The Washington reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Apr-2004 (provided by Fixed Reference: snapshots of Wikipedia from wikipedia.org)

Washington

For alternate meanings see Washington (disambiguation)

Washington

(In Detail) (Full size)
State nickname: Evergreen State
Other U.S. States
Capital	Olympia
Largest City	Seattle
Governor	Gary Locke
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water  - % water	Ranked 18th 184,824 km² 172,587 km² 12,237 km² 6.6%
Population  - Total (2000)  - Density	Ranked 15th 5,894,121 32/km²
Admittance into Union  - Order  - Date	42nd November 11, 1889
Time zone	Pacific: UTC-8/-7
Latitude Longitude	45°32' N to 49° N 116°57' W to 124°48' W
Width Length Elevation   -Highest   -Mean   -Lowest	385 km 580 km   4,392 meters 520 meters 0 meters
ISO 3166-2:	US-WA

Washington is a state located in the northwestern United States. It should not be confused with Washington, D.C, the capital of the USA. While the state capital is Olympia, the largest city in Washington is Seattle. As of the 2000 census, the state population is approximately 5.9 million. Residents are called "Washingtonians".

The USS Washington was named in honor of this state.

Table of contents

1 History 2 Geography 3 Important cities and towns 4 Education 4.1 Colleges and universities 5 Professional sports teams 6 Arts and culture 7 Elected Officials & political activists 8 Major highways 9 External links

History

In 1853, the Washington Territory was formed from part of the Oregon Territory. Washington became the 42^nd state in the United States on November 11, 1889.

Geography

See: List of Washington counties

Washington shares borders with the Pacific Ocean to the west, Oregon to the south, Idaho to the east, and British Columbia, Canada to the north. Washington is famous for scenery of breathtaking beauty and sharp contrasts. High mountains rise above evergreen forests and sparkling coastal waters. Its coastal location and Puget Sound harbors give it a leading role in trade with Alaska, Canada, and the Pacific Rim. Puget Sound's many islands are served by the largest state ferry fleet in the country.

Washington is a land of contrasts. The deep forests of the Olympic Peninsula are among the rainiest places in the world, but the flat semi-desert land that lies east of the Cascade Mountains stretches for long distances without a single tree. Snow-covered peaks tower above the foothills and lowlands around them. Mount Rainier, the highest mountain in the state, appears to "float" on the horizon southeast of Seattle and Tacoma on clear days.

• Puget Sound
  • Bainbridge Island
  • San Juan Islands
  • Whidbey Island
  • Vashon Island
• Columbia River
• Snake River
• Yakima River

A fuller list of Washington state's islands appears here.

• Cascade Range
  • Mount Adams
  • Mount Baker
  • Glacier Peak
  • Mount Rainier
  • Mount St. Helens
  • Mount Stuart
• Olympic Mountains
  • Mount Olympus

Important cities and towns

• Seattle
• Olympia
• Spokane
• Tacoma
• Vancouver
• Everett
• Tri-Cities
• Walla Walla
• Wenatchee
• Yakima

See also Washington City Government

Education

Colleges and universities

Antioch University Seattle Argosy University/Seattle Art Institute of Seattle Bastyr University Central Washington University City University Cornish College of the Arts Eastern Washington University The Evergreen State College Gonzaga University Henry Cogswell College Heritage College Northwest University

Pacific Lutheran University St. Martin's College School of Visual Concepts Seattle Bible College Seattle Pacific University Seattle University Trinity Lutheran College University of Puget Sound University of Washington Walla Walla College Washington State University Western Washington University Whitman College Whitworth College

Professional sports teams

Seattle Seahawks, National Football League Seattle Mariners, Major League Baseball Seattle Supersonics, National Basketball Association Seattle Storm, Women's National Basketball Association Seattle Thunderbirds, Western Hockey League Everett Silvertips, Western Hockey League Spokane Chiefs, Western Hockey League

Minor League Baseball Teams Tacoma Rainiers Everett AquaSox Bellingham Bells Yakima Bears Spokane Indians Tri-City Dust Devils

Arts and culture

• Music of Washington

Elected Officials & political activists

Tim Eyman

Major highways

• Interstate 5
• Interstate 82
• Interstate 90
• U.S. Highway 2
• U.S. Highway 12
• U.S. Highway 97
• U.S. Highway 101

External links

• State of Washington website: http://access.wa.gov/
• Revised Code of Washington (State Law): http://www.leg.wa.gov/rcw/index.cfm
• Washington Administrative Code (State Administrative Rules): http://www.leg.wa.gov/wac/
• State Code Search Tool: http://search.leg.wa.gov/pub/textsearch/default.asp
• Over 11,000 websites categorized and profiled on Zeal: http://zeal.com/category/preview.jhtml?cid=1154760

Political divisions of the United States

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