Washington State

Washington is a state in the Pacific Northwest part of the United States. Do not mix it up with Washington, D.C., which is the country's capital. This Washington is a state on the west coast. Its capital is Olympia. The state is named after the first US president, George Washington.

Nature and Volcanoes

Washington has lots of rain, which makes its forests thick and green. Mount Rainier and Mount St. Helens are famous volcanoes in the state. Mount St. Helens erupted in 1980 and changed the land around it. The state also has the Olympic Peninsula, a place with beaches, rainforests, and snowy mountains all close together. Orcas, or killer whales, swim in the waters around Washington.

Cities and Things

Seattle is the biggest city in Washington. It has the famous Space Needle tower. Many important companies, like Microsoft, Amazon, and Boeing, started here. Washington grows more apples than any other state in the country. Coffee is very popular in Seattle, and the first Starbucks opened there.

Fun Facts

• Washington is the only state named after a US president.
• The state fruit is the apple.
• Mount Rainier is the tallest mountain in Washington at over 14,000 feet.

Did You Know?

The Hoh Rainforest in Washington gets more than 140 inches of rain each year, making it one of the wettest places in the country!