Washington, DC

Washington, DC – formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States, founded on July 16, 1790.The District is not a part of any U.S. state and is instead directly overseen by the federal government. The city is named after George Washington, the first American president. In 1871, the City of Washington, Georgetown, and other outlying areas were combined under a single, unified government, which formed Washington, D.C. as it exists today. The city shares its name with the U.S. state of Washington located on the country's Pacific coast. That is why, to avoid confusion, the city is called Washington D.C. or, in colloquial speech, simply D.C.
Washington, D.C. is located on the north bank of the Potomac River and is bordered by the states of Virginia to the southwest and Maryland to the other sides. The city has a resident population of 601,723; because of commuters from the surrounding suburbs, its population rises to over one million during the workweek. The Washington Metropolitan Area, of which the District is a part, has a population of nearly 5.4 million, the eighth-largest metropolitan area in the country.
The centers of all three branches of the U.S. federal government are located in the District, including the White House – the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the United States. Washington, D.C. hosts 176 foreign embassies as well as the headquarters of the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Organization of American States (OAS), the Inter-American Development Bank, and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).
The architecture of Washington varies greatly. Six of the top 10 buildings in the American Institute of Architects' 2007 ranking of "America's Favorite Architecture" are located in the District of Columbia: the White House; the Washington National Cathedral; the Thomas Jefferson Memorial; the United States Capitol; the Lincoln Memorial; and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The neoclassical, Georgian, gothic, and modern architectural styles are all reflected among those six structures and many other prominent edifices in Washington.
Outside downtown Washington, architectural styles are even more varied. Historic buildings are designed primarily in the Queen Anne, Châteauesque, Beaux-Arts, Georgian revival and a variety of Victorian styles. Since Georgetown was established before the city of Washington, the neighborhood features the District's oldest architecture. Georgetown's Old Stone House was built in 1765, making it the oldest-standing original building in the city. The majority of current homes in the neighborhood, however, were not built until the 1870s and reflect late Victorian designs of the period. Founded in 1789, Georgetown University is more distinct from the neighborhood and features a mix of Romanesque and Gothic Revival architecture. The Ronald Reagan Building is the largest building in the District with a total area of approximately 3.1 million square feet (288,000 m2).
The National Mall is a large, open park area in the center of the city. Given its prominence, the area is often the location of large-scale political protests and demonstrations. The Washington Monument and the Jefferson Pier are located in the center of the Mall. Other important monuments are situated here as well, including the Lincoln Memorial, the National World War II Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The National Archives houses holding thousands of documents important to American history including the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.
Located directly south of the mall, the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, as well as George Mason Memorial and Jefferson Memorial are located around the Tidal Basin, a human-made reservoir between the Potomac River and the Washington Channel.

The Smithsonian Institution, situated on the National Mall, is an educational foundation chartered by Congress in 1846 that maintains most of the nation's official museums and galleries in Washington, D.C.:

• National Museum of American History
• National Museum of Natural History
• National Museum of the American Indian
• National Air and Space Museum
• Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
• Arts and Industries Building
• National Museum of African Art

The building of the Smithsonian Institution itself is also located on the National Mall.

The Smithsonian American Art Museum (formerly known as the National Museum of American Art) and the National Portrait Gallery are located in the same building, the Donald W. Reynolds Center, near Washington's Chinatown. Other Smithsonian museums and galleries include: the Anacostia Community Museum in Southeast Washington; the National Postal Museum near Union Station; and the National Zoo in Woodley Park. The National Gallery of Art is located on the National Mall near the Capitol, but is not a part of the Smithsonian Institution. It is instead wholly owned by the U.S. government; thus admission to the gallery is free. The gallery's West building features the nation's collection of American and European art through the 19th century. The East Building, designed by architect I. M. Pei, features works of modern art. The Library of Congress, built by Congress in 1800, is located near to the United States Capitol. It is the largest library complex in the world with a collection of over 147 million books, manuscripts, and other materials. Much of the original collection had been destroyed during the War of 1812, Thomas Jefferson sold 6,487 books, his entire personal collection, to the library in 1815. There are many private art museums in the District of Columbia, which house major collections and exhibits open to the public such as: the National Museum of Women in the Arts; the Corcoran Gallery of Art, the largest private museum in Washington; and The Phillips Collection in Dupont Circle, the first museum of modern art in the United States. Other private museums in Washington include the International Spy Museum, the National Geographic Society Museum, and the Marian Koshland Science Museum. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum located near the National Mall maintains exhibits, documentation, and artifacts related to The Holocaust.
Washington, D.C. is a national center for the arts. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is home to the National Symphony Orchestra, the Washington National Opera, and the Washington Ballet. The Kennedy Center Honors are awarded each year to those in the performing arts who have contributed greatly to the cultural life of the United States. U.S. President and First Lady typically attend the ceremony, as First Lady is the honorary chairman of the board of trustees of the Kennedy Center. Other prominent institutions such as the National Theatre, the Warner Theatre, and DAR Constitution Hall host live performances from around the country. The historic Ford's Theatre, site of the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, continues to operate as a functioning performance space as well as museum.
Washington also has a strong local theater tradition. Arena Stage, Shakespeare Theatre Company and the Studio Theatre achieved national attention. The District is also an important center for indie culture and music in the United States. The label Dischord Records, formed by Ian MacKaye, was one of the most crucial independent labels in the genesis of 1980s punk and eventually indie rock in the 1990s. Washington's indie label history also includes TeenBeat, Simple Machines, and ESL Music among others.
Higher education in the city is provided by public and private universities and colleges. Colleges and universities offer a four-year training program. Some of them are separate, others are part of the universities (in the University of Washington, for example, there are 12 such colleges.)The oldest city university is Georgetown University, founded in 1789; it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States.

Private universities include:

• American University
• Catholic University of America
• Gallaudet University
• George Washington University
• Georgetown University
• Howard University
• the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies

The only state university is the University of the District of Columbia (UDC).
According to the Academic Ranking of World Universities for 2010 two universities are included in top hundred – George Washington University (16th place), and Johns Hopkins University (18th place).These two educational establishments are ranked among the top hundred in the world in The Times, 2009, taking 13th (Johns Hopkins University) and 80th places (George Washington University).