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Washington is a state
U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 state of the United States that share sovereignty with the federal government of the United States . Because of this shared sovereignty, an United States is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of Domicile ....
 in the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest

The Pacific Northwest is a region in the northwest of North America . There are several partially overlapping definitions but the term Pacific Northwest should not be confused with the Northwest Territory or the Northwest Territories of Canada....
 region of the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
. Washington was carved out of the western part of Washington Territory
Washington Territory

The Washington Territory was a historic organized territory of the United States that was formed in February 8, 1853 from the portion of the Oregon Territory north of the lower Columbia River and north of the 46th parallel north east of the Columbia; which had been ceded by Britain in the 1846 Oregon Treaty as settlement of the Oregon Boundar...
 which had been ceded by Britain in 1846 by the Oregon Treaty
Oregon Treaty

The Oregon Treaty, is a bilateral treaty between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the United States that was signed on June 15, 1846 in Washington, D.C....
 as settlement of the Oregon Boundary Dispute
Oregon boundary dispute

The Oregon boundary dispute, or the Oregon question, arose as a result of competing United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and United States claims to the Pacific Northwest of North America in the first half of the 19th century....
. It was admitted to the Union as the 42nd state in 1889. In 2008, the Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau

The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data....
 estimated the state's population at 6,549,224 people.

The state is named after George Washington
George Washington

George Washington was the leader of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War and served as the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States of the United States of Americas ....
, the first President of the United States
President of the United States

The President of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in the United States by influence and recognition....
. Residents are called "Washingtonians" (emphasis on the third syllable
Syllable

A syllable is a unit of organization for a sequence of Speech communication sounds. For example, the word water is composed of two syllables: wa and ter....
, pronounced as tone).






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Encyclopedia


Washington is a state
U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 state of the United States that share sovereignty with the federal government of the United States . Because of this shared sovereignty, an United States is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of Domicile ....
 in the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest

The Pacific Northwest is a region in the northwest of North America . There are several partially overlapping definitions but the term Pacific Northwest should not be confused with the Northwest Territory or the Northwest Territories of Canada....
 region of the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
. Washington was carved out of the western part of Washington Territory
Washington Territory

The Washington Territory was a historic organized territory of the United States that was formed in February 8, 1853 from the portion of the Oregon Territory north of the lower Columbia River and north of the 46th parallel north east of the Columbia; which had been ceded by Britain in the 1846 Oregon Treaty as settlement of the Oregon Boundar...
 which had been ceded by Britain in 1846 by the Oregon Treaty
Oregon Treaty

The Oregon Treaty, is a bilateral treaty between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the United States that was signed on June 15, 1846 in Washington, D.C....
 as settlement of the Oregon Boundary Dispute
Oregon boundary dispute

The Oregon boundary dispute, or the Oregon question, arose as a result of competing United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and United States claims to the Pacific Northwest of North America in the first half of the 19th century....
. It was admitted to the Union as the 42nd state in 1889. In 2008, the Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau

The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data....
 estimated the state's population at 6,549,224 people.

The state is named after George Washington
George Washington

George Washington was the leader of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War and served as the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States of the United States of Americas ....
, the first President of the United States
President of the United States

The President of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in the United States by influence and recognition....
. Residents are called "Washingtonians" (emphasis on the third syllable
Syllable

A syllable is a unit of organization for a sequence of Speech communication sounds. For example, the word water is composed of two syllables: wa and ter....
, pronounced as tone). Washington is often called Washington state or the State of Washington to distinguish it from the District of Columbia
Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C. , 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....
 (which is usually called Washington, D.C.). However, Washingtonians generally refer to the state as "Washington" and Washington, D.C., as "D.C."

Geography

Washington is the northwestern-most state of the contiguous United States. Its northern border lies mostly along the 49th parallel
49th parallel north

The 49th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 49 degree true north of the Earth equator.The parallel forms part of the United States-Canadian Border from British Columbia to Manitoba on the Canada side and from Washington to Minnesota on the United States side, or from the Strait of Georgia to the Lake of the Woods....
, and then via marine boundaries through the Strait of Georgia
Strait of Georgia

The Strait of Georgia or the Georgia Strait , is a strait between Vancouver Island and the mainland Pacific coast of British Columbia, Canada....
, Haro Strait
Haro Strait

Haro Strait, often referred to as the Haro Straits because it is really a series of straits, is one of the main channels connecting the Strait of Georgia to the Strait of Juan de Fuca, separating Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands in British Columbia, Canada from the San Juan Islands of Washington in the United States....
 and Strait of Juan de Fuca
Strait of Juan de Fuca

The Strait of Juan de Fuca is a large body of water about long forming the principal outlet for the Strait of Georgia and Puget Sound, connecting both to the Pacific Ocean....
, with the Canadian
Canada

Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
 province
Province

A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state....
 of British Columbia
British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's Provinces and territories of Canada and is famed for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu ....
 to the north. Washington borders Oregon
Oregon

Oregon is a U.S. state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The area was inhabited by many indigenous tribes before the arrival of traders, explorers and settlers....
 to the south, with the Columbia River
Columbia River

The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. It is named after the Columbia Rediviva, the first ship from the western world known to have traveled up the river....
 forming most of the boundary and the 46th parallel forming the eastern part of the southern boundary. To the east Washington borders Idaho
Idaho

The State of Idaho is a U.S. state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States of America. The state's largest city and Capital is Boise, Idaho....
, bounded mostly by the meridian running north from the confluence of the Snake River
Snake River

The Snake River is a major tributary of the Columbia River in the U.S. states of Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. The river's length is , its drainage basin drains , and the average discharge at its mouth is ....
 and Clearwater River
Clearwater River (Idaho)

The Clearwater River is a river in north central Idaho, which flows from the Bitterroot Mountains along the Idaho-Montana border westward, joining the Snake River at Lewiston, Idaho....
 (about 116°57' west), except for the southernmost section where the border follows the Snake River. To the west of Washington lies the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. Its name is derived from the Latin name Mare Pacificum, "peaceful sea", bestowed upon it by the Portugal explorer Ferdinand Magellan....
.

Washington is part of a region known as the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest

The Pacific Northwest is a region in the northwest of North America . There are several partially overlapping definitions but the term Pacific Northwest should not be confused with the Northwest Territory or the Northwest Territories of Canada....
, a term which always includes at least Washington and Oregon
Oregon

Oregon is a U.S. state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The area was inhabited by many indigenous tribes before the arrival of traders, explorers and settlers....
 but may or may not include Idaho
Idaho

The State of Idaho is a U.S. state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States of America. The state's largest city and Capital is Boise, Idaho....
, western Montana
Montana

Montana is a U.S. state in the Western United States. The western third of the state contains numerous mountain ranges; other 'island' ranges are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains....
, northern California
California

California is a U.S. state on the West Coast of the United States of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. It is bordered by Oregon to the north, Nevada to the east, Arizona to the southeast, and to the south the Mexico state of Baja California....
, and part or all of British Columbia
British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's Provinces and territories of Canada and is famed for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu ....
, Alaska
Alaska

Alaska is the largest U.S. state of the United States by area; it is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait....
, and the Yukon Territory, depending on the speaker or writer's intent.

Digital Elevation Map Washington
The high mountains of the Cascade Range
Cascade Range

The Cascade Range is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California....
 run north-south, bisecting the state. Western Washington
Western Washington

Western Washington is a region of the United States defined as that part of Washington west of the Cascade Range.It is known as being far wetter in climate than the eastern portion of the state, which...
, west of the Cascades, has a mostly marine west coast climate
Oceanic climate

An oceanic climate is the climate typically found along the west coasts at the middle latitudes of all the world's continents, and in southeastern Australia....
 with relatively mild temperatures, wet winters, and dry summers. Western Washington also supports dense forests of conifers and areas of temperate rain forest
Temperate rain forest

Temperate rainforests are coniferous or broadleaf forests that occur in the temperate zone and receive high rainfall....
. In contrast, Eastern Washington
Eastern Washington

Eastern Washington is a region of the United States defined as the part of Washington east of the Cascade Mountains. It is notable for, among other things:...
, east of the Cascades, has a relatively dry climate with large areas of semiarid steppe
Steppe

In physical geography, a steppe , pronounced , is a grassland plain without trees . The prairie can be considered a steppe. It may be semi-desert, or covered with Poaceae or shrubs or both, depending on the season and latitude....
 and a few truly arid desert
Désert

?D?sert? is ?milie Simon's debut single, released in October 2002. The song was a huge success both critically and commercially in her homeland....
s lying in the rainshadow of the Cascades; the Hanford reservation receives an average annual precipitation of between six and seven inches (178 mm). Farther east, the climate becomes less arid. The Palouse
Palouse

The Palouse is a region of the northwestern United States, encompassing parts of eastern Washington, North Central Idaho and, in some definitions, extending south into northeast Oregon....
 region of southeast Washington was grassland that has been mostly converted into farmland. Other parts of eastern Washington are forested and mountainous.

The Cascade Range contains several volcanoes
Cascade Volcanoes

The Cascade Volcanoes are a number of volcanoes in a volcanic arc in western North America, extending from southwestern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California, a distance of well over 700 mi ....
, which reach altitudes significantly higher than the rest of the mountains. From the north to the south these volcanoes are Mount Baker
Mount Baker

Mount Baker, or Koma Kulshan, is an active volcano ice andesite stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanoes and the North Cascades of Washington State in the United States....
, Glacier Peak
Glacier Peak

Glacier Peak is the most isolated of the five major stratovolcanoes of the Cascade Volcanoes in Washington. Located in the Glacier Peak Wilderness, the volcano is not easily discernible from any heavily populated area; as a result the volcano is largely understudied and not as much is known about it as other volcanoes in the area....
, Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier

Mount Rainier is an activestratovolcano in Pierce County, Washington, located southeast of Seattle, Washington, Washington, in the United States....
, Mount St. Helens
Mount St. Helens

Mount St. Helens is an active stratovolcano located in Skamania County, Washington, Washington, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States....
, and Mount Adams
Mount Adams (Washington)

Mount Adams is a potentially active volcanostratovolcano in the Cascade Range and the second-highest mountain in the U.S. state of Washington....
. Mount St. Helens
Mount St. Helens

Mount St. Helens is an active stratovolcano located in Skamania County, Washington, Washington, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States....
 is currently the only Washington volcano that is actively erupting; however, all of them are considered active volcanoes.

Washington's position on the Pacific Ocean and the harbors of Puget Sound
Puget Sound

Puget Sound is an inland marine complex of waterways from the Pacific Ocean, connected to the rest of the Pacific by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, in the Pacific Northwest of the United States....
 give the state a leading role in maritime trade with Alaska
Alaska

Alaska is the largest U.S. state of the United States by area; it is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait....
, Canada, and the Pacific Rim
Pacific Rim

The Pacific Rim refers to the countries and cities located around the edge of the Pacific Ocean. There are many economic centers around the Pacific Rim, such as Auckland, Busan, Brisbane, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Lima, Los Angeles, California, Manila, Melbourne, Panama City, Portland, Oregon, San Diego, California, San Francisco, Cali...
. Puget Sound's many islands are served by the largest ferry fleet
Washington State Ferries

Washington State Ferries, owned and operated by the Washington State Department of Transportation, serves communities on Puget Sound and in the San Juan Islands....
 in the United States.

Washington is a land of contrasts. The deep forests of the Olympic Peninsula
Olympic Peninsula

The Olympic Peninsula is the large arm of land in western Washington state that lies across Puget Sound from Seattle, Washington. It is bounded on the west by the Pacific Ocean, the north by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the east by Puget Sound and the Hood Canal....
, such as the Hoh Rain Forest
Hoh Rain Forest

The Hoh Rain Forest is one of the few temperate rain forests in the world, and is also one of the largest. It is located on the Olympic Peninsula in western Washington state, United States....
, are among the only temperate rainforests in the continental United States, but the semi-desert east of the Cascade Range has few trees. Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier

Mount Rainier is an activestratovolcano in Pierce County, Washington, located southeast of Seattle, Washington, Washington, in the United States....
, the highest mountain in the state, is covered with more glacial ice
Glacier

A glacier is a large, slow-moving mass of ice, formed from compacted layers of snow, that slowly deforms and flows in response to gravity and high pressure....
 than any other peak in the lower 48 states.

Federal land and reservations


National parks
There are three national parks and two National Monuments
U.S. National Monument

A National Monument in the United States is a protected area that is similar to a United States Park Service except that the President of the United States can quickly declare an area of the United States to be a National Monument without the approval of United States Congress....
 in Washington
  • Mount Rainier National Park
    Mount Rainier National Park

    Mount Rainier National Park is a United States National Park located in southeast Pierce County, Washington and northeast Lewis County, Washington in Washington state....
  • North Cascades National Park
    North Cascades National Park

    North Cascades National Park is a United States National Park Service located in the state of Washington.The park complex consists of 684,000 acres of the Cascade Range in four separate, yet adjoined, units: North Cascades National Park North Unit, North Cascades National Park South Unit, the Ross Lake National Recreation Area and Lake C...
  • Olympic National Park
    Olympic National Park

    Olympic National Park is located in the U.S. state of Washington, in the Olympic Peninsula. The park can be divided into three basic regions: the Pacific Ocean coastline, the Olympic Mountains, and the temperate rainforest....
  • Mount St. Helens National Monument
  • Hanford Reach National Monument
    Hanford Reach National Monument

    The Hanford Reach National Monument is a U.S. National Monument in the U.S. State of Washington. It was created in 2000 from what used to be the security buffer surrounding the Hanford Nuclear Reservation....
    .


