The very first thing that springs to mind when Washington is mentioned is that the US President lives there at the White House, and it is from here that global policies are often decided. The whole city has been built upon politics, right from the day it was named.
The city is so named in honour of George Washington, the very first elected US President and a man who had a major role in creating the US Constitution. His name lives on in this seat of power as a testament to the contribution he made to the country.
The other element of the city's name is that it is actually called Washington DC, the initials standing for District of Columbia. This makes the distinction between here and the State of Washington, which is on the west side of the country as opposed to the one we are looking at, located in between the states of Virginia and Maryland on the eastern side of the USA.
Washington is a place so full of history that it seems to be around every corner. The sense that the city has had a major role in shaping the world is never far away, and this lends it an aura of gravitas that takes the first time visitor a little while to overcome. Once the initial feelings of awe have subsided though, the rest of the city and its people are allowed to shine through, and a wonderfully diverse Washington begins to show itself.