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Washington [wɑ: ʹʃiŋtən], abbreviated WA, state of the western
United States; 183,000 km2, 7.5 million inhabitants (2018).Washington
is one of the Pacific states. The capital is Olympia, which is part of Seattle's
metropolitan region.
Washington. State Map.
Nature
From the Pacific to the west, the Coast Ranges rise. They are separated from
the rest of Washington by the Pugets Strait, which continues as a fertile
lowering south. To the east of the sink are the volcanic and partly
glacier-covered Cascade Mountains, with the highest peak Mount Rainier, 4 392 m
asl. Eastern Washington is largely occupied by the Columbia Plateau, which, with
its eroded lava fields, forms a wild and dramatic landscape. The plateau is
drained by the Columbia River with tributaries.
The climate in western Washington is maritime. Seattle has an average annual
rainfall of 800 mm and an average temperature in January of 5 °C and in July of
18 ° C. In eastern Washington, the climate is more continental with hot dry
summers and cold, rainy winters.
Population
The population of Washington is growing faster than in the United States as a
whole. About 80 percent of the population is white, 4 percent black and just
under 2 percent Native American. The Asian element (8 percent) is growing, which
is partly related to Washington's close trade contacts with the states of East
Asia. More than 80 percent of the population lives in cities, mainly around the
Pugetsundet (Seattle's metropolitan area 3.8 million inhabitants, 2016). Many of
Washington's residents are of Scandinavian origin.
Business
Trade and industry are Washington's most important industries. Military and
other federal operations as well as military orders to industry play a major
role, making the state's economy relatively vulnerable. Agriculture produces
wheat, fruits and vegetables as well as meat and dairy products. Half of
Washington is wooded, and the forest industry is of great importance. The
manufacturing industry is versatile with the aerospace sector as the best
known. Several large companies are headquartered in the state, such as Boeing
Company (aerospace industry) and Microsoft Corporation (computer
industry). Trade and shipping play a major role, not least the relations with
the Asian market.
Tourism and gastronomy
Seattle is the main destination, though Washington's biggest attraction is
the beautiful and varied nature. The state has several national parks, of which
the largest and most wilderness is Olympic National Park in the coastal
mountains west of Puget Sound. In the Cascade Mountains there is also the North
Cascades National Park at the border with Canada and Mount Rainier National Park
southeast of Seattle. About 75 km further south lies Mount Saint Helens volcano.
To the east of the Cascade Mountains is the Grand Coulee Dam in the Columbia
River and related recreational areas of interest. From the colonization period
there are a number of forts and other historical monuments. Popular tourist
destinations in Seattle include the former Seattle Center exhibition area (1962)
with Space Needle as well as Pioneer Square and Pike Market along with The
Waterfront (quay area) towards Elliot Bay.
Washington. The View Tower Space Needle in
Seattle. The tower was erected for the world exhibition in 1962 and is 184
meters.
The food in Washington is very much tied to traditional cuisine with steaks,
steaks and pies, but seafood and salmon facilitate nutritional intake. Salmon
chowder (crab salmon soup), crab Louis (crab salad with chilli
mayonnaise) and Seattle baked salmon (salmon grilled on a wooden board)
are recipes reminiscent of seafood availability. Apples are not only included in
desserts, but also in sauerkraut and sausage dishes are the popular flavors.
History
Spain, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States maintained
long-standing supremacy over the area, which until the 1840s was mainly
inhabited by various Native American people; the only European settlements were
mission stations and fur trading companies' trading stations. From 1824 the
United Kingdom and the United States managed the area jointly. Through the
opening of the Oregon Trail) In 1842, the American colonization
increased rapidly, and a conflict arose that was resolved in 1846, when the
current US-Canada border was established (the Oregon Treaty). The area became
its own territory in 1853 and was then given its name. Washington reached its
present limits in 1872 and became the state in 1889. In 1883, Washington
received its first rail link and has since developed rapidly. Agriculture,
fishing and the timber industry were for a long time the most important
industries, but during the 20th century an extensive shipbuilding and aircraft
industry was developed. Politically, Washington has been a bipartisan state with
a certain takeover for the Democratic Party since the 1930s.
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