Washington, United States of America

It should not be confused with Washington, D.C., the nation's capital. To avoid confusion, the capital is often called simply D.C. and the state often called Washington state.

The battleship USS Washington was named originally for President Washington, but was later renamed in honor of the state.

Washington History

Prior to the arrival of explorers from Europe, this region of the Pacific Coast had many established tribes of Native Americans, each with its own unique culture. Today, they are most notable for their totem poles and their ornately carved canoes and masks. Prominent among their industries were salmon fishing and whale hunting. In the east, nomadic tribes travelled the land and missionaries such as the Whitmans settled there.

The first European record of a landing on the Washington coast was by Spanish Captain Don Bruno de Heceta in 1775 on board the Santiago, part of a two-ship flotilla with the Sonora. They claimed all the coastal lands up to the Russian possessions in the north for Spain.

In 1778, British explorer Captain James Cook sighted Cape Flattery, at the entrance to the Strait of Juan de Fuca, but the straits would not be explored until 1789 by Captain Charles W. Barkley. Further explorations of the straits were performed by Spanish explorers Manuel Quimper in 1790 and Francisco Eliza in 1791, then by British Captain George Vancouver in 1792.

The Spanish Nootka Concession of 1790 opened the northwest territory to explorers and trappers from other nations, most notably Britain and then the United States. Captain Robert Gray (for whom Grays Harbor county is named) then discovered the mouth of the Columbia river and, beginning in 1792, he established trade in Sea Otter pelts. In 1805 the Lewis and Clark expedition entered the state on October 10.

In 1819 Spain ceded their original claims to this territory to the United States. This began a period of disputed joint-occupancy by Britain and the U.S. that lasted until June 15, 1846 when Britain ceded their claims to this land with the Treaty of Oregon.

Due to the migration along the Oregon Trail, many settlers wandered north to what is now Washington and settled the Puget Sound area. The first settlement was New Market (now known as Tumwater) in 1846. In 1853 the Northern Pacific railroad line reached Puget Sound, linking the region to the other states. During that same year Washington Territory was formed from part of Oregon Territory.

Washington became the 42^nd state in the United States on November 11, 1889.

Early prominent industries in the state included agriculture and lumber. In eastern Washington the Yakima Valley became known for its apple orchards while the growth of wheat using dry-farming techniques became particularly productive. The heavy rainfall to the west of the Cascade Range produced dense forests and the ports along Puget Sound prospered from the manufacturing and shipping of lumber products, particularly the Douglas fir. Other industries that developed in the state include fishing, salmon canning and mining.

By the turn of the 20th century the state of Washington was one of dangerous repute in the minds of many Americans. Indisputably as "wild" as the rest of the wild west, the public image of Washington merely replaced cowboys with lumberjacks, and desert with forestland. One city in particular, Aberdeen, had the distinction of being "the roughest town west of the Mississippi" due to excessive gambling, violence, extreme drug use and prostitution (the city itself changed very little over the years and remained off-limits to military personnel well into the early 1980's).

For a long period Tacoma was noted for its large smelters where gold, silver, copper and lead ores were treated. Seattle was the primary port for trade with Alaska and the rest of the country and for a time possessed a large ship-building industry. The region around eastern Puget Sound developed heavy industry during the period including World War I and World War II and the Boeing company became an established icon in the area.

During the depression era a series of hydroelectric dams were constructed along the Columbia river as part of a project to increase the production of electricity. This culminated in 1941 with the completion of the Grand Coulee Dam, the largest in the United States.

During World War II the Puget Sound area became a focus for war industries, with the Boeing Company producing many of the nation's heavy bombers and ports in Seattle, Bremerton, and Tacoma available for the manufacturing of warships. Seattle was the point of departure for many soldiers in the Pacific, a number of which were quartered at Golden Gardens Park. In Eastern Washington the Hanford Works atomic energy plant was opened in 1943 and played a major role in the construction of the nation's atomic bombs.

In 1980, following a period of heavy tremors and eruptions, the northeast face of Mount St. Helens exploded outward, destroying a large part of the top of the volcano. This eruption flattened the forests for many kilometers, killed 57 people, flooded the Columbia River and its tributaries with ash and mud and blanketed large parts of Washington in ash, making day look like night.

Law and government

Washington's legislature consists of a forty-nine member Senate and a 98-member House of Representatives. The majority party is the Democratic Party. Washington State senators and representatives are elected for four year and two year term respectfully. There are no terms limits.

Washington's executive branch is headed by a governor elected for a four-year term. The governor may serve any number of terms. The current Governor of Washington is Christine Gregoire, a Democrat. She has been governor since 2005. See List of Washington Governors for the complete list of Washington's governors.

The two US Senators from Washington are Senator Patty Murray (D) and Senator Maria Cantwell (D).

