Washington State

General information

Washington  is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States located north of Oregon, west ofIdaho and south of the Canadian province of British Columbia, on the coast of the Pacific Ocean. Washington was carved out of the western part of Washington Territory which had been ceded by Britain in 1846 by the Oregon Treaty as settlement of the Oregon Boundary Dispute. It was admitted to the Union as the 42nd state in 1889.

Washington on the map of USA

Washington is the 18th most extensive and the 13th most populous of the 50 United States. Approximately 60 percent of Washington's residents live in the Seattle metropolitan area, the center of transportation, business, and industry along the Puget Sound region of the Salish Sea, an inlet of the Pacific consisting of numerous islands, deep fjords, and bays carved out by glaciers. The remainder of the state consists of deep rainforests in the west, mountain ranges in the west, center, northeast and far southeast, and a semi-arid eastern basin given over to intensive agriculture. Washington is the second most populous state on thewest coast and in the western United States after California.

The state is often called "Washington state" to distinguish it from Washington, D.C. Another nickname is "the Evergreen State". Its largest city is Seattle and its capital is Olympia.

Geography

Longitude: 116° 57'W to 124° 48'W
Latitude: 45° 32'N to 49°N

Washington is about 360 miles long and 240 miles wide.

Washington is bordered by Canada in the north and Oregon in the south. On the east, Washington is bordered by Idaho and, on the west, Washington is bordered by the Pacific Ocean.

Washington covers 71,303 square miles, making it the 18th largest of the 50 states.

Main rivers: Columbia River, Snake River, Yakima River

http://www.netstate.com/states/geography/wa_geography.htm

History

The history of Washington includes thousands of years of Native American history before Europeans and Americans arrived and began to establish territorial claims. The region was part of Oregon Territory from 1848 to 1853, after which it was separated from Oregon and established as Washington Territory. In 1889, Washington became the 42nd state of the United States.

More information:http://www.sos.wa.gov/history/  , http://www.thingstodo.com/states/WA/history.htm#.UMr8i-QyLY8   .

Olimpia - capital of Washington