Washington DC

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 a would a place farther south - the result a 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 a 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 a 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 a most are descendants (Abkommling) of slaves who found freedom in the District of Columbia during the civil war streets: - from north to south a streets have numbers (6th street) - from east to west a 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 a 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 a 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) - a e. g. Air and Space museum - contrast to other American cities admission is free of charge - 20 millions people visit Washington D. C. a major source of revenue (Einnahmequelle) - there is federal government like a the State Department, the Pentagon, FBI - many political protests (in parks, ) - government buildings+ monuments in North - everyday a 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 a Lafayette Park and Dupont Circle - the parks are the home of the thousands homeless ...