Washington, D.C., is the capital city of the United States of America. "D.C." stands for the District of Columbia, the federal district containing the city of Washington. The city is named after George Washington, military leader of the American Revolution and the first President of the United States.
The District of Columbia and the city of Washington are coextensive and are governed by a single municipal government, so for most practical purposes they are considered to be the same entity (this was not always the case, though, as there were multiple jurisdictions within the district as late as 1871, when Georgetown ceased to be a separate city within the District). However, although there is a municipal government and a mayor, Congress has the supreme authority.
The centers of all three branches of the U.S. federal government are in the District as well as the headquarters of most independent agencies. It serves as the headquarters for the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and the Organization of American States, and other national and international institutions. Washington is the frequent location of large political demonstrations and protests, particularly on the National Mall. Washington is the site of numerous national landmarks, museums, and sports teams, and is a popular destination for tourists.
It is commonly known as D.C., the District, or simply Washington. Historically, it was called the Federal City or Washington City. It should not be confused with the state of Washington located in the Pacific Northwest. To avoid confusion, the city is often called simply D.C. and the state is often called "Washington State". The population of the District of Columbia, as of 2003 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, is 563,384 persons. The Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area surpasses 4.7 million persons. If Washington, D.C. were considered a state, it would rank last in area behind Rhode Island, 50th in population ahead of Wyoming, and 36th in Gross State Product.
Economy
As of 2002, the federal government accounts for 27% of Washington, D.C.'s jobs. The presence of many major government agencies, including the Department of Defense, National Institutes of Health, and the Food and Drug Administration, has led to business development both in the District itself as well as in the suburbs of northern Virginia and Maryland. These businesses include federal contractors (defense and civilian), numerous nonprofit organizations, law firms and lobbying firms, catering and administrative services companies, and several other industries that are sustained by the economic presence of the federal government. This arrangement makes the Washington economy virtually recession-proof relative to the rest of the country, because the federal government will still operate no matter the state of the general economy, and it often grows during recessions.
Fannie Mae, electric utility Pepco Holdings, Inc., and manufacturer Danaher are major companies with headquarters in Washington, D.C. itself. Many other Fortune 500 companies maintain their headquarters in the metropolitan area, including AES Corporation in Arlington County, Virginia, Capital One, Gannett, and NVR Incorporated in McLean, Virginia; Lockheed Martin, Marriott International, and Coventry Health Care in Bethesda, Maryland; and Sprint Nextel Corporation and SLM Corporation in Reston, Virginia.
Major defense contractors General Dynamics, Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC), and Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), Orbital Sciences Corporation are also located in the metro area, as is the consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton. In addition, America Online is located in nearby Dulles, Virginia.
Because of the proximity to the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, the American genomics industry has recently sprouted in the Maryland suburbs of Washington. Prominent companies are Celera Genomics, The Institute for Genomic Research, and Human Genome Sciences (all of which are in the city of Rockville, Maryland).
Of non-government employers, Washington, D.C.'s major universities and hospitals are among the top employers with George Washington University, Georgetown University and Washington Hospital Center as the top three. Howard University and Fannie Mae round out the top five employers in Washington, D.C.
The gross state product of the District in 2004 was $75.264 billion, ranking it #36 when compared with the fifty states.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/
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