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Washington – the Capital of USA

Washington – the Capital of USA

Washington – the Capital of USA

Washington, D.C. is the capital of the USA since 1800. Washington as a separate city was abolished in the wake of an administrative reform of 1873, therefore, the capital of the USA is officially called the District of Columbia (or abbreviated D.C.), that is why Americans, in order to avoid confusion with the homonymous state, in common speech usually call the city D.C. or Washington D.C.

It is located in the North-East of the United States on the Potomac River. It borders the states of Maryland (Washington County and Baltimore City) and Virginia (Arlington County and Alexandria City) to form an agglomeration with its neighbourhoods (Washington Metropolitan Area).

The choice of the new country’s capital after the American Revolution was a difficult one, because many cities claimed this honour. Eventually, in 1790, it was decided to build a new city on the Potomac River. The capital was named Washington in honour of the first President George Washington. The first architect who planned and designed the city’s layout was a Frenchman – Pierre L’Enfant.

Since the US Constitution envisages a federal metropolitan district, 260 square kilometers of territory (a square with 10 mile sides) was additionally allotted, which was called the “Columbus Territory” in accordance with a poetic symbol of America, named after Christopher Columbus.

In 1801, the Federal District of Columbia was officially formed, which included the cities of Washington, Georgetown, Alexandria, as well as the County of Washington and the County of Alexandria. In 1846, Alexandria city and Alexandria County were returned to the state of Virginia; and in 1873, District of Columbia, Washington City, Georgetown and Washington County were joined administratively into one municipality – the District of Columbia, governed by the Congress. The office of the Columbia District’s mayor, who is elected by the population of the district, was reintroduced in 1973.

According to the US Constitution and the Residence Act, the District of Columbia has a special status as the capital of the Federal State. Earlier, the Congress of the USA exercised full government of the city, but in 1973 it ceded administrative responsibilities to the city government («home rule») in the person of the city council and the mayor. Nevertheless, the Congress at any time can alter or denounce any official act or law passed by the city government. City dwellers may not always like that, but they have to put up with this situation.

A representative from the District of Columbia participates in the sessions of the US House of Representatives, but he has no voting right. At the present moment, it is Eleanor Holmes Norton. There are no representatives from the District in the Senate. In the presidential elections Washington’s citizens have three votes, which is more than in 49 other states in terms of the average quantity of votes per capita.

Among the citizens of the city the idea of giving all the rights of a state to the city is quite popular, but all resolutions aimed at that goal are rejected by the Congress.

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