Washington

Washington called after George Washington, the first President of the United States, is the capital of the United States. It is situated on the Potomac River. It is the District of Columbia. This district does not belong to any one state but to all the states. The district is named in honour of Columbus, who discovered America.

Specially planned and built as a national capital, Washington was laid out by French architect in the 18th century. It is not as large as New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit or Los Angeles. It has a population of over 900,000 people. Washington is one-industry town. That industry is government. It produces only scrap paper. Every day twenty-five railway cars leave Washington loaded with scrap-paper.

The capital is famous for its historical places. Among the largest and tallest buildings is the Capitol with its great Hall of Representatives and Senate Chamber. There are no sky-scrapers in Washington because no other building must be taller than the Capitol. The White House is the President's residence. All American presidents except George Washington had lived in the White House. It was built in 1799. In 1814, during the war with England, the White House was burnt down. After the war the remains of the building were whitewashed. Since that time the residence of the American presidents has been always painted white.

A city of great beauty and a center of world affairs, it is also a leading cultural centre.