Where is the US capital located? What are the geographic coordinates of Washington? And what is interesting about this city? All this will be discussed in our article.
Washington is the capital of the USA
Washington is a rather unusual city in the world. After all, it was created and conceived initially as a capital. In 1790, United States President George Washington personally chose a place on the map of the young state for the construction of its future capital. This city was named in his honor. For the construction of the capital from scratch, the area was chosen in the form of a square with a side of ten miles, which was not part of any of the states that existed at that time.
In today's world, the geographic coordinates of Washington are a very important point on the map of the planet. It is here that the famous White House, the US Senate and Congress are located, as well as the Pentagon. In addition, in Washington, as it should be in any other capital of a large state, there are the headquarters of many international organizations, important institutions, and foreign embassies.
About 650 thousand people live in Washington, although on working days the real population of the American capital reaches one million (due to the so-called pendulum migrations). Due to its metropolitan status, the city has a fairly developed and powerful economy. In terms of annual per capita income, the District of Columbia is one of the first places in the country.
What are the exact coordinates of Washington? Where is the city located? Read about it later.
Geographical position and coordinates of Washington (latitude and longitude)
The capital of the United States of America is simultaneously the District of Columbia. In this case, do not confuse the city of Washington with the state of the same name on the west coast of the country. The Americans themselves, by the way, so as not to get confused in these two names, use the acronym DC for the capital city (from the first letters of the name of the District of Columbia district).
The city of Washington is located on the banks of the Potomac River and its tributaries. It is located in the northeastern United States and is bordered by two other states - Maryland and Virginia. Determining the coordinates of Washington is easy, just look at the map. Obviously, the US capital is located in the Northern and Western hemispheres of the Earth. The table below shows the exact coordinates of Washington: the latitude and longitude of the city.
Latitude of washington | 38º 53 '42 "North |
Washington Longitude | 77º 02 '12 "West |
It is worth noting that degrees are not always used to indicate the location of a settlement on the Earth map. Below are the coordinates of Washington in decimal fractions:
Latitude of washington | 38.5 North |
Washington Longitude | 77.0 West |
A few more important facts about the geographical location of Washington: the city is located within the GMT-4 time zone, as are Boston, Baltimore, and Philadelphia. Washington is located just 50 kilometers from the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. Within the city itself there are several river islands, the largest of which is Kingman Island.
8 amazing facts about the city of Washington
Washington is a city in many ways unique. Here, pathos of state buildings are organically combined with spacious landscapes and greenery of lush parks. The main monument of the city is the Washington Monument. According to an unwritten rule, no building in the capital should be higher than this obelisk. That is why there are no skyscrapers in Washington.
We bring to your attention eight more interesting facts about this city:
- the majority of Washington's inhabitants are African-Americans (about 55%);
- every tenth resident of the city is a representative of sexual minorities;
- 20% of Washington's territory is occupied by parks and squares;
- Washington is the absolute leader in the use of wine in the United States;
- in the capital, it is officially forbidden to produce lollipops;
- the main botanical symbol of Washington is sakura (the Japanese gave these trees to the city half a century ago);
- there are a lot of squirrels and legal fortune-tellers in the city;
- Entrance to all museums in Washington is free for foreign tourists.
Conclusion
The city of Washington is located in the northeastern United States, just 50 kilometers from the Atlantic Ocean. The capital of the modern American state was laid back in 1790. The exact coordinates of Washington are: 38º 53 '42 "north latitude and 77º 02' 12" west longitude.