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Washington
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Transcript
Washington
The flag of Washington consists of the state seal, displaying an image of its namesake George Washington, on a field of dark green andgold fringe. It is the only U.S. state flag with a field of green as well as the only state flag with the image of an American president.
A Brief History of Washington
- People began living in what’s now Washington at least 10,000 years ago.
- They could have come by way of a land bridge that became exposed when water levels fell during the last Ice Age, connecting North America to Asia.
- In 1775, Spanish explorer Captain Bruno Heceta landed on the coast of Washington and claimed the land for Spain. Soon other European explorers arrived including British Captains James Cook in 1778 and George Vancouver in 1792. Vancouver spent two years mapping out the coast of Washington.
- The first settlers in the region were fur traders. These men traded with the local Native Americans for furs that were valuable in China and Europe.
History Continued...
- Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, the first Americans sent on an expedition to explore the West, arrived here in 1805—but they soon returned back east.
- For part of the early 19th century, the British and Americans shared ownership of the region.
- The two nations signed a treaty that divided the land in 1846.
- America’s Oregon Territory—which included the land that would become Washington—was established.
- The British then took control over what’s now Canada to the north.
- The state of Washington was created in 1889.
Quick Facts:
- Capital City: Olympia.
- Washington produces more sweet cherries, apples, pears, and red raspberries than any other state.
- It’s also the birthplace of Rainier cherries, a pink-and-gold variety that’s known for being super sweet.
- Famous Washingtonians include artist Chuck Close, cartoonist Gary Larson, musician Jimi Hendrix, singer Bing Crosby, and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.
- —The 605-foot-tall Seattle Space Needle looks like it has a flying saucer on top.
Wildlife:
- It’s nicknamed the Evergreen State because of its many forests, which cover over half the state.
- Look for mammals such as bighorn sheep, gray wolves, and Olympic marmots.
- Birdwatchers may see osprey, bald eagles, goldfinches (the state bird), plus water birds like albatrosses and puffins.
- Pacific giant salamanders and Pacific chorus frogs are among Washington’s amphibians. The state’s reptiles include sharp-tailed snakes and pygmy short-horned lizards.
- Washington’s state tree is the western hemlock, but you’re also likely to see Douglas firs, Rocky Mountain maples, and Ponderosa pines here.
Mountains
- In the eastern part of the state you’ll find the towering Cascade Mountains, which include Mt. Rainier. At 14,410 feet, this is fifth highest point in the contiguous United States.
- Mount St. Helens is also located here. This volcano had a massive eruption in 1980—the biggest the lower 48 states had seen since 1917.
- The May 18, 1980, eruption left a seared and smoldering landscape around Mount St. Helens. Entire forests were toppled by the hot blast. Most plants and animals perished, meadows were destroyed, and numerous new ponds and lakes were created.
Weird Seattle
- Seattle is the largest city in Washington and the largest in the Pacific Northwest. It’s annually ranked among the fastest-growing cities in the United States.
- It is the northernmost major city in the United States, only about 100 miles south of the Canadian border.
- The Pike Place Fish Market is widely known for its custom of hurling customers' orders across the shopping area. A typical routine will involve a customer ordering a fish; the fishmongers in orange rubber overalls and boots will call out the order which is loudly shouted back by all the other staff, at which point the original fishmonger will throw the customer's fish behind the counter to be wrapped.
- The Gum Wall started in the 1990s when local patrons and performers stuck their used gum on the wall. Since those days, the wall has grown piece by piece to cover an enormous expanse of brick and continues to expand down Post Alley.
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