From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Washington (IPA: /ˈwɒʃɪŋtən/) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Washington was carved out of the western part of Washington Territory and admitted to the Union as the 42nd state in 1889. In 2006, the Census Bureau estimated the state's population at 6,395,798.
Named after George Washington, it is the only U.S. state named after a president. Residents are called "Washingtonians" (emphasis on the third syllable, pronounced as tone). Washington is sometimes called Washington state or the State of Washington to distinguish it from Washington, D.C., the U.S. capital.
Geography
Washington is the northwestern-most state of the contiguous United States. Its northern border lies mainly along the 49th parallel, and then via marine boundaries through the Strait of Georgia, Haro Strait and Strait of Juan de Fuca, with the Canadian province of British Columbia to the north. Washington borders Oregon to the south, with the Columbia River
forming most of the boundary and the 46th parallel forming the eastern
part of the southern boundary. To the east Washington borders Idaho, bounded mostly by the meridian running north from the confluence of the Snake River and Clearwater River
(about 116°57' west), except for the southernmost section where the
border follows the Snake River. To the west of Washington lies the Pacific Ocean.[3]
Washington is in the region known as the Pacific Northwest, a term which often includes part or all of British Columbia in Canada and part of Alaska. Sometimes it refers only to lands within the Northwestern United States, including Oregon
but the term properly includes British Columbia and Southeast Alaska
(the Panhandle) and in some reckonings includes Idaho, the western
counties of Montana, the northern counties of California, and the Yukon Territory.
Digitally colored elevation map of Washington.
The high mountains of the Cascade Range run north-south, bisecting the state. Western Washington, west of the Cascades, has a mostly marine west coast climate
with relatively mild temperatures, wet winters, and dry summers.
Western Washington also supports dense forests of conifers and areas of
temperate rain forest. In contrast, Eastern Washington, east of the Cascades, has a relatively dry climate with large areas of semiarid steppe and a few truly arid deserts lying in the rainshadow
of the Cascades; the Hanford reservation receives an average annual
precipitation of between six and seven inches (178 mm) . Farther east,
the climate becomes less arid. The Palouse
region of southeast Washington was grassland that has been mostly
converted into farmland. Other parts of eastern Washington are forested
and mountainous.
The Cascade Range contains several volcanoes, which reach altitudes significantly higher than the rest of the mountains. From the north to the south these volcanoes are Mount Baker, Glacier Peak, Mount Rainier, Mount St. Helens, and Mount Adams. Mount St. Helens
is currently the only Washington volcano that is actively erupting;
however, all of them are considered active volcanoes. Nestled amongst
the hills are the Galena chain lakes.
Washington's position on the Pacific Ocean and the harbors of Puget Sound give the state a leading role in maritime trade with Alaska, Canada, and the Pacific Rim. Puget Sound's many islands are served by the largest ferry fleet in the United States.
Washington is a land of contrasts. The deep forests of the Olympic Peninsula, such as the Hoh Rain Forest,
are among the only temperate rainforests in the continental United
States, but the semi-desert east of the Cascade Range has few trees. Mount Rainier, the highest mountain in the state,[2] is covered with more glacial ice than any other peak in the lower 48 states.
Federal land and reservations
National Parks
There are three national parks and two National Monuments in Washington
National forests in the state include:
Other protected lands of note include: & the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area
There are many wilderness designated areas in Washington, including:
There are several large military-related reservations, including:
There are many Indian reservations in Washington. The largest include
Climate
Washington's climate varies greatly from west to east. An oceanic climate
(also called "marine west coast climate") predominates in western
Washington, and a much drier climate prevails east of the Cascade
Range. Major factors determining Washington's climate include the large
semi-permanent high pressure and low pressure
systems of the north Pacific Ocean, the continental air masses of North
America, and the Olympic and Cascade mountains. In the spring and
summer, a high pressure anticyclone system dominates the north Pacific Ocean, causing air to spiral out in a clockwise fashion. For Washington this means prevailing winds from the northwest bringing relatively cool air and a predictably dry season. In the autumn and winter, a low pressure cyclone
system takes over in the north Pacific Ocean, with air spiraling inward
in a counter-clockwise fashion. This causes Washington's prevailing
winds to come from the southwest, bringing relatively warm and moist
air masses and a predictably wet season. The term Pineapple Express is used to describe the extreme form of this wet season pattern.[4]
In 2006, the Climate Impacts Group at the University of Washington published The Impacts of Climate change in Washington’s Economy,
a preliminary assessment on the risks and opportunities presented given
the possibility of a rise in global temperatures and their effects on
Washington state.[5]
Rain shadow effects
Washington enjoys extensive variation in rainfall
The coastal mountains and Cascades compound this climatic pattern by causing orographic lift
of the air masses blown inland from the Pacific Ocean, resulting in the
windward side of the mountains receiving high levels of precipitation
and the leeward side receiving low levels. This occurs most
dramatically around the Olympic Mountains and the Cascade Range. In
both cases the windward slopes facing southwest receive high
precipitation and mild, cool temperatures. In contrast, the leeward
slopes facing northeast experience a rain shadow effect, with low precipitation and warmer temperatures. As a result, there are temperate rain forests on the southwest side of the Olympic Mountains while the northeast side has a drier climate sometimes called sub-mediterranean climate.[6] The San Juan Islands and the city of Sequim
are known for their dry climate compared to the rest of the coastal
region. The Olympic rain shadow extends into Canada. Terms like
"Mediterranean", "sub-Mediterranean", and "modified Mediterranean" are
sometimes used to describe the Olympic rainshadow region even though it
is quite different from the standard "Mediterranean" climate. The terms
are mainly used to indicate a climate with wet winters and dry summers
with regular drought conditions.
The Cascade Range forms a larger barrier than the Olympics and has a correspondingly stronger orographic
effect. While the Puget Sound lowlands are known for clouds and rain in
the winter, the western slopes of the Cascades receive larger amounts
of precipitation, often falling as snow at higher elevations. (Mount Baker,
near the state's northern border, is one of the snowiest places in the
world: in 1999, it set the world record for snowfall in a single
season. (1,140 inches/95 feet/2,896 cm) [2].) East of the Cascades, a large region experiences strong rain shadow effects. Semi-arid
conditions occur in much of eastern Washington with the strongest rain
shadow effects at the relatively low elevations of the central Columbia River Plateau — especially the region just east of the Columbia River from about the Snake River to the Okanagan Highland. Thus instead of rain forests much of eastern Washington is covered with grassland and shrub-steppe.
Temperatures
The average annual temperature ranges from 51 °F (10.6 °C) on the
Pacific coast to 40 °F (4.4 °C) in the northeast. The recorded
temperature in the state has ranged from -48 °F (-44.4 °C) to 118 °F
(47.8 °C) with both records set east of the Cascades. Western
Washington is known for its mild climate, considerable fog, frequent
cloud cover and long-lasting drizzles in the winter, and sunny and dry
summers. The western region occasionally experiences extreme climate.
Arctic cold fronts in the winter and heat waves in the summer are not
uncommon. The western side of the Olympic Peninsula receives as much as
160 inches (4064 mm) of precipitation annually, making it the wettest
area of the 48 conterminous states. Weeks or even months may pass
without a clear day. The western slopes of the Cascade Range receive
some of the heaviest annual snowfall (in some places more than 200
inches/5080 mm) in the country. In the rain shadow area east of the
Cascades, the annual precipitation is only 6 inches (152 mm).
Precipitation increases eastward toward the Rocky Mountains.
History
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Mt. Rainier reflected in Reflection lake.
Classical
from 