National forests
United States National Forest

United States National Forests are largely forested and woodland areas in the United States. National forests are controlled by the Federal government of the United States and managed by the United States Forest Service, under the direction of the United States Department of Agriculture....
 in the state include:
  • Colville National Forest
    Colville National Forest

    The Colville National Forest is a U.S. National Forest located in northeastern Washington state. It is bordered on the west by the Okanogan National Forest and the Kaniksu National Forest to the east....
  • Gifford Pinchot National Forest
    Gifford Pinchot National Forest

    Gifford Pinchot National Forest is a U.S. National Forest located in southern Washington, USA. With an area of 1.3 million acres , it extends 116 km along the western slopes of Cascade Range from Mount Rainier National Park to the Columbia River....
  • Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest
    Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest

    The Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest in Washington extends more than along the western slopes of the Cascade Range from the Canadian border to the northern boundary of Mount Rainier National Park....
  • Okanogan National Forest
    Okanogan National Forest

    The Okanogan National Forest is a U.S. National Forest located in northern and western Okanogan County, Washington in north-central Washington State, United States....
  • Olympic National Forest
    Olympic National Forest

    Olympic National Forest is a United States National Forest located in Washington, USA. With an area of 633,677 acres , it nearly surrounds Olympic National Park and the Olympic Mountains range....
  • Wenatchee National Forest
    Wenatchee National Forest

    Wenatchee National Forest is a U.S. National Forest located in Washington. With an area of 1,735,394 acres , it extends about 220 km along the eastern slopes of the Cascade Range of Washington, USA from Okanogan National Forest to Gifford Pinchot National Forest....


Other protected lands of note include:
  • Columbia River Gorge
    Columbia River Gorge

    The Columbia River Gorge is a canyon of the Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Up to deep, the canyon stretches for over as the river winds westward through the Cascade Range forming the boundary between the State of Washington to the north and Oregon to the south....
     National Scenic Area
  • Lake Chelan National Recreation Area
    Lake Chelan National Recreation Area

    Lake Chelan National Recreation Area is a U.S. National Recreation Area located about 35 miles south of the U.S.-Canada border in Chelan County, Washington, Washington....
  • Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument
    Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument

    Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument is a U.S. National Monument that includes the area around Mount St. Helens in Washington. It was established on August 27, 1982 by U.S....
  • Ross Lake National Recreation Area
    Ross Lake National Recreation Area

    Ross Lake National Recreation Area is a US National Recreation Area located in north central Washington just south of the U.S.-Canada border. It is the most accessible part of the North Cascades National Park which also includes North Cascades National Park and Lake Chelan National Recreation Area....
  • Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area
  • Fort Vancouver National Historic Site
    Fort Vancouver National Historic Site

    Fort Vancouver National Historic Site is a United States National Historical Park located in the states of Washington and Oregon. The National Historic Site consists of two units, one located on the site of Fort Vancouver in modern-day Vancouver, Washington; the other being the former residence of John McLoughlin in Oregon City, Oregon....
    , among others administered by the National Park Service
    National Park Service

    The National Park Service is the List of United States federal agencies that manages all List of areas in the United States National Park System, many U.S....
    .


There are many wilderness
National Wilderness Preservation System

The US National Wilderness Preservation System protects U.S. Government managed land areas that are of a pristine condition. It was established by the Wilderness Act upon the signature of U.S....
 designated areas in Washington, including:
  • Alpine Lakes Wilderness
    Alpine Lakes Wilderness

    The Alpine Lakes Wilderness is a large U.S. Wilderness Area spanning the Cascade Range of Washington state in the United States. The wilderness is approximately bounded by Interstate 90 and Snoqualmie Pass to the south and U.S....
     (Not in order of creation)
  • Glacier Peak Wilderness
    Glacier Peak Wilderness

    The Glacier Peak Wilderness, created by United States Congress in the original Wilderness Act, is located within portions of Chelan County, Washington, Snohomish County, Washington, and Skagit County, Washington in the North Cascades of Washington....
  • Goat Rocks Wilderness
    Goat Rocks Wilderness

    Goat Rocks Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area in Washington, United States. Consisting of portions of Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest and Gifford Pinchot National Forest on the crest of the Cascade Range south of U.S....
  • Henry M. Jackson Wilderness
    Henry M. Jackson Wilderness

    The Henry M. Jackson Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area in Washington, United States. It was created by the 1984 Washington Wilderness Act and named after former US Senator Henry M....
  • Juniper Dunes Wilderness
    Juniper Dunes Wilderness

    The Juniper Dunes Wilderness is a protected wilderness area comprising 7,140 acres in Franklin County, Washington, Washington. Established in 1984, it is noteworthy for the northernmost growth of Juniperus occidentalis that live among the area's large sand dunes....
  • Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness
    Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness

    Lake-Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness is a protected wilderness area located within the Okanogan National Forest and Wenatchee National Forests in Washington State....
  • Norse Peak Wilderness
    Norse Peak Wilderness

    Norse Peak Wilderness is located in central Washington in the United States. It protects the portion of the Cascade Range north of Chinook Pass , south of Naches Pass , and east of Mt....
  • Mount Baker Wilderness
    Mount Baker Wilderness

    Mount Baker Wilderness in northern Washington, USA,contains . Its eastern border is shared with the boundary of the North Cascades National Park for a distance of 40 miles ....
  • Pasayten Wilderness
    Pasayten Wilderness

    Pasayten Wilderness is a 2145 km?. protected area located within Okanogan National Forest in Washington State, centered on the watershed of the upper Pasayten River, a tributary of the Similkameen River....
  • Olympic Wilderness
    Olympic Wilderness

    Olympic Wilderness is a protected area comprising over 95% of Olympic National Park in Washington State. It includes of Pacific Ocean coastline. It is the largest wilderness area in Washington....
  • Wild Sky Wilderness
    Wild Sky Wilderness

    The Wild Sky Wilderness is a National Wilderness Preservation System in the western Cascade Range of Washington state. The wilderness is within the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest north of the U.S....


There are several large military-related reservations, including:
  • Fort Lewis
    Fort Lewis

    Fort Lewis is a census-designated place and United States Army post in Pierce County, Washington, Washington, United States. As of the 2000 United States Census, the base had a total population of 19,089....
  • McChord Air Force Base
    McChord Air Force Base

    McChord Air Force Base is a United States Air Force airbase in Pierce County, Washington, Washington, United States, about one mile south of Tacoma, Washington, and 40 miles south of Seattle....
  • Fairchild Air Force Base
    Fairchild Air Force Base

    Fairchild AFB is a United States Air Force base under the operational control of the Air Mobility Command . It is located in Spokane County, Washington, Washington, United States, 12 miles west of Spokane, Washington....
  • Naval Base Kitsap
    Naval Base Kitsap

    Naval Base Kitsap is a United States Navy base located on the Kitsap Peninsula in Washington state. It was created in 2004 by merging the former Naval Station Bremerton, Washington with Naval Submarine Base Bangor, Washington....
  • Hanford Site
    Hanford Site

    The Hanford Site is a decommissioned Nuclear technology production complex on the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington, operated by the Federal government of the United States....
  • the Yakima Training Center
    Yakima Training Center

    The Yakima Training Center is a United States Army training center located in south central Washington state. It is bounded on the west by Interstate 82 , on the south by the city of Yakima, Washington, on the north by the city of Ellensburg, Washington and Interstate 90 , and on the east by the Columbia River....
  • Puget Sound Naval Shipyard
    Puget Sound Naval Shipyard

    Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility is a United States Navy shipyard covering 179 acres on Puget Sound at Bremerton, Washington....
     (Bremerton)
  • Naval Air Station Whidbey


Climate

Washington's climate varies greatly from west to east. An oceanic climate
Oceanic climate

An oceanic climate is the climate typically found along the west coasts at the middle latitudes of all the world's continents, and in southeastern Australia....
 (also called "marine west coast climate") predominates in western Washington, and a much drier semi-arid climate prevails east of the Cascade Range. Major factors determining Washington's climate include the large semi-permanent high pressure
High pressure area

A high-pressure area is a region where the atmospheric pressure at the surface of the planet is greater than its surrounding environment. Winds within high-pressure areas flow outward due to the higher density air near their center and friction with land....
 and low pressure
Low pressure area

A low pressure area, or "low", is a region where the atmospheric pressure is lower in relation to the surrounding area. Low pressure systems form under areas of upper level divergence on the east side of upper troughs, or due to localized heating caused by greater insolation or active thunderstorm activity....
 systems of the north Pacific Ocean, the continental air masses of North America, and the Olympic and Cascade mountains. In the spring and summer, a high pressure anticyclone
Anticyclone

In meteorology, an anticyclone is a weather meteorological phenomenon in which there is a descending movement of the air and a high pressure area over the part of the planet's surface affected by it....
 system dominates the north Pacific Ocean, causing air to spiral out in a clockwise fashion. For Washington this means prevailing winds
Prevailing winds

The prevailing winds are the trends in direction of wind with the highest frequency over a particular point on the earth's surface. The dominant winds are the trends in direction of wind with the highest speed over a particular point on the earth's surface....
 from the northwest bringing relatively cool air and a predictably dry season
Dry season

The dry season is a term commonly used when describing the weather in the tropics. The weather in the tropics is dominated by the tropical rain belt, which oscillation from the northern to the southern tropics over the course of the year....
. In the autumn and winter, a low pressure cyclone
Cyclone

In meteorology, a cyclone refers to an area of closed, circular fluid motion rotating in the same direction as the Earth's rotation. This is usually characterized by inward spiraling winds that rotate counter clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere of the Earth....
 system takes over in the north Pacific Ocean, with air spiraling inward in a counter-clockwise fashion. This causes Washington's prevailing winds to come from the southwest, bringing relatively warm and moist air masses and a predictably wet season
Wet season

Rainy season is the time of year, covering one or more months, when most of the average annual rainfall in a region falls. The term green season is also sometimes used as a euphemism by tourist authorities....
. The term Pineapple Express
Pineapple Express

Pineapple Express is a non-technical, shorthand term popular in the news media for a meteorological phenomenon which is characterized by a strong and persistent flow of atmospheric moisture and associated heavy rainfall from the waters adjacent to the Hawaiian Islands and extending to any location along the Pacific coast of North America....
 is used to describe the extreme form of this wet season pattern.

Despite Western Washington having a marine climate similar to those of the coastal cities of Europe, there are exceptions, such as the "Big Snow" events of 1880, 1881, 1893 and 1916. The "deep freeze" winters of 1883/84, 1915/16, 1949/50 and 1955/56 among others. In these events Western Washington has experienced anything from six feet (1.8 m) of snow, sub-zero (-18°C) temperatures, three months of snow on the ground, and lakes and rivers frozen over for weeks on end. Seattle's lowest temperature recorded officially is 0°F (-18°C) set on January 31, 1950, but it has been known that areas away from Seattle have experienced record lows from -10°F to -20°F (-23°C to -29°C).

In 2006, the at the University of Washington
University of Washington

University of Washington, founded in 1861, is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, Washington, United States. Also known as Washington and locally as UW or the U, it is the largest university in the northwestern United States and the oldest public university on the west coast....
 published The Impacts of Climate change in Washington
Climate change in Washington

Climate change in the American state of Washington is a subject of study and projection today....
’s Economy, a preliminary assessment on the risks and opportunities presented given the possibility of a rise in global temperatures and their effects on Washington state.

Rain shadow effects
The coastal mountains and Cascades compound this climatic pattern by causing orographic lift
Orographic lift

Orographic lift occurs when an air mass is forced from a low elevation to a higher elevation as it moves over rising terrain. As the air mass gains altitude it expands and cools Adiabatic cooling....
 of the air masses blown inland from the Pacific Ocean, resulting in the windward side of the mountains receiving high levels of precipitation and the leeward side receiving low levels. This occurs most dramatically around the Olympic Mountains and the Cascade Range. In both cases the windward slopes facing southwest receive high precipitation and mild, cool temperatures. While the Puget Sound lowlands are known for clouds and rain in the winter, the western slopes of the Cascades receive larger amounts of precipitation, often falling as snow at higher elevations. (Mount Baker
Mount Baker

Mount Baker, or Koma Kulshan, is an active volcano ice andesite stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanoes and the North Cascades of Washington State in the United States....
, near the state's northern border, is one of the snowiest places in the world: in 1999, it set the world record for snowfall in a single season (1,140 in, 95 ft or 28.96 m). East of the Cascades, a large region experiences strong rain shadow
Rain shadow

For the Australian television series see Rain Shadow .A rain shadow or rainshadow, or more accurately, precipitation shadow, is a dry region of land that is leeward of a mountain range or other geographic feature, with respect to prevailing wind direction....
 effects. Semi-arid
Semi-arid

A Semi-arid climate or steppe climate generally describes climate regions that receive low annual rainfall . A more precise definition is given by the K?ppen climate classification that treats steppe climates as intermediates between the desert climates and humid climates in ecological characteristics and agricultural potential....
 conditions occur in much of eastern Washington with the strongest rain shadow effects at the relatively low elevations of the central Columbia River Plateau
Columbia River Plateau

The Columbia River Plateau is a geology and geography region that lies across parts of the U.S. states of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. It is a wide flood basalt plateau between the Cascade Mountains and Rocky Mountains, cut through by the Columbia River....
 — especially the region just east of the Columbia River from about the Snake River to the Okanagan Highland
Okanagan Highland

The Okanagan Highland is a plateau-like hilly area in British Columbia, Canada, and the U.S. state of Washington . It lies between the Okanagan on its west and the Kettle River on its east, and geologically is more or less an extension of the Thompson Plateau, which lies west of the Okanagan....
. Thus instead of rain forests much of eastern Washington is covered with grassland
Grassland

Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found....
 and shrub-steppe
Shrub-steppe

Shrub-steppe is a type of low rainfall natural grassland. Shrub-steppes are distinguishable from deserts, which are too dry to support a noticeable cover of perennial grasses or other shrubs, while the shrub-steppe has sufficient moisture levels to support a cover of perennial grasses and/or shrubs....
.

