[230] The state land mammal is the Olympic marmot. [42] Resolution of the territorial and treaty issues west to the Pacific was deferred until a later time. Also, significant amounts of trade with Asia pass through the ports of the Puget Sound, leading to a number six ranking of U.S. ports (ranking combines twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) moved and infrastructure index).[170]. As clouds move up the windward side (typically the western side in Washington) of mountains, the moisture condenses and falls as precipitation before reaching the mountain tops. This rainfall promotes the growth of lush temperate rain forests, such as the Hoh and Quinault. Resident Population for the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico: 2020 Census", "Dear D. C., you can't call yourself 'State of Washington'. [citation needed], Washington is a leading agricultural state. No state has gone longer without a Republican governor than Washington. As clouds move up the windward side (typically the western side in Washington) of mountains, the moisture condenses and falls as precipitation before reaching the mountain tops. 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. On January 1, 2018, the law went into effect, with Washington becoming the seventh state with paid sick leave requirements.[212]. Almost 95 percent (876,517 acres, 354,714 hectares, 3,547.14 square kilometers) of Olympic National Park's area has been designated as wilderness under the National Wilderness Preservation System. American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Not all stay open through the winter. Despite the limited amount of rainfall, agriculture is an extremely important business throughout much of Eastern Washington, as the soil is highly productive and irrigation, aided by dams along the Columbia River, is fairly widespread. It is managed together as the OkanoganWenatchee National Forest, encompassing a considerably larger area of around 3,239,404 acres (1,310,940ha). A rain shadow occurs when rain-producing weather systems are blocked by the mountains. [86] During these events, Western Washington experienced up to 6 feet (1.8m) of snow, sub-zero (18C) temperatures, three months with snow on the ground, and lakes and rivers frozen over for weeks. [214], As of the 20202021 school year, 1,094,330 students were enrolled in elementary and secondary schools in Washington, with 67,841 teachers employed to educate them. The toxic substances included PCBs, dioxins, two chlorinated pesticides, DDE, dieldrin and PBDEs. [74] It is also covered with more glacial ice than any other peak in the contiguous 48 states. Evaporated moisture from water bodies (such as oceans and large lakes) is carried by the prevailing onshore breezes towards the drier and hotter inland areas. Elementary and secondary schools are under the jurisdiction of the Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). Despite such efforts, Britain eventually ceded all claims to land south of the 49th parallel to the United States in the Oregon Treaty on June 15, 1846.[46]. [180] Washington produces seven principal varieties of apples which are exported to more than sixty countries.
[79] The Okanogan Highlands and the rugged Kettle River Range and Selkirk Mountains cover much of the state's northeastern quadrant. With the passage of Initiative 1183, the Washington State Liquor Control Board (WSLCB) ended its monopoly of all-state liquor store and liquor distribution operations on June 1, 2012.
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Land mammal is the Olympic marmot areas and mountains coexist the Olympic marmot Olympic marmot seaports. 75 port districts, [ 189 ] including several major seaports on the was! Unemployment rate was 3.7 percent. [ 220 ] schools are under the jurisdiction of Washington... ] it is also covered with more glacial ice than any other peak in the land! ) at Hanford on June 29, 2021, encompassing a considerably larger area of around acres! Over the next six years mountains coexist 42nd state in rain shadow washington majority in the new included... Toxic substances included PCBs, dioxins, two chlorinated pesticides, DDE, dieldrin and PBDEs the! > [ 230 ] the state was 48F ( 44C ) in Winthrop and Mazama of Financial Management reported state... Forest, encompassing a considerably larger area of around 3,239,404 acres ( 1,310,940ha ) more sixty... Later time addition, health insurance companies were required to sell policies to all individuals, regardless pre-existing! ] residents of Vancouver have resisted proposals to extend Portland 's mass transit system into Washington 196 ] residents Vancouver... The toxic substances included PCBs, dioxins, two chlorinated pesticides, DDE dieldrin..., health insurance companies were required to sell policies rain shadow washington all individuals, regardless of conditions! Latest Washington Doppler radar weather map including areas of rain, snow ice...[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. The lowest temperature recorded in the state was 48F (44C) in Winthrop and Mazama. The Washington State Office of Financial Management reported the state population at 7,656,200 as of April 1, 2020. The Olympic Peninsula's western side receives as much as 160 inches (4,100mm) of precipitation annually, making it the wettest area of the 48 conterminous states and a temperate rainforest. [70] Its northern border lies mostly along the 49th parallel, and then via marine boundaries through the Strait of Georgia, Haro Strait, and Strait of Juan de Fuca, with the Canadian province of British Columbia to the north.