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Washington, D.C. History
Washington, D.C., city and district, capital
of the United States of America. The city of Washington has the
same boundaries as the District of Columbia (D.C.), a federal
territory established in 1790 as the site of the new nation’s
permanent capital. Named after the first U.S. president, George
Washington, the city has served since 1800 as the seat of
federal government. It is also the heart of a dynamic
metropolitan region. During the 20th century, the Washington,
D.C., metropolitan area grew rapidly as the responsibilities of
national government increased, both at home and throughout the
world.
The city is located at the confluence of the Potomac and
Anacostia rivers and is flanked on the north, east, and
southeast by Maryland and on the southwest by Virginia. Although
the city has retained some aspects of its Southern origin, it
has assumed a much more cosmopolitan character. At the same
time, the city struggles with social and economic disparity, and
a number of its residential neighborhoods suffer from poverty
and crime. Washington’s climate is hot and humid in the summer
and cold and damp in the winter. The average daily temperature
range is -3° to 6°C (27° to 42°F) in January and 22° to 31°C
(71° to 89°F) in July. The city averages 980 mm(39 in) of
precipitation per year.
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