Text 8. Washington, D.C., the Capital of the usa

The United States is a federal union which is made up of fifty states and one independent district – the District of Columbia (D.C.). The
District of Columbia is the territory of the national capital of the USA, Washington, with its own laws and regulations. Washington, D.C. is
situated on the both banks of the Potomac River, between the two states, Maryland and Virginia.

The first American President George Washington chose this place. The plot of land of a hundred square miles was bought from private owners by the state. In 1791 George Washington laid the cornerstone of the Capitol where the U.S. Congress sits. The place was called the District of Columbia in honour of Columbus, the discoverer of America. The capital got the name of Washington after the name of its founder. Washington, D.C. has been the federal capital since 1800.

The Capitol Building is one of the most impressive buildings in Wa-shington and is easy to recognize because of its large dome. The Capitol Building dome is the fourth largest dome in the world, rising 180 feet
(55 m) above the floor. Around the large dome, there are 36 marble
columns, each representing the 36 states in the Union when the dome was built. Above these columns, there is another set of 13 columns that represent the 13 original states.

The flag flying over the entrance to the Capitol is one of several flags authorized by Act of Congress to remain raised after sundown. This flag flies 24 hours a day because the sun never sets on American possessions.

Washington, D.C. is sometimes called the heart of America. It is the place where the federal government works and where each President of the United States lives.

The White House is the official residence of the president of the United States of America situated in Washington, D.C. The White House was the first public building which was built in the capital of the USA. Its cornerstone was laid in 1792. The White House stands in tree-shaded grounds (18 acres ≈ 72.8 hectares) on the south side of Pennsylvania
Avenue. The main building has 6 floors, with the East Terrace leading to the East Wing, a 3-story building used for offices and as an entrance for
official events. The West Terrace contains offices and leads to the
Executive Office.

The White House has 132 rooms and 20 bathrooms. The President and his family live on upper floors. The public can visit the White House and see several of the famous rooms such as the State Dining Room, the Blue Room and the Red Room.

In 1800 President John Adams3 and his wife moved into the building. At the beginning of the 19th century it was a light-grey structure made of sandstone. The construction of the building had not been completed by that time. There were almost no conveniences in the house. There were no bathrooms and water was carried by hand into the house from a spring which was five blocks away.

Work continued on the structure when Thomas Jefferson was elected the president. The President^,s home was the earliest of all government buildings in the District of Columbia. Compared to the huge, glittering palaces used by European and Asian rulers at the time it was built, the White House is a simple, almost unpretentious dwelling place.

On August 24, 1814 during the presidency of Madison the British troops entered Washington and set fire to the White House. It was during the Anglo-American war (1812-1814). The interior was reduced to ashes, part of the outer walls were destroyed and the remaining walls were blackened. Later the building was reconstructed and reopened in 1818. Its light-grey sandstone exterior was painted white to cover the effects of the fire. It has been white ever since. Some people think it was from its white walls that the home of the president of the USA got its name. Other people believe that it got its name earlier, when it was still grey. Even then its grey sandstone walls looked white next to the red brick walls of other
public buildings. Nevertheless the president's home was officially named
the White House in 1902.

In planning the new federal city, Pierre Charles L,Enfant placed the Congress House (Capitol Building) and the President’s Palace (White House) at opposite ends of Pennsylvania Avenue as physical symbols of the separation of the legislative and executive branches of government.

Washington, D.C. is smaller in size than the largest cities of the USA such as New York, Chicago, Detroit or Los Angeles. The buildings in Washington, D.C. are not high because no building must be higher than the Capitol. But in political sense Washington, D.C. is the centre of the country and the most important city of the United States.

The population of Washington, D.C. is about one million people.

To be read after Unit 11