aka "The Capital", "Federal City", "Washington City", "Columbia", "DC". Population (2007): 588,292. Surrounding area (Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area): 8,000,000+. The capital of the United States, Washington D.C. was named after America's first president and former military leader of the American Revolution : George Washington blended with the Acronym "D.C." for "District of Columbia" - the federal district coextensive within the city of Washington. The city resides in a district called "Columbia" as a early poetic reference to Christopher Columbus, one of America's first explorers. Its in a district to keep it separate from the states and their governments that it manages. Washington DC and the District of Columbia are synomonous and cover the exact same land space - located on the banks of the Potomac River, bordered by Virginia and Maryland. It was founded on July 16, 1790 as a federal district as specified by the United States Constitution. In order to be representative of the "Union" of all 50 states, the capital could not be located in one of the 50 states, and had to exist outside of State boundaries in order to be representative of the 50 states that act somewhat like 50 separate governments - seperate but united. The District of Columbia and the city of Washington are coextensive and are governed by a single municipal government, so for most practical purposes they are considered to be the same entity, though this was not always the case. As late as 1871, when Georgetown ceased to be a separate city, there were multiple jurisdictions within the District. Although there is a municipal government and a mayor, Congress has the supreme authority over the city and district, which results in citizens having a different status and less representation in government than residents of the states. Located within D.C. are the centers of all three branches of the U.S. Federal government - plays host to the World Bank, Organization of the American States, Inter-American Development Bank, International Monetary Fund, The world's foreign embassies, the Nation's treasures, national and international institutions including trade unions and professional associations. It's home to most of the political demonstrations and protests that occur in America in it's large central historical strip called the National Mall which is surrounded by some of the most elite and massive collections, galleries, monuments, and landmarks found in North America. Its home to the Smithsonian Institutions, universities, cathedrals, performing arts centers, and music venues. It also embraces some of the most substantial areas of wild natural habitat nestled along the Potomac and Anacostia rivers, Rock Creek Park, and Theodore Roosevelt Island. The District is governed by a single municipal government which is the same entity which has a non-voting at-large Congressional delegate, but no senators. Many people often confuse Washington D.C. with the State of Washington, which is located in the Pacific Northwest - and it is because of this, that some people refer to it simply as "D.C." and the other as "Washington State". As host to over 180 embassies and hundreds of international organizations, Washington, D.C. has a substantial population of foreign residents. There are also many students from abroad studying at the local universities and colleges. This adds a cosmopolitan flavor to the city. Sources cited: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington,_D.C. and http://www.washington.org/. Population (2007): City 588,292; Density 9,015/sq mi (3,481/km˛); Metro 5.30 million. Website: http://www.dc.gov/.
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