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Washington, D.C.

Capital	It is the capital: of the United States.
Population	572,059
Mayor	Andrian M. Fenty (to January 2011) (D).
Entered the Union	February 21, 1871 (as a municipal corporation)
Motto	Justitia omnibus (Justice to all)
Flower	American Beauty rose
Bird	Wood Thrush
Professional Sports Teams (sports listing policy)	Washington Wizards (Basketball); Washington Redskins (Football); Washington Capitals (Hockey); D.C. United (Soccer)
Origin of Name	The district is named after Christopher Columbus
Major Industries	Federal government, Tourism - these two are virtually the entire economic base of the city.
Historical Sites and Points of Interest	Numerous sites associated with the history of the United States, including the Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln Memorials; the Smithsonian Institution, including the National Gallery of Art and the National Air and Space Museum; the National Archives
Bordering States	Washington D.C. borders Virginia and Maryland.
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Follow these links to read articles about Washington, D.C. from Encyclopedias and Almanacs:

• Encarta Concise Encyclopedia
• Columbia Encyclopedia
• Information Please Almanac

• Welcome to DC.gov: Welcome to Washington, District of Columbia
  http://www.dc.gov/
  This is the official website for Washington, DC.
• District of Columbia Public Library,
  http://dclibrary.org/
  Here is the homepage for the District of Columbia Public Library.
• The United States capital Historical Society
  http://www.uschs.org/
  Here is the homepage for the U.S. capital Historical Society.
• City Museum of Washington, DC
  http://www.citymuseumdc.org/City_Museum/City_Museum_index.asp
  Here is the homepage for the Historical Society of Washington, DC City Museum.
• U.S. National Archives & Records Adminstration
  http://www.archives.gov
  Here is the homepage for the United States National Archives.
• National Park Service: Parks and Recreation
  http://www.nps.gov/parks.html
  Here is the homepage for the United States National Park Service.
• Welcome to Washington, DC
  http://www.washington.org/
  Here is the official tourism site of Washington, DC.
• FirstGov For Kids
  http://www.kids.gov/
  Explore, learn and have fun at this special site for kids developed by the Federal Citizen Information Center.

• Things To Do in Washington, DC
  http://www.thingstodo.com/states/DC/index.htm
  ThingsToDo.com is an online guide to information about Washington DC's entertainment, recreation, and travel, and includes the city's interesting facts, famous people, and special events.
• Roadside America: District of Columbia Attractions
  http://www.roadsideamerica.com/map/dc.html
  Roadside America describes itself as an online guide to offbeat attractions. This site offers reviews of "weird sites along the highway" in the District of Columbia.
• Washington, DC List of Sites
  http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/wash/sitelist.htm
  This site offers dozens of online links to national historic sites in the city, grouped into five areas: Georgetown/NW, Dupont Circle/Embassy Row, Downtown, the National Mall, and capital Hill/Anacostia.
• George Washington's Mount Vernon Estate & Gardens
  http://www.mountvernon.org/
  In addition to learning basic information about this famous historic site, online visitors can even take a virtual mansion tour.
• FedStats: MapStat: United States: Washington D.C.
  http://www.fedstats.gov/qf/states/11000.html
  Fast access to statistics from more than 100 federal agencies on "economic and population trends, crime, education, health care, aviation safety, energy use, farm production and more" in Washington D.C..

• Washington D.C.'s official tree is the Scarlet oak.
• The District of Columbia is is divided into four quadrants--Northwest, Southwest, Northeast, and Southeast--and the U.S. capital building marks the spot where all four meet..
• Washington D.C. was the first carefully planned capital in the world.
• The capital of the U.S. was transferred from Philadelphia to Washington on Dec. 1, 1800..
• In 1978, a proposed constitutional amendment to give the District of Columbia voting representation in the U.S. Congress was passed by Congress; the proposal died in 1985, having failed to get the needed 28 states to approve it..

• Billie Burke, comedienne and actress best known for playing Glenda the good witch in The Wizard of Oz.
• Duke Ellington, jazz musician.
• Goldie Hawn, television and movie actress whose credits include Laugh In and The First Wives Club.
• J. Edgar Hoover, former director of the F.B.I.
• John Philip Sousa, composer known for his compositions for marching bands.