Washington D.C.
WASHINGTON D.C.
Why is Washington, D.C. the capital of the
U.S.A.?
In 1790 American Congress decided to build the new capital. New York competed with Philadelphia for becoming the capital (Philadelphia was the seat of the government till that time). Building a new capital was a compromise. The new capital was named after the first American President George Washington. It was built on neutral land presented by the States of Virginia and Maryland, on the banks of the Potomac River.
The letters D.C. stand for District of Columbia.
What can we see in D.C.?
Washington is one of the most beautiful cities of America built in classic style. There are no skyscrapers.
The center of the city is the Capitol Building which is the home of Congress. People sometimes confuse the Capitol with the White House.
The White House is the residence of the U.S. President. (The only President who didn’t live there was George Washington, who died one year before the building was finished.) You can see tourists standing in front of it all the time. Someone is always protesting against something.
From the White House you can walk to the Washington Monument which is called „Pencil“ because of its shape.
Between the Capitol and the „Pencil“ there is a park, the National Mall. In this park the congressmen run their regular miles for health. There is the Reflecting Pool visible on many photographs.
In this park, the Lincoln Memorial is situated (which has the form of a Greek temple). There are also War Veterans Memorials (Korean War, Vietnam War, World War II).
On the other side of the Potomac River we can find the famous Arlington National Cemetery with the graves of famous personalities of American history, including the simple grave of J.F.Kennedy.
Washington D.C. is also famous for its museums.
There is also the FBI building and the building of the Defense Department, the Pentagon.
