"District of Colombia" (sic) redirects here. For political subdivisions of the country, Colombia, see Departments of Colombia.

District of Columbia
Flag Seal
Nickname: DC, The District
Motto: Justitia Omnibus (Justice for All)
Location of Washington, D.C., in relation to the states Maryland and Virginia
Coordinates: 38°53′42.4″N 77°02′12.0″W / 38.895111, -77.036667
Country	United States
Federal District	District of Columbia
Government
- Mayor	Adrian Fenty (D)
- D.C. Council	Chairperson: Vincent C. Gray (D) Ward 1: Jim Graham (D) Ward 2: Jack Evans (D) Ward 3: Mary Cheh (D) Ward 4: Muriel Bowser (D) Ward 5: Harry Thomas, Jr. (D) Ward 6: Tommy Wells (D) Ward 7: Yvette Alexander (D) Ward 8: Marion Barry (D) At-Large: Carol Schwartz (R) At-Large: David Catania (I) At-Large: Phil Mendelson (D) At-Large: Kwame R. Brown (D)
Area
- City	68.3 sq mi (177.0 km²)
- Land	61.4 sq mi (159.0 km²)
- Water	6.9 sq mi (18.0 km²)
Elevation	0–409 ft (0–125 m)
Population (2007)[1][2]
- City	588,292
- Density	9,015/sq mi (3,481/km²)
- Metro	5.30 million
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
Website: http://www.dc.gov/

Washington, D.C., (pronounced /ˈwɒʃɪŋtən ˌdiːˈsiː/) is the capital of the United States. Washington (the city) covers the same area as (i.e. is coterminous with) the District of Columbia (abbreviated as "D.C."). The city and the district are located on the banks of the Potomac River and bordered by Virginia to the southwest and Maryland to the northwest, northeast, and southeast. The city was planned and developed in the late 18th century to serve as the permanent national capital; the federal district was formed to keep the national capital distinct from the states.^[3][4]

The city was named after George Washington, the first president of the United States. The district's name, "Columbia," is an early poetic name for the United States and a reference to Christopher Columbus, an early explorer of the Americas. The city is commonly referred to as Washington, The District, or simply D.C. In the 19th century, it was called the Federal City or Washington City.^[5] The official 2007 estimated population of Washington, D.C., was 588,292.^[1] During the workweek, however, the number of commuters from the suburbs into the city swells the District's population an estimated 71.8% to a daytime population over one million people.^[6] The Washington Metropolitan Area, which includes the surrounding counties in Maryland and Virginia, is the eighth-largest in the United States with more than five million residents. When combined with Baltimore and its suburbs, the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area has a population exceeding eight million residents, the fourth-largest in the country.^[7] If Washington, D.C., were a state, it would rank last in area (behind Rhode Island), second to last in population (ahead of Wyoming), first in population density, 35th in gross state product, and first in percentage of African Americans, which would make Washington, D.C., a minority-majority state.

The centers of all three branches of the U.S. government are located in the District. Also situated in the city are the headquarters for the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the Organization of American States, the Inter-American Development Bank, and other national and international institutions, including trade unions and professional associations. Washington is a frequent location for political demonstrations and protests, large and small, particularly on the National Mall. A center of American history and culture, Washington is a popular destination for tourists, the site of numerous national landmarks and monuments, the Smithsonian Institution, galleries, universities, cathedrals, performing arts centers and institutions, and music scenes. The District also includes substantial areas of wild natural habitat, particularly along the Potomac and Anacostia rivers, as well as in Rock Creek Park and Theodore Roosevelt Island located in the Potomac River.

The District of Columbia and the city of Washington are governed by a single municipal government and for most practical purposes, are considered to be the same entity. This has not always been the case: prior to 1871, when Georgetown ceased to be a separate city, there were multiple jurisdictions within the District.^[8] Although there is a municipal government and a mayor, pursuant to Article I of the U.S. Constitution, Congress has the supreme authority over the city and district, which results in citizens having less self-governance than residents of the states. The District has a non-voting at-large Congressional delegate, but no senators.

History

Main article: History of Washington, D.C.

