Washington,D.C., New York

NEW YORK; WASHINGTON, D.C.

Washington
- not just only the national capital city but perhaps the most beautiful and originally designed city in the United States
- named after the first president - George Washington, who chose the area for the city
- lies in the southeast of the USA on the River Potomac between Maryland and Virginia; it is the only city that is not part of a state
- it covers the entire area of the District of Columbia (= D.C.)
- Washington is the U.S. legislative, administrative and judicial centre
- it was planned as the federal city so there are no skyscrapers, only the national buildings and the administrational centres
- is a very calm and peaceful city with almost no crime
- the old part now called the Mall area is where all of the most important buildings are situated

History
1790 – the Residence Act provided for a new permanent capital to be located on the Potomac River, the exact area to be selected by the first President George Washington
1791 – A new federal city was constructed; the federal city was named in honour of George Washington
1800 – Washington replaced Philadelphia as the nation’s capital; Congress held its first session in Washington in November 17
1814 – in a raid known as the Burning of Washington. The Capitol, Treasury and White House were burned and gutted – since that, the White House is white
2001 – Terrorists hijacked American Airlines Flight 77 and deliberately crashed the plane into the Pentagon. United Airlines Flight 93 believed to be destined for Washington D.C., crashed in Pennsylvania

Transport
- 3 major airports: Washington National Airport; Dulles International Airport; Baltimore-Washington International Airport
- bus service includes Greyhound- Trailways for long distances
- the subway system is called "metro"; taxis; on foot

Places of interest
The Capitol - is among the most symbolically important and architecturally impressivebuildings in the nation
- it is the seat of the Federal Government (Congress) and its two chambers – Senate and House of Representatives; nowadays it has two wings and a Rotunda in the middle: The South Wing is where the House of Representatives meets, the North Wing is the seat of the Senate; the Rotunda is where high members of the Government lie in the state after their death; on the top of the building is the bronze statue of freedom
- every four years the president comes here for his Inauguration
Supreme Court Buildings – the main entrance is on the west side, facing the United StatesCapitol; the building was designed on a scale in keeping withthe importance and dignity of the Court and the Judiciary
White House- the president’s residence – it has 132 rooms; the exterior walls are made of sandstone
- official rooms are on the first floor while second and third floor are reserved for thePresidential family; Blue room – in this room the President and First Lady receive theguests at state dinners; East room – decorated in white and gold, used for the statereceptions, it’s largest
- a bit outside the main area there is the FBI Building
Library of Congress - the largest library; US national library; contain over 90 million items
Washington Monument – it’s symbol of the President Washington and Washington city; madefrom white marble obelisk; it was built from contributions given by the peopleof Washington, D.C.
Jefferson Memorial – it is a round, open building with a bronze statue of Thomas Jefferson in the middle; it has very good acoustic and choirs often go and sing there; the four wall panels surrounding the statue (which holding the Declaration of Independence) are inscribed with Jefferson’s writings
Lincoln Memorial – it is a square, Pantheon-like white building with columns around it; inside sitsa large statue of Abraham Lincoln; some quotations from his famous speechesare inscribed in the walls
Vietnam Veterans Memorial - names of those 58 000 killed or missing in the Vietnam War are engraved in black granite wall
The Arlington National Cemetery –people who die in service of the country can be buried there– there is for example J. F. Kennedy and other ex-presidents…
Pentagon - it is one of the world's largest office buildings; the September 11, 2001 attacks occurred;American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the west side of the Pentagon after being hijacked,killing all aboard as well as over 100 people within the Pentagon
Folger Shakespeare Library – there is world’s largest collection of Shakespeare’s works
The National Air and Space Museum - commemorates aeronautical achievements
National Archives – the three most important documents for the people of the USA are stored there: the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights; documents are in a vacuum case of bullet-proof glass and they are lowered into a bomb-proof shelter under the ground
National Gallery of Art
John. F. Kennedy Centre - is America's living memorial to President Kennedy
National Theatre
Georgetown –it is a town with a very specific architecture and mostly brick houses
Ford’s Theatre – the playhouse where A. Lincoln was shot
Washington National Cathedral - Gothic cathedral is the sixth largest in the world

Green areas
The National Mall - the massive open space park stretches from the US Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial; called "Grand Avenue."
Smithsonian National Zoological Park - National Zoo is one of the nation's finest zoos; the zoo is famous for its giant pandas
Constitution Gardens - is located north of the Reflecting Pool; it’s a beautiful place for a stroll
The Ellipse = President’s Park South – is located just south of the White House fence; the entirepark is open to the public, and features various monuments. The Ellipse is alsothe location for a number of annual events
Theodore Roosevelt Island - wilderness preserve that serves