Capital of the USA. Washington
The beautiful city of Washington D.C. is the capital of the United States and the centre of its government. The capital was named after the first president George Washington and was founded in 1790. It is situated on the Potomac River in the District of Columbia. Washington is not the largest city in the USA. It has a population only 900 000.
Washington D.C. has nothing characteristically American in it, as its conception is purely French. It has long wide avenues, gardens, beautiful parks and no skyscrapers at all.
Washington is the residence of the President and the Congress of the USA. The White House is the President's residence, the Capitol — the seat of the American Congress. The largest and the tallest among the buildings is the Capitol with its great House of Representatives and Senate Chamber.
There are no skyscrapers because no other building must be taller than the Capitol. All American presidents except George Washington (the White House was not yet built in his time) have lived in the White House. It was built in 1799.
Washington is a large scientific and cultural centre, where there are many research institutes, five universities, the National Academy of Science and the Library of Congress.
There is one more well-known building in Washington — Pentagon, the residence of the US Military department. It is situated in the suburbs to the south of the Potomac.