View of Washington, D.C., from Arlington

The District of Columbia, founded on July 16, 1790, is a federal district as specified by Article I, Section 8 of the United States Constitution. The land forming the original District came from the state of Maryland and Commonwealth of Virginia. However, the area south of the Potomac River (39 square miles or about 100 km²) was returned, or "retroceded," to Virginia in 1847 and now is incorporated into Arlington County and the City of Alexandria. The remaining land that constitutes the District of Columbia is the territory originally ceded by Maryland, including islands in the Potomac River.

Planning

Pierre Charles L'Enfant's Plan of the City of Washington, as revised by Andrew Ellicott

A Southern site for the new country's capital was agreed upon at a dinner between James Madison and Alexander Hamilton, hosted by Thomas Jefferson. Southern states had largely paid off their individual debts from the Revolutionary War and would not have benefited as much from the 13 new states pooling their debt as the north had proposed. In return for the southern states agreeing to a collectivize the national debt, northern states agreed to a southern site for the new capital.^[9] The city's plan was largely the work of Pierre Charles L’Enfant, a French-born architect, engineer and city planner who first arrived in the American colonies as a military engineer with Major General Lafayette. L'Enfant drew up a basic plan for Washington, D.C. in 1791; the city layout owed much to the Baroque style, which was the dominant style in many North American and European planned cities of the day. The plan incorporated broad avenues and major streets which radiate out from traffic circles and rectangular parks, providing open space and landscaping, sites for various statues and smaller memorials, and vistas towards important landmarks and monuments.^{citation needed}

The initial plan for the "Federal District" was a diamond, measuring 10 miles (16 km) on each side, totaling 100 square miles (259 km²). The actual site on the Potomac River was chosen by President Washington. The city was officially named "Washington" on September 9, 1791.^[10] Out of modesty, George Washington never referred to it as such, preferring to call it "the Federal City."^[11] Despite choosing the site and living nearby at Mount Vernon, he rarely visited the city. The federal district was named the District of Columbia because Columbia was a poetic name for the United States used at the time, and the district's founding was close to the 300th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's first voyage to the Americas in 1492.^{citation needed}

1888 German map of Washington, D.C.

As originally platted, the District of Columbia was carved out of two adjacent counties - one in Virginia, one in Maryland — and the portion from each state was organized as a separate county. Alexandria County was on the south bank of the Potomac and the County of Washington was on the north bank. In addition to the new City of Washington being constructed in the geographic and geometric center of the District, there were a number of other communities including: Georgetown (founded in 1751 and named for its co-founders and/or King George II); Tenley; and the village commonly known today as "Anacostia." In time, all of these communities were amalgamated to the City of Washington, which thus became coextensive with the District of Columbia so that a separate County of Washington was no longer needed, so it was abolished.^{citation needed}

In 1791–92, Andrew Ellicott and Benjamin Banneker surveyed the border of the District with both Maryland and Virginia, placing boundary stones at every mile point; many of which are still standing.^{citation needed} As constructed, Washington City was centered on its current area but ended at present-day Rock Creek Park to the west, and Florida Avenue (then named "Boundary Street") and Benning Road to the north.

The cornerstone of the White House, the first newly constructed building of the new capital, was laid on October 13, 1792.^[12]

19th century

Ford's Theatre in the 19th century — photo by Mathew Brady.

On August 24, 1814, British forces burned the capital during the most notable raid of the War of 1812 in retaliation for the sacking and burning of York (modern-day Toronto).^{citation needed} President James Madison and U.S. forces fled before the British forces arrived and burned public buildings, including the Capitol and the Treasury building. The White House was burned and gutted. The Washington Navy Yard was also burned — by American sailors — to keep ships and stores from falling into the hands of the British. The home of the Commandant of the Marine Corps, located at the Marine Barracks, was one of the few government buildings not burned by the raiding British soldiers as a sign of respect, and is now the oldest public building in continuous use in the nation's capital.^{citation needed} The Patent Office was also spared, as a result of the Superintendent of Patents pleading with British soldiers and contending that destroying the store of knowledge therein would be a disservice to mankind.^{citation needed} Civilians were not directly targeted and, initially, the British had approached the city hoping to secure a truce. However, they were fired upon, triggering frustration and anger among the British, which ultimately led to the sacking of government buildings.^[13]

During the 1830s, the District was home to one of the largest slave trading operations in the country (see Alexandria, Virginia). In 1846, the population of Alexandria County, who resented the loss of business with the competing port of Georgetown and feared greater impact if slavery were outlawed in the capital, voted in a referendum to ask Congress to retrocede Alexandria back to the Commonwealth of Virginia. Congress agreed to do so on July 9 of that year. The slave trade, though not slavery, in the capital was outlawed as part of the Compromise of 1850.^{citation needed}

The enormous complex of defenses that protected Washington, D.C. in 1865 made that city one of the most heavily-defended locations in the world.

