This article is about the U.S. State of Washington. For the U.S. capital, see Washington, D.C.. For the first U.S. President (for whom the State is named) see George Washington.
Basic Information
Washington is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. As of 2008, the population of Washington is 6.5 million people.
Cities, Geography, and Environment
The four largest cities of Washington (in order) are Seattle, Spokane, Tacoma, and Vancouver, Washington. The fifth largest is a suburb of Seattle. The capital of the state is Olympia, Washington, which would not make the list of the 15 largest cities in the state.
Washington state is a land of contrast. The Olympic Penninsula has Rainforest, while the side of the state east of the Cascade Mountains is desert-like. Among the numerous mountains and volcanoes are Mt. St. Helens and Mount Rainier. Washington State Ferries maintains the largest ferry fleet in the U.S.. The ferries traverse the waters of Puget Sound.
Politics
The Western portion of the state (especially the I-5 corridor) is generally regarded as progressive, and the Eastern portion is predominantly conservative. However, Spokane (in the east) has been leaning more liberal of late, and the state's electoral votes have gone to Democratic candidates in every presidential election since 1988.
History
The territory was ceded by Britain in 1846 by the Oregon Treaty. It became the 42nd state in 1889.
Washington was important during World War Two, for both resources and as a staging area. The Hanford Site produced the plutonium used in the Manhattan Project. Heavy bombers were manufactured by Boeing. The ports of Puget Sound were harbor for numerous warships.
The Seattle page has some additional history information.
See Also
Sources
Game and Story Use
- The combination of different terrain and geographical types makes it possible for a game set in Washington state to feature a variety of exotic locales.