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Geography: Washington DC is positioned along the extreme eastern coast of the United States of America. Washington DC area comprises of the entire District of Columbia along with 7 counties of the state of Maryland, 5 counties of the state of Virginia and 6 cities of the state of Virginia.

The city of New York lies 233 miles north of it. Washington DC is fractioned into 4 quadrants; in the center at the intersection of these quadrants stands the U.S. Capitol Building. The 4 quadrants are Northwest, Southwest, Northeast and Southeast.

History: what today stands as Washington DC was instituted in the year 1790 on the 16th day of July. The new country of the United States of America had just been instituted and established as independent from Great Britain, when the position of the new country’s capital was decided upon by James Madison and Alexander Hamilton. The design and layout of the city was planned by an Us army Major called Pierre Charles L'Enfant. The final site of the city was narrowed down by George Washington – the first US President. On the 9th of September, in the year 1790, the city was christened as “Washington” in honor of George Washington. In 1792, on the 13th of October – a day after the 300th anniversary of Columbus Day – the foundations for the White House was laid. It, along with the city, was later incinerated by the British in1814, on 24th of August. However, the city picked itself from its ashes and went on to prosper and also become notorious for harboring a booming slave-trade operation by the 1830s. The expansion of the area of then city of Washington took place in 1861 with the Civil War erupting through the country. the city of Washington attained the dimensions and boundary as the District of Columbia in 1878, when the Congress passed the ‘Organic Act’.

Economy: given that Washington DC is the seat of the Federacy of the United States of America, the chief business of the city is to take care of government affairs. So, government services are the main employment and economic sector of the city.

Aside of this, the other significant industry is that of tourism. The city also has several other major yet peripheral industries like trade associations, law, pharmaceutical research, advanced education and publishing. The city also hosts the central offices of several multinational and other big companies like the International Monetary Fund, Amtrak, USAirways, MCI Telecommunications, Gannett News, Marriott and Mobil Oil.

Administration and Government: Washington DC stands for the city of Washington within the District of Columbia – which is a Federal District. They are not the same.

However, they are regulated by the same municipal government. This municipal government is headed by the Mayor and the City Council. Despite this fact, it is the Congress that has the final say in all matters administrative. the present Mayor of Washington DC is Anthony A. Williams and the Chairperson of the City Council is Linda W. Cropp.

Transport System:

Travel to Washington, DC – the city is well connected with both domestic and international destinations with a host of flights. You can also gain access into the city with numerous road routes and also by rail. The city is well equipped with three airports to handle air traffic into the city: Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Baltimore-Washington International Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport. If you opt to take the rail route, Amtrak trains ply to and from DC - Union Station. Bus services are provided by Greyhound and Trailways to the city.
Travel in Washington, DC – transport within Washington DC is an easy affair. The city has a well organized system that keeps the different areas of the city connected. There is the Metro – both bus and rail – that you can avail of. Walking is another good alternative. However, if you are considering self drive or cabs, then there could be clogged roads and parking problems for the former and exaggerated fare problems for the latter.

Society and Cultural Life: Washington DC has a long history full of eminent dignitaries of the country who shaped the culture of the city. Made up mainly of Christians belonging to different Churches, the city is famous for its theatres and music. Some of the famous theaters in the city are:

Warner Theatre
Sidney Harman Hall
Tivoli Theatre
National Sylvan Theater
Harold and Sylvia Greenberg Theatre
Harman Center for the Arts and Arena Stage

Aside of these, the city has three annual festivals that are celebrated with a lot of gusto and revelry. They are:

National Cherry Blossom Festival (on March 27. in 1912, the mayor of Tokyo gifted the city with 3,000 Japanese cherry trees.)
HFStival (a rock music festival hosted annually. The Maryland radio station WHFS is one of its sponsors.)
Capital Pride (celebrated every June, it lasts for a week and ends with a parade near Dupont Circle.)

Educational Institutions: in the department of education, the city of Washington DC is extremely well organized and developed. Having a long cultural history, Washington DC plenty of institutions for higher education along with primary places. Primary education in Washington DC, like the rest of the country, is compulsory. Higher education, on the other hand, is optional and open to the meritorious and enthusiastic. Some of the important universities in the city are:

National University
Howard University
George Washington University
Georgetown University
University of the District of Columbia
Catholic University
American University

The reputed colleges within the city’s premises include:

Washington Technical Institute
Miners Teachers College
Gallaudet, National Deaf Mute College (formerly: Kendall)
Federal City
Columbian College

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