Capital: Olympia

Population: 7,535,591 (Source: 2012 U.S. Census)

Major Cities: Seattle, Spokane, Tacoma, Vancouver, Bellevue, Kent

Borders: Oregon, Idaho, Canada, Pacific Ocean

Gross Domestic Product (GDP): $375,730 million (2012 U.S. Department of Commerce)

Key Industries:

Agriculture including apples, berries, cattle, fishing, poultry, and wheat

Timber and wood products, paper products, computer software, aircraft, and tourism

How Washington got its name: The state is named after the first president of the United States, George Washington.

The Geography of Washington

Total Size: 66,544 sq. miles (source: 2003 Census)

Geographical Low Point: Pacific Ocean at Sea Level (source: U.S. Geological Survey)

Geographical High Point: Mt. Rainier at 14,411 feet, located in the county/subdivision of Pierce (source:

Central Point: Located in Chelan County approx. 10 miles west-southwest of Wenatchee (source: U.S. Geological Survey)

Counties: 39

Bodies of Water: Pacific Ocean, Puget Sound, Strait of Juan de Fuca, Columbia River, Snake River, Skagit River, Lake Chelan, Lake Washington

Famous People From Washington

• Bob Barker - Game show host

• Kurt Cobain - Singer and songwriter

• Bing Crosby - Singer and actor

• Bill Gates - Co-founder of Microsoft

• John Elway - Professional football player

• Richard Gordon - Astronaut

• Alex Haley - Author

• Jimi Hendrix - Rock star and guitarist

• Steve Largent - Professional football player

• Gary Larson - Cartoonist famous for "The Far side"

• Tim Lincecum - Professional baseball player

• Carl Sagan - Astronomer

• Hope Solo - Soccer player

Fun Facts About Washington

• In Everett, Washington is the final assembly plant for Boeing airplanes. It is the biggest building in the world.

• Seattle, Washington is home to the world famous Space Needle. It has a rotating restaurant at the top.

• It is the only state to be named for a US president. The residents had recommended Columbia, but Congress decided to name the land after George Washington.

• Washington is the leading apple producer of the states.

• It gets the nickname, the Evergreen State, from its large forests of evergreen trees.

• Microsoft corporation is headquartered in Redmond. Bill Gates, the head of Microsoft and the richest man in the US, also lives in this state.

• The state insect is the dragonfly.

• Aberdeen was once called the 'roughest town west of the Mississippi'.

• Mount St. Helens is an active volcano. It had a huge eruption in 1980.

Professional Sports Teams in Washington

• Seattle Storm - WNBA (basketball)

• Seattle Mariners - MLB (baseball)

• Seattle Seahawks - NFL (football)

• Seattle Sounders - MLS (soccer)

Mount Rainier by Lyn Topinka

Further inland were the plateau tribes. They included the Nez Perce, Yakima, Cayuse, Okanogan, and Spokane tribes. These tribes moved often to find new hunting grounds and lived in less permanent grass huts. They often fished in the rivers and streams for salmon.

Europeans Arrive

In 1775, Spanish explorer Captain Bruno Heceta landed on the coast of Washington and claimed the land for Spain. Soon other European explorers arrived including British Captains James Cook in 1778 and George Vancouver in 1792. Vancouver spent two years mapping out the coast of Washington. He discovered and named Puget Sound and claimed the area for Britain. Also in 1792, American Robert Gray explored the region. He discovered and named the Columbia River.

Early Settlers

The first settlers in the region were fur traders. These men traded with the local Native Americans for furs that were valuable in China and Europe. In 1805, American explorers Lewis and Clark entered the region after crossing the continent of North America. They were exploring the land west of the Mississippi and the Louisiana Purchase. They spent the winter at the mouth of the Columbia River. In 1836, the missionary Marcus Whitman arrived. He built several missions in an effort to teach the Native Americans about Christianity.

Marcus Whitman by Paul Kane

Becoming a State

Throughout the early 1800s, the land of Washington was shared between the United States and Great Britain. In 1846, the United States gained control of the region through the Oregon Treaty. Washington became part of the Oregon Territory which included Washington, Oregon, Idaho, parts of Wyoming, and parts of Montana. In 1853, Oregon broke off and the Washington Territory was formed. On November 11, 1889, Washington was admitted into the Union as the 42nd state.

Growing

The state of Washington grew rapidly in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The main industry was timber, but soon apples and wheat became important crops. Seattle became one of the main ports for people traveling to Alaska during the Yukon Gold Rush, causing it to double in size over a fairly short period of time.

Seattle skyline

Timeline

• 1775 - Spanish explorer Captain Bruno Heceta lands on the coast and claims the land for Spain.

• 1778 - Captain James Cook visits the coast searching for the Northwest Passage.

• 1792 - George Vancouver maps out the coast of Washington and names Puget Sound.

• 1792 - American explorer Robert Gray discovers the Columbia River.

• 1805 - Lewis and Clark reach the Pacific Ocean at the mouth of the Columbia River.

• 1824 - Fort Vancouver is built on the Columbia River by the Hudson's Bay Company.

• 1836 - The missionary Marcus Whitman arrives and begins building missions.

• 1846 - The U.S. gains control of the region through the Oregon Treaty with Great Britain.

• 1848 - The Oregon Territory is created including Washington.

• 1853 - The Washington Territory is established.

• 1889 - Washington becomes the 42nd state.

• 1897 - Seattle begins to boom due to the Klondike Gold Rush.

• 1899 - Mount Rainier National Park is established.

• 1916 - The Boeing Company is formed by William E. Boeing in Seattle.

• 1941 - The Grand Coulee Dam is completed.

• 1962 - The Space Needle opens in Seattle along with the World's Fair.

• 1980 - The volcano Mount Saint Helens erupts.