Main article: Washington, D.C. in the American Civil War

Washington remained a small city — the 1860 Census put the population at just over 75,000 people — until the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861. The significant expansion of the federal government to administer the war and its legacies such as veterans' pensions led to notable growth in the city's population, as did a large influx of freed slaves. By 1870, the District population had grown to nearly 132,000.

In July 1864, Confederate forces under General Jubal Anderson Early made a brief raid into Washington, culminating in the Battle of Fort Stevens. The Confederates were repelled, and Early eventually returned to the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia. The fort is located near present-day Walter Reed Army Medical Center in northwest Washington. This was the only battle where a U.S. president, Abraham Lincoln, was present and under fire while in office.^[14]

In the early 1870s, Washington was given a territorial government, but Governor Alexander Robey Shepherd's reputation for extravagance resulted in Congress abolishing his office in favor of direct rule. Congressional governance of the District would continue for a century.

Newspaper Row, Washington, D.C., 1874

In 1878, Congress passed an Organic Act that made the boundaries of the city of Washington coterminous with those of the District of Columbia. This effectively eliminated Washington County but Georgetown was allowed to remain nominally separate until 1895 when it was formally combined with Washington.^{citation needed}

20th century

Crowds surrounding the Reflecting Pool, during the 1963 March on Washington

The many Depression relief agencies created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal in the 1930s, followed by World War II in the 1940s, brought a great increase to the city's population. The District's population peaked in 1950, when the census for that year recorded a record population of 802,178 people.^[15] At the time, the city was the ninth-largest in the country, just ahead of Boston and close behind St. Louis. The population declined in the following decades, mirroring the suburban emigration from many of the nation's older urban centers following World War II.{fact|date=May 2008}}

After the assassination of civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr., in Memphis, on April 4, 1968, riots broke out in some sections of the city. The violence raged for four days, and many stores and other buildings were burned. At one point, the rioters came within two blocks of the White House. President Lyndon B. Johnson ordered over 13,000 federal troops to occupy the city — the largest occupation of an American city since the Civil War.^{citation needed}

The city began construction of its subway system, with the first 4.6 miles (7.4 km) of the Washington Metro subway system opening March 27, 1976. Today the system knits together Washington and its suburbs with a network of 86 stations and 106.3 miles (171.1 km) of track.^{citation needed}

In 1973, Congress enacted the District of Columbia Self-Rule and Governmental Reorganization Act, providing for an elected mayor and council for the District.^{citation needed} With this change, Walter Washington became the first elected mayor of the District in 1975 and the first African American elected mayor of the city.

In 1979 Marion Barry was elected mayor and was reelected twice more, serving three successive four-year terms. After his arrest for drug use in an FBI sting operation on January 18, 1990, and sentence to a six-month jail term, Barry did not seek re-election.^{citation needed} His successor, Sharon Pratt Kelly, became the first black woman to lead a U.S. city of Washington's size.^{citation needed} Barry ran again in 1994, defeating Kelly in the Democratic primary and winning the general election for mayor. During his fourth term, the city became nearly insolvent and was forced to give up some home rule to a congressionally appointed financial control board.^{citation needed}

Night view of The Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument and US Capitol, 2007

21st century

On September 11, 2001, American Airlines Flight 77, a Boeing 757, was hijacked and deliberately crashed into the Pentagon at 9:37AM, just across the Potomac River in Arlington, Virginia, causing a partial collapse of one side of the building. Al-Qaeda leader Abu Zubaydah told American officials while under interrogation that the White House was the intended target.^[16] Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and Ramzi Binalshibh have said that the United States Capitol was the intended target^[17] of another hijacked flight that same day, United Airlines Flight 93, which crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

Geography

Topography

Washington, D.C. is divided into four quadrants: Northwest, Northeast, Southeast and Southwest. The axes bounding the quadrants radiate from the U.S. Capitol building.

