Washington

Washington, DC (officially: District of Columbia, referred to as Washington D.C., or simply D.C.) is the federal capital of the United States of America.

On July 16, 1790, the US Congress approved the establishment of a permanent national capital, what is also acknowledged by the US Constitution. This required creating a federal sector that is directly under the control of the federal government and does not follow any of the states of America.

The capital was formed from land on the Potomac River donated by the states of Maryland and Virginia, but the part that was taken from Virginia was returned to it in 1846.

The population of the capital reached over 681,170 people in 2016. The number of people in the capital during working days increases, due to some residents of Maryland and Virginia, up to more than one million people, while in the Washington Metropolitan Area, the connected metropolitan area which the capital is part of, it has a population of approximately 6 million, making it the seventh largest metropolitan area in the country.

All the three major branches of the US policy of the United States federal government are located in the capital, in addition to many monuments and archaeological museums in the country.

The capital hosts 176 foreign missions and embassies, in addition to the headquarters of the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Organization of American Countries (OAS), the American Development Bank and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). It also has many other institutions, such as trade unions, Non-profit organizations, political lobbying groups, and professional associations.

Among the most famous landmarks in Washington DC are: The White House, Washington National Cathedral, Washington Monument, Capitol Hill, Presidents and War Memorials, National Museums, and the National Mall.