Welcome to TheseUnitedStates - Washington

Washington, our 42nd state, was admitted to the Union November 11, 1889.   The 2000 census has Washington's population at 5,894,121, ranking  15th in the US.  With a total area of  71,300 square miles, the state ranks 18th  in size.  Olympia is Washington's capital; Seattle is its largest city.

Useful Internet Links for Washington:

Official Website of Washington  

http://www.access.wa.gov

Travel and Tourism Department  

http://www.experiencewa.com

Call toll free 1-800-544-1800

Pick a Homepage - Washington

Point of Interest Road Signs - Washington

Congress.org - Washington Elected Officials

Washington Weather from Weather.com

National Park Service Sites in Washington

Washington News from USA Today

Washington fun facts:

Washington State Bird:  Willow goldfinch

Washington State Flower:  Western rhododendron

Washington State Motto:  By and by

Washington State Song:  Washington, My Home

Washington State Tree:  Western hemlock

Nickname:  Evergreen State

The geographic center of Washington state lies in Chelan County, 10 miles WSW of Wenatchee.  At 14,410 feet, Mount Rainier, in the Cascade Range in Mount Rainier National Park, is the state's highest point.  Washington state is named for President George Washington.  When the bill creating the territory of Columbia was introduced in the 32nd Congress, the name was changed to Washington because of the existence of the District of Columbia.  

Brief History:  Early inhabitants of the interior region of the state included the Nez Perce, Spokan, Yakima, Cayuse, Okanogan, Walla Walla, and Colville peoples.  Inhabiting the coastal area were the Nooksak, Chinook, Nisqually, Clallam, Makah, Quinault, and Puyallup peoples.  Spanish explorer Bruno Hezeta explored the coast in 1775.  In 1792, British naval officer George Vancouver mapped the Puget Sound area;  that same year, American Captain Robert Gray sailed up the Columbia River.  Canadian fur traders set up Spokane House in 1810.  Americans under Jacob Astor established a post at Fort Okanogan in 1811.  Missionary Marcus Whitman settled near Walla Walla in 1836.  He and his wife Narcissa ministered to the Indians for eleven years, until they were slain by them in 1847.  Final agreement of the border of Washington and Canada was made with Britain in 1846, and Washington became part of the Oregon Territory two years later.  Gold was discovered in 1855.

Washington is home to Mount Rainier, North Cascades, and Olympic National Parks.  Other Evergreen State destinations include the Seattle Waterfront, Seattle Center and Space Needle, Museum of Flight, and Underground Tour, all in Seattle; Mount Saint Helens National Volcanic Monument; Puget Sound; San Juan Islands; Grand Coulee Dam; Whitman Mission National Historic Site, near Walla Walla; Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area; Lake Chelan and the Lake Chelan National Recreation Area; Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area  and Spokane's Riverfront Park. 

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