Main article: Geography of Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., is located at 38°53′42″N, 77°02′11″W (the coordinates of the Zero Milestone, on the Ellipse). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 68.3 square miles (177.0 km²). 61.4 square miles (159.0 km²) of it is land and 6.9 square miles (18.0 km²) of it (10.16%) is water.

Washington is surrounded by the states of Maryland (on its southeast, northeast and northwest sides) and Virginia (on its western side). The District interrupts those states' common border, the Potomac River, both upstream and downstream from the District. The Potomac River, as it passes Washington, is almost entirely within the District of Columbia due to a colonial-era riparian rights agreement between Maryland and Virginia before the District was established. Washington has three major natural flowing streams: the Potomac River, the Anacostia River and Rock Creek. The Anacostia River and Rock Creek are tributaries of the Potomac River. There are also three man-made reservoirs located in the city: Dalecarlia Reservoir, which crosses over the northwest border of the District into Maryland; McMillan Reservoir near Howard University; and Georgetown Reservoir.

The highest natural point in the District of Columbia is 409 feet (125 m) above sea level in Tenleytown.^[18][19] The lowest point is sea level, which occurs along all of the Anacostia shore and all of the Potomac shore except the uppermost portion (the Little Falls area, upstream of Chain Bridge).

Washington, D.C. is divided into four quadrants: Northwest, Northeast, Southeast and Southwest. The axes bounding the quadrants radiate from the U.S. Capitol building. The quadrants are not equal in size; Northwest is the largest quadrant, followed by Northeast, then Southeast, and finally Southwest. As a result, the geographic center of the District of Columbia is located near 4th Street NW, L Street NW, and New York Avenue NW.

Climate

Washington has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification: Cfa). Its climate is typical of Mid-Atlantic U.S. areas removed from bodies of water, with four distinct seasons. Spring and fall are mild with low humidty and high temperatures in April and October averaging in the high 60s to low 70s (about 20 °C). Winter brings sustained cool temperatures and occasional snowfall. Average highs tend to be in the low 40s (6 to 8 °C) and lows in the mid 20s (-5 to -2 °C) from mid-December to mid-February. Additionally, Arctic air can lower nighttime lows into the teens, even in the city.^[20] Summer tends to be hot and humid with daily high temperatures in July and August averaging in the high 80s to low 90s (in °F; about 30° to 33 °C). The combination of heat and humidity in the summer brings very frequent thunderstorms, some of which occasionally produce tornadoes in the area.

While hurricanes (or their remnants) occasionally track through the area in late summer and early fall, they have often weakened by the time they reach Washington partly due to the city's inland location. Flooding of the Potomac River, however, caused by a combination of high tide, storm surge, and storm runoff, has been known to cause extensive property damage in Georgetown as well as in nearby Old Town Alexandria, Virginia.^[21][22]

The average annual rainfall is 39.3 inches (998 mm) and average annual snowfall is 16.6 inches (422 mm). Some outlying suburbs to the north and west receive upwards of six more inches of snowfall each year.^[23] The average annual temperature is 57.5 °F (14.1 °C). The highest recorded temperature was 106 °F (41 °C) on July 20, 1930 and August 6, 1918, while the lowest recorded temperature was -15 °F (-26 °C) on February 11, 1899, during the Great Blizzard of 1899.^[24] The city averages 36.7 days hotter than 90 °F (32 °C), and only 64.4 nights below freezing.^[25]

Nature

Most of the natural habitat in Washington, D.C., is managed by the U.S. National Park Service, including Rock Creek Park, the National Mall, Theodore Roosevelt Island, and Anacostia Park. The U.S. Department of Agriculture operates the U.S. National Arboretum while various other federal agencies, both military and civilian, have minor holdings of wild land within the District. The Great Falls of the Potomac River are located upstream (i.e. northwest) of Washington. George Washington once surveyed this area for a "Pawtomack" Canal that would allow barge traffic to bypass the falls. The Potomac Gorge, also known as Mather Gorge, cuts into hard metamorphic bedrock and extends from Great Falls downstream to Georgetown, Rosslyn, Virginia, and Theodore Roosevelt Island, all located at the boundary between the Piedmont and the Coastal Plain.^{citation needed}

