13 London and Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON, D.C.

Washington (D.C. stands for District of Columbia) is the capital of the United States of America. The city was named after the first American President, George Washington. President George Washington chose the site of the city in 1791, and Washington replaced Philadelphia as the nation’s capital in 1800. The District is located in the east of the USA on the north bank of the Potomac River and is bordered by the states of Virginia to the southwest and Maryland to the other sides. Most of the sites are located on the National Mall, simply called the Mall, a boulevard between the Capitol and the Washington Monument. It has a population of 689,545, which makes it the 23rd most populous city in the U.S. as of 2020.

Cuisine

Washington, D.C. is rich in both fine dining as well as casual eating, and is now considered by many to be one of the best cities for dining in the United States. The city benefits from a diverse food scene made up of restaurants with a wide variety of international cuisines. The city's Chinatown, for example, is filled with Chinese-style restaurants. The city also has many Middle Eastern, European, African, Asian, and Latin American cuisine options. D.C. is known for being one of the best cities in the world for Ethiopian cuisine, due in part to the heavy influx of Ethiopian immigrants during the 20th century, many of whom opened restaurants in the city. A part of the Shaw neighbourhood in central D.C. is known as "Little Ethiopia" and has a high concentration of Ethiopian restaurants and shops.

Despite the cosmopolitan nature of the city, D.C. is known for being the birthplace of particular foods and has some recognizable restaurants and eateries. Among the most famous D.C.-born food is the half-smoke, which is a half-beef, half-pork sausage placed in a hotdog-style bun and topped with onion, chilly, and cheese.

Historical sights and interersting places

The city is the seat of the federal government, the President, the Congress and the Supreme Court. All the big federal offices are located there, including the Capitol, which is the seat of the Congress. The Capitol building is marked by its central dome above a rotunda and two wings, one for each chamber of Congress: the north wing is the Senate chamber and the south wing is the House of Representatives chamber. The statue on top of the dome is the Statue of Freedom.

Another important place is the White House, which is the residence of the American president. In 1800 the second president John Adams became the first president to occupy the building. The White House is equipped with all sorts of fun areas, such as a tennis court, a cinema, several pool tables, and even a bowling alley. The White House welcomes over 7,000 visitors a day, including tourists, diplomats, politicians, and other White House staff. (There are 35 bathrooms in the White House, 28 fireplaces, and three lifts. The White House has survived several fires, some of which required major repairs.)