Washington

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Alternate meanings: George Washington, Washington, D.C., other places called Washington

Washington

Image:Us-wa.gif Image:Washingtonstateseal.jpg (Full size)
State nickname: Evergreen State
Image:Map highlighting Wash.png Other U.S. States
Capital	Olympia
Largest City	Seattle
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water  - % water	Ranked 18th 184,824 km2 172,587 km2 12,237 km2 6.6%
Population  - Total (2000)  - Density	Ranked 15th 5,894,121 32/km2
Admittance into Union  - Order  - Date	42nd November 11, 1889
Time zone	Pacific: UTC-8/-7
Latitude Longitude	45°32'N to 49°N 116°57'W to 124°48'W
Width Length Elevation   -Highest   -Mean   -Lowest	385 km 580 km   4,392 meters 520 meters 0 meters
ISO 3166-2:	US-WA

Washington is a state located in the northwestern United States. It should not be confused with Washington, D.C., the capital of the USA. While the state capital is Olympia, the largest city in Washington is Seattle. As of the 2000 census, the state population is approximately 5.9 million. Residents are called "Washingtonians".

The USS Washington was named in honor of this state.

Contents 1 History 2 Geography 3 Important Cities and Towns 4 Education 4.1 Colleges and Universities 5 Professional Sports Teams 6 Arts and culture 7 Major Highways 8 External Links 8.1 References

History

In 1853, the Washington Territory was formed from part of the Oregon Territory. Washington became the 42^nd state in the United States on November 11, 1889.

Geography

See: List of Washington counties

Washington shares borders with the Pacific Ocean to the west, Oregon to the south, Idaho to the east, and British Columbia, Canada to the north. Washington is famous for scenery of breathtaking beauty and sharp contrasts. High mountains rise above evergreen forests and sparkling coastal waters. Its coastal location and Puget Sound harbors give it a leading role in trade with Alaska, Canada, and the Pacific Rim. Puget Sound's many islands are served by the largest state ferry fleet in the country.

Washington is a land of contrasts. The deep forests of the Olympic Peninsula are among the rainiest places in the world, but the flat semi-desert land that lies east of the Cascade Mountains stretches for long distances without a single tree. Snow-covered peaks tower above the foothills and lowlands around them. Mount Rainier, the highest mountain in the state, appears to "float" on the horizon southeast of Seattle and Tacoma on clear days.

• Puget Sound
  • Bainbridge Island
  • San Juan Islands
  • Whidbey Island
  • Vashon Island
• Columbia River
• Snake River
• Yakima River

• Cascade Range
  • Mount Adams
  • Mount Baker
  • Glacier Peak
  • Mount Rainier
  • Mount St. Helens
  • Mount Stuart
• Olympic Mountains
  • Mount Olympus

Important Cities and Towns

• Seattle
• Spokane
• Tacoma
• Vancouver
• Everett
• Tri-Cities
• Walla Walla
• Wenatchee
• Yakima

See also Washington City Government

Education

Colleges and Universities

Antioch University Seattle Art Institute of Seattle Bastyr University Central Washington University City University Eastern Washington University The Evergreen State College Gonzaga University Henry Cogswell College Heritage College Lutheran Bible Institute of Seattle Northwest College of the Assemblies of God Northwest Indian College Pacific Lutheran University

St. Martin's College Seattle Pacific University Seattle University Trinity Lutheran College University of Puget Sound University of Washington Walla Walla College Washington State University at Pullman Washington State University at Spokane Washington State University at Tri-Cities Washington State University at Vancouver Western Washington University Whitman College Whitworth College

Professional Sports Teams

Seattle Seahawks, National Football League Seattle Mariners, Major League Baseball Seattle Supersonics, National Basketball Association Seattle Storm, Women's National Basketball Association Seattle Thunderbirds, Western Hockey League Everett Silvertips, Western Hockey League

Minor League Baseball Teams Tacoma Rainiers Everett AquaSox Bellingham Bells Yakima Bears Spokane Indians Tri-City Dust Devils

Arts and culture

• Music of Washington

Major Highways

• Interstate 5
• Interstate 82
• Interstate 90
• United States Highway 2
• United States Highway 12
• United States Highway 97
• United States Highway 101

External Links

• State of Washington website: http://access.wa.gov/
• Revised Code of Washington (State Law): http://www.leg.wa.gov/rcw/index.cfm
• Washington Administrative Code (State Administrative Rules): http://www.leg.wa.gov/wac/
• State Code Search Tool: http://search.leg.wa.gov/pub/textsearch/default.asp
• Experience Washington - Washington travel and tourism
• Washington Maps - Washington road maps and relief maps

References

• Adapted from the Wikipedia article, "Washington" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington November 18, 2003