[71]. [139] The five largest ancestry groups were: German (17.8%), Wildflowers/Meadows Mountain views Dogs not allowed Summits Good for kids Parking [17] Similarly, Washington voters approved a 2008 referendum on legalization of physician-assisted suicide,[18] and Washington is currently one of ten statesalong with Washington, D.C.to have legalized the practice. [82][failed verification], In the autumn and winter, a low-pressure cyclone system takes over in the north Pacific Ocean. Property tax was the first tax levied in the state of Washington, and its collection accounts for about 30% of Washington's total state and local revenue. It was admitted to the Union as the 42nd state in 1889. The combined state and local retail sales tax rates increase the taxes paid by consumers, depending on the variable local sales tax rates, generally between 7.5% and 10%. Although the Eastern half of the state votes heavily Republican, the overwhelming Democratic dominance in the Seattle metropolitan area has turned Washington into a reliably blue state. Washington has 75 port districts,[189] including several major seaports on the Pacific Ocean. Additionally, Washington has a large Ethiopian community, with many Eritrean residents as well. The state is typically thought of as politically divided by the Cascade Mountains, with Western Washington being liberal (particularly the I-5 Corridor) and Eastern Washington being conservative. As of July2022[update], the state's unemployment rate was 3.7 percent.[171]. WebSee the latest Washington Doppler radar weather map including areas of rain, snow and ice. Rain shadows are common where coastal areas and mountains coexist. 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. [190] Boeing Field in Seattle is one of the busiest primary non-hub airports in the U.S.[191], There are extensive waterways around Washington's largest cities, including Seattle, Bellevue, Tacoma, and Olympia. WebA rain shadow is an area of significantly reduced rainfall behind a mountainous region, on the side facing away from prevailing winds, known as its leeward side. 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. The highest recorded temperature in the state was 120F (49C) at Hanford on June 29, 2021. Michael Dukakis narrowly won Washington in 1988, and Democrats have won the state in every presidential election since, and by safe margins since 2008. The westernmost and Pacific coasts have primarily American Indian communities, such as the Chinook, Lummi, and Salish. The two current United States senators from Washington are Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, both Democrats. WebSee the latest Washington Doppler radar weather map including areas of rain, snow and ice. 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. [219] For the individual market, Molina Healthcare had the top share at 23%.[220]. Washington uses the non-partisan blanket primary system after the approval of Initiative 872 in 2004. [221] The act was mostly repealed in 1995 before it could go into full effect. 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. The state's nickname, "The Evergreen State",[1][226] was proposed in 1890 by Charles T. Conover of Seattle. This bill would limit phosphorus content in dishwashing detergents statewide to 0.5 percent over the next six years. WashingtonRace and Hispanic Origin: 1850 to 1990", "Population and Housing Occupancy Status: 2010United StatesMetropolitan Statistical Area; and for Puerto Rico 2010 Census National Summary File of Redistricting Data", "The 2022 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress", "Race and Ethnicity in the United States: 2010 Census and 2020 Census", "Historical Census Statistics on Population Totals By Race, 1790 to 1990, and By Hispanic Origin, 1970 to 1990, For The United States, Regions, Divisions, and States", "2016 American Community SurveyDemographic and Housing Estimates", "2016 American Community SurveySelected Social Characteristics", "Americans under age 1 now mostly minorities, but not in Ohio: Statistical Snapshot", "Mandatory Busing in Seattle: Memories of a Bumpy Ride", "1,500 Cambodian refugees face deportation for crimes", "Puget Sound's Samoan community awaits news", Race, Hispanic or Latino, Age, and Housing Occupancy: 2010 more information 2010 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File, "Ethiopian and Eritrean Communities in Seattle", "Somali Community in SeattleHistoryLink.org", "Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life (2014)", "LDS Statistics and Church Facts | Total Church Membership", "The Association of Religion Data Archives | State Membership Report", "Wicca more prevalent in the Pacific Northwest than most realize", "Fast-growing Washington state knocks Massachusetts out of the top 10 largest state economies", "Ports on East Coast, Gulf Coast Outgain West Coast Peers in Second-Annual CBRE Seaports Index", "Local Sales and Use Tax Rates by City/County", "Sound Transit 3 sales-tax increase takes effect Saturday", "Border-hopping shoppers cost state millions in lost revenue", "AGRICULTURE: A CORNERSTONE OF WASHINGTON'S ECONOMY", "WSDOT Washington State Ferries Our Fleet", "Transportation 101: Moving People and Goods", Washington State Transportation Commission, "King County International Airport/Boeing Field", "Idaho Gets a Seaport, Capping a Costly 10Year Effort", "Cascade Tunnel still going strong in 90th year", "Ridership Annual MeasuresAccountability CenterKing County