The border established by the Oregon Treaty and finalized by the arbitration in 1872 remains the boundary between Washington and British Columbia. Like other West Coast states, the percentage of Washington's population identifying themselves as "non-religious" is higher than the national average. Weeks may pass without a clear day. [228] The state dance, adopted in 1979, is the square dance. [183] The rain shadow of the Cascade Range leaves the Columbia River Basin with around 8 inches (200mm) of annual rain fall, making irrigation and water rights of paramount interest to the Washington wine industry. Note: Births in table don't add up because Hispanics are counted both by their ethnicity and by their race, giving a higher overall number. [47] Whitman's settlement would in 1843 help the Oregon Trail, the overland emigration route to the west, get established for thousands of emigrants in the following decades. [175] Most foods are exempt from sales tax. The Chinatown-International District in Seattle has a historical Chinese population dating back to the 1860s, who mainly emigrated from Guangdong Province in southern China, and is home to a diverse East and Southeast Asian community. n. An area having relatively little precipitation due to the effect of a barrier, such as a mountain range, that causes the prevailing winds to lose their moisture before reaching it. Photo by Pacific NW Seasons. Here in the Northwest, the typical movement of wet weather from the southwest and west means locations northeast and Precipitation then increases again eastward toward the Rocky Mountains (about 120 miles (190km) east of the Idaho border). Annual precipitation ranges from 100-170 inches of rain along the coast and western-facing valleys. 
It is managed together as the OkanoganWenatchee National Forest, encompassing a considerably larger area of around 3,239,404 acres (1,310,940ha). [citation needed], Hanford Nuclear Reservation is currently the most contaminated nuclear site in the United States[197] and is the focus of the nation's largest environmental cleanup. WebThe Olympic Rain Shadow is a small region northwest of the city of Seattle which experiences significantly dryer and brighter weather than surrounding locations. Wildflowers/Meadows Mountain views Dogs not allowed Summits Good for kids Parking [39] Beginning in 1792, Gray established trade in sea otter pelts. Rainfall in Washington varies dramatically going from east to west. Farther east, the climate becomes less arid, with annual rainfall increasing as one goes east to 21.2 inches (540mm) in Pullman, near the WashingtonIdaho border. The western side of the Olympic Peninsula receives as much as 160 inches (4,100 mm) of precipitation annually, making it the wettest area of the 48 conterminous states and a temperate rainforest. We notice distinct changes in the month of February; usually we mow the lawn twice during this month, and there are significant stretches of clear weather. A Fortune magazine survey of the top 20 Most Admired Companies in the U.S. has four Washington-based companies: Amazon, Starbucks, Microsoft, and Costco. [14] Along with Colorado, Washington was one of the first to legalize medicinal and recreational cannabis,[15] was among the first states to legalize same-sex marriage in 2012,[16] and was one of only four U.S. states to have been providing legal abortions on request before the 1973 Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade loosened abortion laws nationwide. Washington's state base sales tax is 6.5%, which is combined with a local sales tax that varies by locality. Washington has a relatively strong economy, with a total gross state product of $612,996.5 million in 2019, placing it fifth in the nation and growing by 6.5 percent per yearthe fastest rate in the United States. [107] The state's various areas of wilderness offer sanctuary, with substantially large populations of shorebirds and marine mammals. Season 1. The state does not collect a corporate income tax or franchise tax either. 
[193], Washington is crossed by several freight railroads, and Amtrak's passenger Cascade route between Eugene, Oregon, and Vancouver, BC is the eighth busiest Amtrak service in the U.S. Seattle's King Street Station, the busiest station in Washington, and the 15th busiest in the U.S.,[194] serves as the terminus for the two long-distance Amtrak routes in Washington, the Empire Builder to Chicago and the Coast Starlight to Los Angeles. In 2013 and 2014, both houses of the Washington State Legislature (the Washington Senate and the Washington House of Representatives) were controlled by Democrats. 
[43], Negotiations with Great Britain over the next few decades failed to settle upon a compromise boundary and the Oregon boundary dispute was highly contested between Britain and the United States. Rainfall varies a lot around Western Washington and Puget Sound. However, prepared foods, dietary supplements, and soft drinks remain taxable. By 2021, that number had grown to 1050 wineries. [173] The cities of Lynnwood and Mill Creek have the highest sale tax rate in the state at 10.5%. [139] The five largest ancestry groups were: German (17.8%), [129], As of the 2010 census, the population of Washington was 6,724,540. American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. [62] In Eastern Washington, the Hanford Works atomic energy plant was opened in 1943 and played a major role in the construction of atomic bombs. 