The Potomac River, once called a national disgrace by President Lyndon Johnson, is now home to a vibrant warm-water fishery. Professional bass tournaments have been held within view of the Jefferson Memorial, and naturally reproducing Bald Eagles have returned to its banks.^{citation needed} Despite its intensely urbanized landscape, the District of Columbia is a center for research on urban wildlife management, invasive species management, urban stream restoration, and the aquatic ecology of urban streams.^[27] The National Park Service's Center For Urban Ecology is a regional source of expertise and applied science on "land use change and urban development, habitat fragmentation, biodiversity and maintenance of ecosystem processes" for the region.^[28]

Culture

Main article: Culture of Washington, D.C.

Historic sites and museums

The Jefferson Memorial at dusk

Washington is home to numerous national landmarks. The National Mall is a large, open park area in the center of the city featuring many monuments to American leaders. Located prominently in the center of the Mall is the Washington Monument. Other notable points of interest on the Mall include the Lincoln Memorial, the National World War II Memorial at the east end of the reflecting pool, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and the Albert Einstein Memorial. Also located on the mall, the National Archives houses thousands of documents important to American history including the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the Magna Carta.

The Tidal Basin is located directly south of the mall and features rows of Japanese cherry blossom trees that were presented as gifts from the nation of Japan to the city as a symbol of friendship in 1912 and again in 1965 after World War II. Each year the Tidal Basin hosts the National Cherry Blossom Festival, which draws thousands tourists to Washington when the trees are in peak bloom. The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, and the District of Columbia War Memorial are also located around the Tidal Basin.

Smithsonian Castle

The Smithsonian Institution is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and the city is home to most of its museums and galleries. The Smithsonian is chartered and partially funded by the U.S. government, making the Smithsonian's museums and galleries open to the public free of charge. The most visited of the Smithsonian museums is the National Air and Space Museum located on the National Mall. The Air and Space Museum features exhibits on the history of human aviation and space exploration and houses the Albert Einstein Planetarium. Other Smithsonian Institution museums and galleries located on the mall are: the National Museum of African Art; the National Museum of American History; the National Museum of Natural History; the National Museum of the American Indian; the Sackler and Freer galleries, which both focus on Asian art and culture; the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden; the Arts and Industries Building, the original Smithsonian museum; and the Smithsonian Institution Building (also known as "The Castle"), which contains a few exhibits and serves as the Smithsonian Institution's headquarters.

The Smithsonian American Art Museum (formerly known as the National Museum of American Art) and the National Portrait Gallery are located in the same building, the Donald W. Reynolds Center, near Washington's Chinatown. The Renwick Gallery is also officially part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum but is located in a separate building near the White House. The Reynolds Center was known as the Old Patent Office Building until 2006, and many still refer to the building using its former name. Other Smithsonian museums and galleries include: the Anacostia Community Museum in Southeast Washington; the National Postal Museum near Union Station; and the National Zoo in Woodley Park. The National Zoo features exhibits and provides education about unique animals, including the zoo's famous giant pandas. Recently however, the National Zoo has been criticized for mismanagement and an overall degradation in quality. A new master plan introduced in 2008 provides for major changes to the park including redesigning exhibits, a new visitors center, and constructing an aerial tram.^[29]

Interior of the National Gallery of Art, East Wing

The National Gallery of Art is situated prominently on the National Mall near the Capitol, but is not a part of the Smithsonian Institution; it is instead wholly owned by the U.S. government. As a government institution, admission to the gallery is also free. The gallery's west wing features the nation's collection of American and European art through the 19th century. The east wing, designed by architect I.M. Pei, features works of modern art. The National Gallery also has its own sculpture garden located next to the west gallery. Given the similarities in their names and collections, the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery are often confused with the National Gallery of Art when they are in fact entirely separate institutions. The National Building Museum, located near Judiciary Square, is also chartered by Congress and hosts temporary and traveling exhibits.

