Washington, D.C. the capital of the United States, was founded on July 16, 1790. The City of Washington was originally a separate municipality within the Territory of Columbia until an act of Congress in 1871 effectively merged the City and the Territory into a single entity called the District of Columbia.
The city is located on the north bank of the Potomac River and is bordered by the states of Virginia to the southwest and Maryland to the other sides. The District has a resident population of 599,657; because of commuters from the surrounding suburbs, its population rises to over one million during the workweek. The Metro Area, of which the District is a part, has a population of 5.3 million, the ninth largest in the country.
The centers of all three branches of the three branches of the federal government are located in the District, as are many of the nation's monuments and museums. Washington, D.C. hosts 174 foreign embassies as well as the headquarters of the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Organization of American States (OAS), the Inter-American Development Bank, and the Pan american Health Organization (PAHO). The headquarters of other institutions such as trade unions, lobbying groups, and professional associations are also located in the District.
History - An Algonquian people known as the Nacotchtank inhabited the area around the Anacostia River where Washington now lies when the first Europeans arrived in the 17th century. Georgetown was chartered by the Province of Maryland on the north bank of the Potomac River in 1751. The town would be included within the new federal territory established nearly 40 years later. The City of Alexandria, Virginia, founded in 1749, was also originally included within the District.
The District's population remained relatively stable until the Great Depression in the 1930s when New Deal legislation expanded the bureaucracy in Washington. World War II further increased government activity, adding to the number of federal employees in the capital by 1950, the District's population had reached a peak of 802,178.
Geography - The District has a total area of 68.3 square miles (177 km2), of which 61.4 square miles (159 km2) is land and 6.9 square miles (18 km2) (10.16%) is water and has three major natural flowing streams: the Potomac and its tributaries the Anacostia River and Rock Creek.
Contrary to the urban legend, Washington was not built on reclaimed swampland. Approximately 19.4% of Washington, D.C. is parkland, which ties New York City for largest percentage of parkland among high-density U.S. cities.
Architecture -Washington, D.C. is a planned. The design for the City of Washington was largely the work of Pierre Charles L'Enfant, a French-born architect, engineer, and city planner who first arrived in the colonies during the American Revolutionary War.
The architecture of Washington varies greatly. Six of the top 10 buildings in the American Institute of Architects' 2007 rankings are located in the District of Columbia.
Economy - Washington has a growing, diversified economy with an increasing percentage of professional and business service jobs. In 2008, the federal government accounted for about 27% of the jobs in Washington, D.C. This is thought to immunize Washington to national economic downturns because the federal government continues operations even during recessions. However, as of January 2007, federal employees in the Washington area comprised only 14% of the total U.S. government workforce.
The District has growing industries not directly related to government, especially in the areas of education, finance, public policy, and scientific research.
Washington became the leader in foreign real estate investment in 2009, in a survey of the top 200 global development companies. In 2006, Expansion Magazine ranked D.C. among the top ten areas in the nation favorable to business expansion. Washington has the third-largest downtown in the United States in terms of commercial office space.
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Washington, D.C.
La capitale degli Stati Uniti, è stata fondata il 16 luglio, 1790. La città è localizzata a nord del fiume di Potomac e confina con gli stati della Virginia e del Maryland. Il Distretto ha una popolazione di 599.657; a causa dei pendolari dai sobborghi che la circondano, la popolazione va oltre un milione durante la settimana lavorativa. L'Area Metropolitana, di cui il Distretto è una parte, ha una popolazione di 5,3 milioni, la nona più grande del paese.
Le attività principali del governo federale sono localizzate nel Distretto. Washington, il D.C. ospita 174 ambasciate straniere, il quartier generale della Banca Mondiale, il Fondo monetario internazionale, l'Organizzazione di Stati americani (OAS) e la Banca di Sviluppo Interamericano. I quartieri generali di altre istituzioni come i sindacati, lobbisti e le associazioni professionali sono ubicati nel Distretto.
Storia - La popolazione di Washington è rimasta abbastanza stabile fino alla Grande Depressione negli anni ’30 quando i programmi della “New Deal” hanno ingrandito la burocrazia. La seconda guerra mondiale ha ulteriormente aumentato le attività del governo federale.
The centers of all three branches of the three branches of the federal government are located in the District, as are many of the nation's monuments and museums. Washington, D.C. hosts 174 foreign embassies
Architecture -Washington, D.C. is a planned
Washington, D.C. 
Le attività principali del governo federale sono localizzate nel Distretto. Washington, il D.C. ospita 174 ambasciate straniere, il quartier generale della Banca Mondiale, il Fondo monetario internazionale, l'Organizzazione di Stati americani (OAS) e la Banca di Sviluppo Interamericano. I quartieri generali di altre istituzioni come i sindacati, lobbisti e le associazioni professionali sono ubicati nel Distretto.