Temperatures
The average annual temperature ranges from 51 °F (10.6 °C) on the Pacific coast to 40 °F (4.4 °C) in the northeast. The lowest recorded temperature in the state was -48 °F (-44.4 °C) in Winthrop and Mazama. The highest recorded temperature in the state was 118 °F (47.8 °C) at Ice Harbor Dam. Both records were set east of the Cascades. Western Washington is known for its mild climate, considerable fog, frequent cloud cover and long-lasting drizzles in the winter, and sunny and dry summers. The western region occasionally experiences extreme climate. Arctic cold fronts in the winter and heat waves in the summer are not uncommon. In the Western region, temperatures have reached as high as in Marietta and as low as in Longview. The western side of the Olympic Peninsula receives as much as 160 inches (4,064 mm) of precipitation annually, making it the wettest area of the 48 conterminous states. Weeks or even months may pass without a clear day. The western slopes of the Cascade Range receive some of the heaviest annual snowfall (in some places more than 200 in or 5,080 mm) in the country. In the rain shadow area east of the Cascades, the annual precipitation is only 6 inches (152 mm). Precipitation increases eastward toward the Rocky Mountains.

Demographics


Washington Population Map
Seattle Ferry
Tacdtaug05 1
The center of population
Center of population

In demographics, the center of population of a region is the geographical point nearest to all the inhabitants of that region, on average....
 of Washington in the year 2000 was located in an unpopulated part of rural eastern King County
King County, Washington

King County is located in the U.S. state of Washington. The population in the 2000 census was 1,737,034, and in 2006 was an estimated 1,835,300....
, southeast of North Bend
North Bend, Washington

North Bend is a city in King County, Washington, Washington, United States. The town was made famous by David Lynch's television series Twin Peaks Since the Weyerhaeuser sawmill closed, North Bend has become an upscale bedroom community for the Eastside of Seattle, Washington, with property values more than doubling from 1997 to 2006....
 and northeast of Enumclaw
Enumclaw, Washington

Enumclaw is a city in King County, Washington county in the U.S. state of Washington. The population was 11,116 at the 2000 United States Census....
.

According to the U.S. Census, as of 2006, Washington has an estimated population of 6,395,798, which is an increase of 501,658, or 8.5%, since the year 2000. This includes a natural increase of 221,958 people (that is, 503,819 births minus 281,861 deaths) and an increase from net migration of 287,759 people into the state. Immigration
Immigration to the United States

American immigration refers to the movement of World population to the United States. Immigration has been a major source of population growth and cultural change throughout much of history of the United States....
 from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 157,950 people, and migration within the country produced a net increase of 129,809 people.

As of the Census 2000, the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue Metropolitan Area's population was 3,043,878, about half the state's total population.

As of 2004, Washington's population included 631,500 foreign-born (10.3% of the state population), and an estimated 100,000 illegal aliens (1.6% of state population).

Largest cities


The largest cities in Washington according to 2008 state census estimates.
RankCityPopulation
1Seattle
Seattle, Washington

Seattle is the most populous city in the US state of Washington and the Northwestern United States. The encompassing Seattle metropolitan area is the 15th largest in the United States, and the largest in the Pacific Northwest....
592,800
2Spokane
Spokane, Washington

Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. Spokane is the largest city and county seat of Spokane County, as well as the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region....
204,428
3Tacoma
Tacoma, Washington

Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city in and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, Washington, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park....
202,700
4Vancouver
Vancouver, Washington

Vancouver is a city on the north bank of the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington and the county seat of Clark County, Washington. According to the Washington State Office of Financial Management's April 1, 2008 estimate, the city has a population of 162,400, making it the fourth largest city in the state....
162,400
5Bellevue
Bellevue, Washington

Bellevue is a rapidly growing city in King County, Washington, United States, across Lake Washington from Seattle. Long known as a suburb or satellite city of Seattle, it is now categorized as an edge city or a boomburb....
119,200
6Everett
Everett, Washington

Everett is the county seat of and the largest city in Snohomish County, Washington, Washington, United States. Named for Everett Colby, son of founder Charles L....
102,300
7Spokane Valley
Spokane Valley, Washington

Spokane Valley is an incorporated city in Spokane County, Washington, Washington, United States. It is located east of Spokane, Washington and west of Liberty Lake, Washington....
88,920
8Federal Way
Federal Way, Washington

Federal Way is a city in King County, Washington, Washington, United States. Federal Way is considered a commuter town by some people and is located between Seattle, Washington and Tacoma, Washington....
88,040
9Kent
Kent, Washington

Kent is a city located in King County, Washington, United States. The second largest city in south King County and the ninth largest in the state, Kent has the third largest industrial area in the United States....
86,980
10Yakima
Yakima, Washington

Yakima is a city in central Washington and the county seat of Yakima County, Washington, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 71,845 and a metropolitan population of 229,094....
84,300
11Renton
Renton, Washington

Renton is a city in King County, Washington, Washington, United States. A suburb situated 13 miles southeast of Seattle, Washington, Renton straddles the southeast shore of Lake Washington....
78,780
12Bellingham
Bellingham, Washington

Bellingham, pronounced /beh-ling-HAM/, is the largest city in and the county seat of Whatcom County, Washington in the U.S. state of Washington, and the eleventh largest city in the state....
75,750
13Auburn
Auburn, Washington

Auburn is a city in King County, Washington and Pierce County, Washington counties in the U.S. state of Washington. The population was 40,314 at the 2000 United States Census; the State of Washington Office of Financial Management estimates the City of Auburn's population to be 67,005 as of April 1, 2008....
67,005
14Kennewick
Kennewick, Washington

Kennewick is a city in Benton County, Washington in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Washington, near the Hanford Site. It is the most populous of the three cities collectively referred to as the Tri-Cities, Washington ....
65,860
15Lakewood
Lakewood, Washington

Lakewood is a city in Pierce County, Washington, Washington, United States. The population was 58,211 at the 2000 United States Census....
58,780


Race

The six largest reported ancestries in Washington are: German (18.7%), English
English people

The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England who speak English language in England. The English identity as a people is of early medieval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn....
 (12%), Irish
Irish American

Irish Americans are citizens of the United States who can claim ancestry originating in Ireland. A total of 36,495,800 Americans reported Irish ancestry in the 2006 American Community Survey....
 (11.4%), Norwegian (6.2%), Mexican
Mexican American

Mexican Americans are United States of Mexican descent. They account for 9% of the country's population: 28.3 million Americans listed their ancestry as Mexican as of 2006....
 (5.6%) and Filipino (3.7%).

There are many migrant
Migrant worker

The term migrant worker has different official meanings and connotations in different parts of the world; the United Nations' definition is very broad, essentially including anyone working outside of their home country....
 Mexican farm workers living in the southeast-central part of the state, though the population is also increasing as laborers in Western Washington.

Washington has the fourth largest Asian population of any state. The Filipino community is the largest Asian American subgroup in the state. Gary Locke was elected as the first Asian American
Asian American

Asian Americans are United States of Asian people. They include sub-ethnic groups such as Chinese Americans, Filipino Americans, Indian Americans, Vietnamese Americans, Korean Americans, Japanese Americans and others whose national origin is from the Asia....
 governor (and so far, the only Chinese American governor of any US state) at the end of the 20th century. Beacon Hill a neigborhood in Seattle is the only majority-asian neighborhood in the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest

The Pacific Northwest is a region in the northwest of North America . There are several partially overlapping definitions but the term Pacific Northwest should not be confused with the Northwest Territory or the Northwest Territories of Canada....
 with 51%.

African Americans are less numerous than Asians or Hispanics in many communities, but have been elected as mayor of Seattle, Spokane and Lakewood and as King County Executive. In Seattle, minorities are moving into the southern part of the city as well as many suburban areas such as South King County. Seattle's Black population is largely concentrated on Rainier Valley and the Central District
Central District

There is more than one place called Central District, Center District or Centre District:* Central District * Center District, Israel...
 which remains the only majority-black neighborhood in the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest

The Pacific Northwest is a region in the northwest of North America . There are several partially overlapping definitions but the term Pacific Northwest should not be confused with the Northwest Territory or the Northwest Territories of Canada....
. Tacoma also has a rising African-American population.

Washington is the location of many Native American
Native Americans in the United States

Native Americans in the United States are the Indigenous peoples of the Americas from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States United States, including parts of Alaska and the island state of Hawaii....
 reservations, with some placing prominent casinos next to major interstate highways. Residents have adopted many of the artwork themes of the northwest coast Indians who were noted for totem pole
Totem pole

Totem poles are monumental sculptures carved from large trees, usually cedar, but mostly Western Redcedar, by cultures of the Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America....
s, longhouses, dugout canoes and pictures of animals. Many cities have traditional names created by Native Americans such as Yakima, Seattle, Spokane
Spokane, Washington

Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. Spokane is the largest city and county seat of Spokane County, as well as the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region....
, Puyallup
Puyallup, Washington

Puyallup, Washington is a city in Pierce County, Washington, Washington about five miles east of Tacoma. The population was 33,011 at the 2000 United States Census....
, and Walla Walla
Walla Walla, Washington

Walla Walla is the largest city in and the county seat of Walla Walla County, Washington, Washington, United States. The population was 29,686 at the 2000 United States Census and 31,350 from the 2008 estimate of the Washington State Office of Financial Management....
.

6.7% of Washington's population was reported as under 5, 25.7% under 18, and 11.2% were 65 or older. Females made up approximately 50.2% of the population.

Religion

The religious affiliations of Washington's population are:
  • Christian
    Christianity

    Christianity is a Monotheistic religion #Christian view religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus as New Testament view on Jesus' life....
     – 63%
    • Protestant
      Protestantism

      Protestantism is a movement within Christianity that originated in the sixteenth-century Protestant Reformation. It is considered to be one of the three principal traditions of Christianity, together with Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy....
       – 29%
      • Lutheran
        Lutheranism

        Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century Germans Reformer Martin Luther....
         – 6%
      • Baptist
        Baptist

        A Baptist is a member of a Christian denomination characterized by the rejection of infant baptism in favor of believer's baptism by Baptism#Immersion....
         – 6%
      • Methodist
        Methodism

        Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by John Wesley and his younger brother Charles Wesley that sought to keep Methodism as a Revivalism movement within the Church of England....
         – 4%
      • Presbyterian
        Presbyterianism

        Presbyterianism is a group of Christian congregations adhering to the Calvinism theological tradition within Protestantism. Presbyterian theology typically emphasizes the sovereignty of God, the authority of the Bible and the necessity of Divine grace through faith in Christ....
         – 3%
      • Other Protestant or general Protestant – 10%
    • Catholic
      Roman Catholicism in the United States

      Roman Catholic Church in the United States has grown dramatically over the country's history, from being a tiny minority faith during the time of the Thirteen Colonies to being the country's largest minority profession of faith today....
       – 20%
    • Other Christian – 11%
    • Latter-day Saint – 3%
  • Other Religions – 5%
  • Refused – 6%
  • No religion – 25%


The largest denominations by number of adherents in 2000 were the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church

The Roman Catholic Church, officially known as the Catholic Church is the world's largest Christianity Ecclesia , representing over half of all Christians and one-sixth of the world population....
 with 716,133; the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the largest Religious denomination originating from the Latter Day Saint movement founded by Joseph Smith, Jr., on April 6, 1830....
 with 178,000; and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is a mainline Protestantism List of Christian denominations headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Formed in 1988 by the merging of three churches and currently having about 4.70 million baptized members, it is the largest of all the Lutheranism denominations in the Religion in the United States and t...
 with 127,854.

As with many other Western states, the percentage of Washington's population identifying themselves as "non-religious" is higher than the national average. The percentage of non-religious people in Washington is the highest of any state.

Economy

Microsoft Sign Closeup
Starbucks Headquarters Seattle
The 2005 total gross state product for Washington was $268.5 billion, placing it 14th in the nation. The per capita income was $42,702, 17th in the nation. Significant business within the state include the design and manufacture of jet aircraft
Aircraft

An aircraft is a vehicle which is able to flight by being supported by the air, or in general, the atmosphere, of a planet. Examples include balloons, airplanes and helicopters....
 (Boeing
Boeing

The Boeing Company is a major aerospace and defense corporation, originally founded by William Edward Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997....
), computer software development (Microsoft
Microsoft

Microsoft Corporation is a multinational corporation computer technology corporation that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of computer software products for computing devices....
, Amazon.com
Amazon.com

Amazon.com, Inc. is an American electronic commerce company in Seattle, Washington. It is America's largest online retailer, with nearly three times the internet sales revenue of runner up Staples, Inc....
, Nintendo of America
Nintendo

is a global company located in Kyoto, Japan founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi to produce handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
, Valve Corporation
Valve Corporation

Valve Corporation is an United States video game developer company based in Bellevue, Washington, USA that was founded in 1996, and made famous by its first product, Half-Life , which was released in November 1998....
), electronics
Electronics

Electronics refers to the flow of charge through nonmetal electrical conductor , whereas electrical refers to the flow of charge through metal electrical conductor....
, biotechnology
Biotechnology

Biotechnology is technology based on biology, especially when used in agriculture, food science, and medicine. United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity defines biotechnology as:...
, aluminum
Aluminium

Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white and ductile member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al; its atomic number is 13....
 production, lumber and wood products (Weyerhaeuser
Weyerhaeuser

Weyerhaeuser is one of the largest pulp and paper industry companies in the world; the world's largest private sector owner of softwood timberland; and the second largest owner in the United States, behind International Paper....
), mining
Mining

Mining is the extraction of value minerals or other geology materials from the earth, usually from an ore body, vein or seam. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, Sodium chloride and potash....
, and tourism. The state has significant amounts of hydroelectric power generation.