There are many private art museums in the District of Columbia, which house major collections and exhibits open to the public such as: the National Museum of Women in the Arts; the Corcoran Gallery of Art, the largest private museum in Washington; and The Phillips Collection in Dupont Circle, the first museum of modern art in the United States. However, as they are not chartered or funded directly by the U.S. government, there is often a fee for admission to these galleries. Other private museums in Washington include the Newseum, the International Spy Museum, and the Marian Koshland Science Museum. The private National Geographic Society is also headquartered in Washington and operates its own museum. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum located near the National Mall maintains exhibits, documentation, and artifacts related to The Holocaust.

Other points of interest in the District include: the United States Capitol; the White House; the Library of Congress; the Supreme Court; the Washington National Cathedral in upper Northwest; the United States Navy Memorial in Penn Quarter; the Arena Stage; the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception; the National Arboretum; the Folger Shakespeare Library; Ford's Theatre; the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site; the African American Civil War Memorial on U Street; the Old Stone House, the oldest standing building in the District; the Mount St. Sepulchre Franciscan Monastery; and the Victims of Communism Memorial.

Performing arts

John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

National Museum of the American Indian

Washington is a major national center for the arts, with many venues for the performing arts in the city. Arena Stage, one of the first non-profit regional theaters in the nation, is rich with history and produces an eight-show season ranging from classics to world premieres, dedicated to the American canon of theater. The Shakespeare Theatre Company is regarded as one of the world's great Shakespeare troupes. Numerous other professional theaters, such as The Studio Theatre and Woolly Mammoth, and venues such as the National Theatre, make the city a major theater center. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts hosts the National Symphony Orchestra, the Washington National Opera, the Washington Ballet, and a variety of other musical and stage performances.

The Lincoln Theatre hosted the likes of Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald on U Street (known as "Washington's Black Broadway") prior to the 1968 riots.^[30] Notable local music clubs include Madam's Organ Blues Bar in Adams Morgan; Blues Alley in Georgetown; the ESL Music in the Dupont Circle district; and the Black Cat, the 9:30 Club, the Bohemian Caverns jazz club, and the Twins jazz clubs, all in the U Street NW area. The U Street area actually contains more than two dozen bars, clubs, and restaurants that feature jazz either nightly or several times a week.

Notable Washingtonians in the entertainment industry include singer-songwriter Marvin Gaye, musician Ian MacKaye, film actress Merle Oberon, comedian Dave Chappelle, musician Duke Ellington, filmmaker Ted Salins and two members of the rock group Jefferson Airplane: guitarist Jorma Kaukonen and bass player Jack Cassidy.

Music

Main article: Music of Washington, D.C.

Mount St. Sepulchre Franciscan Monastery

D.C. has its own native music genre, called go-go, a post-funk, percussion-driven flavor of R&B that blends live sets with relentless dance rhythms, so-called because they "go and go and go". The most accomplished practitioner of go-go was D.C. band leader Chuck Brown, who brought go-go to the brink of national recognition with his 1979 LP Bustin' Loose. Go-Go band and Washington natives Experience Unlimited (E.U.) hit the American pop charts in 1988 with their memorable dance tune "Da Butt." Other notable go-go bands include Rare Essence, Trouble Funk, Junkyard Band, Backyard Band, and the Northeast Groovers.

Washington was an important center in the genesis of punk rock in the United States, and the label Dischord Records, formed by Ian MacKaye, was one of the most crucial independent labels of the 1980s hardcore scene and eventually 90's indie rock. Punk/indie bands of note from D.C. include Minor Threat, Bad Brains, Fugazi, Government Issue, Scream, Tru Fax and the Insaniacs, the Slickee Boys, the Dismemberment Plan, Penguin's Exploding Octopus, and The Psychotics. Washingtonians continue to support punk bands, long after the punk movement's popularity peaked. The region also has a significant indie rock history and was home to TeenBeat, Dischord Records and Simple Machines, among other indie record labels.

Television shows

There have been several television series that have featured the District. Most of these have been related to government (e.g., The West Wing and Commander in Chief) or security organizations (e.g., 24, NCIS, The District, Get Smart, Bones, and The X-Files). Other programs had the nation's capital as a secondary focus, using it merely as a city setting. For instance, Murphy Brown focused on the lives of the reporters of the (fictional) Washington-based television newsmagazine, FYI. The soap opera Capitol allowed for stories about political intrigue alongside the traditional class struggle sagas. The sitcom 227 portrayed the life of the African American majority as seen through the eyes of residents in a Washington apartment building. Disney's spinoff to That's So Raven, Cory in the House, is another sitcom set in Washington, D.C. The premise of the show is Cory's father gets a job at the White House as the chief chef.

