I've been to the USA several times. In general, I have a very positive attitude towards this country and its people. I visited many cities of this great state, including its capital. Actually, that’s what we’ll be talking about today.
Briefly about the US capital
I won't bog you down - this is Washington. It is worth knowing that this settlement is not the capital of any state, it is an independent unit.
You won’t see skyscrapers here, there are none here, because it is forbidden to erect buildings higher than the Capitol (and it is only 55 meters high). In my opinion, Washington is a very pompous and majestic city. But at the same time it is gray and dull. I got the impression that only officials and their families live here.
Despite the fact that this locality has its own mayor, the US Congress personally runs all affairs here. In general, Americans affectionately call Washington “the last colony of the United States.” This city looks like a cross if you look at it from a bird's eye view.
Of course, the most iconic and important attraction of this locality is The White house. This is where the president of this country sits. As for the building itself, this house is very nondescript, more like some kind of large villa than a government building. Today, tourists can only go to the lawn with flower beds in front of the White House. Well, before they let us inside and showed some rooms. I have already mentioned the Capitol, this building is the residence of American congressmen.
Public transport in Washington is represented by subways and buses. You can also use:
- rickshaws;
- Taxi;
- bicycles (there are many rentals in the city).
But the most convenient way to get around the city is by metro. By the way, it is very small, there are only six lines. On weekdays, the metro operates from five in the morning until twelve at night. The interval between trains is long, fifteen minutes. But I can’t tell you the exact cost of the ticket; it depends on the specific time of day. You can pay 2 dollars, or you can give all 5.
This is exactly how John Kennedy described Washington. The capital of America, located in the Federal District of Columbia, is distinguished by the peculiarity of its architecture and is not easy to understand. It has great cultural significance and attracts with its intellectual energy. The city is comparable to an entire country, where its own life is in full swing. However, Washington is not the most remarkable city in the United States. Houston and New York are also considered unofficial capitals. Why? This will be discussed later in the article.
The capital of the USA is definitely Washington. But many people confuse it with New York. What is causing this confusion? The fact is that in history both cities were capitals. Once upon a time, even before the construction of Washington (a very short period of time), New York proudly wore this title.
The city was proclaimed the capital in 1800, and founded ten years earlier. It was in Washington that George Washington accepted the status of the first president in the history of the country. The city was built as political center country, independent and unattached to any of the states existing at that time. Initially, the location of the city was the territory of the states of Maryland and Virginia, but later they decided to make the city territory a separate autonomous region - this is how the independent District of Columbia was created.
Today both cities can be called centers of social and cultural life countries. New York is the largest, most developed and most famous city in America. Perhaps this is why the question sometimes arises: which US capital is more significant? Many believe that New York, since all the financial power of the state is concentrated there, the economies of the world's largest powers depend on the center of the stock exchange - the famous Wall Street. Manhattan is littered with the largest shopping centers, global projects are implemented by hundreds of thousands of people.
However, it is no coincidence that America has the status of the freest and most liberal country. Even today, Washington is not tied to any of the 50 states, due to which it is believed that its governance is as objective and fair as possible.
Chemical Capital of the USA
Many people have heard this name. But not everyone knows which city is the chemical capital of the United States. This is the name of Houston, named after Sam Houston. It has the fourth largest population in America and is the largest in the state of Texas. Concentrated here a large number of various enterprises, including those that produce oil production equipment.
The main sources of air pollution in Houston are vehicle exhaust and emissions from more than 400 businesses. chemical industry, including two large oil refineries, as well as a petrochemical complex along the Port of Houston and Houston Ship Channel.
The situation is complicated meteorological factors: the period from April to October is characterized by big amount sunny, windless days with a predominance high temperatures and humidity. All this causes emissions to settle over the city.
Washington - brief description
Having become the capital in 1800, Washington still remains the capital of America. It should be remembered that in the USA there is the state of Washington, and there is a city with the same name. Geographically, they are far from each other. To avoid confusion, the full name of the capital of the United States is Washington DC, which means Washington District Columbia, translated as Washington District of Columbia.
The center of Washington is the Capitol building, where the country's Congress has been meeting since 1800. Back in 1812, the building symbolizing independence was almost completely destroyed as a result of arson by British troops. The population today is about 600 thousand people, whose main occupation is management. The Library of Congress contains unique documents and books that document the short history of the country.
Washington is located on the lower Potomac River near the coast Atlantic Ocean. The city stretches on a plateau among the hills, at an altitude of 128 meters above sea level. It is noteworthy that it is Washington that divides the United States into northern and southern parts.
The weather conditions of the area are formed under the influence of subtropical humid climate. The average annual precipitation here exceeds 1000 mm. Frosts are infrequent in winter, average temperature air temperature in January is +1° C, in summer, in July - about +25° C.
Washington occupies a leading place among world capitals in terms of the number of green spaces: the city has many parks, total area of which more than 2800 m². Natural vegetation is represented by broad-leaved (oak, sycamore, ash, birch) and coniferous (spruce, pine) tree species.
About 4 million people live in Washington (including its suburbs). Among the ethnic groups, Europeans of the white race predominate (more than 70%), who come from various countries Western and of Eastern Europe. Over 20% of the population is African American and Latino. Among the residents of Washington there are also Indians and Asians.