Significant amounts of trade with Asia
Asia

Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent. It covers 8.6% of the Earth's total surface area and, with over 4 billion people, it contains more than 60% of the world's current human population....
 pass through the ports of the Puget Sound. See list of United States companies by state
List of United States companies by state

This is a list of United States companies by state in which their headquarters is located:...
. Fortune
Fortune (magazine)

Fortune is a International business magazine published by Time Inc. Fortune|Money Group. Founded by Henry Luce in 1930, the publishing business, consisting of Time, Life , Fortune, and Sports Illustrated, grew to become Time Warner....
 magazine survey of the top 20 Most Admired Companies in the US has 4 Washington based companies in it, Starbucks
Starbucks

Starbucks Corporation is an international coffee and List of coffeehouse chains based in Seattle, Washington, United States. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 16,120 stores in 44 countries....
, Microsoft
Microsoft

Microsoft Corporation is a multinational corporation computer technology corporation that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of computer software products for computing devices....
, Costco
Costco

Costco Wholesale Corporation is the largest membership warehouse club chain in the world based on sales volume. It is the fifth largest general retailer in the United States....
 and Nordstrom
Nordstrom

Nordstrom, Inc. is an upscale department store chain in the United States, founded by John W. Nordstrom. Initially a shoe retailer, the company today also sells clothing, accessories, handbags, jewelry, cosmetics, fragrances, and in some locations, home furnishings....
.

The state of Washington has the least progressive tax
Progressive tax

A progressive tax is a tax by which the tax rate increases as the taxable amount increases. "Progressive" describes a distribution effect on income or Consumption , referring to the way the rate progresses from low to high, where the average tax rate is less than the marginal tax rate....
 structure in the U.S. It is one of only seven states that does not levy a personal income tax
Income tax

An income tax is a tax levied on the financial income of people, corporations, or other legal entities. Various income tax systems exist, with varying degrees of tax incidence....
. The wealthiest one percent of Washington taxpayers pay 3.2% of their income in taxes. The poorest fifth of Washington taxpayers pay 17.6% of their income in taxes. The state also does not collect a corporate income tax or franchise tax
Franchise tax

Franchise tax is a tax charged by some US states to corporations formed in those states based on the number of shares they issue or, in some cases, the amount of their assets....
. However, Washington businesses are responsible for various other state levies. One tax Washington charges on most businesses is the business and occupation tax
Business and occupation tax

The Business and Occupation tax is a type of tax levied by the U.S. state of Washington. It is a type of gross receipts tax because it is levied on gross income, rather than net income....
 (B & O), a gross receipts tax
Gross receipts tax

A gross receipts tax, sometimes referred to as a gross excise tax, is a tax on the total gross revenues of a company, regardless of their source....
 which charges varying rates for different types of businesses.

Washington's state sales tax
Sales tax

A sales tax is a consumption tax charged at the point of purchase for certain goods and services. The tax is usually set as a percentage by the government charging the tax....
 is 6.5 percent, and it applies to services as well as products. Most foods are exempt from sales tax; however, prepared foods, dietary supplements and soft drink
Soft drink

A soft drink is a beverage that does not contain alcohol. Carbonated soft drinks are commonly known as soda, soda pop, pop, coke or tonic in various parts of the United States, pop in Canada, fizzy drinks in the United Kingdom and Australia and sometimes minerals in Ireland....
s remain taxable. The combined state and local retail sales tax rates increase the taxes paid by consumers, depending on the variable local sales tax rates, generally between 8 and 9 percent. An excise tax applies to certain select products such as gasoline
Gasoline

File:GasCan.jpgGasoline or petrol is a petroleum-derived liquid mixture, primarily used as fuel in internal combustion engines.It consists mostly of aliphatic hydrocarbons, enhanced with iso-octane or the aromatic hydrocarbons toluene and benzene to increase its octane rating....
, cigarettes, and alcoholic beverages. Property tax
Property tax

Property tax, or millage tax, is an ad valorem tax that an owner is required to pay on the value of the property being taxed.There are three species or types of property: Land, Improvements to Land , and Personal ....
 was the first tax levied in the state of Washington and its collection accounts for about 30 percent of Washington's total state and local revenue. It continues to be the most important revenue source for public schools, fire protection, libraries, park
Park

A park is a Environmental protection, in its natural or semi-natural state or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment....
s and recreation, and other special purpose districts.

All real property
Real property

In the common law, real property refers to one of the two main classes of property, the other class being personal property . Real property generally encompasses Estate in land, land improvements resulting from human effort including buildings and machinery sited on land, and various property rights over the preceding....
 and personal property
Personal property

Personal property is a type of property. In the common law systems personal property may also be called chattels or personalty. It is distinguished from real property, or real estate....
 is subject to tax unless specifically exempted by law. Personal property also is taxed, although most personal property owned by individuals is exempt. Personal property tax applies to personal property used when conducting business or to other personal property not exempt by law. All property taxes are paid to the county treasurer's office where the property is located. Washington does not impose a tax on intangible assets such as bank account
Bank account

A bank account is a financial account with a banking institution, recording the financial transactions between the customer and the bank and the resulting financial position of the customer with the bank....
s, stock
STOCK

Software for fixed assets management and stock control developed in 2004. Stocktaking process is carried using a hand-held mobile terminal equipped with barcode reader or RFID technology....
s or bonds
Bond (finance)

In finance, a bond is a debt security , in which the authorized issuer owes the holders a debt and, depending on the terms of the bond, is obliged to pay interest and/or to repay the principal at a later date, termed Maturity ....
. Neither does the state assess any tax on retirement income earned and received from another state. Washington does not collect inheritance tax
Inheritance tax

Inheritance tax, estate tax and death duty are the names given to various taxes which arise on the death of an individual. It is a tax on the estate, or total value of the money and property, of a person who has died....
es; however, the estate tax is decoupled from the federal estate tax laws, and therefore the state imposes its own estate tax.

Washington is one of eighteen states which has a government monopoly
Government monopoly

In economics, a government monopoly is a form of coercive monopoly in which a government agency is the sole provider of a particular good or service and competition is prohibited by law....
 on sales of alcoholic beverages, although beer
Beer

Beer is the world's oldest and most widely consumed alcoholic beverage and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and Fermentation of starches, mainly derived from cereal?the most common of which is malted barley, although wheat, maize , and rice are widely used....
 and wine
Wine

Wine is an alcoholic beverage often made of fermentation grape juice. The natural chemical balance of grapes is such that they can ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes or other nutrients....
 with less than 20 percent alcohol by volume can be purchased in convenience store
Convenience store

A convenience store is a small store or shop that sells candy, ice-cream, soft drinks, lottery tickets, newspapers and magazines, along with a small selection of food and grocery supplies....
s and supermarket
Supermarket

A supermarket is a self-service Retailing#Retail types offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments....
s. Liqueur
Liqueur

A liqueur is an alcoholic beverage that has been flavored with fruit, herbs, Nut , spices, flowers, or cream and bottled with added sugar. Liqueurs are typically quite sweet; they are usually not aged for long but may have resting periods during their production to allow flavors to marry....
s (even if under 20 percent alcohol by volume) and spirits can only be purchased in state-run or privately-owned-state-contracted liquor store
Liquor store

A liquor store is the United States and Canada name for a type of convenience store which specializes in the sale of alcoholic beverages in the countries where its consumption is strongly regulated....
s.

Bill Gates
Bill Gates

William Henry "Bill" Gates III is an United States business magnate, philanthropist, author, the List of the 100 wealthiest people , and chairman of the board of Microsoft, the software company he founded with Paul Allen....
 (worth $59.2 billion), the second wealthiest man in the world, is the best known billionaire
Billionaire

A billionaire is a person who has a net worth of at least one 1000000000 units of currency, such as United States dollars , U.K. pound sterlings or euro ....
 from the state. Other Washington state billionaires include Paul Allen
Paul Allen

Paul Gardner Allen is an American computer programmer and entrepreneur who co-founded Microsoft with Bill Gates. Allen regularly appears on lists of the richest people in the world....
 (Microsoft
Microsoft

Microsoft Corporation is a multinational corporation computer technology corporation that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of computer software products for computing devices....
), Steve Ballmer
Steve Ballmer

Steven Anthony Ballmer is an United States businessman and has been the chief executive officer of Microsoft since January 2000. Ballmer is the second person after Roberto Goizueta to become a billionaire in U.S....
 (Microsoft
Microsoft

Microsoft Corporation is a multinational corporation computer technology corporation that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of computer software products for computing devices....
), Jeffrey Bezos (Amazon
Amazon.com

Amazon.com, Inc. is an American electronic commerce company in Seattle, Washington. It is America's largest online retailer, with nearly three times the internet sales revenue of runner up Staples, Inc....
), Craig McCaw
Craig McCaw

Craig McCaw is the second of four sons of Marion and John Elroy McCaw. The Seattle-area businessman and entrepreneur achieved success as a pioneer in the cellular phone industry....
 (McCaw Cellular), James Jannard
James Jannard

James "Jim" Jannard is the founder of the eyewear and apparel company Oakley, Inc. and has been its Chairman and a director since the company's inception in 1975....
 (Oakley
Oakley, Inc.

Oakley, Inc. is a company known mostly for their high end sunglasses , sports visors, and ski goggles. They also make watches, clothing, bags, backpacks, shoes, glasses, football and hockey eyewear, and other accessories....
), Howard Schultz
Howard Schultz

Howard Schultz is an United States businessman and entrepreneur best known as the chairman and CEO of Starbucks and a former owner of the Seattle SuperSonics....
 (Starbucks
Starbucks

Starbucks Corporation is an international coffee and List of coffeehouse chains based in Seattle, Washington, United States. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 16,120 stores in 44 countries....
), and Charles Simonyi
Charles Simonyi

Charles Simonyi is a Hungary computer software executive who, as head of Microsoft's application software group, oversaw the creation of Microsoft Office....
 (Microsoft
Microsoft

Microsoft Corporation is a multinational corporation computer technology corporation that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of computer software products for computing devices....
).

Agriculture


Washington is a leading agricultural
Agriculture

Agriculture refers to the production of food and goods through farming and forestry. Agriculture was the key development that led to the rise of civilization, with the animal husbandry of domestication animals and plants creating food surpluses that enabled the development of more Population density and Social stratification societies....
 state. (The following figures are from the and the Washington Agricultural Statistics Service.)

For 2003, the total value of Washington's agricultural products was $5.79 billion, the 11th highest in the country. The total value of its crops was $3.8 billion, the 7th highest. The total value of its livestock and specialty products was $1.5 billion, the 26th highest.

In 2004, Washington ranked first in the nation in production of red raspberries
Raspberry

The raspberry is the edible fruit of a multitude of plant species in the subgenus Rubus#Scientific classification of the genus Rubus; the name also applies to these plants themselves....
 (90.0% of total U.S.
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 production), wrinkled seed pea
Pea

A pea is most commonly the small spherical seed or the seed-pod of the legume Pisum sativum. Each pod contains several peas. Although treated as a vegetable in cooking, it is botanically a fruit....
s (80.6%), hop
Hop (plant)

Humulus, is a small genus of flowering plants, native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. The female flowers often called cones, of one species are called hops, and are used as flavoring and Food additive#Categoriess, especially for brewing beer....
s (75.0%), spearmint
Spearmint

Mentha spicata is a species of Mentha native to much of Europe and southwest Asia, though its exact natural range is uncertain due to extensive early cultivation....
 oil (73.6%), apple
APPLE

This article is about the satellite APPLE. For the fruit apple, see Apple. For other uses see Apple .The Ariane Passenger PayLoad Experiment , was an experimental communication satellite with a C-Band transponder launched by Indian Space Research Organisation satellite on June 19, 1981 by Ariane 1, a launch vehicle of the European Spac...
s (58.1%), sweet cherries
Cherry

The word cherry refers to a fleshy fruit that contains a single stony seed. The cherry belongs to the family Rosaceae, genus Prunus, along with almonds, peaches, plums, apricots and bird cherry ....
 (47.3%), pear
Pear

The pear is an edible pome fruit produced by a tree of genus Pyrus . The pear is classified within Maloideae, a subfamily within Rosaceae. The apple , which it resembles in floral structure, is also a member of this subfamily....
s (42.6%), peppermint
Peppermint

Peppermint is a Hybrid Mentha, a cross between the watermint and spearmint . The plant, indigenous to Europe, is now widespread in cultivation throughout all regions of the world....
 oil (40.3%), Concord grape
Concord grape

Concord grapes are a cultivar derived from the grape species Vitis labrusca which are used as table grapes, wine grapes and juice grapes....
s (39.3%), carrot
Carrot

The carrot is a root vegetable, usually orange or white, or red-white blend in colour, with a crisp texture when fresh. The edible part of a carrot is a taproot....
s for processing (36.8%), and Niagara grape
Niagara grape

Niagara grapes are a variety of the North American grape species Vitis labrusca and are used as table grapes and for wines, as well as jams and juice....
s (31.6%). Washington also ranked second in the nation in production of lentil
Lentil

The lentil or daal or pulse is a bushy annual plant of the Fabaceae family, grown for its lens-shaped seeds. It is about 15 inches tall and the seeds grow in pods, usually with two seeds in each....
s, fall potato
Potato

The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial plant Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family. The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well....
es, dry edible peas, apricot
Apricot

The Apricot is a species of Prunus, classified with the plum in the subgenus Prunus. The native range is somewhat uncertain due to its extensive prehistoric cultivation, but most likely in northern and western China and Central Asia, possibly also Korea and Japan....
s, grape
Grape

File:Table grapes on white.jpgA grape is the non-Climacteric #In_botany fruit that grows on the Perennial plant and deciduous woody vines of the genus Vitis....
s (all varieties taken together), asparagus
Asparagus

Asparagus officinalis is a flowering plant species in the genus Asparagus from which the vegetable known as asparagus is obtained....
 (over a third of the nation's production), sweet corn for processing, and green peas for processing; third in tart cherries, prunes and plum
Plum

A plum or gage is a drupe tree in the genus Prunus, subgenus Prunus. The subgenus is distinguished from other subgenera in the shoots having a terminal bud and the side buds solitary , the flowers being grouped 1-5 together on short stems, and the fruit having a groove running down one side, and a smooth stone....
s, and dry summer onion
Onion

Onion is a term used for many plants in the genus Allium. They are known by the common name "onion" but, used without qualifiers, it usually refers to Allium cepa....
s; fourth in barley
Barley

Barley is an annual plant cereal grain derived from the grass Hordeum vulgare. It serves as a major animal feed crop, with smaller amounts used for malting and in health food, as well as the making of alcoholic beverages beer and whisky....
 and trout
Trout

Trout are a number of species of freshwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the Salmonidae family. Salmon belong to some of the same genera as trout but, unlike most trout, most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water....
; and fifth in wheat
Wheat

Wheat , is a worldwide cultivated Poaceae from the Levant region of the Middle East. Globally, after maize, wheat is the second most-produced food among the cereal just above rice....
, cranberries, and strawberries.

