Washington, DC is the capital of the United States and was founded on July 16th, 1790. Washington’s permanent population within the city is over 588,000 however that population swells to over 1 million people during the workweek. The entire Washington metropolitan area’s population totals over 5 million residents which is the eighth-largest in the United States. As a minority-majority city, Washington’s population is very diverse. Over 74,000 foreign immigrants live within Washington’s city limits, mainly coming from El Salvador, Vietnam, and Ethiopia.
Washington’s economy is also very strong and is growing due to an increasing number of professional and service jobs within the city. In 2008, the federal government employed about 27% of all workers within the city. Other large organizations such as law firms, lobbyist groups, nonprofit organizations, and labor organizations are also located within Washington to be close to the central government. There are currently five Fortune 1000 companies and another two Fortune 500 companies located within the city limits. Some of the other top employers in Washington are The George Washington University, Georgetown University, Washington Hospital Center, Howard University, and Fannie Mae. The unemployment rate in Washington is phenomenal with an unemployment rate of just 3.5% which is the lowest rate among the 40 largest metropolitan areas in the United States.
Home to many different attractions and landmarks, Washington DC welcomes over 15 million visitors each year including 13.9 domestic visitors and another 1.2 million international visitors making it the 8th-most visited city in the United States. Some of the most notable monuments within the city are the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the National World War II Memorial, the Korean War Veterans memorial, and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. In addition to the many memorials in the city, Washington DC is also home to many different museums with the Smithsonian Institution running most of them. The Smithsonian Institution runs the National Museum of Natural History, the National Air and Space Museum, the National Museum of African Art, the National Museum of American History, the National Museum of the American Indian, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
Washington, DC is also home to many professional sports teams. In all, there are five major men’s professional teams. The Washington Wizards (NBA), the Washington Capitals (NHL), the Washington Nationals (MLB), the DC United (MLS) and the Washington Redskins all play in Washington DC. There are also several women’s professional teams including the Washington Mystics (WNBA) and the Washington Glory (National Pro Fastpitch Softball). Compared with other cities, Washington is one of only 13 cities with professional sports teams from all four major men’s sports which include football, basketball, baseball, and hockey. Combined between all of Washington’s professional teams, Washington DC has a total of 11 league championships to boast about.
