Wikipedia:Today's featured article/January 20, 2009



Washington, D.C. is the capital of the United States, founded on July 16, 1790. The city 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 District has a resident population of 591,833; however, due to commuters from the surrounding suburbs, its population rises to over one million during the workweek. Article One of the United States Constitution provides for a federal district, distinct from the states, to serve as the permanent national capital. The centers of all three branches of the federal government of the United States are located in the District, as are many of the nation's monuments and museums. Washington, D.C. hosts 173 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 United States Congress has supreme authority over Washington, D.C.; residents of the city therefore have less self-governance than residents of the states. (more...)

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