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).