Washington, D.C.

I

Introduction

Washington, D.C., city and district, capital of the United States of America. Washington, D.C., is at the confluence of the Potomac and Anacostia rivers, flanked by Maryland on the north, east, and south-east and by Virginia on the south-west. The city of Washington extends alongside the District of Columbia (D.C.), the federal district of the United States. Established in 1800 as the seat of national government, Washington is today the core of one of the largest metropolitan areas in the country and a centre of both national and international politics and diplomacy. Population 550,521 (2005 estimate).

II

Economy

Washington's economic life is bound to the city's role as the federal capital. No other large US city has an economy so clearly driven by a single economic force. About one-third of Washington's workers—some 45,000 employees—are federal government employees. The executive branch is the largest federal employer; the legislative and judicial branches employ fewer people directly, but they draw various service industries to the city. Thousands of organizations such as trade associations, labour unions, and private interest groups are located in the city, and lawyers and consultants abound. Functionally related to the American government are the embassies and legations representing some 140 nations. Major international organizations, such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and Organization of American States, also give weight to the financial and political importance of the city.

Tourism is the second most important aspect of the city's economy. The national monuments and museums attract more than 18 million visitors each year. The functions of federal and local government and the tourism industry have created a large service economy, which employs over one third of all Washington's workers. A subway system extends into the Maryland and Virginia suburbs. The city is served by three commercial airports—Washington National, Dulles International, and Baltimore-Washington International.

Although Washington has achieved a good measure of home rule, the federal government remains the ultimate authority in the District. The so-called federal interest in the nation's capital is protected by the right of Congress to veto any legislation passed by the city council. In addition, the District of Columbia's budget is reviewed by Congress. Congress provides an amount of money, the federal payment, to the District to compensate for the absence of a property tax on federally owned property in the city. Congress also retains the right to make laws pertaining to the District of Columbia, such as building height restrictions. Washington residents have been permitted to vote in presidential elections only since 1964.

In 1995 Washington, D.C., faced a budget deficit severe enough to force the city into bankruptcy—and the prospect of either absorption into another state (Maryland) or takeover by the federal treasury. Its current crisis is seen as being due mainly to the unbridled expansion of the city employee payroll and the soaring crime rate, the latter driving affluent residents out to the suburbs and thereby shrinking the tax base. A federal takeover would remove the city's limited autonomy. The city deficit in 1994 stood at US$355 million.

III

Places of Interest

Washington's street system is essentially a grid pattern overlaid by broad radial avenues. The city as a whole is divided into four quadrants (north-western, north-eastern, south-western, and south-eastern) by lines running north-south and east-west through the Capitol of the United States. The central open space, called the Mall, is surrounded by public buildings and museums and is flanked on the east by the Capitol and on the west by the Lincoln Memorial. The major federal office buildings are located in the vicinity of this nucleus. The city's central area is extensive, primarily because building height is limited. The central commercial and business district flanks F Street Northwest and lower Connecticut Avenue. The broad Pennsylvania Avenue, which links the White House and the Capitol, is Washington's ceremonial street and is the site of the president's inaugural day parade.

The oldest sections of residential Washington are dominated by row houses, which, towards the District boundaries, give way to detached housing and, on the major radial streets, to apartment buildings. The many varied neighbourhoods of residential Washington each have a distinctive social and ethnic character. Georgetown, for instance, has the character of a village, with traditional homes and gardens. Capitol Hill is largely restored Victorian row houses. Anacostia, located east of the Anacostia River, is a run-down area.

In the city are the Vietnam Veterans Memorial (1982) and the Vietnam Women's Memorial (1993), the Thomas Jefferson Memorial (1943), the Lincoln Memorial (1922), and the Washington Monument (1884), a 169-m (555-ft) obelisk. Across the Potomac River, in Virginia, is Arlington National Cemetery and the Pentagon. Among the city's parks are Rock Creek Park, Theodore Roosevelt Island Memorial Park, and the National Arboretum.

The most conspicuous structure in Washington, because of its majestic architecture and vantage point on a hill, is the Capitol of the United States. In front of the Capitol are the Supreme Court Building (1935) and the main Library of Congress. About 2.4 km (1.5 mi) west of the Capitol is the White House (begun 1792, rebuilt after 1814). Initially named the President's House, it was first occupied by President John Adams and has been the home of every US president since. The White House fronts on Lafayette Square, and the rear balcony looks out across the Ellipse, past the Washington Monument, to the Jefferson Memorial. Directly west is the Executive Office Building (1871-1888), which houses the president's staff.

On Pennsylvania Avenue, equidistant between the White House and the Capitol, is the National Archives Building (1935). The National Archives is one of several large government buildings (including those of the Justice, Internal Revenue, Post Office, and Commerce departments) occupying a complex known as the Federal Triangle (1926-1935). On display in the National Archives are the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States, and the Bill of Rights. Two notable buildings that were incorporated into the Federal Triangle design are the Old Post Office (1899) and the District Building (1908). Among the city's largest churches are the Episcopal Washington National Cathedral, begun in 1907 and completed in 1990, and the Roman Catholic National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception (1959). Of historic interest is St John's church (1816), the so-called church of the Presidents. Washington, D.C., has three professional sports teams: the Redskins (American football), the Bullets (basketball), and Capitals (hockey).

Universities in Washington include Georgetown University (1789), American University (1893), George Washington University (1821), the Catholic University of America (1889), Trinity College (1897), Howard University (1867), and Gallaudet University (1856). Washington has become a major American cultural centre including a number of important museums, many of which are administered by the Smithsonian Institution. These include the vast National Air and Space Museum; the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, a noted modern art museum; the Museum of American History; and the National Museum of Natural History. The original red-brick Smithsonian Building was constructed in 1855. The National Gallery of Art was established by Congress legislation in 1937. Among the more recent museums and galleries are the National Museum of African Art (1987) and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (1993). In the central area are the National Portrait Gallery, the National Museum of American Art, and the Textile Museum. The multitheatre John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is a centre for drama, opera, film, and music. Other major theatres in the central areas are Lisner Auditorium, Constitution Hall, the National Theater, Warner Theater, and Ford's Theatre. The Folger Shakespeare Library contains the world's leading collection of works by and about William Shakespeare.

IV

Government and Politics

Unlike any other part of the United States, Washington lacks full political representation. While its political structure has changed over time, the city has remained subordinate to the federal government. The 23rd Amendment to the Constitution of the United States (ratified in 1961), gave residents the right to vote for president and vice-president for the first time. Since this time, the District of Columbia has held three electoral votes in presidential elections (see Electoral College). However, residents do not have voting representation in the US Congress. Since 1971, citizens of Washington, D.C. have been represented in the House of Representatives by a non-voting delegate. This representative is allowed to sit on committees and participate in debates, but is not entitled to vote. Washington, D.C. is not represented in the Senate.