The heart of the Western Pacific Northwest, in the northwestern most portion of the United States. Its border runs along the 49th parallel, and to the South is bordered by the Columbia River. On the east lies Idaho bounded by the meridian running north from the confluence of the Snake and Clearwater Rivers. On the West is the Pacific Ocean. Just north of the State of Oregon and south of Canada's province British Columbia. Lush and dark green, with incredible rainfall annually, home to rainforests, mountains, glaciers, deserts, rivers, valleys, oceans, islands, beaches, volcanoes, and prairies. Washington is also home to the only active 'erupting' Volcano in the United States - Mount St. Helens, which is a part of a chain of "active" volcanoes that mostly reside in Washington. The state is named after George Washington, the first president of the United States and is the only state that is named after a President. It was admitted to the Union in 1889 as the 42nd state. Residents like to call themselves "Washingtonians". It's often confused with the Nation's capital "Washington DC" and is therefore often referred to as "Washington State". The climate is very variable in Washington - from rainforest to desert ... most of the western portion is a "oceanic environment" and a drier desert climate to the east of the Cascade Mountain range. The west gets alot of rain, making it a dark climate for a good portion of the year, and is why its known for Seasonal affective disorders and depression. The average annual temperature ranges from 51 °F (10.6 °C) on the Pacific coast to 40 °F (4.4 °C) in the northeast. western side of the Olympic Peninsula receives as much as 160 inches (4064 mm) of precipitation annually, making it the wettest area of the 48 conterminous states. Originally the area we now call Washington had many established tribes of Native Americans who were famous for their ornately carved masks, canoes, and totem poles as well as salmon fishing and whale hunting. As whites came into the area, missionairies were set up, and much conversion took place across the Pacific Northwest. The first recorded white landing on the Washington Coast was by Spain's Captain Don Bruno de Hecata in 1775 on the Santiago where they laid claim to the coastal lands up to the Russian possessions in the north. Then on to pirates and adventurers, as British Explorer Captain James Cook sighted Cape Flattery in 1778, followed by Captain Charles W. Barkley in 1789, Spanish explorer Manuel Quimper (1790), Francisco de Eliza (1791), and British Captain George Vancouver (1792). The Area soon opened up for exploration and trapping, and became a hotspot for the British. Lewis and Clark entered on October 10, 1805. Around 1819 Spain ceded their claim to the U.S. and it was left to the Brits and the Americans to fight over - finally handed over to the U.S. in 1846 through the Treaty of Oregon. Overland migrations from the Oregon Trail brought many settlers, especially as the Gold Boom brought many miners to the area. It became the 42nd state of the United States on November 11, 1889. Popular for agriculture and lumber, apple orchards, wheat agriculture, dense forests, fishing, salmon canning, mining, and ship building - into the modern era became the digital center for software, computer technology, and manufacture of jets and airlines. Sources cited: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington and http://www.experiencewa.com/. Population: 6,395,798 (2006 statistics) Capital: Olympia Highest Point: Mount Rainier at 14,410' More information: Visit Leaf McGowan's Virtual Tourist Washington Guide |
