No, it is not a state or a part of any state. The District of Columbia, or D.C. for short, is a district in the national capital, Washington, D.C. The district, named after explorer Christopher Columbus, sits on the Potomac River on land that once belonged to the state of Maryland. Because the city of Washington which was named after the nation’s first president, George Washington covers the entire area, the names “Washington, D.C.” and “District of Columbia” have the same meaning. The area is 69 square miles (178 square kilometers) and a federal district, meaning it is an area reserved as the seat of the U.S. government. So, Washington, D.C. is almost like two cities in one a federal city with government monuments, buildings, and parks (including the White House, the Capitol, and the Supreme Court), and an everyday city more than half a million people call home.
- Why do women in some countries wear veils?
- Which states were not organized as territories first?
- How did the United States begin?
- How did we get the United States national anthem?
- What do the stars and stripes on the United States flag mean?
- Why is the bald eagle the official national symbol of the United States?
- Why is the Statue of Liberty such an important symbol of the United States?
- Why is it important to vote?
- What is a citizen?
- Why do we need to follow the law?
- What happens when a person breaks the law?
- How does a person’s clothing tell where he or she comes from?
- How does the Bill of Rights protect individual liberties?
- What is the Bill of Rights?
- What is a town meeting?
- What does a mayor do?
- What is a governor’s job?
- How is state government organized?
- What is the difference between a senator and a representative?
- What is the president’s job?