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"). During the winter months, some of these passes are plowed, sanded, and kept safe with avalanche control. WebWashington (/ w t n / ()), officially the State of Washington and often referred to as Washington state to distinguish it from the national capital, Washington, D.C., is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States.Named for George Washingtonthe first U.S. presidentthe state was formed from the western part of the [160], In 2010, 82.51% (5,060,313) of Washington residents age5 and older spoke English at home as a primary language, while 7.79% (477,566) spoke Spanish, 1.19% (72,552) Chinese (which includes Cantonese and Standard Chinese), 0.94% (57,895) Vietnamese, 0.84% (51,301) Tagalog, 0.83% (50,757) Korean, 0.80% (49,282) Russian, and 0.55% (33,744) German. He named the river after his ship, the Columbia. [109] Because of the wide range of geography, the state of Washington is home to several different ecoregions, which allow for a varied range of bird species. Manufacturing industries in Washington include aircraft, missiles, shipbuilding, and other transportation equipment, food processing, metals, and metal products, chemicals, and machinery. Not all stay open through the winter. [49] Black pioneer George Washington Bush and his Caucasian wife, Isabella James Bush, from Missouri and Tennessee, respectively, led four white families into the territory and founded New Market, now Tumwater, in 1846. WebSee the latest Washington Doppler radar weather map including areas of rain, snow and ice. [176] Additional border economies exist with neighboring British Columbia and Idaho. The entire system has a funded expansion plan that will expand light rail to a total of 116 miles by 2041. The U.S. Geological Survey considers 14,411-foot-tall (4,392m) Mount Rainier the most dangerous volcano in the Cascade Range, due to its proximity to the Seattle metropolitan area, and most dangerous in the continental U.S. according to the Decade Volcanoes list. They can have it", "Kennewick Man Skeletal Find May Revolutionalize Continent's History", "A Major Earthquake in the Pacific Northwest Looks Even Likelier", "A Native Tribe Wants to Resume Whaling. Here is how hot it got around Western Washington during historic heat wave", "Western Regional Climate Data Center, Longview", National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, "Rainier Paradise Ranger Station, Washington", "Seattle Tacoma International Airport, Washington", "The Diversity of Washington's ForestsWashington Forestland Ownership", "Introduced Wildlife of Oregon and Washington", "Species Fact SheetsReptiles and Amphibians", "Listing of National Park System Areas by State", "Alphabetic list of Washington State Parks", "Land Areas of the National Forest System", "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Seattle city, Washington", "Table 62. Photo by Pacific NW Seasons. This bill would limit phosphorus content in dishwashing detergents statewide to 0.5 percent over the next six years. Season 1. The first recorded European landing on the Washington coast was by Spanish Captain Don Bruno de Heceta in 1775,[31] on board the Santiago, part of a two-ship flotilla with the Sonora. [82][failed verification], In the autumn and winter, a low-pressure cyclone system takes over in the north Pacific Ocean. In the Western region, temperatures have reached as high as 118F (48C) in Maple Valley[94] during the June 2021 heat wave, and as low as 6F (21C) in Longview. In November 2017, a special election gave Democrats a one-seat majority in the Senate and complete control over state government. While the Puget Sound lowlands are known for clouds and rain in the winter, the western slopes of the Cascades receive larger amounts of precipitation, often falling as snow at higher elevations. It stars Rachel Ward as district vet Kate McDonald and Victoria Thaine as new veterinary assistant Jill Blake. [198] The radioactive materials are known to be leaking from Hanford into the environment.[199]. Irish (10.8%), English (10.4%), Norwegian (5.4%), and American (4.6%). [12] 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. Washington is part of a region known as the Pacific Northwest, a term which always refers to at least Washington and Oregon, and may or may not include some or all the following, depending on the user's intent: Idaho, western Montana, northern California, British Columbia, and Alaska. Western Washington's Driest Zone: the Sequim Rain Shadow. The Washington State Office of Financial Management reported the state population at 7,656,200 as of April 1, 2020. Washington was not yet a legally recognized territory in 1850. The intercity network includes the Cascade Tunnel, the longest railroad tunnel in the United States, which is part of the Stevens Pass route on the BNSF Northern Transcom. [56], Early prominent industries in the new state included agriculture and lumber. [90] Mount Baker, near the state's northern border, is one of the snowiest places in the world. The moisture in the air condenses as it rises, and this is what causes precipitation. [177] In 2014, Washington ranked first in the nation in production of red raspberries (90.5 percent of total U.S. production), hops (79.3 percent), spearmint oil (75 percent), wrinkled seed peas (70.4 percent), apples (71.1 percent), sweet cherries (62.3 percent), pears (45.6 percent), Concord grapes (55.1 percent), carrots for processing (30.6 percent), and green peas for processing (32.4 percent). The state is divided into 49 legislative districts of equal population, each of which elects two representatives and one senator. Begun by the state legislature in 1990, it allows students to attend institutions of higher education at public expense, simultaneously earning high school and college credit.