Washington D.C. City

WASHINGTON, D.C. is the capital city of the US. "DC" stands for the "District of Columbia". The city is named after George Washington, the first President of the United States. Washington is surrounded by the states of Virginia (on its western side) and Maryland (on its southeast, northeast, and northwest sides); it interrupts those states' common border, which is the Potomac River's southern shore both upstream and downstream from the district. The Potomac River as it passes Washington is virtually entirely within the District of Columbia border.

US Capitol : The Capitol is the center of the US government and also of Washington. Designed by William Thornton, a physician and amateur architect, the Capitol began construction in 1793 with George Washington laying the cornerstone. The cornerstone was promptly lost, and its whereabouts are yet to be known. Then the British marched into DC in 1814 and burnt the half-finished construction. The government finally rebuilt the Capitol under the direction of another architect, Charles Bulfinch. In 1855 the 9-million-pound iron dome was designed, replacing a smaller one; the House and Senate wings were added in 1857. The House of Representatives meets in the south wing, the Senate in the north wing. The dome's fresco, Constantino Brumidi's Apotheosis of Washington, depicts the president greeted in heaven by 13 angels representing the 13 original states.

White House : 1600 Pennsylvania Ave is the most famous address in the nation. The White House is a neoclassical manor customized by successive presidents over time: Jefferson added toilets, FDR put in a pool, Truman installed a second-story porch, Bush added a horseshoe-throwing lane and Clinton put in a jogging track and a seven-seat hot tub. Some residents never leave: it's said that Eleanor Roosevelt and Harry Truman both sighted the ghost of Abe Lincoln in Lincoln's old study.

Library of Congress is the largest library in the world. It has 26 million books, 36 million manuscripts and maps, photographs, sheet music and musical instruments. The best part of the library is the 1897 Jefferson Building, with its vaulted ceilings and ornate decoration.

Federal Bureau of Investigation : Officially named the J Edgar Hoover FBI Building, the FBI tour takes you though crime laboratories, DNA testing and a treasure trove of confiscated items before winding up with a live machine-gun demonstration.

Linkcoln Memorial : The Memorial is much more than a monument to the 16th US President. Designed to resemble a Greek temple, the monument's 36 columns represent the 36 states in Lincoln's union. Completed in 1922, it quickly became a symbol of America's commitment to civil rights. From its steps in 1963, Martin Luther King Jr preached, 'I have a dream...'

Vietnam Veterans Memorial : A stark, powerful structure designed by Maya Ying Lin, the memorial is a V-shaped structure inscribed with the names of 58,202 veterans killed or missing as a result of the Vietnam War.

Smithsonian Institution : The Smithsonian is among the world's finest research centers, and has 13 phenomenal museums and galleries as well as a zoo. Its collection is so immense that only 1% of it is ever on display.

The US Holocaust Museum isn't part of the Smithsonian, but it's one of the city's best museums. It's a haunting memorial to victims of Nazi tyranny, covering the period 1933 to 1945.

Washington Monument : This white obelisk rising from the center of the Mall was begun in 1848 but completed only after 37 years. There's an elevator ride to the top, and you can walk back down a staircase lined with plaques from all the states, plus one from the Cherokee Nation.

OTHER POINTS OF INTEREST IN THE DISTRICT INCLUDE: Arena Stage, Chinatown, Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Blair House, Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, Folger Shakespeare Library, Ford's Theatre, Frederick Douglass National Historic Site, International Spy Museum, National Building Museum, the Awakening at Haines Point, Old Post Office Building, Theodore Roosevelt Island, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and the Washington National Cathedral.