nATIONALS CITY

Washington, DC, officially the District of Columbia (DC) (also known as DC; Washington; and, historically, the Federal City) is the capital city and administrative district of the United States of America. Residents of the city and its surrounding suburbs refer to it simply as the District or DC, to contrast Washington from its greater metropolitan area. Washington was selected as the site of the national capital city after a sit-down dinner deal between Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton. Jefferson agreed to support Hamilton's banking and federal bond plans in exchange for the choice of a Southern locale for the capital. It was initially 100 mi² (260 km²). The Constitution specifies a 10 mile square parcel, placed under direct control of the Congress. The signing of the Residence Bill on July 16, 1790 established a site along the Potomac River as the District of Columbia (seat of government) of the United States. Land for the district was given to the federal government by the states of Virginia and Maryland and the city was named after George Washington. On February 27, 1801 the district was placed under the jurisdiction of the United States Congress. The towns of Georgetown and Alexandria already existed at the time the district was founded; the remainder of the territory was subdivided into Washington City and Washington County (on the Maryland side of the Potomac) and Alexandria County (on the Virginia side). By an act of Congress, the area south of the Potomac (39 mi² or about 100 km²) was returned to Virginia on July 9, 1846 and now is incorporated into Arlington County and a part of the City of Alexandria. In 1871, Georgetown, Washington City and Washington County were unified into Washington, DC. People started referring to it as 'the city of Washington' around 1791 and the name stuck. Maryland and Virginia agreed to cede land to create the District of Columbia (named for Christopher Columbus), and an area 'ten miles square' (26 sq km) was laid out by African American mathematician Benjamin Banneker and surveyor Andrew Ellicott. French engineer Pierre Charles L'Enfant was hired to design the city and though his elegant plan was widely admired, he quickly ran afoul of local politics. After L'Enfant was fired, Banneker continued to carry out L'Enfant's plans. The Baroque layout he adopted was primarily a grid system, overlaid with diagonal streets that converge to form spokes at important points in the city. Although the system doesn't always lend itself to modern traffic flow, the streets were, mercifully, made very wide. Washington, DC is the most common way to refer to the District throughout the rest of the United States and the world. Washington or Washington, DC is also used as a metonym for the federal government. The population of Washington, as of 2003 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, is 563,384. Despite being smaller in area than the smallest state (Rhode Island), it has a larger population than the least populous state (Wyoming). Together with portions of Virginia and Maryland, and Baltimore and its environs, Washington is part of a large metropolitan area known as the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. In recent years, the metro area has expanded to include communities as far away as West Virginia, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. Washington DC is home to several professional sports teams: the MLS D.C. United, the NHL Washington Capitals, the WNBA Washington Mystics, the NBA Washington Wizards, and the MLB Washington Nationals (the former Montreal Expos, who will start play in 2005).There were two Major League Baseball teams named the Washington Senators in the early and mid-20th century, which left to become respectively the Minnesota Twins and the Texas Rangers. In the premodern era of baseball, the town was home to teams called the Washington Nationals, Washington Statesmen, and Washington Senators on and off from the 1870s to the turn of the century. It was also home to several Negro League teams, including the Homestead Grays, Washington Black Senators, Washington Elite Giants, Washington Pilots, and Washington Potomacs. On September 29, 2004 Major League Baseball announced plans to relocate the Montreal Expos to Washington and tore name the team the Washington Nationals, pending certain conditions including approval by the City Council of a stadium deal. The NFL Washington Redskins formerly played at R.F.K. Stadium in the District, but are now based at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland. Washington also plays hosts to the annual Legg Mason Tennis Classic tennis tournament. Other professional and semi-professional teams based in DC include the USAFL Baltimore Washington Eagles, the NWFA D.C. Divas, the Minor League Football DC Explosion, and the Washington Cricket League. It was also home to the WUSA Washington Freedom, and, during the 2000–2002 NLL seasons, the Washington Power was based in the city. The MCI Center in Chinatown, home to the Capitals, Mystics, Wizards, and the Georgetown Hoyas, is also a major venue for concerts, WWE professional wrestling, and other events. Today Washington is the country’s largest tourist attraction, drawing twenty million visitors every year. It’s a political town, so expect that to be paramount in the air and on everyone’s mind. Besides its many political attractions such as the White House, Smithsonian Institute, the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C. is also full of theaters, galleries, restaurants, nightclubs, shops, and parks. In addition to hosting these world-famous events, the District is a center for the performing and visual arts. With more theater seats than any other US city except one, Washington, DC offers up everything from world-class shows to homegrown performances. The official bird of Washington DC is the wood thrush. The official motto is Justitia Omnibus (Justice for All).