reagan National does not have [[U.S. Customs and Border Protection]] and therefore can only provide international service to airports that permit [[United States border preclearance]], which includes destinations in [[Canada]] and the [[Caribbean]].<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.mwaa.com/reagan/flight_information_2/customsdca |title=Customs at Reagan National |accessdate=2008-07-15 |publisher=[[Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority]] }}</ref> Major international flights arrive and depart from [[Washington Dulles International Airport]], located {{convert|26.3|mi|km}} west of the city in [[Fairfax County, Virginia|Fairfax]] and [[Loudoun County, Virginia|Loudoun]] counties in Virginia. Dulles serves as the major east coast [[airline hub]] for [[United Airlines]]. [[Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport]], located {{convert|31.7|mi|km}} northeast of the city in [[Anne Arundel County, Maryland]] is a hub for [[Southwest Airlines|Southwest]] and [[Airtran Airways|Airtran]] airlines. ==Sister cities== Washington, D.C. has twelve [[town twinning|sister cities]].<ref name="sisters">{{cite web|url=http://www.sister-cities.org/icrc/directory/usa/DC|title=Online Directory: District of Columbia, USA|publisher=[[Sister Cities International]]|accessdate=2008-06-11}}</ref> Paris is a "Partner City" due to the one Sister City policy of that [[Communes of France|commune]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.paris.fr/portail/accueil/Portal.lut?page_id=6587&document_type_id=5&document_id=16467&portlet_id=14974 |title=Le jumelage avec Rome |accessdate=2008-07-09 |publisher= Municipalité de Paris |language=French }}</ref> {{col-begin}} {{col-2}} *{{flagicon|Ghana}} [[Accra]], [[Ghana]] *{{flagicon|Greece}} [[Athens]], [[Greece]] *{{flagicon|Thailand}} [[Bangkok]], [[Thailand]] *{{flagicon|China}} [[Beijing]], [[People's Republic of China|China]] *{{flagicon|Republic of the Congo}} [[Brazzaville]], [[Republic of the Congo|Congo]] *{{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Brussels-Capital Region|Brussels]], [[Belgium]] {{col-2}} *{{flagicon|China}} [[Chongqing]], [[People's Republic of China|China]] *{{flagicon|Senegal}} [[Dakar]], [[Senegal]] *{{flagicon|France}} [[Paris]], [[France]] *{{flagicon|South Africa}} [[City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality|Pretoria]], [[South Africa]] *{{flagicon|South Korea}} [[Seoul]], [[South Korea]] *{{flagicon|GBR}} [[Sunderland]], [[United Kingdom]] {{col-end}} ==See also== {{portal|District of Columbia|Seal-DC.png|left=yes}}<br clear=left/> *[[List of District of Columbia-related topics]] <!-- Please place links to all topics directly related to Washington, D.C. into the [[List of District of Columbia-related topics]] --> ==Notes== {{refbegin}} {{note|debts|a}} By 1790, the Southern states had largely repaid their overseas debts from the Revolutionary War. The Northern states had not, and wanted the new federal government to take over their outstanding liabilities. As this would effectively mean that the Southern states would assume a share of the Northern debt, in return, the South lobbied for a federal capital located closer to their own agricultural and slave-holding interests. {{refend}} ==References== {{Reflist|2}} ==External links== {{sisterlinks|Washington, D.C.