Sports

Main article: Sports in Washington, D.C.

See also: U.S. cities with teams from four major sports

MCI Center, now the Verizon Center, home of the Washington Wizards and Washington Capitals.

Washington, D.C. is home to five major professional mens' teams. The Washington Wizards (NBA) and the Washington Capitals (NHL) both play at the Verizon Center (right) in Chinatown. Nationals Park, which opened in Southeast D.C. in 2008, is home to the Washington Nationals (MLB). The D.C. United (MLS) play at RFK Stadium. The Washington Redskins (NFL) play at nearby FedExField in Landover, Maryland.

The Washington area is also home to a number of women's professional sports teams. The Washington Mystics (WNBA) play at the Verizon Center and the Washington Glory (National Pro Fastpitch softball) play at Westfield H.S. Sports Complex in Fairfax County, Virginia. The Washington Freedom are set to be revived in 2009 within the Women's Professional Soccer league, the successor to the WUSA.^[31] Other professional and semi-professional teams based in Washington include: the Washington Bayhawks (Major League Lacrosse), who play at George Mason Stadium; the Washington D.C. Slayers (American National Rugby League); the Potomac Mavericks (PIHA); the Baltimore Washington Eagles (USAFL); the D.C. Divas (NWFA); the D.C. Explosion (Minor League Football); and the Washington RFC (Rugby Super League).

Washington is one of only 13 cities in the United States with a team from all four major mens' sports: football, basketball, baseball, and hockey. When soccer is included, Washington is one of only 8 cities to have all five professional mens' sports. D.C. has won a combined 13 professional league championships: the Washington Redskins have won 5; the D.C. United has won 4 (the most in MLS history)^[32]; the Washington Bayhawks have won 2; and the Washington Wizards and the Washington Glory have each won a single championship. The Legg Mason Tennis Classic, part of the US Open Series, is held at William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center in Rock Creek Park. The Marine Corps Marathon and the National Marathon are both held annually in Washington. The D.C. area is also home to one regional sports television network, Comcast SportsNet (CSN), based in Bethesda, Maryland.

Media

Newspapers

The Washington Post is the oldest and most-read daily newspaper in Washington.^{citation needed} It is notable for exposing the Watergate scandal. The Washington Post also has a daily free newspaper called the Express, summarizing events, sports, and entertainment. The more conservative daily The Washington Times and the free weekly Washington City Paper also have substantial readership in the District. On February 1, 2005 the free daily tabloid The Washington Examiner debuted, having been formed from a chain of suburban newspapers known as the Journal Newspapers.

The weekly Washington Blade and Metro Weekly focus on gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender issues, and the Washington Informer and The Washington Afro American on black issues. The bi-weekly Street Sense focuses on issues of homelessness and poverty.

Several neighborhoods in the District have their own community newspapers. Some of these include The Current Newspapers, which has editions serving Dupont Circle, Foggy Bottom, Georgetown, Chevy Chase and Upper Northwest, and a Capitol Hill paper called The Capitol Hill Current/Voice of the Hill. Additional papers include In-Towner (Dupont Circle, Logan Circle and Adams Morgan), Hill Rag (Capitol Hill), East of the River (Anacostia), D.C. North (Northeast D.C.), and The Southwester (Southwest D.C.). In addition, several specialty newspapers serve the U.S. Congress; most notable are Roll Call and The Hill.

Television

The Washington Metropolitan Area is served by several local broadcast television stations and is the ninth largest designated market area in the U.S., with 2,308,290 homes (2.05% of the U.S. population).^{citation needed} Major television network affiliates include WRC 4 (NBC), WTTG 5 (FOX), WJLA 7 (ABC), WUSA 9 (CBS), WDCW 50 (The CW), WDCA 20 (MyNetworkTV), as well as WETA 26 and WHUT 32 (PBS) stations. Spanish-language television is also represented by WZDC-LP 25 (Telemundo),WMDO-CA 47 (TeleFutura), and WFDC-TV 14 (Univision). Given its proximity, many Baltimore-area television stations can also be seen in the Washington region.

