Washington

Washington is an American state located in the Western United States’ Pacific Northwest region. Named for George Washington–the first U.S. president–the state was formed from the western part of the Washington Territory, which was ceded by the British Empire in 1846, by the Oregon Treaty in the settlement of the Oregon boundary dispute. The state is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean, Oregon to the south, Idaho to the east, and the Canadian province of British Columbia to the north. It was admitted to Union in 1889 as the 42nd state. Olympia is the state capital; the state’s largest city is Seattle. Washington is often referred to as Washington state to distinguish it from the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C.

Washington is the 18th largest state with an area of 71.362 square miles (184.830 km). It is also the 13th most populous state with more than 7.7 millions people. The remainder of the state consists of deep temperate rainforests in the west; mountain ranges in the west, central, northeast, and far southeast; and a semi-arid basin region in the east, central, and south, given over to intensive agriculture. Washington is second in population on the West Coast of the United States and Western United States after California. Mount Rainier is an active stratovolcano at 14,411 feet (4.392 meters) and is the highest mountain in the state.