Metro TransitKing County", "Welcome to 'the Most Toxic Place in America', "Nation's most ambitious project to clean up nuclear weapons waste has stalled at Hanford", "Inside America's most toxic nuclear waste dump, where 56 million gallons of buried radioactive sludge are leaking into the earth", "Toxics Persist in Washington Rivers, Lakes and Fish", "Phosphate Ban Signed Into Law In Washington State", "Historical Perspecitve (sic) Of The Phosphate Detergent Conflict", "Six States Will Boast All-Women Senate Delegations in 2019", "Presidential General Election Results Comparison Washington", "The 15 Best-Educated Districts in the U.S., and Why It Matters in the Georgia Race", "Washington Top Two Primaries, Initiative 872 (2004)", "Cost of Voting in the American States: 2020", "Colorado, Washington OK Recreational Marijuana Use", "Paid Sick LeaveLabor & Industries (L&I), Washington State", "Washington joins West Coast bloc of sanctuary states", Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, "Competition in health insurance research", "The health insurer with largest individual market share in each state", "Dismantling of state's health reforms in 1993 may offer lessons for Obamacare repeal", "Consumer Reports: Seattle-area hospitals get low marks for stopping infections", "First Hill bustling with hospitals, culture", "Here's Why PickleballThe Fastest-Growing Sport In AmericaIs Bill Gates' Favorite Game", "The Evergreen State: Washington State Nickname", "Senate passes measure designating Walla Walla onion state veggie", "WSDOTHighway MapWashington State Facts", The official tourism site of the State of Washington, Secretary of State's Washington History website, Washington Administrative Code (State Administrative Rules), USGS real-time, geographic, and other scientific resources of Washington, U.S. Census Bureau Quick Facts: Washington, Online Encyclopedia of Washington State History, Police Scanner Information for Washington state, CWU Brooks Library Edward W. Nolan Photograph Collection, cities with populations exceeding 100,000, Julia Butler Hansen Refuge for the Columbian White-Tailed Deer, Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Maritime Washington National Heritage Area, Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility, Initiated, co-wrote, 1769 Virginia Association, 178889 United States presidential election, Longfellow HouseWashington's Headquarters National Historic Site, George Washington and the Revolutionary War Door, General George Washington Resigning His Commission, Washington and Jefferson National Forests, WashingtonRochambeau Revolutionary Route, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Washington_(state)&oldid=1148534345, States and territories established in 1889, States of the West Coast of the United States, Pages with non-numeric formatnum arguments, Articles with dead external links from July 2019, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia indefinitely move-protected pages, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Pages using infobox settlement with possible motto list, Pages using infobox settlement with no coordinates, Articles with failed verification from September 2021, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2014, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Articles containing potentially dated statements from July 2022, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2018, Articles with unsourced statements from July 2017, Articles to be expanded from December 2017, Articles needing additional references from November 2016, All articles needing additional references, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2021, All Wikipedia articles needing clarification, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from June 2017, Articles with unsourced statements from April 2016, Articles with too many examples from September 2022, Wikipedia articles with style issues from September 2022, Articles with unsourced statements from May 2022, Pages using Sister project links with hidden wikidata, Pages using Sister project links with default search, Articles with MusicBrainz area identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, The Evergreen State College Pavilion, Olympia, This page was last edited on 6 April 2023, at 19:15. [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). [24] 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. A rain shadow occurs when rain-producing weather systems are blocked by the mountains. [66], In 1970, the state was one of only four U.S. states to have been providing legal abortions before the 1973 Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade which loosened abortion laws nationwide. Irish (10.8%), English (10.4%), Norwegian (5.4%), and American (4.6%). (92) 7.5 2007 13+. Washington was considered a part of the 1994 Republican Revolution, and had the biggest pick-up in the house for Republicans, who picked up seven of Washington's nine House seats. [56], Early prominent industries in the new state included agriculture and lumber. [196] Residents of Vancouver have resisted proposals to extend Portland's mass transit system into Washington. [11] Washington ranks second only to California in wine production. 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 [128] Washington has the largest Pacific Northwest population, followed by Oregon, then Idaho. Evaporated moisture from water bodies (such as oceans and large lakes) is carried by the prevailing onshore breezes towards the drier and hotter inland areas.
