Washington Geography

Basic Facts

• Geographical Region: West
• Size: 71303 sq.mi., 18th rank overall.
• Admitted to Statehood: November 11, 1889
• Population: 6,664,195;13th rank overall.
• Capital: Olympia
• Other Major City: Seattle
• Abbreviation: WA

Fun Facts

• Nickname: The Evergreen State
• State Flag: Click Here (opens window to 50states.com)
• State Bird: Willow Goldfinch (opens window to 50states.com)
• State Flower: Pink Rhododendron (opens window to 50states.com)

Geographical Description

• The Olympic Mountains occupy the northwest corner of Washington. These extremely rugged mountains contain areas that have never been explored.
• Running along the southwest border of the state is the Coast Range. The most notable features are the Willapa Hills which overlook Willapa Bay.
• Slightly further inland on the west end of the state are the Puget Sound Lowlands. This is the Valley of the Chehalis River. Most of Washington's population lives here.
• The Cascade Mountains run through the center of Washington. The higher peaks support glaciers and permanent snow covered slopes, while the lower mountains are heavily forested and fall within designated National Forest areas.
• Most of the southeastern section of that state is covered by the Columbia Plateau. The area is 500 to 2,000 feet above sea level with dry canyons; most notable are the Grand Coulee and Moses Coulee canyons.
• The Rocky Mountains cut across the northeastern portion of the state. This section of the Rocky Mountains are better known as the Columbia Mountains and consist of ridges and valleys cut by the Columbia River and Okanogan River.

Map: Relief Map of WA

Industry

Aerospace, software development, biotechnology, food processing, paper products, lumber and wood products, chemical products, tourism, primary metals, wine.

Agriculture

Seafood, sweet cherries, dairy products, apples, pears, cattle, wheat, potatoes, grapes, apicots, nursery stock

Other Information

Fun Facts:

• More apples are produced in Washington than in any other state in the United States.
• The state of Washington was named after the first president of the United States George Washington.
• Along with six other states, Washington does not levy a personal income tax.
• The only rainforests in the continental United States are located in the Olympic Peninsula.
• The northeast face of Mount St. Helens exploded outward destroying a large part of the top of the volcano in 1980.

More Fun Facts: http://www.50states.com/facts/washingt.htm