Washington Profile

Washington is bounded by the Canadian province of British Columbia to the north, Idaho to the east, Oregon to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It covers an area of 68,139 sq mi (176,479 sq km); its capital is Olympia. The state contains the Cascade Range, which includes Mount Rainier and Mount Saint Helens, and the Olympic Mountains. The Strait of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound extend inland into the state from the Pacific Ocean. Cape Alva, the most westerly point of the coterminous U.S., is in Washington, as is the Columbia River. The area was inhabited by Pacific Coast Indians, including the Chinook and Nez Perce, when the region was visited by Spanish, Russian, British, and French explorers (1543-1792). Claimed by the Spanish and British, it was crossed by the Lewis and Clark Expedition in 1805. Spain surrendered to the U.S. its territories north of California in 1819. Until the 1840s, international agreement permitted citizens of both the U.S. and Britain to settle in what was known as Oregon Country. An 1846 treaty with Great Britain set the present Washington-Canada boundary; the Oregon Country was added to the U.S. and renamed the Territory of Oregon in 1848. Washington received territorial status in 1853 and was reduced to its present size in 1863. It was admitted to the Union as the 42nd state in 1889. In the late 1890s it was the main staging point for gold miners going to the Alaskan and Yukon strikes. The greatest stimulus to its 20th-century progress came with the development of hydroelectric power and the work on the Bonneville and Grand Coulee dams. Its important manufactures include aircraft building and shipbuilding. Expanding trade with Pacific Rim countries, high technology, and tourism add to the economy.
Washington Statistics
| Population, 2007 estimate | 6,468,424 |
| Population, percent change, April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2007 | 9.7% |
| Housing units, 2007 | 2,744,069 |
| Median household income, 2007 | $55,628 |
| Land area, 2000 (square miles) | 66,544.06 |
| Persons per square mile, 2000 | 88.6 |
Washington Links
There's more information than I could possibly list here but I want to provide links to further your investigation if you so choose. So, here's a link the Official State Home Page of Washington. The official tourism Web site of Washington has some amazing photographs! Use it to plan your next trip.
Weather information is also available by cities. Just visit Washington Weather - Average Temperatures and Rainfall and then click on the name of the city you are interested in to find data for that specific city. And what state profile would be complete without a link to their Top Attractions and Oddities?!?
Relocation Specialist : Washington
Bellevue
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Everett
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Seattle
Seattle homes and real estate services in the Seattle area. Home buyer and seller assistance. Seattle homes and properties in Magnolia, Queen Anne, Wallingford, Bryant, Ravenna, Green Lake, Capitol Hill, Ballard, Belltown, and Madison Park.
Spokane
Gene Smith (USAF-Ret), helping clients Buy and Sell Luxury Homes, Farms, Ranches (horse & cattle), Waterfront & Acreage property in Spokane Washington and Post Falls and Coeur d'Alene Idaho.
Serving you in the Greater Spokane, Washington area.
Tacoma
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Vancouver
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