The apple industry is of particular importance to Washington. Because of the favorable climate of dry, warm summers and cold winters of central Washington, the state has led the U.S. in apple production since the 1920s. Two areas account for the vast majority of the state's apple crop: the Wenatchee–Okanogan region (comprising Chelan
Chelan County, Washington

Chelan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. Its population was 66,616 at the United States Census 2000. It is part of the 'Wenatchee–East Wenatchee, Washington, Washington Wenatchee-East Wenatchee metropolitan area'....
, Okanogan
Okanogan County, Washington

Okanogan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. In area, it is the largest county in the state. As of 2000, the population was 39,564....
, Douglas
Douglas County, Washington

Douglas County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. It is part of the 'Wenatchee, Washington–East Wenatchee, Washington, Washington, Wenatchee-East Wenatchee metropolitan area'....
, and Grant
Grant County, Washington

Grant County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of 2000, the population was 74,698. The county seat is at Ephrata, Washington....
 counties), and the Yakima region (Yakima
Yakima County, Washington

Yakima County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. It is named after the Yakama tribe of Native Americans in the United Statess....
, Benton
Benton County, Washington

Benton County is a county located in the south-central portion of the U.S. state of Washington. The Columbia River makes up the north, south, and east boundaries of the county....
 and Kittitas
Kittitas County, Washington

Kittitas County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of 2000, the population was 33,362. Its county seat is Ellensburg, Washington, which is also the county's largest city....
 counties).

Transportation

Washington has a system of state highway
State highway

State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state government in a country that is divided into states :...
s, called State Routes
List of Washington State Routes

This is a list of state highways in the U.S. state of Washington that have existed since the 1964 renumbering . It includes routes that were defined by the Washington State Legislature but never built, as well as routes that have been entirely removed from the state highway system....
, as well as an extensive ferry
Washington State Ferries

Washington State Ferries, owned and operated by the Washington State Department of Transportation, serves communities on Puget Sound and in the San Juan Islands....
 system which is the largest in the nation as well as the third largest in the world. There are 140 public airfields in Washington
List of airports in Washington

File:Rwy.jpgThis is a list of airports in Washington , grouped by type and sorted by location. It contains all public-use and military airports in the state....
, including 16 state airports
List of Washington state-owned airports

The following airports are public use airports owned by Washington State Department of Transportation . Note that the full list of airports in Washington is a separate list; these are only the state-owned airports....
 owned by the Washington State Department of Transportation
Washington State Department of Transportation

The Washington State Department of Transportation , was established in 1905. The agency, led by a Secretary and overseen by the Governor, is a Washington governmental agency that constructs, maintains, and regulates the use of the state's transportation infrastructure....
. Boeing Field
Boeing Field

Boeing Field, officially King County International Airport , is a two-runway airport owned and run by King County, Washington, USA. In promotional literature, the airport is frequently referred to as KCIA, but this is not the airport identifier....
 in Seattle is one of the busiest primary non-hub airports in the US. The unique geography of Washington presents exceptional transportation needs.

There are extensive waterways in the midst of Washington's largest cites, including Seattle, Bellevue, Tacoma and Olympia. The state highways incorporate an extensive network of bridges and the largest ferry system in the United States to serve transportation needs in the Puget Sound area. Washington's marine highway constitutes a fleet of twenty-eight ferries that navigate Puget Sound and its inland waterways to 20 different ports of call. Washington is home to four of the five longest floating bridge
Floating Bridge

The term Floating Bridge can to refer to:* A cable ferry, especially one designed by British civil engineer James Meadows Rendel , including:** the Woolston Floating Bridge...
s in the world: the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge
Evergreen Point Floating Bridge

The Evergreen Point Floating Bridge, now officially the Governor Albert D. Rosellini Bridge?Evergreen Point, is the longest floating bridge in the world at 7,578 feet ....
, Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge
Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge

The Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge is a floating bridge that carries the eastbound lanes of Interstate 90 across Lake Washington from Seattle to Mercer Island, Washington....
 and Homer M. Hadley Bridge over Lake Washington
Lake Washington

Lake Washington is the second largest natural lake in the US State of Washington and the largest lake in King County, Washington. It is bordered by the cities of Seattle, Washington on the west, Bellevue, Washington and Kirkland, Washington on the east, Renton, Washington on the south and Kenmore, Washington on the north, and surrounds Merce...
, and the Hood Canal Bridge
Hood Canal Bridge

The Hood Canal Bridge is located in Washington state in the USA on State Route 104 and connects the Olympic Peninsula and the Kitsap Peninsula across Hood Canal....
 which connects the Olympic Peninsula
Olympic Peninsula

The Olympic Peninsula is the large arm of land in western Washington state that lies across Puget Sound from Seattle, Washington. It is bounded on the west by the Pacific Ocean, the north by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the east by Puget Sound and the Hood Canal....
 and Kitsap Peninsula
Kitsap Peninsula

The Kitsap Peninsula is an arm of land that is part of the larger Olympic Peninsula in Washington state that lies west of Seattle, Washington across Puget Sound....
.

The Cascade Mountain Range also provides unique transportation challenges. Washington operates and maintains roads over seven major mountain pass
Mountain pass

In a range of hills, or especially of mountain range, a pass is a saddle point in between two areas of higher elevation. If following the lowest possible route through a mountain range, a pass is locally the highest point on that route....
es and eight minor passes. During winter months some of these passes are plowed, sanded, and kept safe with avalanche control. Not all are able to stay open through the winter. The North Cascades Highway
State Route 20 (Washington)

State Route 20, also known as SR 20 or North Cascades Highway, is a State Highway in Washington. It travels from an intersection with U.S....
 on State Route 20 closes every year. This is because of the extraordinary amount of snowfall and frequency of avalanches, leading to it not being safe in the winter months.

It is recorded that in Washington that transportation, including automobiles, planes, trains and ships is the cause of 45 percent of greenhouse gas emissions.

Toxic chemicals

In 2007, Washington became the first state in the nation to target all forms of highly toxic brominated
Bromine

Bromine , , meaning "stench " ), is a chemical element with the symbol Br and atomic number 35. A halogen element, bromine is a reddish-brown Volatility liquid at Standard conditions for temperature and pressure that is intermediate in reactivity between chlorine and iodine....
 flame retardants known as PBDE
PBDE

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers or PBDE, are organobromine compounds that are used as a flame retardant. Like other brominated flame retardants, PBDEs have been used in a wide array of products, including building materials, electronics, furnishings, motor vehicles, airplanes, plastics, polyurethane foams, and textiles....
s for elimination from the many common household products in which they are used. A 2004 study of 40 mothers from Oregon
Oregon

Oregon is a U.S. state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The area was inhabited by many indigenous tribes before the arrival of traders, explorers and settlers....
, Washington, British Columbia
British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's Provinces and territories of Canada and is famed for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu ....
, and Montana
Montana

Montana is a U.S. state in the Western United States. The western third of the state contains numerous mountain ranges; other 'island' ranges are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains....
 found PBDEs in the breast milk of every woman tested.

Three recent studies by the Washington Department of Ecology
Washington Department of Ecology

The Washington Department of Ecology, or simply, Ecology, is an environmental regulatory agency for the State of Washington. The department administers laws and regulations pertaining to the areas of water quality, water rights and water resources, shoreline management, toxics clean-up, nuclear waste, hazardous waste and air quality....
 showed that toxic chemicals banned decades ago continue to linger in the environment and concentrate in the food chain. In one of the studies, state government scientists found unacceptable levels of toxic substances in 93 samples of freshwater fish collected from 45 sites. The toxic substances included PCB
Polychlorinated biphenyl

Polychlorinated biphenyls are a class of organic compounds with 1 to 10 chlorine atoms attached to biphenyl which is a molecule composed of two benzene rings each containing six carbon atoms....
s; dioxin
Dioxin

Polychlorinated dibenzodioxins , or simply dioxins, are a group of polyhalogenated compounds which are significant because they act as environmental pollutants....
s, two chlorinated pesticides, DDE
Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene

Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene is the full name of DDE. This compound is formed by the loss of hydrogen chloride of DDT , of which it is one of the more common breakdown products....
 and dieldrin
Dieldrin

Dieldrin is a chlorinated hydrocarbon originally produced in 1948 by J. Hyman & Co, Denver, as an insecticide. The molecule has a ring structure based on naphthalene....
, and PBDEs. As a result of the study, the department will investigate the sources of PCBs in the Wenatchee River, where unhealthy levels of PCBs were found in mountain whitefish. Based on the 2007 information and a previous 2004 Ecology study, the Washington Department of Health is advising the public not to eat mountain whitefish
Mountain whitefish

The mountain whitefish Prosopium williamsoni is one of the mostly widely distributed Salmonidae fish of western North America.The body shape is superficially similar to the cyprinids, although it is distinguished by having the adipose fin of salmonids....
 from the Wenatchee River
Wenatchee River

The Wenatchee River is a river in the U.S. state of Washington, originating at Lake Wenatchee and flowing southeast for , emptying into the Columbia River immediately north of Wenatchee, Washington....
 from Leavenworth
Leavenworth, Washington

Leavenworth is a city in Chelan County, Washington, Washington, United States. It is part of the Wenatchee, Washington–East Wenatchee, Washington Wenatchee-East Wenatchee metropolitan area....
 downstream to where the river joins the Columbia
Columbia River

The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. It is named after the Columbia Rediviva, the first ship from the western world known to have traveled up the river....
, due to unhealthy levels of PCBs. Study results also indicated high levels of contaminants in fish tissue that scientists collected from Lake Washington and the Spokane River, where fish consumption advisories are already in effect.

On March 27, 2006 Governor Christine Gregoire
Christine Gregoire

Christine O'Grady "Chris" Gregoire is the governor of the U.S. state of Washington, and a member of the Democratic Party party. Gregoire defeated Dino Rossi in one of the closest elections in gubernatorial history....
 signed into law the recently approved House Bill 2322. This bill would limit phosphorus
Phosphorus

Phosphorus is the chemical element that has the symbol P and atomic number 15. The name comes from the and . A Valency nonmetal of the nitrogen group, phosphorus is commonly found in inorganic phosphate minerals....
 content in dishwashing detergents statewide to 0.5% over the next six years. Though the ban would be effective statewide in 2010, it would take place in Whatcom County, Spokane County, and Clark County, Washington
Clark County, Washington

Clark County is a county located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Washington, across the Columbia River from Portland, Oregon.Clark County was the first county of Washington, named after William Clark of the Lewis and Clark Expedition....
, in 2008. A recent discovery had linked high contents of phosphorus
Phosphorus

Phosphorus is the chemical element that has the symbol P and atomic number 15. The name comes from the and . A Valency nonmetal of the nitrogen group, phosphorus is commonly found in inorganic phosphate minerals....
 in water to a boom in algae
Algae

Algae are a large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms. The largest and most complex marine forms are called seaweeds....
 population. An invasive amount of algae
Algae

Algae are a large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms. The largest and most complex marine forms are called seaweeds....
 in bodies of water would eventually lead to a variety of excess ecological and technological issues.

Law and government

The bicameral Washington State Legislature
Washington State Legislature

The Washington State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Washington. It is a bicameral body, composed of the lower house Washington House of Representatives, composed of 98 Representatives, and the upper house Washington State Senate, with 49 Senators....
 is the state's legislative branch. The state legislature is composed of a lower
Lower house

A lower house is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the upper house.Despite its theoretical position "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide the lower house has come to wield more power....
 House of Representatives
Washington House of Representatives

The Washington House of Representatives is the lower house of the Washington State Legislature, the State legislature of the U.S. State of Washington....
 and an upper
Upper house

An upper house is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the lower house....
 State Senate
Washington State Senate

The Washington State Senate is the upper house of the Washington State Legislature. The body consists of 49 senators, each representing a district with a population of nearly 120,000....
. The state is divided into 49 legislative districts of equal population, each of which elects two representatives and one senator. Representatives serve two-year terms, whilst senators serve for four years. There are no term limits. Currently, the Democratic Party holds majorities in both chambers.

Washington's executive branch is headed by a governor elected for a four-year term. The current governor is Christine Gregoire
Christine Gregoire

Christine O'Grady "Chris" Gregoire is the governor of the U.S. state of Washington, and a member of the Democratic Party party. Gregoire defeated Dino Rossi in one of the closest elections in gubernatorial history....
, a Democrat who has been in office since 2005.

The Washington Supreme Court
Washington Supreme Court

The Washington Supreme Court is the highest court in the judiciary of the U.S. state of Washington. The Court is composed of a Chief Justice and eight Justices....
 is the highest court in the state. Nine justices serve on the bench and are elected statewide.

