Washington DC is the capital of the United States. People also speak of The Capital or the District of Columbia. The city has approximately 785,000 inhabitants, more than 75% of whom are dark-skinned. The suburban metropolitan area in the neighboring states of Maryland and Virginia, which encloses Washington, is officially called the Washington Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area (SMSA) with an area of more than 6,000 square kilometers and more than three million inhabitants. In this city the America comes to the fore with its beautiful MALL, Arlington Cemetery, etc. etc. Below you will find a number of things that make your visit to America worthwhile.
Washington DC has no skyscrapers or other tall buildings. Of course you know the White House. The tallest building is The Capitol where the US government resides. No building may rise above the top of the Capitol. Washington has wide avenues and beautiful Greek-style buildings. The important area for the tourist is downtown. The suburbs of Washington DC can provide a good picture of the decline. The less fortunate population living there is poor and if they have work at all, it is in industry and it concerns low-paid jobs. Downtown one sees absolutely nothing of this degradation.
The Mall is a mile-long boulevard between the Capitol and Washington Monument. This is often referred to as the cultural heart of Washington DC. Quite a few museums are housed along this boulevard. The National Museum of American History, Freer Gallery of Art, National Museum of Natural History, National Museum of African Art, National Gallery of Art, United States Holocaust Museum, National Air and Space Museum, and the Hirshhorn Museum are all located on The Mall. In other words The Mall is an excellent place for museum lovers. By visiting these museums one gets a good impression of mainly American history.
Old Downtown runs parallel to The Mall and, unlike today, was the center of the city a hundred years ago. F Street was the first paved road in the city. Shops, newspapers, bars and churches were located there. There were also luxury homes for the upper classes in Washington. You will find a number of nice attractions: the FBI headquarters where free tours are given by a real FBI agent, the Ronald Reagan Building, US National Archives, Mellon Fountain, Old Post Office and the US Navy Memorial.
