On July 9, 1790, Congress passed the Residence Act, which approved the creation of a national capital on the Potomac River. The exact location was to be selected by President George Washington, who signed the bill into law on July 16. 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.
Washington, DC is a compact city, bordering the states of Maryland and Virginia. It’s defined by imposing neoclassical monuments and buildings – including the iconic ones that house the federal government’s 3 branches: the Capitol, White House and Supreme Court. It's also home to iconic museums and performing-arts venues such as the Kennedy Center. The National Mall is a large, open park in downtown Washington between the Lincoln Memorial and the United States Capitol. The Washington Monument and the Jefferson Pier are near the center of the mall, south of the White House. Also on the mall are the National World War II Memorial at the east end of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
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Wikipedia.org; Photo Credit: DOD photo by Tech. Sgt. Andy Dunaway, U.S. Air Force. (RELEASED) (U.S. Navy NewsStand photo ID 030926-F-2828D-157) [Public domain]/ Wikimedia Commons