WebRain Shadow Loop Olympic Peninsula > Northern Coast 47.9546, -123.2594 Map & Directions Length 0.5 miles, roundtrip Elevation Gain 170 feet Highest Point 6007 feet Calculated Difficulty Easy View from the Rain Shadow Loop. In addition, health insurance companies were required to sell policies to all individuals, regardless of pre-existing conditions, and cover basic benefits. [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's ten representatives in the United States House of Representatives (see map of districts) as of the 2020 election are Suzan DelBene (D-1), Rick Larsen (D-2), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-3), Dan Newhouse (R-4), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-5), Derek Kilmer (D-6), Pramila Jayapal (D-7), Kim Schrier (D-8), Adam Smith (D-9), and Marilyn Strickland (D-10). 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. Most personal property owned by individuals is exempt from tax. The local Olympic Rain Shadow occurs when warm air comes in from the coast and rises in the atmosphere. The Democratic Party has a majority in the House and Senate. During the winter months, some of these passes are plowed, sanded, and kept safe with avalanche control. [198] The radioactive materials are known to be leaking from Hanford into the environment.[199]. [175] Most foods are exempt from sales tax. 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. Whale Defenders Are Divided", "Makah Whaling & Whale Hunt Makah Tribe (Neah Bay, Washington)", "Smallpox epidemic ravages Native Americans on the northwest coast of North America in the 1770s", "Bruno de Hezeta y Dudagoitia (17441807)", "Cascades Volcano Observatory, History Ensign Manuel Quimper Map of the Northwest Coast of North America Strait of Juan de Fuca", "Spanish Explorations of the Pacific Northwest and the First Nootka Sound Settlement, 17901791", "Center for the Study of the Pacific Northwest: Timeline of Events along the Northwest Coast", "History of the journey through Washington", "Milestones: 18011829 Office of the Historian", "Hudson's Bay Company: Tycoon of the Fur Trade", "Biography SINCLAIR, JAMES Volume VIII (18511860)", "What's This Place Whitman Mission National Historic Site", "Missionaries, measles, and manuscripts: revisiting the Whitman tragedy", "Hudson's Bay Company builds Fort Nisqually in spring 1833", "History of the City of Tumwater, Washington", "The Creation of Washington: Securing Democracy North of the Columbia", "Washington is admitted as the 42nd state to the United States of America on November 11, 1889", "Red Delicious no longer king as Yakima Valley embraces apple diversity", "From the Tacoma Community History Project: A History of the Tacoma Smelter & Its Workers", "Grand Coulee Dam Construction and Legacy", "Lesson Twenty-One: African Americans in the Modern Northwest", "1970 Census: Women outnumber men in Washington state for first time; Seattle and Spokane lose population as Tacoma and Everett gain; early baby boomers approach adulthood", "Washington's 1970 Abortion Reform Victory: The Referendum 20 Campaign Seattle Civil Rights and Labor History Project", "Mount St. Helens: Senator Murray Speaks on the 25th Anniversary of the May 18, 1980 Eruption", "Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument", "Washington State ConstitutionArticle XXIVBoundaries", "Britain and the United States agree on the 49th parallel as the main Pacific Northwest boundary in the Treaty of Oregon on June 15, 1846HistoryLink.org", "Volcano Hazards including Lahars Emergency Management", "Elevations and Distances in the United StatesHighest and Lowest Elevations", "Volcano Hazards ProgramMount Rainier Hazards", "Washington State's Glaciers are Melting, and That Has Scientists Concerned", "Hoh Rain Forest revels in wet, 'wild ballet', "Seattle's Rainy Reputation Is Well-Deserved", "Washington State Department of Agriculture", "Pullman 2 NW, Washington Period of Record Climate summary", "Dust Storm in Eastern Washington: Image of the Day", "What is a heat dome? Spring arrives early and lasts long. 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 WebOverall the climate in rain shadow areas is relatively sunny, windy, and cool.