Washington

Washington is the capital of the United States of America. It is situated on the Potomac River on the country's East Coast in the District of Columbia. The District is named in honor of Columbus, the discoverer of America. Washington was named after the first US president George Washington. He selected the place for the capital. It was founded in 1790. Since 1800 Washington D.C. has been the federal capital. The French engineer, Pierre L'Enfant, designed the city. Washington D. C. isn't like other cities of the USA. It has long wide avenues, gardens, beautiful parks and no skyscrapers at all, because no other building must be taller than the Capitol.

The Capitol is the seat of the American Congress. The 535 members of the Congress meet here to discuss the nation's affairs. It is situated on the Capitol Hill, the highest point of the city. The Capitol has a big white dome standing on a circle of pillars. It is a huge building, full of paintings and statues.

The White House is the official residence of the US President. It was built in 1799. It is situated at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. The US President works and lives there. There are more than hundred rooms in the White House. The largest room in this building is the East Room, the scene of many state receptions and dances. Other famous rooms are: the Green Room, the Blue Room, the Red Room, which are used for afternoon tea and for receptions held before state dinners. The Blue Room, the most formal among all «colours» room is an oval-shaped room connecting the Green and the Red Rooms. On the second floor, one can find the Lincoln Room, which once served as an office for President Lincoln but today it serves as an honour guest's room. In this room, Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863, which gave freedom to black slaves in the States.

The White House is made up of six stories – the Ground Floor, State Floor, Second Floor, and Third Floor, as well as a two-story basement.

Washington is a large scientific and cultural centre. There are many theatres, research institutes, five universities, the National Academy of Science, Georgetown University, George Washington University and the Library of Congress there.

The Library of Congress is situated not far from the Capitol. It is the largest library in the States. It contains more than 13 million books, more than 19 million manuscripts, including the personal papers of the US presidents. The Library of Congress was instituted for Congress in 1800.

There some important museums in Washington where you can see all kinds of things: famous paintings and sculptures, the dresses of Presidents’ wives, the original of the Declaration of Independence, the largest blue diamond in the world, etc.

Among Washington’s other treasures are Ford’s Theatre, where Lincoln was shot in1865, and the Folger Shakespeare Library, which has the world's largest collection of the printed works of William Shakespeare. The library was established by Henry Clay Folger in association with his wife, Emily Jordan Folger. It opened in 1932, two years after his death.

There are many monuments in the city. The most impressive and the best-known ones are the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument and the Jefferson Memorial.

Washington is sometimes called the heart of America. People from all parts of the USA come to see their capital. Washington is a city which attracts a lot of tourists by its fashionable hotels, restaurants and sightseeing attractions as “Mount Vernon” the house of the first president George Washington, the Lincoln Memorial, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the White House and others.

Washington D. C. is the city where you think about the glorious history of the USA.