U.S. Congress

The two U.S. Senators
United States Senate

The United States Senate is the upper house of the Bicameralism United States Congress, the lower house being the United States House of Representatives....
 from Washington are Patty Murray
Patty Murray

Patricia Lynn Murray is the senior United States Senate from Washington. A member of the Democratic Party , Murray was first elected to the Senate in 1992 and has held the position ever since, becoming Washington's first female U.S....
 (D) and Maria Cantwell
Maria Cantwell

Maria E. Cantwell is the Senior Senator United States Senate from the state of Washington and is a member of the Democratic Party . Previously she served in Washington House of Representatives and one term as member of the United States House of Representatives from ....
 (D).

Washington representatives in the United States House of Representatives (see map of districts
List of United States congressional districts

This is a complete list of congressional Electoral district for representation in the United States House of Representatives. The quantity and boundaries of districts are determined after each census, although in some cases states have changed the boundaries more than once per census....
) are Jay Inslee
Jay Inslee

Jay Robert Inslee is a Democratic Party United States politician, currently serving as United States House of Representatives from Washington's Washington's 1st congressional district, which includes parts of north Seattle, Washington and King County, Washington, Snohomish County, Washington, and Kitsap County, Washington counties....
 (D-1), Richard Ray (Rick) Larsen
Rick Larsen

Richard Ray "Rick" Larsen , United States politician, has been a Democratic Party member of the United States House of Representatives since 2001, representing the ....
 (D-2), Brian Baird
Brian Baird

Brian Norton Baird is an United States politician from the U.S. state of Washington.Brian Baird has been a Democratic Party member of the United States House of Representatives since 1999, representing ....
 (D-3), Doc Hastings
Doc Hastings

Richard Norman "Doc" Hastings , an United States politician, has been a Republican Party member of the United States House of Representatives since 1995, representing Washington's 4th congressional district....
 (R-4), Cathy McMorris
Cathy McMorris

Cathy McMorris Rodgers is a Republican Party politician. She was born in Salem, Oregon on May 22, 1969.She has represented in the United States House of Representatives since January 2005....
 (R-5), Norm Dicks (D-6), Jim McDermott
Jim McDermott

James Adelbert "Jim" McDermott is the current United States House of Representatives for Washington's seventh congressional district. The 7th District includes most of Seattle, Washington and Vashon Island, and portions of Shoreline, Washington, Lake Forest Park, Washington, Tukwila, Washington, SeaTac, Washington, and Burien, Washington....
 (D-7), David Reichert (R-8), and Adam Smith
Adam Smith (politician)

David Adam Smith , United States politician, has been a Democratic Party member of the United States House of Representatives since 1997, representing Washington's 9th congressional district....
 (D-9).

State elected officials


Executive
  • Christine Gregoire
    Christine Gregoire

    Christine O'Grady "Chris" Gregoire is the governor of the U.S. state of Washington, and a member of the Democratic Party party. Gregoire defeated Dino Rossi in one of the closest elections in gubernatorial history....
    , Governor (D)
  • Brad Owen
    Brad Owen

    Brad Owen is an United States politician. He is a member of the United States Democratic Party and currently serves as the lieutenant governor of Washington state....
    , Lieutenant Governor
    Lieutenant Governor of Washington

    The Lieutenant Governor of Washington is a public office to which a person is elected. The current office holder is Brad Owen, a Democratic Party ....
     (D)
  • Sam Reed
    Sam Reed

    Sam Reed is an United States politician. He is a United States Republican Party and currently serves as the Secretary of State of Washington....
    , Secretary of State
    Secretary of State of Washington

    The Secretary of State of Washington is one of the elected constitutional officers of the U.S. state of Washington. The duties of the office are specified in Article III, Section 17 of the Washington State Constitution and Chapter 43.07 of the Revised Code of Washington....
     (R)
  • Rob McKenna
    Rob McKenna

    Robert McKenna, a Republican from Bellevue, Washington, is the State Attorney General of Washington. He was elected in November 2004 for a term beginning in January 2005, and won re-election in November 2008 with over 59 percent....
    , Attorney General
    Attorney General

    In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may in addition have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions....
     (R)
  • Jim McIntire, Treasurer
    Treasurer

    In many governments, a treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury. Treasurers are also employed by organizations such as clubs to look after funds....
     (D)
  • Brian Sonntag
    Brian Sonntag

    Brian Sonntag, an United States politician, is currently serving as the State Auditor for Washington. He is a United States Democratic Party....
    , Auditor (D)
  • Randy Dorn, Superintendent of Public Instruction (non partisan office)
  • Peter Goldmark
    Peter Goldmark

    Peter Goldmark may refer to:*Peter Carl Goldmark, engineer and inventor*Peter J. Goldmark, rancher, geneticist and American politician...
    , Commissioner of Public Lands (D)
  • Mike Kreidler
    Mike Kreidler

    Myron Bradford "Mike" Kreidler is an United States politician who currently serves as the Washington Washington State Insurance Commissioner. He is a United States Democratic Party....
    , Insurance
    Insurance

    Insurance, in law and economics, is a form of risk management primarily used to Hedge against the risk of a contingent loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for a premium, and can be thought of as a guaranteed small loss to prevent a large, possibly devastating los...
     Commissioner (D)


Politics


 Presidential elections results
Year Republican
Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party is one of the two major party contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party . It is often called the Grand Old Party or the GOP....
 Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major party contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party . It is the oldest political party in continuous operation in the United States and it is one of the oldest parties in the world....
2008
United States presidential election, 2008

The United States presidential election of 2008 was held on Tuesday, November 4, 2008. It was the 56th consecutive wikt:quadrennial United States United States presidential election....
40.48% 1,229,21657.65% 1,750,848
2004
United States presidential election, 2004

The United States presidential election of 2004 was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004, to elect the President of the United States. It was the 55th consecutive quadrennial election for President and Vice President of the United States....
45.59% 1,304,89352.82% 1,510,201
2000
United States presidential election, 2000

The United States presidential election of 2000 was a contest between United States Democratic Party candidate Al Gore, then-Vice President of the United States, and United States Republican Party candidate George W....
44.59% 1,108,86450.21% 1,247,652
1996
United States presidential election, 1996

The United States presidential election of 1996 was a contest between the Democratic national ticket of President of the United States Bill Clinton of Arkansas and Vice President of the United States Al Gore of Tennessee and the Republican national ticket of former United States Senate Bob Dole of Kansas for President and former Cabinet Secre...
37.32% 840,71249.81% 1,123,323
1992
United States presidential election, 1992

The United States presidential elections of 1992 featured a battle between incumbent President of the United States United States Republican Party George H....
31.99% 731,23443.41% 993,037
1988
United States presidential election, 1988

The United States presidential election of 1988 featured an open primary for both major parties. Ronald Reagan, the incumbent President of the United States, was vacating the position after serving the maximum two terms allowed by Twenty-second Amendment to the United States Constitution....
47.97% 903,83550.03% 933,516


The state has been thought of as politically divided by the Cascade Mountains, with Western Washington
Western Washington

Western Washington is a region of the United States defined as that part of Washington west of the Cascade Range.It is known as being far wetter in climate than the eastern portion of the state, which...
 being liberal (particularly the I-5 Corridor) and Eastern Washington
Eastern Washington

Eastern Washington is a region of the United States defined as the part of Washington east of the Cascade Mountains. It is notable for, among other things:...
 being conservative. Lately however, Washington has voted for the Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major party contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party . It is the oldest political party in continuous operation in the United States and it is one of the oldest parties in the world....
 presidential nominee in every election since 1988
United States presidential election, 1988

The United States presidential election of 1988 featured an open primary for both major parties. Ronald Reagan, the incumbent President of the United States, was vacating the position after serving the maximum two terms allowed by Twenty-second Amendment to the United States Constitution....
. Spokane
Spokane, Washington

Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. Spokane is the largest city and county seat of Spokane County, as well as the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region....
, the state's second largest city located in Eastern Washington, has been leaning more liberal, with one example being Democrat Maria Cantwell
Maria Cantwell

Maria E. Cantwell is the Senior Senator United States Senate from the state of Washington and is a member of the Democratic Party . Previously she served in Washington House of Representatives and one term as member of the United States House of Representatives from ....
 winning by a wide margin in the 2006 senate race against Republican Mike McGavick
Mike McGavick

Michael S. "Mike" McGavick is an United States Corporate officer and a graduate of the University of Washington.McGavick was a Republican Party candidate for the US Senate seat held by Maria Cantwell in the Washington U.S....
. Since the population is larger in the west, the Democrats usually fare better statewide. More specifically, the Seattle metro area (especially King County) generally delivers strong Democratic margins, while the outlying areas of Western Washington were nearly tied in both 2000 and 2004. It was considered a key swing state in 1968, and it was the only Western state to give its electoral votes to Democratic nominee Hubert Humphrey
Hubert Humphrey

Hubert Horatio Humphrey, Jr. was the List of Vice Presidents of the United States Vice President of the United States, serving under President Lyndon B....
 over his Republican opponent Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon

Richard Milhous Nixon was the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States and the only president to resign the office....
. However, Washington was considered a part of the 1994 Republican Revolution
Republican Revolution

The Republican Revolution or Revolution of '94 is what the Republican Party of the United States dubbed their success in the 1994 U.S. midterm elections, which resulted in United States House of Representatives elections, 1994 in the United States House of Representatives, and United States Senate elections, 1994 in the United States S...
, and had the biggest pickup in the house for Republicans, making 7 of the 9 house members Republicans for the state of Washington. However, this dominance did not last for long as Democrats picked up one seat in the 1996 election and two more in 1998, giving the Democrats a 5-4 majority.

The two current United States Senators from Washington
List of United States Senators from Washington

Washington was admitted to the Union on November 11, 1889.Class 1'Class 3...
 are Patty Murray
Patty Murray

Patricia Lynn Murray is the senior United States Senate from Washington. A member of the Democratic Party , Murray was first elected to the Senate in 1992 and has held the position ever since, becoming Washington's first female U.S....
 and Maria Cantwell
Maria Cantwell

Maria E. Cantwell is the Senior Senator United States Senate from the state of Washington and is a member of the Democratic Party . Previously she served in Washington House of Representatives and one term as member of the United States House of Representatives from ....
, both of whom are members of the Democratic Party. The office of Governor is held by Christine Gregoire
Christine Gregoire

Christine O'Grady "Chris" Gregoire is the governor of the U.S. state of Washington, and a member of the Democratic Party party. Gregoire defeated Dino Rossi in one of the closest elections in gubernatorial history....
, who was re-elected to her second term in the 2008 gubernatorial election
Washington gubernatorial election, 2008

The gubernatorial election in Washington, 2008 elected the Governor of Washington on November 4, 2008. With the emergence from the August 19 primary of Republican Dino Rossi and incumbent Democratic Governor Christine Gregoire, the 2008 election was a rematch between the candidates from the 2004 election....
. Washington is the first and only state in the country to have elected women to both of its United States Senate
United States Senate

The United States Senate is the upper house of the Bicameralism United States Congress, the lower house being the United States House of Representatives....
 seats, and the office of Governor. Both houses of the Washington State Legislature
Washington State Legislature

The Washington State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Washington. It is a bicameral body, composed of the lower house Washington House of Representatives, composed of 98 Representatives, and the upper house Washington State Senate, with 49 Senators....
 (the Washington Senate and the Washington House of Representatives
Washington House of Representatives

The Washington House of Representatives is the lower house of the Washington State Legislature, the State legislature of the U.S. State of Washington....
) are currently controlled by the Democratic Party.

Education


Colleges and universities

State universities
State university

In the United States, a state university or state college is one of the public university List of colleges and universities in the state university system....
  • Central Washington University
    Central Washington University

    Central Washington University, often abbreviated CWU, is an accredited four-year educational institution located in Ellensburg, Washington in the United States....
  • Eastern Washington University
    Eastern Washington University

    Eastern Washington University is a public comprehensive state university. The main campus is located in Cheney, Washington and has a branch campus in Spokane, Washington, Washington....
  • The Evergreen State College
    The Evergreen State College

    The Evergreen State College, is an accredited public liberal arts college and is a member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges that is located in Olympia, Washington....
  • University of Washington
    University of Washington

    University of Washington, founded in 1861, is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, Washington, United States. Also known as Washington and locally as UW or the U, it is the largest university in the northwestern United States and the oldest public university on the west coast....
  • Washington State University
    Washington State University

    Washington State University is an American public school research university in Pullman, Washington, Washington. WSU is the state's largest Land-grant university university and offers more than 200 fields of study....
  • Western Washington University
    Western Washington University

    Western Washington University is one of six public university, university of higher education in the U.S. state of Washington. It is located in Bellingham, Washington and offers bachelor degree and master degree degrees....


