In the northwest of the United States of America lies the federal state of Washington, which was named in honor of the first US president, George Washington, along the coast of the Pacific Ocean. The state borders Canada to the north, Oregon to the south, and Idaho to the east.
Washington is a country full of beautiful scenery and natural contrasts. The surface is mainly mountainous, the highest being the Cascade Mountains with the peak of Mount Rainier reaching a height of 4390 meters above sea level. The Olympic Mountains rise in the northwest of the country, their highest mountain is 2428 meters high. Not far from the Idaho border are the snow-capped peaks of the Foothills. Eastern Washington is covered by the Columbia Plateau.
Evergreen coniferous forests can be found in the valleys, and the deep forests of the Olympic Peninsula are also among the rainiest places in the world. The Columbia River flows through the state, on which a number of hydroelectric plants have been built, the largest of which is Grand Coulee. Other major rivers are the Snake River and the Yakima River. Interesting lakes such as Lake Franklin D. Roosevelt and Lake Washington were also created here. Washington has a temperate climate, complemented by high rainfall in the northwest. Tourist attractions include the Mount Rainier volcano and St. Helena (Cascade Mountains), Puget Sound or Olympic National Park.
- LIUXERS: Offers a list of schools with federal school code in Washington, including contact information, graduation rate, retention rate and transfer rate for each college located within Washington.
Before the arrival of the first Europeans, the territory of present-day Washington was inhabited by not very numerous Indian tribes. European sailors landed on the western shores of America as early as the 16th century when they were looking for a way to Asia. Washington was initially part of the Oregon Territory, from which it seceded in 1853 and became an autonomous territory. Gradually, white settlers came here and the colonization of the territory began. The greatest development was achieved in the 1880s, when the railway was introduced here. Washington thus became a great starting point for prospectors and miners headed for Alaska and the Klondike. Washington joined the Union on November 11, 1889, becoming the 42nd US state.
In the past, the country’s economy was completely dependent on natural resources, which were plentiful. It was mainly wood, which is why many forests were cut down and a large forest area was also destroyed by the eruption of the St. Helena volcano in 1980. Today, the economy is dominated by aviation (Boeing), rocket, shipbuilding, metallurgy, woodworking, engineering and paper industries. Mining is focused on non-ferrous metals, gold and silver. The production of electricity in hydroelectric power plants is also important. In agriculture, they grow barley, potatoes, sugar beets, fruit, vegetables, cattle and pigs. Large revenues for the state coffers come from the ever-growing tourism industry.
About 6 million people live in Washington today, the majority of whom are white. The population density here is 34.20 people per square kilometer. About 63% of the population is Christian, Protestants and Catholics predominate. However, Washington is also the state with the largest percentage of people without a religion, 25% of them here. Other states in the west of the USA are in a similar situation.
According to COUNTRYAAH, the capital is Olympia with about 45 thousand inhabitants. However, the largest city is Seattle, located between Puget Sound and Lake Washington. The city is often called the Emerald City due to its dense and characteristic greenery. Seattle is also famous as the cradle of the grunge music style and is also famous for its high consumption of coffee. Today, around 600,000 people live here. Other interesting cities in the state of Washington are Spokane, Tacoma, Vancouver, Bellevue, Everett, Federal Way, Kent, Yakima or Bellingham.
Ebey’s Landing NHR
Ebey’s Landing National Wildlife Refuge is located near the town of Coupeville in the state of Washington. This historic rural area protects and preserves the complex inland waterway of Puget Sound in Northwest Washington. The settlement of this region dates back to the 19th century, numerous historic farms have been preserved here, which serve people even today.
As centuries ago, the steppes of Whidbey Island are still home to crops and people engaged in agriculture. Located on the reservation, the Victorian port town of Coupeville is one of the oldest towns in Washington. The reservation also includes two state parks: Fort Casey and Fort Ebey. The preserve also includes the central Whidbey Island Historic District, which has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The first explorer of this area was Captain George Vancouver in 1792. The first settlement of the region was made by Colonel Isaac Ebey, who was an important figure in the creation of the Washington Territory. Between 1850 and 1855, land was allotted to settlers and economic growth began to occur around the town of Coupeville.
On November 10, 1978, it was declared a national nature reserve, which is under the protection of the National Park Service. Only 0.846 km2 of this reservation is in federal ownership.
