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Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C. Outline. Introduction Part I. Historical background Part II. Presentation of the city Part III. Attractions Conclusion References. Introduction. Capital of the world's most powerful democracy Named after the first U.S. president, George Washington

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Washington, D.C.

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  1. Washington, D.C.

  2. Outline • Introduction • Part I. Historical background • Part II. Presentation of the city • Part III. Attractions • Conclusion • References

  3. Introduction • Capital of the world's most powerful democracy • Named after the first U.S. president, George Washington • Seat of federal government since 1800 • In 1957 Washington became the first major city in America with a black majority • After the September 11 on the World Trade Center and Washington's Pentagon Building, security was tightened throughout the USA's capital city

  4. I. Historical background • People started referring to the spot as 'the city of Washington' around 1791 • Maryland and Virginia agreed to cede land to create the District of Columbia (named for Christopher Columbus) • French engineer Pierre Charles L'Enfant was hired to design the city • During the War of 1812, the city was occupied and burned by the British • Washington had abolished slavery in 1862

  5. I. Historical background • President Lincoln was assassinated in Ford's Theater in 1865 • By 1940, 44 percent of civilian workers in the city of Washington were federal employees • Martin Luther King (1929-1968), clergyman and Nobel Prize winner, on August 28, 1963, delivered his famous address to 200,000 civil rights supporters: his “I Have a Dream” speech • On September 11, 2001, Washington, D.C., and New York City became the targets terrorist attack

  6. II. Presentation of the city • City and district, capital of the United States • Bounded on one side by the Potomac River and on the other sides by the state of Maryland • Population: 600,000; Area: 170 sq km • Washington's climate is hot and humid in the summer and cold and damp in the winter • Most tourist sights are located around the Capitol • Federal jobs stimulated the economy and boosted the value of real estate • Tourism is the second most important aspect of the city's economy

  7. III. Attractions The Capitol • Seat of the U.S. Congress • Construction began in 1790 • The British nearly burned it to the ground in 1814 • Rebuilt from 1817 to 1819 • Neoclassical-style building, the Capitol is constructed of white marble • The iron dome, also white, is surmounted by a statue of a woman representing Freedom • The Capitol is the epicenter of the city as well as being its most prominent landmark

  8. III. Attractions Lincoln Memorial • Located at the west end of the National Mall, between the Reflecting Pool and the Potomac River • Monument to the 16th US President • Completed in 1922 • Symbol of America's commitment to civil rights • Designed to resemble a Greek temple • The monument's 36 columns represent the 36 states in Lincoln's union

  9. III. Attractions National Gallery of Art • The national museum of Western art rivals that of the Prado or the Louvre • Founded in 1937 with the gift to the nation of the art collection of the financier Andrew W. Mellon • Permanent collection of European and American paintings • Website: http://www.nga.gov/

  10. Conclusion • Washington isn't as hip as San Francisco or New York, but its museums rank with some of the country's best (most are free) • Washington is notorious too for the many severe problems that trouble its residents • Poverty, crime, and racial segregation are in the shadow of glorious monuments proclaiming “equality for all” • Washington, DC, is no model, but it is a microcosm - of the grand ideals and grim realities of the USA

  11. References Multimedia tour of the city: • http://sc94.ameslab.gov/TOUR/tour.html • http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/photo/visitorsguide/G22251-2002Feb04.html Tourism: • http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations • http://travel.yahoo.com/t/destinations/north_america/united_states/district_of_columbia/67557.html Encyclopedia: • http://encarta.msn.com Pictures: • http://www.kestan.com/travel/dc/monument

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