Washington (state)
Washington, officially the State of Washington,[3] is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is often referred to as Washington state or Washington State[a] to distinguish it from the national capital,[4] both named for George Washington (the first U.S. president). Washington borders the Pacific Ocean to the west, Oregon to the south, Idaho to the east, and the Canadian province of British Columbia to the north. The state was formed from the western part of the Washington Territory, which was ceded by the British Empire in the Oregon Treaty of 1846. It was admitted to the Union as the 42nd state in 1889. Olympia is the state capital, and the most populous city is Seattle.
"Washington state" redirects here. For the proposed statehood of Washington, D.C., see District of Columbia statehood movement. For other uses, see Washington State (disambiguation).
Washington
November 11, 1889 (42nd)
Jay Inslee (D)
Denny Heck (D)
Patty Murray (D)
Maria Cantwell (D)
8 Democrats
2 Republicans (list)
71,362 sq mi (184,827 km2)
66,544 sq mi (172,587 km2)
4,757 sq mi (12,237 km2) 6.6%
240 mi (400 km)
360 mi (580 km)
1,700 ft (520 m)
14,411 ft (4,392 m)
0 ft (0 m)
7,812,880
103/sq mi (39.6/km2)
$70,979 (2,017)[2]
Washingtonian
Wash.
45°33′ N to 49° N
116°55′ W to 124°46′ W
Washington is the 18th-largest state, with an area of 71,362 square miles (184,830 km2), and the 13th-most populous state, with more than 7.8 million people.[5] The majority of Washington's residents live in the Seattle metropolitan area, the center of transportation, business, and industry on Puget Sound,[6][7] an inlet of the Pacific Ocean consisting of numerous islands, deep fjords and bays carved out by glaciers. The remainder of the state consists of deep temperate rainforests in the west; mountain ranges in the west, center, northeast, and far southeast; and a semi-arid basin region in the east, center, and south, given over to intensive agriculture. Washington is the second most populous state on the West Coast and in the Western United States, after California. Mount Rainier, an active stratovolcano, is the state's highest elevation at 14,411 feet (4,392 meters), and is the most topographically prominent mountain in the contiguous U.S.
Washington is a leading lumber producer; its rugged surface is rich in stands of Douglas fir, hemlock, ponderosa pine, white pine, spruce, larch, and cedar. The state is the largest producer of apples, hops, pears, blueberries, spearmint oil, and sweet cherries in the U.S., and ranks high in the production of apricots, asparagus, dry edible peas, grapes, lentils, peppermint oil, and potatoes.[8][9] Livestock, livestock products, and commercial fishing—particularly of salmon, halibut, and bottomfish—are also significant contributors to the state's economy.[10] Washington ranks second only to California in wine production.
Manufacturing industries in Washington include aircraft, missiles, shipbuilding, and other transportation equipment, food processing, metals, and metal products, chemicals, and machinery.[11] Washington has more than a thousand dams, including the Grand Coulee Dam, built for a variety of purposes including irrigation, electricity generation, flood control, and water storage.
One of the wealthiest and most socially liberal states in the country,[12] Washington consistently ranks among the top states for highest life expectancy and employment rates.[13] It was one of the first states (alongside Colorado) to legalize medicinal and recreational cannabis,[14] was among the first states to introduce same-sex marriage,[15] and was one of only four states to have provided legal abortions on request before Roe v. Wade loosened abortion laws nationwide in 1973.[16] Washington voters also approved a 2008 referendum on the legalization of physician-assisted suicide,[17] making it one of 10 states to have legalized the practice.[18]
Etymology[edit]
Washington was named after President George Washington by an act of the United States Congress during the creation of Washington Territory in 1853; the territory was to be named "Columbia", for the Columbia River and the Columbia District, but Kentucky representative Richard H. Stanton found the name too similar to the District of Columbia (the national capital, itself containing the city of Washington), and proposed naming the new territory after President Washington.[19][20][21] Washington is the only U.S. state named after a president.[22]
Confusion between the state of Washington and the city of Washington, D.C., led to renaming proposals during the statehood process for Washington in 1889, including David Dudley Field II's suggestion to name the new state "Tacoma"; these proposals failed to garner support.[23] Washington, D.C.'s, own statehood movement in the 21st century has included a proposal to use the name "State of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth", which would conflict with the current state of Washington.[3] Residents of Washington (known as "Washingtonians") and the Pacific Northwest simply refer to the state as "Washington", and the nation's capital "Washington, D.C.", "the other Washington",[24] or simply "D.C."
