The state of Washington is located within the Pacific Northwest Region of the United States. The state was named to honor George Washington, the very first US president. The State of Washington should not be confused with the country's capital, Washington, which is commonly called "Washington, D.C." or "D.C."
The state of Washington is bordered to the north by the Canadian Province of British Columbia. The state of Oregon borders the state of Washington towards the south, whereas Idaho State lies towards the west.
The original Washington Territory was ceded by the British in 1846. During 1889, it was admitted to the Union as the 42nd state. The current population of Washington State is 6,724,540, with a majority of inhabitants concentrated within the Seattle metropolitan area.
The city of Seattle sits along the Puget Sound of the Salish Sea. This is an inlet which comprises a lot of islands, bays and fjords. The city of Seattle is a major industry, transportation and business center. The ports of Puget Sound allow significant amounts of trade with Asia. The geography of the state of Washington varies from mountains to rain forests to semi-arid desert. Much of the latter region is under agricultural cultivation.
Washington is a leading producer of agricultural products. The state of Washington is the leading producer within the nation of wrinkled seed peas, red raspberries, spearmint oil, hops, sweet cherries, apples, pears, peppermint oil, Niagara grapes, Concord grapes and carrots for processing. Other vital agricultural products include fall potatoes, lentils, dry edible peas, apricots, green peas for processing, asparagus and sweet corn. Of particular significance is the apple business. Washington has led the nation in apple production since the 1920s thanks to the dry, warm summers and cold winters of the central region, that includes the Wenatchee-Okanagan region and the Yakima region.
In 2007, the total gross state product of Washington State was $311.5 billion. It ranks as the 14th leading state economy within the country. Boeing, the aircraft manufacturer makes its home within the state of Washington. various significant industries comprise computer software development, automotive, telecom, electronics, biotechnology, aluminum production, mining, lumber and wood products, real estate, beverages tourism and retail. Major businesses operating or based there are Starbucks, Paccar, Bungie, Microsoft, Amazon.com, Nintendo of America, Valve Corporation, Nordstrom,T-Mobile USA and Weyerhaeuser. The state is likewise a producer of hydroelectric power.