Washington, d.C.

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, founded on July 16, 1790. The U.S. Constitution allows for the creation of a special district to serve as the permanent national capital. The District is therefore not a part of any U.S. state and is instead directly overseen by the federal government. Within the District, a new capital city was founded in 1791 and named in honor of George Washington. The City of Washington, along with Georgetown and outlying areas within the federal district, were placed under a single, unified government following an act of Congress in 1871. It is for this reason that the city, while legally named the District of Columbia, is known as Washington, D.C. The city shares its name with the U.S. state of Washington located on the country's Pacific coast.

The District is located on the north bank of the Potomac River and is bordered by the states of Virginia to the southwest and Maryland to the other sides. The city has a resident population of 601,723; because of commuters from the surrounding suburbs, its population rises to over one million during the workweek. The Washington Metropolitan Area, of which the District is a part, has a population of nearly 5.6 million, the seventh-largest metropolitan area in the country.

The centers of all three branches of the U.S. federal government are located in the District, as are many of the nation's monuments and museums. Washington, D.C. hosts 174 foreign embassies as well as the headquarters of the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Organization of American States (OAS), the Inter-American Development Bank, and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). The headquarters of other institutions such as trade unions, lobbying groups, and professional associations are also located in the District.

Washington, D.C., is governed by a mayor and a 13-member city council. However, the United States Congress has supreme authority over the city and may overturn local laws. Residents of the District therefore have less self-governance than residents of the states. The District has a non-voting, at-large Congressional delegate, but no senators. D.C. residents could not vote in presidential elections until the ratification of the Twenty-third Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1961.

Vocabulary

allow - разрешать

serve - служить

share - делить, разделять

locate - располагать

border - граничить

branch - отрасль, ветвь

such as - такой как

election - выбор

trade union - профсоюз

Answer these questions.

1. What is the capital of the United States?

2. When was a new capital city founded?

3. Where is the District located?

4. What is a resident population in the city?

5. Whom is Washington D.C. governed by?

Exercise 1. Are these statements true or false.

1. The city shares its name with the U.S. state of Washington located on the country`s Pacific coast.

2. The District is a part of any U.S. state and is instead directly overseen by the federal government.

3. Washington D.C. is governed by a Lord Chancellor and a 13-member city council.

4. Residents of the District there fore have less self-governance than residents of the states.

5. The District is bordered by the states of Virginia to the northwest and Maryland to the other sides.

Exercise 2. Complete the sentences from the text.

1. Residents of the District…

2. It is for this reason…

3. The U.S. Constitution allows…

4. Washington D.C. hosts…

5. The city shares its…

6. The District has a non-voting..

Exercise 3. Make up your own questions.

1. The centers of all three branches of the U.S. federal government are located in the District.

2. A new capital city was named in honor of George Washington.

3. The District is located on the north bank of the Potomac River.

4. The headquarters of many institutions are located in Washington.

5. The Washington Metropolitan Area has a population of nearly 5,6 million.

Exercise 4. Translate into Russian.

1. Washington was founded on July 16, 1790.

2. The District of Columbia is named in honor of Columbus, the discoverer of America.

3. Washington is not the largest city in the U.S., for it cannot compare in size with cities like New York or Chicago.

4. In the political sense, however, Washington is the center of the state and the most important city in the United States.

5. The first President, George Washington, was inaugurated in 1789 and a new capital city was named in honor of George Washington.

Exercise 5. Translate into English.

1. В Вашингтоне находится много национальных памятников и музеев.

2. Президент США живет в Белом Доме в Вашингтоне.

3. Конституция США была принята в 1961г.

4. Вашингтон не только столица США, но и штаб квартира Мирового Банка.

5. Штаб квартира профсоюзов также расположена в столице США.