Washington's representatives in the United States House of Representatives are Jay Inslee (D-1), Richard Larsen (R-2), Brian Baird (D-3), Richard Hastings (R-4), Cathy Morris (R-5), Norm Dicks (D-6), Jim McDermott (D-7), David Reichert (R-8), and Adam Smith (D-9).

While the Democratic Party has long dominated Washington, it should be noted that the 2004 Washington gubernatorial election was among the closest races in United States election history; the winner, Christine Gregoire, was elected after a second recount turned the election in her favor by a margin of 129 votes, or 0.0045%. At the same time, John Kerry easily won the state's eleven electoral votes by a margin of 11 percentage points with 54.9% of the vote. The state is politically divided right down the center, with Western Washington being Democratic (particularly Greater Seattle) and Eastern Washington being strongly Republican.

Washington Geography

Image:County_map_of_Washington_state.png|right|thumb|Map of Washington counties

Washington is bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west, Oregon to the south (the Columbia River forming most of this border), Idaho to the east and British Columbia, Canada to the north. It 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 ferry fleet in the United States.

Washington is a land of contrasts. The deep forests of the Olympic Peninsula are among the rainiest places in the world and the only rainforests (such as the Hoh Rain Forest) in the continental United States, but the flat semi-desert that lies east of the Cascade Range 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. The eastern side of the state can be divided into two regions: the Okanogan Highlands and the Columbia River Basin.

Washington is also notable for being home to four of the five longest floating bridges in the world: the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge, Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge and Homer M. Hadley Bridge over Lake Washington, and the Hood Canal Bridge connecting the Olympic and Kitsap Peninsulas.

Geographical features

• Puget Sound
• Bainbridge Island
• Camano 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

See also: List of Washington rivers, List of Washington islands

Washington Demographics

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2004, Washington's population was 6,203,788. This includes 631,500 foreign-born (10.3% of the state population), and an estimated 100,000 illegal aliens (1.6% of state population).

Race and ancestry

• 78.9% White
• 7.5% Hispanic
• 5.5% Asian
• 3.6% Mixed race
• 3.2% Black
• 1.6% Native American

The five largest reported ancestries in Washington are: German (18.7%), English (12%), Irish (11.4%), Norwegian (6.2%) and Mexican (5.6%).

Many Mexicans are migrant farm workers, living in the southeast-central part of the state. Wahkiakum County has many residents of Scandinavian origin. Washington has the fifth largest Asian population of any state, with Filipinos being the largest group.

6.7% of Washington's population were reported as under 5, 25.7% under 18, and 11.2% were 65 or older. Females made up approximately 50.2% of the population.

Religion

• Christian – 71%
• Protestant – 45%
• Baptist – 7%
• Lutheran – 7%
• Methodist – 4%
• Presbyterian – 3%
• Other Protestant or general Protestant – 24%
• Roman Catholic – 22%
• Mormon – 5%
• Other Christian – 1%
• Other Religions – 2%
• Non-Religious – 27%

As with many other western states, the percentage of Washington's population identifying themselves as "non-religious" (an umbrella term which is sometimes synonymous with or includes elements of atheism, agnosticism, skepticism, freethought, humanism, secular humanism, heresy, logical positivism, and even apathy) is much higher than the rest of the U.S. The percentage of non-religious people in Washington is the highest of any state, and church membership is among the lowest of all states.

Important cities and towns

• Seattle
• Olympia
• Spokane
• Tacoma
• Bellevue
• Redmond
• Vancouver
• Everett
• Bellingham
• Tri-Cities
• Walla Walla
• Wenatchee
• Yakima
• Aberdeen
• Bremerton
• Port Townsend
• Port Angeles
• Gig Harbor

Washington Economy

Agriculture

For 2001, the total value of Washington's agricultural products was $5.4 billion, the 12th highest in the country. The total value of its crops was $3.2 billion, the 8th highest.

In 2002 Washington ranked first in the nation in production of raspberries (87.8% of total U.S. production), hops (74.4%), spearmint oil (also 74.4%), wrinkled seed peas (65.6%), apples (60.2%), Concord grapes (51.8%), sweet cherries (48%), pears (44.9%), lentils (41.9%), peppermint oil (35.2%), carrots for processing (34.5%), tart cherries (32.8%), Niagara grapes (32.4%) and sweet corn for processing (29.2%). Washington also ranked second in the nation in grapes (all varieties taken together), apricots, asparagus (over a third of the country's production) and green peas for processing; third in the nation for wheat, prunes and plums, summer dry onions, trout and butter; fourth in barley and peaches; and fifth in cranberries and strawberries.

Education

Colleges and universities

• Central Washington University
• Eastern Washington University
• The Evergreen State College
• University of Washington
• Washington State University
• Western Washington University

Community colleges

Professional sports teams