Private universities
Private university

Private universities are not operated by governments though they may or may not receive funding . Depending on the region, private universities may be subject to government regulation....
  • Antioch University Seattle
    Antioch University

    Antioch University is a six-campus United States university with campuses in four states. An outgrowth of Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio, each of Antioch's campuses has its own distinct academic programs, community life, and regional identity....
  • Argosy University/Seattle
    Argosy University/Seattle

    Argosy University/Seattle is one of 14 nationwide campuses of Argosy University, which was formed in 2001 through the merger of the American Schools of Professional Psychology, the Medical Institute of Minnesota, and the University of Sarasota, Florida....
  • Art Institute of Seattle
    The Art Institute of Seattle

    The Art Institute of Seattle in Seattle, Washington is one of The Art Institutes, a system of more than 40 educational institutions located throughout North America, providing education in design, media arts, fashion and culinary arts....
  • Bastyr University
    Bastyr University

    Bastyr University was established as the John Bastyr College of Naturopathic Medicine in 1978 in Seattle, Washington by Sheila Quinn, Joseph Pizzorno, ND, LM; William Mitchell, ND; and Les Griffith, ND, LM....
  • City University of Seattle
  • Cornish College of the Arts
    Cornish College of the Arts

    Cornish College of the Arts is a fully accredited institution in the Denny Regrade, Seattle, Washington and Capitol Hill, Seattle, Washington neighborhoods of Seattle, Washington, USA that offers the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance, Theater, Performance Production, Design, and Fine Art, as well as the Bachelor of Music degree....
  • DeVry University
    DeVry University

    DeVry University and DeVry Institute of Technology are Division of Devry Inc. , a private tertiary for-profit school composed of 23 major campuses, 3 subsidiary institutions, and numerous minor service centres in the United States and Canada....
  • DigiPen Institute of Technology
    DigiPen Institute of Technology

    DigiPen Institute of Technology is a college located in Redmond, Washington, Washington which has a focus on art, computer science, and computer engineering with emphasis in creating video games....
  • Gonzaga University
    Gonzaga University

    Gonzaga University is a private Catholic Jesuit university located in Spokane, Washington, Washington, United States. Founded in 1887 by the Society of Jesus, it is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities and is named after the young Jesuit saint, St....
  • Henry Cogswell College
    Henry Cogswell College

    Henry Cogswell College was an institution of higher learning located in Kirkland, Washington and Everett, Washington, Washington between 1979 and 2006....
  • Heritage College
  • Northwest University
  • Pacific Lutheran University
    Pacific Lutheran University

    Pacific Lutheran University is located in Parkland, Washington, a suburb of Tacoma, Washington. As of February 2008, PLU had a student population of 3,443 and approximately 280 full-time faculty....
  • St. Martin's University
    St. Martin's University

    Saint Martin's University is a private, coeducational Catholic liberal arts, university in the United States. Located in Lacey, Washington, it was founded in 1895 as an all-boys boarding school by monks of the Benedictine Order....
  • School of Visual Concepts
    School of Visual Concepts

    The School of Visual Concepts in Seattle, Washington, is a vocational school training students and working professionals in the fields of graphic design, advertising art direction, advertising copywriting, web design, and marketing communications....
  • Seattle Bible College
  • Seattle Institute of Oriental Medicine
    Seattle Institute of Oriental Medicine

    The Seattle Institute of Oriental Medicine is a single-purpose graduate college located in Seattle, Washington's Roosevelt, Seattle, Washington neighborhood....
  • Seattle Pacific University
    Seattle Pacific University

    Seattle Pacific University is a Christianity university of the liberal arts, sciences and professions, located on the north slope of Queen Anne, Seattle, Washington in Seattle, Washington, USA....
  • Seattle University
    Seattle University

    Seattle University is a non-profit Roman Catholic Church Society of Jesus university located in the First Hill, Seattle, WA neighborhood of Seattle, WA....
  • Trinity Lutheran College
  • University of Puget Sound
    University of Puget Sound

    The University of Puget Sound is a private Liberal arts colleges in the United States located in the North Tacoma of Tacoma, Washington, in the United States....
  • Walla Walla University
  • Whitman College
    Whitman College

    Whitman College is a co-educational, non-sectarian residential undergraduate Liberal arts colleges in the United States in Walla Walla, Washington....
  • Whitworth University
    Whitworth University

    Whitworth University is a Private school Christian liberal arts college located in Spokane, Washington, Washington state that offers bachelor's degree and master's degrees in a variety of academic disciplines....


    • Community colleges

    • Bates Technical College
      Bates Technical College

      Bates Technical College, located in Tacoma, Washington, is the state?s largest technical college. The college is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities....
    • Bellevue Community College
      Bellevue Community College

      Bellevue Community College is a community college located in Bellevue, Washington, a suburb of Seattle. It serves 35,000 students per year, making it the largest community college and second largest institution of higher education overall in Washington state ....
    • Bellingham Technical College
      Bellingham Technical College

      Bellingham Technical College is located in the Pacific Northwest town of Bellingham, Washington in Washington State. Just a a mile northwest of downtown Bellingham, the campus resides about 90 miles north of Seattle and 60 miles south of Vancouver....
    • Big Bend Community College
      Big Bend Community College

      Big Bend Community College is a two-year college in Moses Lake, Washington. It offers several associate's degrees in academic and vocational fields....
    • Cascadia Community College
      Cascadia Community College

      Cascadia Community College is a community college located in the city of Bothell, Washington. Established in 2000, it is currently the newest community college in the state....
    • Centralia College
    • Clark College
      Clark College (Washington)

      Clark College is a community college located in Vancouver, Washington, Washington. It is currently headed by President Bob Knight, former commander of the Vancouver Barracks and graduate of West Point and also holds an Executive MBA from Golden Gate University....
    • Clover Park Technical College
      Clover Park Technical College

      Clover Park Technical College is located in Lakewood, Washington, in the United States, south of Seattle. It has an enrollment of 3,500 full-time and 18,000 part-time students....
    • Columbia Basin College
      Columbia Basin College

      Columbia Basin College is a two-year community college based in Pasco, Washington, Washington. It includes facilities in nearby Richland, Washington for medical education....
    • Edmonds Community College
      Edmonds Community College

      Edmonds Community College is a college in the metropolitan area of Seattle. More than 19,000 students annually take courses for credit toward a certificate or degree at the college in Snohomish County, Washington....
    • Everett Community College
      Everett Community College

      Everett Community College is a community college located in Everett, Washington. The college was founded in 1941 and currently enrolls over 8,000 students per quarter....
    • Grays Harbor College
      Grays Harbor College

      Grays Harbor College, http://www.ghc.edu/, is a community college located in Aberdeen, Washington, Washington. It was founded in 1930. The college sits on an campus in Aberdeen with "learning centers" in Elma, Washington, Raymond, Washington, Ilwaco, Washington, North Aberdeen and Southside Aberdeen, Washington....
    • Green River Community College
      Green River Community College

      Green River Community College is a community college located in Auburn, Washington, USA. It has a student body of approximately 10,000....
    • Highline Community College
      Highline Community College

      Highline Community College is a junior college located in Des Moines, Washington, south of Seattle, Washington. Highline was founded in 1961 as the first community college in King County....
    • Lake Washington Technical College
      Lake Washington Technical College

      Lake Washington Technical College is located in Kirkland, Washington....
    • Lower Columbia College
      Lower Columbia College

      Lower Columbia College is a community college located in Longview, WA. Established in 1934, it serves the area around Cowlitz County. The current campus was established in 1962, and LCC now has an approximate enrollment of 4,000 students....
  • Olympic College
    Olympic College

    Olympic College is an urban based, but rural and urban serving, Washington, 2-year public institution.Olympic College consists of three campuses and serves Kitsap and Mason counties in Washington....
  • Peninsula College
    Peninsula College

    Peninsula College is a community college located in Port Angeles, Washington with satellite operations in Forks, Washington and Port Townsend, Washington....
  • Pierce College
    Pierce College

    Pierce College is a community college district operating in and serving Pierce County, Washington in the U.S. state of Washington. The district consists of two colleges, Pierce College Fort Steilacoom, Washington in Lakewood, Washington and Pierce College Puyallup, Washington and auxiliary campuses on Fort Lewis, McChord Air Force Base, and i...
  • Renton Technical College
  • Seattle Community College District
    Seattle Community College District

    The Seattle Community College District is a group of community colleges located in Seattle, Washington. It consists of three colleges? North Seattle Community College, Seattle Central Community College , South Seattle Community College ?and the Seattle Vocational Institute....
  • Shoreline Community College
    Shoreline Community College

    Shoreline Community College is a community college in Shoreline, Washington, north of Seattle, Washington. It is located in a residential area east of Shoreview Park....
  • Skagit Valley College
    Skagit Valley College

    Skagit Valley College is a two-year community college serving Skagit, Island, and San Juan County, Washington counties in northwest Washington state....
  • South Puget Sound Community College
    South Puget Sound Community College

    South Puget Sound Community College is a community college located in southwest Olympia, Washington, Washington, USA. It is located in a residential area just off the junction between US Route 101 and the Interstate 5 freeway....
  • Spokane Community College
    Spokane Community College

    Spokane Community College is located in Spokane, WA and is part of the Community Colleges of Spokane.Being the oldest of the community colleges located in Northeast Spokane, it is near Gonzaga University ....
  • Spokane Falls Community College
    Spokane Falls Community College

    Spokane Falls Community College is located in Spokane, WA and is part of the Community Colleges of Spokane.The college, commonly abbreviated as "SFCC" or "The Falls," was opened in 1967 and lies in west Spokane, adjacent to Riverside State Park....
  • Tacoma Community College
    Tacoma Community College

    Tacoma Community College is a community college located in Tacoma, Washington, with satellite operations in Gig Harbor, Washington and the Tacoma Mall....
  • Walla Walla Community College
    Walla Walla Community College

    Walla Walla Community College is a multi-campus community college located in southeastern Washington.WWCC's main branch was established in Walla Walla, Washington in 1967 with a first class of 850 students and has grown to an average annual enrollment of over 13,000 students....
  • Wenatchee Valley College
    Wenatchee Valley College

    Wenatchee Valley College, or WVC, is a two-year Community College located in Wenatchee, Washington. The college provides students with adult education classes, certifications, and 2-year Associates Degree....
  • Whatcom Community College
    Whatcom Community College

    Whatcom Community College is a community college located in Bellingham, Washington, the county seat of Whatcom County. WCC, a public associate degree-granting college, has course and program offers in the liberal arts, professional/technical, basic education and personal/professional enrichment....
  • Yakima Valley Community College
    Yakima Valley Community College

    Founded in 1928, YVCC is one of the oldest community colleges in Washington State. YVCC serves over 10,000 students a year through two campuses located in Yakima and Grandview, as well as learning centers located in Ellensburg, Toppenish and Goldendale....


    • Educational cooperatives

    • Washington School Information Processing Cooperative (WSIPC)
      WSIPC

      The Washington School Information Processing Cooperative is a public cooperative in Washington that provides information services to the state's school districts....


    Educational service district
    Educational service district

    An educational service district or education service district is a type of collective government district in the U.S. states of Washington and Oregon....

    • ESD 101
    • ESD 105
    • ESD 112
    • ESD 113
    • ESD 114
    • ESD 121
    • ESD 123
    • ESD 171
    • ESD 189


    Professional sports

    ClubSportLeagueCity & Stadium
    Seattle Seahawks
    Seattle Seahawks

    The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington, USA. They are currently members of the NFC West of the National Football Conference in the National Football League ....
    		Football
    American football

    American football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, is a competitive team sport known for mixing strategy with physical play....
    		National Football League
    National Football League

    The National Football League is the Major North American professional sports leagues American football Sports league in the United States. It is an unincorporated 501#501.28c.29.286.29 association controlled by its members....
    ; NFL
    National Football Conference

    The National Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . The NFC was created after the league AFL-NFL Merger with the American Football League in 1970....
    		Seattle
    Seattle, Washington

    Seattle is the most populous city in the US state of Washington and the Northwestern United States. The encompassing Seattle metropolitan area is the 15th largest in the United States, and the largest in the Pacific Northwest....
    , Qwest Field
    Qwest Field

    Qwest Field is a multipurpose stadium located in Seattle, Washington, USA. It serves as the home field for the National Football League's Seattle Seahawks, and Major League Soccer's Seattle Sounders FC....
    Seattle Mariners
    Seattle Mariners

    The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the American League West of Major League Baseball's American League....
    		Baseball
    Baseball

    Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport of nine players each. The goal of baseball is to score run by hitting a thrown Baseball with a baseball bat and touching a series of four markers called base arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot square, or diamond. Players on one team take turns hitting against...
    		Major League Baseball
    Major League Baseball

    Major League Baseball is the highest level of play in American professional baseball. Specifically, Major League Baseball refers to the organization that operates the National League and the American League, by means of a joint organizational structure that has developed gradually between them since 1903 ....
    ; AL
    American League

    The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada....
    		Seattle, Safeco Field
    Safeco Field

    Safeco Field, sometimes referred to as Safeco or The Safe, is a retractable roof baseball stadium located in Seattle, Washington, United States of America....
    Seattle Thunderbirds
    Seattle Thunderbirds

    The Seattle Thunderbirds are a junior ice hockey team in Seattle, Washington, Washington that belongs to the Western Hockey League. They play in ShoWare Center in Kent, Washington....
    		Ice Hockey
    Ice hockey

    Ice hockey, often referred to simply as hockey, is a team sport played on ice. It is a fast paced and physical sport. Ice hockey is most popular in areas that are sufficiently cold for natural reliable seasonal ice cover such as Canada, the northern United States, Scandinavia and Russia, though with the advent of indoor artificial ice r...
    		Western Hockey League
    Western Hockey League

    The Western Hockey League is a junior ice hockey ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Pacific Northwest of the United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada....
    		Kent, ShoWare Center
    Seattle Storm
    Seattle Storm

    The Seattle Storm is a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently led by Australian basketball star Lauren Jackson and University of Connecticut star Sue Bird....
    		BasketballWomen's National Basketball Association
    Women's National Basketball Association

    The Women's National Basketball Association has 13 teams and is an organization governing a professional basketball league for women in the United States....
    		Seattle, KeyArena
    Seattle Sounders FC
    Seattle Sounders FC

    Seattle Sounders FC is a professional football club based in Seattle, Washington that will begin play in Major League Soccer in 2009. The team will play its home games at Qwest Field....
    		SoccerMajor League Soccer
    Major League Soccer

    Major League Soccer is the top-flight professional soccer league based in the United States, overseen by the United States Soccer Federation. The league is comprised of 15 teams, 14 in the U.S....
    		Seattle, Qwest Field
    Seattle Sounders
    Seattle Sounders (USL)