Several cable television networks have their headquarters in the Washington, D.C. including C-SPAN, Black Entertainment Television (BET), and the National Geographic Channel. The headquarters of Discovery Communications is located in nearby Silver Spring, Maryland and the Public Broadcasting Service is headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia. As a global political center, many major domestic and international news outlets including NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX, CNN, the BBC, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), and Al Jazeera all maintain bureaus or correspondents in Washington.

Radio

National Public Radio headquarters, located at Mount Vernon Square

There are several major radio stations serve the D.C. metro area a wide variety of musical interests including: contemporary station 99.5 FM (Hot 99.5); rock and roll station 94.7 FM (The Globe); alternative rock station 101.1 FM; adult contemporary stations 97.1 FM and 107.3 FM; country music station 98.7 FM; classic hits station 100.3 FM; Urban contemporary stations 95.5 FM, 96.3 FM, 102.3 FM, 93.9 FM and 97.5 FM (Radio CPR); classical music station 90.9 FM; jazz stations 89.3 FM and 105.9 FM; Spanish-language station 99.1 FM (El Zol); gospel stations 104.1 FM and 1580 AM; and contemporary Christian stations 91.9 FM and 89.9 FM. Freeform station 88.1 FM, which broadcasts from the nearby University of Maryland, College Park, remains the last independent student radio station in the region.

Stations that concentrate on talk and sports radio include: 106.7 FM and 630 AM (conservative talk); 1260 AM (progressive talk); 1450 AM (urban talk); 980 AM (sports talk); 92.7 FM, 94.3 FM, and 730 AM (Triple X ESPN sports radio); 105.1 FM and 780 AM (Christian talk); 103.5 FM (CBS radio news); and 107.7 FM and 1500 AM (3WT talk). National Public Radio is headquartered in Washington, D.C. Its, NPR affiliate station, WAMU 88.5 FM, broadcasts from the American University in northwest Washington and also provides content from Public Radio International and BBC News. Voice of America, the U.S. government's international broadcast news service, is located near the U.S. Capitol in southwest Washington. Most major radio stations from Baltimore can also be heard in the Washington metropolitan area.

Radio One, the largest African American media conglomerate, is headquartered in Washington, D.C. It was founded by Cathy Hughes, a prominent figure in Washington radio since her days at Howard University's WHUR.^{citation needed} XM Satellite Radio is also based in Washington, D.C.^{citation needed}

Economy

Unemployment in the District of Columbia, ranging from 1.5% in Upper Northwest to 16.3% in Ward 8, reflects economic disparity that exists across the city.

Washington, D.C., has a growing economy that is also diversifying with a decreasing percentage of federal government jobs over the current and next decade and an increasing percentage of professional and business service jobs over the same period.^[33] With five Fortune 1000 companies (two of which are also Fortune 500 companies),^[34] and a large support infrastructure of professional services, including law, public relations, and architecture, Washington, D.C., is one of the Gamma World Cities.^[35] Washington, D.C., is also a leading city for global real estate investment, behind London, New York City, and Paris.^[36][37]

As of 2002, the federal government accounts for 27% of the jobs in Washington, D.C.^[38] 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 National Capital Region of Maryland and especially northern Virginia[1]. These businesses include federal contractors (defense and civilian), numerous nonprofit organizations, law firms and lobbying firms, national associations of labor and professional groups, 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 less vulnerable to economic downturns 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.^{citation needed}

The gross state product of the District in 2006 was $87.664 billion, ranking it #35 when compared with the fifty states.^[39] In 2006, Expansion Magazine ranked D.C. among the top 10 metropolitan areas in the nation for climates favorable to business expansion.^[40] In terms of commercial office space, Washington, D.C., has the 3rd largest downtown in America, only behind New York City and Chicago respectively.^[41]

Of non-government employers, the major universities and hospitals in Washington, D.C., are among the top employers, with The 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.^[42]

Washington is also a global media center. Most major news outlets have bureaus in the city, and Washington is home to Black Entertainment Television, C-SPAN, National Public Radio