WASHINGTON D.C.
- capital of the USA
- population 4.2 millions
- area 68 square miles
- until 1964 people no right vote president
- few factories
- most work in office
- government largest employer - work 345000
- 4 parts: Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, Southwest
- on Potomac River
- 1.12.1800 government transported Philadelphia - Washington
- end of the 18th century the north want Philadelphia or New York as the
capital
- southern states à would a place farther south
- the result à a swamp area along the Potomac River which cut off the states of
Virginia and Maryland
- originally called the "District of Columbia"
- named after Columbus
- later à decided (gewidmet) to George Washington (1st president)
- to avoid confusion with the federal state Washington the capital is called
Washington D.C.
- looks not very American (no skyscraper, no street canyons)
- rule no building taller 13 storeys
- many European-like buildings à large parks + broad streets
- it's the wealthiest city in the USA
- there is a subway system which is called Metro
- city live from federal government + tourism
- many educational institutions
population: - 70% are black à most are descendants (Abkömmling) of slaves who
found freedom in the District of Columbia during the civil war
streets: - from north to south à streets have numbers (6th street)
- from east to west à streets have letters (F street)
- diagonal streets are avenues
- city's tourist attractions are to be found along a mile-long lawn and pool
area called "the Mall"
- is located between the White House (north), the Jefferson Memorial (south),
The Lincoln Memorial (west) and the Capitol (east)
sights: - The Capitol à seat of Congress - the US parliament
- Capitol central point
- tallest building in D.C.
- White House connected Capitol
- White House home president
- White House oldest building
- First president in White House John Adams
- the Washington Monument 550 feet high à it's a building in the center of the
Mall
- Vietnam Veterans Memorial (black wall with names off all US service men
killed in action)
- Buildings to both sides of the Mall are mainly museums
- they are free of charge (kostenlos)
- à e.g. Air and Space museum
- contrast to other American cities - admission is free of charge
- 20 millions people visit Washington D.C. à major source of revenue
(Einnahmequelle)
- there is federal government like à the State Department, the Pentagon, FBI
- many political protests (in parks, .)
- government buildings+ monuments in North
- everyday à protests outside the White House
- Vietnam Veterans Memorial one of most recent memorials
- Most moving one
- Names of 58000 men lost live o. still missing
- Average age men 19 years
- 56 h need want read all names
- cultural attractions: National Gallery of Art, John F. Kennedy Center for the
performing Art, Shakespeare Library
parks: - more than 600 parks
- parks like à Lafayette Park and Dupont Circle
- the parks are the home of the thousands homeless people
- Anacostia poor part
The American system of government:
- The legislative branch, headed by Congress, make the laws
- The executive branch, headed by the President, enforces the laws
- The judicial branch, headed by the Supreme Court, interprets the laws
History
- 1814 British force burned capital
- 1967 Washington administered three commissioners appointed by president
- 1974 citizens of Washington approve a Home Rule Charter, elected mayor +
13-member council
- 1978 Washington get voting representation in the Congress
- 1983 51st state
- 1993 new statehood bill
