District of Columbia

Administrative entity and capital of the United States of America, located at the junction of the Potomac and Anacostia rivers, and borders the states of Maryland and Virginia. The city of Washington was founded in 1791 and became the nation’s capital in 1800. It is named in honor of the discoverer of America, Christopher Columbus.

Economy – District of Columbia has no agricultural, livestock, or fishing activities, nor does it rely on forest or mineral resources. Its economic activities are centered on the public sector, tourism and certain industrial activities.

The most important industries are in the publishing and printing sector, but there are also some important food industries.

According to acronymmonster, tourism has become one of the key sectors of the economy of Washington, the capital of the United States, and the destination of millions of tourists, both domestic and foreign. Visitors come not only for the splendid network of museums, (free, because funded by federal government coffers), but for the iconic buildings of the country’s history and politics, the National Archives, the White House, or the United States Congress., buildings and works commemorating events or personalities.

History of the federal district– The federal district which is at the same time the city of Washington, is the only city that is not part of any state, as established in the United States Constitution in article 1, section 8. A peculiarity of this city is that it was created legally before it was built, as the constitution was approved in 1787 and construction began only in 1791, when the president of the United States, George Washington, chose the place where the capital is today. Washington commissioned the design of the city, on land ceded by Virginia and Maryland, to the French engineer Charles L’Enfant, who had served in the United States Army during the revolution.

The construction of the city suffered numerous delays due to lack of funds and due to the war with England. In 1814, the British destroyed the United States Congress, built in 1800, and other public buildings. However, the emblematic buildings were quickly rebuilt. Arlington County and the city of Alexandria, initially ceded to the district, decided to reincorporate into the state of Virginia in 1846.

A few years after the Civil War, in 1871, the District of Columbia was created when it was decided that the city of Washington would acquire federal territory status. Therefore, the previous system of government was eliminated, (with a mayor appointed by the President of the United States, and two organs elected by the citizens), and it was decided to establish in its place a governor and two legislative chambers, in the image of the system of government. states. The decision was made in part for the considerable growth of the city, invaded at the end of the war by many soldiers and freed slaves. The district government system was changed again in 1874,

With the two world wars, the district experienced a notable demographic growth that extended to the neighboring areas of Maryland and Virginia, due among other factors to the spread of the automobile.

The federal district government system continued to change. Thus, in 1967 power was assigned to a mayor appointed by the President, who was to govern with a team of nine people. The current system of government was introduced in 1973 to allow elections, and to give residents the ability to directly elect the mayor and the government team. As for representation in Congress, since it is a district and not a state, the citizens of the federal district choose a delegate for the House of Representatives. This representative had no voting rights until 1993.