}} * [http://www.dc.gov/ Official Website] * [http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/states/dc/home.html Guide to Washington, D.C.], materials from the [[Library of Congress]] * [http://www.exploredc.org/index.php ExploreDC.org], historical and educational materials provided by [[WETA-TV|WETA Public Broadcasting]] * {{wikitravel|Washington (D.C.)|Washington, D.C.}} {{District of Columbia|expanded}} {{Neighborhoods in Washington, D.C.}} {{Location of US capital}} {{USPoliticalDivisions}} {{US South}} {{USLargestCities}} {{USLargestMetros}} {{North American capitals}} {{Washington DC landmarks}} [[Category:Washington, D.C.|Washington]] [[Category:Washington metropolitan area]] [[Category:Settlements established in 1790]] [[Category:Capitals in North America]] [[Category:Capital districts and territories]] [[Category:Cities on the Potomac River]] [[Category:Districts of the United States]] [[Category:Planned cities]] [[Category:United States communities with African American majority populations]] [[Category:People, places, and things named for George Washington]] {{Link FA|af}} {{Link FA|pt}} [[af:Washington, D.C.]] [[am:ዋሺንግተን ዲሲ]] [[ang:Wascington, DC]] [[ar:واشنطن دي سي]] [[an:Washington, DC]] [[frp:Washington (District de Columbia)]] [[ast:Washington DC]] [[az:Vaşinqton (şəhər)]] [[bn:ওয়াশিংটন, ডি.সি.]] [[be:Горад Вашынгтон]] [[be-x-old:Вашынгтон (горад)]] [[bar:Washington (District of Columbia)]] [[bo:ཝ་ཤིང་ཊོན]] [[bs:Washington, D.C.]] [[br:Washington D.C.]] [[bg:Вашингтон (Окръг Колумбия)]] [[ca:Washington DC]] [[cv:Вашингтон]] [[ceb:Washington, D.C.]] [[cs:Washington, D.C.]] [[co:Washington DC]] [[cy:Washington, D.C.]] [[da:Washington DC]] [[pdc:Washington D.C.]] [[de:Washington D. C.]] [[et:Washington]] [[el:Ουάσινγκτον (Περιφέρεια της Κολούμπια)]] [[es:Washington D. C.]] [[eo:Vaŝingtono]] [[eu:Washington Hiria]] [[fa:واشنگتن دی‌سی]] [[fo:Washington DC]] [[fr:Washington (District de Columbia)]] [[fy:Washington, D.C.]] [[gd:Washington, D.C]] [[gl:Washington, DC]] [[ko:워싱턴 D.C.]] [[hy:Վաշինգտոն]] [[hi:डिस्ट्रिक्ट ऑफ कोलंबिया]] [[hr:Washington, District of Columbia]] [[io:Washington DC]] [[bpy:ডিসটিক্ট অফ কলম্বিয়া, ডিসি]] [[id:Washington, DC]] [[os:Вашингтон (сахар)]] [[is:Washington (borg)]] [[it:Washington (distretto di Columbia)]] [[he:וושינגטון די. סי.]] [[jv:Washington, DC]] [[ka:ვაშინგტონი (ქალაქი)]] [[kw:Washington]] [[sw:Washington DC]] [[ht:Wachintòn]] [[la:Vasingtonia, D.C.]] [[lv:Vašingtona]] [[lb:Washington (D.C.)]] [[lt:Vašingtonas]] [[li:Washington D.C.]] [[ln:Washington]] [[hu:Washington, D.C.]] [[mk:Вашингтон]] [[ml:വാഷിങ്ടണ്‍, ഡി.സി.]] [[mr:वॉशिंग्टन डी.सी.]] [[ms:Washington, D.C.]] [[mn:Вашингтон хот]] [[nah:Washington D.C.]] [[nl:Washington D.C.]] [[ja:ワシントンD.C.]] [[no:Washington, DC]] [[nn:Washington, D.C.]] [[nov:Washington D.K.]] [[oc:Washington, DC]] [[pms:Washington]] [[nds:Washington D.C.]] [[pl:Waszyngton]] [[pt:Washington, DC]] [[crh:Vaşington]] [[ty:Washington]] [[ro:Washington, DC]] [[rm:Washington D.C.]] [[qu:Washington DC]] [[ru:Вашингтон (округ Колумбия)]] [[se:Washington, DC]] [[sa:वाशिंगटन नगर]] [[sq:Washington D.C.]] [[scn:Washington]] [[simple:Washington, D.C.]] [[sk:Washington (D.C.)]] [[sl:Washington, D.C.]] [[sr:Вашингтон (град)]] [[sh:Washington D.C.]] [[fi:Washington (DC)]] [[sv:Washington, D.C.]] [[ta:வாஷிங்டன், டி. சி]] [[th:วอชิงตัน ดี.ซี.]] [[vi:Washington, D.C.]] [[tr:Vaşington, DC]] [[uk:Вашингтон (округ Колумбія)]] [[ur:واشنگٹن ڈی سی]] [[vec:Washington D.C.]] [[vo:Washington]] [[yi:וואשינגטאן די סי]] [[diq:Washington D.C.]] [[bat-smg:Vašingtuons]] [[zh:华盛顿哥伦比亚特区]]