[218]. Sequim is a dry little town, in fact, the driest place in all of Western Washington, with a bare 16 inches of rainfall per year, only half An invasive amount of algae in bodies of water would lead to a variety of excess ecological and technological issues.[202]. They were reported to at least date as far back as the 1800s. The most numerous (ethnic, not racial, group) are Latinos at 11%, as Mexican Americans formed a large ethnic group in the Chehalis Valley, Skagit Valley, farming areas of Yakima Valley, and Eastern Washington. Webrain shadow. A rain shadow is a dry area on the leeward side of a mountainous area (away from the wind). Rain shadows are common where coastal areas and mountains coexist. Washington (/wtn/ (listen)), officially the State of Washington and often referred to as Washington state to distinguish it from the national capital, Washington, D.C.,[4][5] is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. Western Washington is known for its mild climate, considerable fog, frequent cloud cover, long-lasting drizzles in the winter and warm, temperate summers. A rain shadow is a dry area on the leeward side of a mountainous area (away from the wind). [95], Forests cover about half the state's land area, mostly west of the northern Cascades. Seattle also has a 3.8-mile (6.1km) streetcar network with two lines and plans to expand further by 2025. [169] At over 80 percent the state has significant amounts of hydroelectric power generation. Significant business within the state include the design and manufacture of aircraft (Boeing), automotive (Paccar), computer software development (Microsoft, Bungie, Amazon, Nintendo of America, Valve, ArenaNet), telecom (T-Mobile US), electronics, biotechnology, aluminum production, lumber and wood products (Weyerhaeuser), mining, beverages (Starbucks, Jones Soda), real estate (John L. Scott, Colliers International, Windermere Real Estate, Kidder Mathews), retail (Nordstrom, Eddie Bauer, Car Toys, Costco, R.E.I. While the Boeing Company produced many heavy bombers, ports in Seattle, Bremerton, Vancouver, and Tacoma were available for the manufacture of warships. The lowest temperature recorded in the state was 48F (44C) in Winthrop and Mazama. Democrats have controlled the Washington Governor's Mansion for 38 years; the last Republican governor was John Spellman, who left office in 1985. [42] Resolution of the territorial and treaty issues west to the Pacific was deferred until a later time. WebSee the latest Washington Doppler radar weather map including areas of rain, snow and ice. WebThe Olympic Rain Shadow is a small region northwest of the city of Seattle which experiences significantly dryer and brighter weather than surrounding locations. The eruption flattened the forest up to 20 km north of the volcano, killed 57 people, flooded the Columbia River and its tributaries with ash and mud, and blanketed large parts of Washington eastward and other surrounding states in ash, making day look like night.[68][69]. [180] Washington produces seven principal varieties of apples which are exported to more than sixty countries. Pacific Raceways is a motorsports venue that has hosted the Northwest Nationals of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series and a round of the Trans-Am Series. ), and tourism (Alaska Airlines, Expedia, Inc.). Seattle was the point of departure for many soldiers in the Pacific, several of whom were quartered at Fort Lawton, which later became Discovery Park. [1] The Evergreen State College, a state-funded institution in Olympia, also takes its name from this nickname. It tells the story of two characters who become the means of each other's future. Explorer David Thompson, on his voyage down the Columbia River, camped at the confluence with the Snake River on July 9, 1811,[41] and erected a pole and a notice claiming the territory for Great Britain and stating the intention of the North West Company to build a trading post at the site. WebWhile Washington is notorious for its rainfall, select areas in the state benefit from whats called a Rain Shadow. WebRain Shadow Effects Rainfall in Washington varies dramatically going from east to west. Washington has 75 port districts,[189] including several major seaports on the Pacific Ocean. Eastern Washingtonthe part of the state east of the Cascadeshas a relatively dry climate, in distinct contrast to the west side. [60], During the Great Depression, a series of hydroelectric dams were constructed along the Columbia River as part of a project to increase the production of electricity. Washington has voted for the Democratic presidential nominee in every election since 1988. 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