District Of Columbia Summary

Washington DC, the capital of the United States, is a city of power and intrigue that is also full of fine restaurants and impressive museums. It is accessible by train, car, or plane—three major airports service the area. Above all, the city packs an enormous amount of diversity into a few neighborhoods: Georgetown, Adams-Morgan, Foggy Bottom, and Downtown.

Nestled on the Potomac River, the capital occupies only 61 square miles of land in the District of Columbia, and is bordered by Maryland and Virginia. The cityscape is a striking blend of Roman and Greek architecture and tree-lined boulevards peppered with monuments and public galleries. The I-495 freeway, which circumnavigates downtown— “The Beltway”—barricades the city from the urban sprawl of its neighbors.

Washington remains a protectorate of the government. Approximately two-thirds of its 610,000 citizens work for the government or operate as lawyers and lobbyists representing billion-dollar corporations. The term “lobbyist” is thought to have originated in the lobby of the Willard hotel, which is near Capitol Hill and the White House.

While politics remains the undercurrent of the city’s infrastructure, its wealth of attractions bring 20 million visitors each year. Few cities can boast as many museums in such a small area. However, as well as this vibrant culture, the city knows economic hardship. Beyond the fringe of downtown lie the predominately African-American and Hispanic communities, and the city’s poorest residents. Riddled with street gangs and drugs, Washington’s ghettos are invariably a shock for the uninitiated.

Washington is laid out as a grid, with alphabetical roads running east-west and numbered streets running north-south, and divided into four quadrants from the Capitol Building. It can be confusing, as there are identically named streets in each district. Mercifully, it has the Metrorail system and a good taxi service, and all the major tourist attractions are accessible on foot.

Washington remains a protectorate of the government. Approximately two-thirds of its 610,000 citizens work for the government or operate as lawyers and lobbyists representing billion-dollar corporations. The term “lobbyist” is thought to have originated in the lobby of the Willard hotel, which is near Capitol Hill and the White House.

While politics remains the undercurrent of the city’s infrastructure, its wealth of attractions bring 20 million visitors each year. Few cities can boast as many museums in such a small area. However, as well as this vibrant culture, the city knows economic hardship. Beyond the fringe of downtown lie the predominately African-American and Hispanic communities, and the city’s poorest residents. Riddled with street gangs and drugs, Washington’s ghettos are invariably a shock for the uninitiated.

h2. History

Washington DC became the nation’s capital in 1800. Named for explorer Christopher Columbus, the District of Columbia was eventually named “Washington” in honor of the nation’s first president. Washington’s original “10 mile square,” selected by Congress because it was midway between the New England and the Southern settlements, was procured from land ceded by its neighbors.

Washington was first settled in 1751 as a tobacco port. It evolved into a city after the Revolutionary War; the president commissioned French military architect, Pierre Charles L’Enfant, to prepare its blueprint. L’Enfant’s vision was of a city of diagonal avenues and elegant roundabouts. He was dismissed, and Benjamin Banneker, an African-\r\nAmerican engineer, brought his plan to fruition. L’Enfant’s edict that the Capitol Building remain unblemished by towering buildings survived—the only vertical structure that deviates from Washington’s horizontal skyline\r\nis the Washington Monument.

Washington became a center of discord during the years leading to the Civil War of 1861-65. It was just 100 miles from the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia, and became a Union military base. The city’s renaissance in the 1870s brought a beautification plan of esplanades and monuments. In the late 1990s, Washington DC began to clean up street crime—it is becoming an urbane city.\r\n