English is recognized as the official language. But due to the presence of emigrants and their descendants who settled in Washington, other European languages are also common.
Among the believing population, Protestants make up the overwhelming majority (more than 50%), Christians professing Catholicism make up about 30%. Among the religious residents of Washington there are also Buddhists, Jews, Muslims and Orthodox Christians.
Sights of Washington
Washington's cultural and historical sites are located in a fairly limited space, presented in the form of a rectangle stretching from Union Station and the Library of Congress in the east to the Watergate area and the Lincoln Memorial ) near the Potomac River in the west. Georgetown is located in the northwestern part of this rectangle, and Arlington National Cemetery stretches along the western shore of the Potomac. Admission to almost all monuments and museums is free.
The traditional set of entertainment includes visiting classics like the White House and the Washington Monument, Museum natural history. A visit planned for late March or early April will give you an unforgettable experience of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, when everything is covered with pink petals. If you're already familiar with this must-see program, you can experience a different side of the city by walking around in the evening to admire the bright lights of the clubs, art galleries, or visiting the colorful farmers' markets in the suburbs.
It is not included in any of the states of the country, as it is considered a separate, completely independent territory. The history of Washington goes back centuries; founded in 1791, now the city can be compared to an entire country, within which its own life is in full swing.
Racial and religious division of residents in the US capital
Washington's population has always been diverse. Along with white-skinned people, there are quite a lot of African Americans here. An interesting fact is that in the capital they have a very liberal attitude towards various sexual minorities, and therefore there are quite a few of them here. According to the 2010 census, Washington is also home to Asians and people of other races, including mixed races.
Perhaps the religion with the largest number of adherents in Washington is Christianity, which includes Catholics, American Baptists, Southern Baptists, Orthodox Christians and other Christians. Islam is in second place in number, followed by Judaism. Among other things, in the US capital there are also many residents who do not profess any religion at all.
Economic situation in the US capital
Washington can hardly be called a city with an unstable developing economy. Most local residents work in management, but it is noticeable that in Lately their number began to alternately decrease and, on the contrary, increase, which was due either to the reduction of positions or the emergence of new vacancies. The service sector is in second place in terms of employment. According to 2010 data, the US capital had a 12% unemployment rate for the local population.
Some of the largest companies in the world generate a very significant level of income. This is the United States Postal Service and mortgage agency. They provide jobs for a lot of local residents. The production of various consumer goods and printing products is also widely developed. Since the capital of the United States is attractive to tourists from all over the world, the tourism sector, and especially the hotel business, is quite well developed here.
Features of transport in the US capital
Since the capital of the United States is a fairly large and numerous city, which is also the capital of the United States, it is not surprising that the transport system here is very developed. Perhaps, first of all, we should highlight the metro, which has been operating since 1976. Bus transportation is the second busiest. Like the metro, they transport people both in the city and beyond. Rail and air transport are well developed in Washington. There are three airports here.
It is curious that a large number of residents of the capital public transport prefer bicycles. It is noteworthy that there are organizations that provide bicycles for rent to everyone for almost any amount of time, for example, for a day, for a month or even for a whole year.
Cultural development of the US capital
Washington is famous for its cultural development. It is worth noting that the city’s development plan is carefully thought out, all architecture, especially new buildings, are under careful control. Several styles are clearly visible here, including neo-Greek, neo-Gothic, neoclassical, and modern architecture. As for the areas somewhat remote from the center, they also have buildings made in the Victorian, Georgian and Bozar styles.
Arriving in the US capital for the first time, the vast majority of tourists first go to admire the National Mall, which is a vast park area and a large number of world-famous monuments and buildings. Thus, in particular, the famous White House is located here. The National Gallery of Art also attracts visitors here, entry to which, oddly enough, is completely free. Here everyone can admire the abundance of works by masters from all over the world, presented in the form of paintings, photographs, sculptures and others.
Besides huge amount museums and galleries of various types; the culture of Washington is also manifested in applied art. Many residents of other cities and countries come to the US capital to visit the John F. Kennedy Center for Applied Arts, the National Theater, and the Fora Theater. The latter is famous not only as a theater and museum, but also as the place where Abraham Lincoln was assassinated.
Features of education in the US capital
Washington - unique city. It combines the title of the capital of the United States, the cultural center of the country; this city is called liberal and free in terms of views on life, words, and actions.
Besides everything else, the capital of USA - it is also the educational center of the United States. There are 129 public schools alone. Every year more and more private schools appear. As for higher educational institutions, it is worth noting that they are also divided into public and private. The oldest and therefore famous university in the US capital is Georgetown University, which has been enrolling and teaching students since 1789. Interestingly, many universities in Washington have their own medical schools and hospital centers. Because local residents- passionate players and fans, supporters of football and other sports; almost every university has its own teams. From time to time, competitions are held between them, to which everyone is invited.
Due to the high development educational system, foreign students also flock to educational institutions in Washington. Some universities have their own admission conditions for them, while others accept guests from other countries for general principles. Level educational services services provided by local institutions is very high, their undeniable quality is embodied in talented specialists who subsequently participate in the development of the city and, accordingly, the entire country.
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