    Seattle Sounders was an American professional soccer team, founded in 1994. The team was a member of the USL First Division, the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2008, after which the majority of the team's staff and resources were directed to the new Major League Soccer franchise, Seattle Sounders FC....
    		SoccerUSL First Division
    USL First Division

    The United Soccer Leagues First Division is a professional men's football league in North America. It is the second tier of soccer in the United States and Canada American Soccer Pyramid behind Major League Soccer....
     (men's)
    W-League
    W-League

    The USL W-League is currently the second highest level of professional women's soccer in the United States American Soccer Pyramid.The W-League currently provides the most complete women?s player pool in the world and is recognized as North America?s best women?s developmental organization....
     (women's)    		Seattle, Qwest Field
    Bellingham Slam
    Bellingham Slam

    The Bellingham Slam is a professional basketball team that plays in the International Basketball League. In the past they played in the American Basketball Association ....
    		BasketballAmerican Basketball Association
    American Basketball Association (21st century)

    The American Basketball Association is a professional men's basketball league that was founded in 1999. The current ABA has no affiliation with the original American Basketball Association that ABA-NBA merger in 1976....
    		Bellingham, Whatcom Community College
    Whatcom Community College

    Whatcom Community College is a community college located in Bellingham, Washington, the county seat of Whatcom County. WCC, a public associate degree-granting college, has course and program offers in the liberal arts, professional/technical, basic education and personal/professional enrichment....
    Bellevue Blackhawks
    Bellevue Blackhawks

    The Bellevue Blackhawks are a defunct team in the American Basketball Association owned by Michael Tuckman and based in Bellevue, WA. In their maiden season , the Blackhawks finished in 5th place in the Red Division....
    		BasketballAmerican Basketball Association
    American Basketball Association (21st century)

    The American Basketball Association is a professional men's basketball league that was founded in 1999. The current ABA has no affiliation with the original American Basketball Association that ABA-NBA merger in 1976....
    		Bellevue, Meydenbauer Center
    Meydenbauer Center

    The Meydenbauer Center is a convention center in Bellevue, Washington. It is a prominent landmark from nearby Interstate 405 . The center opened in 1993....
    Everett Silvertips
    Everett Silvertips

    The Everett Silvertips are a major junior ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League that plays in Everett, Washington. They joined the league as an expansion team for the 2003?04 WHL season....
    		Ice HockeyWestern Hockey LeagueEverett
    Everett, Washington

    Everett is the county seat of and the largest city in Snohomish County, Washington, Washington, United States. Named for Everett Colby, son of founder Charles L....
    , Everett Events Center
    Spokane Chiefs
    Spokane Chiefs

    The Spokane Chiefs are a major junior ice hockey team that plays in the Western Hockey League based out of Spokane, Washington. The team plays its home games at the Spokane Arena....
    		Ice HockeyWestern Hockey LeagueSpokane, Spokane Arena
    Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena

    Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena a multi-purpose arena located in Spokane, Washington, USA. The building is home to the Spokane Chiefs ice hockey team of the Western Hockey League, and the Spokane Shock arena football team of the af2....
    Tri-City Americans
    Tri-City Americans

    The Tri-City Americans are a major junior ice hockey team of the Western Hockey League, based in Kennewick, Washington, Washington. The team plays its home games at the Toyota Center ....
    		Ice HockeyWestern Hockey LeagueKennewick
    Kennewick, Washington

    Kennewick is a city in Benton County, Washington in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Washington, near the Hanford Site. It is the most populous of the three cities collectively referred to as the Tri-Cities, Washington ....
    , Toyota Center
    Toyota Center (Kennewick)

    The Toyota Center is an multi-purpose arena in Kennewick, Washington, USA.The arena opened in 1988 as the Tri-Cities Coliseum . In early October 2005, a deal was reached between the city of Kennewick, Washington and Toyota, Toyota would pay $2 million over ten years for naming rights....
    Tri-City FeverArena Football
    Arena football

    Arena football is a sport based upon American football. It is played indoors on a smaller field than American football, resulting in a faster and higher-scoring game....
    		af2
    Af2

    af2 is the name of the Arena Football League's minor league, which started play in 2000. The rules are the same as for the parent league. af2 plays its season from April to July....
    		Kennewick, Toyota Center
    Tri-City Dust Devils
    Tri-City Dust Devils

    The Tri-City Dust Devils are a minor league baseball team in Pasco, Washington, United States. They are a Short-Season A classification team in the Northwest League and have been a farm team of the Colorado Rockies since their inception in 2001....
    		BaseballNorthwest League
    Northwest League

    The Northwest League of Professional Baseball is a Short-Season A classification minor league. The league is the descendant of the Western International League which ran as a class B league from 1937-1951 and class A from 1952-1954....
    ; A
    Minor league baseball

    Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in North America that compete at levels below that of Major League Baseball....
    		Pasco
    Pasco, Washington

    Pasco is a city in and the county seat of Franklin County, Washington, Washington, United States.Pasco is one of three cities that make up the Tri-Cities, Washington region of the state of Washington....
    , Dust Devils Stadium
    Tacoma Rainiers
    Tacoma Rainiers

    The Tacoma Rainiers are a minor league baseball team that plays in the Pacific Coast League , and are the Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners....
    		BaseballPacific Coast League
    Pacific Coast League

    The Pacific Coast League is a minor league baseball league operating in the West, Midwest, and Southeast of the United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball....
    ; AAA
    Minor league baseball

    Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in North America that compete at levels below that of Major League Baseball....
    		Tacoma, Cheney Stadium
    Cheney Stadium

    Cheney Stadium, in Tacoma, Washington, is the home field for the Tacoma Rainiers minor-league baseball team of the AAA Pacific Coast League. The stadium opened in 1960, and has a capacity of 9,600....
    Spokane Indians
    Spokane Indians

    The Spokane Indians are a minor league baseball team in Spokane, Washington, USA. They are a Short-Season A classification team in the Northwest League and have been a farm team of the Texas Rangers since 2003....
    		BaseballNorthwest League
    Northwest League

    The Northwest League of Professional Baseball is a Short-Season A classification minor league. The league is the descendant of the Western International League which ran as a class B league from 1937-1951 and class A from 1952-1954....
    ; A    		Spokane, Avista Stadium
    Avista Stadium

    Avista Stadium is a stadium in Spokane Valley, Washington, USA. It is primarily used for baseball, and is the home field of the Spokane Indians minor league baseball team, a Class A short-season affiliate of the Texas Rangers ....
    Everett AquaSox
    Everett AquaSox

    The Everett AquaSox are a minor league baseball team in Everett, Washington, USA. They are a Short-Season A classification team in the Northwest League....
    		BaseballNorthwest League
    Northwest League

    The Northwest League of Professional Baseball is a Short-Season A classification minor league. The league is the descendant of the Western International League which ran as a class B league from 1937-1951 and class A from 1952-1954....
    ; A    		Everett, Everett Memorial Stadium
    Everett Memorial Stadium

    Everett Memorial Stadium is a stadium in Everett, Washington, USA. It is primarily used for baseball, and is the home field of the Everett AquaSox minor league baseball team....
    Yakima Bears
    Yakima Bears

    The Yakima Bears are a minor league baseball team in Yakima, Washington. They are a Short-Season A classification team in the Northwest League and have been a farm team of the Arizona Diamondbacks since 2001, formerly with the Los Angeles Dodgers from the team's creation in 1990 when the Salem Dodgers were moved to Yakima....
    		BaseballNorthwest League
    Northwest League

    The Northwest League of Professional Baseball is a Short-Season A classification minor league. The league is the descendant of the Western International League which ran as a class B league from 1937-1951 and class A from 1952-1954....
    ; A    		Yakima, Yakima County Stadium
    Yakima County Stadium

    Yakima County Stadium is a stadium in Yakima, Washington located in the Central Washington State Fairgrounds. It is primarily used for baseball, and is the home field of the Yakima Bears minor league baseball team....
    Spokane Shock
    Spokane Shock

    The Spokane Shock are a professional arena football team in the af2 from Spokane, Washington, USA. They play their home games at the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena....
    		Arena Football
    Arena football

    Arena football is a sport based upon American football. It is played indoors on a smaller field than American football, resulting in a faster and higher-scoring game....
    		af2
    Af2

    af2 is the name of the Arena Football League's minor league, which started play in 2000. The rules are the same as for the parent league. af2 plays its season from April to July....
    		Spokane, Spokane Arena
    Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena

    Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena a multi-purpose arena located in Spokane, Washington, USA. The building is home to the Spokane Chiefs ice hockey team of the Western Hockey League, and the Spokane Shock arena football team of the af2....
    Yakima Sun KingsBasketballContinental Basketball Association
    Continental Basketball Association

    The Continental Basketball Association is a professional men's basketball league in the United States. It is affiliated with USA Basketball, the sport's governing body in the United States....
    		Yakima, Yakima Valley SunDome
    Yakima SunDome

    The Yakima SunDome is a 6,195 seat multi-purpose arena in Yakima, Washington. It was built in 1990 on the Central Washington State Fairgrounds and often serves as an exhibit hall during the fair....
    Old Puget Sound Beach RFC
    Old Puget Sound Beach RFC

    Old Puget Sound Beach Rugby Football Club is a Rugby Super League rugby union team based in Seattle, Washington....
    		RugbyRSLSeattle, various venues


    Miscellaneous topics

    Three ships of the United States Navy
    United States Navy

    The United States Navy is the navy of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy currently has approximately 331,682 personnel on active duty as of 31 December 2008 and 124,000 in the United States Navy Reserve....
    , including two battleships, have been named USS Washington
    USS Washington

    Ten ships of the United States Navy have been named USS Washington, the first six in honor of George Washington, the seventh in honor of Department of the Treasury official and assistant Postmaster General Peter G....
     in honor of the state. Previous ships had held that name in honor of George Washington.

    State symbols


    The State song is "Washington My Home", the State bird
    List of U.S. state birds

    This is a list of U.S. state birds as designated by each state's legislature. The selection of state birds began in 1927, when the legislatures for Alabama, Florida, Maine, Missouri, Oregon, Texas and Wyoming selected their state birds....
     is the American Goldfinch
    American Goldfinch

    The American Goldfinch , also known as the Eastern Goldfinch and Wild Canary, is a North American bird in the finch family . It is bird migration, ranging from southern Canada to North Carolina during the breeding season, and from just south of the Canadian border to Mexico during the winter....
    , the State fruit is the Apple
    APPLE

    This article is about the satellite APPLE. For the fruit apple, see Apple. For other uses see Apple .The Ariane Passenger PayLoad Experiment , was an experimental communication satellite with a C-Band transponder launched by Indian Space Research Organisation satellite on June 19, 1981 by Ariane 1, a launch vehicle of the European Spac...
    , and the State vegetable is the Walla Walla Sweet Onion
    Onion

    Onion is a term used for many plants in the genus Allium. They are known by the common name "onion" but, used without qualifiers, it usually refers to Allium cepa....
     The State dance, adopted in 1979, is the Square Dance
    Square dance

    The various square dance movements are based on the steps and figures used in traditional folk dances and social dances of the various people who migrated to the USA....
    . The State Tree is the Western Hemlock
    Western Hemlock

    Tsuga heterophylla is a species of Tsuga native to the west coast of North America, with its northwestern limit on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, and its southeastern limit in northern Sonoma County, California, California....
    . The State flower is the Coast Rhododendron
    Rhododendron

    Rhododendron is a genus of flowering plants in the family Ericaceae. It is a large genus with over 1000 species and most have showy flower displays....
    . The State Fish is the Steelhead Trout. The State folk song is "Roll On, Columbia, Roll On" by Woody Guthrie
    Woody Guthrie

    Woodrow Wilson "Woody" Guthrie is best known as an United States singer-songwriter and folk musician, whose musical legacy includes hundreds of political, Traditional music and children's songs, ballads and improvised works....
    . The State Grass is Bluebunch wheatgrass
    Bluebunch wheatgrass

    Bluebunch Wheatgrass is a native North American perennial bunchgrass. It is known by the scientific name Pseudoroegnaria spicata, and by the scientific synonyms Elymus spicatus and Agropyron spicatum....
    . The State Insect is the Green Darner Dragonfly
    Dragonfly

    A dragonfly is a type of insect belonging to the order Odonata, the suborder Epiprocta or, in the strict sense, the infraorder Anisoptera....
    . The State Gem
    List of U.S. state minerals, rocks, stones and gemstones

    Not every state has an official state mineral, rock, stone or gemstone. ...
     is Petrified wood
    Petrified wood

    Petrified wood is a type of fossil: it consists of fossil wood where all the organic life have been replaced with minerals , while retaining the original structure of the wood....
    . The State Fossil
    State fossil

    Most American states have made a state fossil designation, in many cases during the 1980s. It is common to designate one species in which fossilization has occurred, rather than a single specimen, or a category of fossils not limited to a single species....
     is the Columbian Mammoth
    Columbian Mammoth

    The 'Columbian Mammoth' is an extinct species of elephant that appeared in North America during the late Pleistocene, It is believed by some people to be the same species as its slightly larger cousin, M....
    . The State Marine Mammal is the Orca Whale. The State Seal
    Seals of the U.S. states

    The following gallery is a list of seals of the U.S. state. Years in parentheses denote the date of the state's adoption....
     (featured in the state flag as well) was inspired by the unfinished portrait by Gilbert Stuart
    Gilbert Stuart

    Gilbert Charles Stuart was an American Painting from Rhode Island.Gilbert Stuart is widely considered to be one of America's foremost portraitists....
    .

    See also



    External links

    • - Annotated list of searchable databases produced by Washington state agencies and compiled by the Government Documents Roundtable of the American Library Association.
    • - Economic, environmental, and energy data