Environment[edit]
Hanford Nuclear Reservation is currently the most contaminated nuclear site in the United States[223] and is the focus of the nation's largest environmental cleanup.[224] The radioactive materials are known to be leaking from Hanford into the environment.[225] Another major cleanup site is the Duwamish River basin in Seattle, among the most contaminated bodies of water in the United States due to industrial runoff.[226]
In 2007, Washington became the first state in the nation to target all forms of highly toxic brominated flame retardants known as PBDEs for elimination from the many common household products in which they are being used. A 2004 study of 40 mothers from Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and Montana found PBDEs in the breast milk of every woman tested.
Three recent studies by the Washington State Department of Ecology showed toxic chemicals banned decades ago linger in the environment and concentrate in the food chain. In one of the studies, state government scientists found unacceptable levels of toxic substances in 93 samples of freshwater fish from 45 sites. The toxic substances included PCBs, dioxins, two chlorinated pesticides, DDE, dieldrin and PBDEs. As a result of the study, the department will investigate the sources of PCBs in the Wenatchee River, where unhealthy levels of PCBs were found in mountain whitefish. Based on the 2007 information and a previous 2004 Ecology study, the Washington State Department of Health advises the public not to eat mountain whitefish from the Wenatchee River from Leavenworth downstream to where the river joins the Columbia, due to unhealthy levels of PCBs. Study results also showed high levels of contaminants in fish tissue that scientists collected from Lake Washington and the Spokane River, where fish consumption advisories are already in effect.[227]
On March 27, 2006, Governor Christine Gregoire signed into law the recently approved House Bill 2322. This bill would limit phosphorus content in dishwashing detergents statewide to 0.5 percent over the next six years. Though the ban would be effective statewide in 2010, it would take place in Whatcom County, Spokane County, and Clark County in 2008.[228] A recent discovery had linked high contents of phosphorus in water to a boom in algae population. An invasive amount of algae in bodies of water would lead to a variety of excess ecological and technological issues.[229]
Utilities[edit]
In 2020, the electricity sold by public and private suppliers for use in Washington was primarily sourced from hydroelectric dams (55%), followed by natural gas (12%), coal (8.5%), wind (6%), and nuclear (4%). A total of 86.7 million Megawatt-hours of electricity was generated statewide in 2020.[230] Washington has the second-highest rate of renewable energy generation among U.S. states, behind Texas, and accounted for 31 percent of national hydroelectric generation.[231]
Health care[edit]
Insurance[edit]
The top two health insurers as of 2017 were Premera Blue Cross, with 24 percent market share, followed by Kaiser Permanente at 21 percent.[265] For the individual market, Molina Healthcare had the top share at 23%.[266]
The state adopted the Washington Healthplanfinder system in 2014 after the passage of the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (also known as "ObamaCare").[267] The system is used by approximately 90 percent of Washington residents who purchase or acquire their health insurance directly rather than through an employer.[268] The state's Medicaid program, named Washington Apple Health, provides healthcare coverage to people with disabilities or low incomes.[269]
The state of Washington reformed its health care system in 1993 through the Washington Health Services Act. The legislation required individuals to obtain health insurance or face penalties, and required employers to provide insurance to employees. In addition, health insurance companies were required to sell policies to all individuals, regardless of pre-existing conditions, and cover basic benefits.[270] The act was mostly repealed in 1995 before it could go into full effect.
