Washington Vacation Guide System

Washington Fun Facts

Capital: Olympia

State abbreviation/Postal code: Wash./WA

Governor: Christine Gregoire, D (to Jan. 2013)

Lieut. Governor: Brad Owen, D (to Jan. 2013)

Senators: Patty Murray, D (to Jan. 2017); Maria Cantwell, D (to Jan. 2013)

U.S. Representatives: 9

Historical biographies of Congressional members

Organized as territory: March 2, 1853

Entered Union (rank): Nov. 11, 1889 (42)

Present constitution adopted: 1889

Motto: Al-Ki (Indian word meaning “by and by”)

State symbols:

flower	coast rhododendron (1892)
tree	western hemlock (1947)
bird	willow goldfinch (1951)
fish	steelhead trout (1969)
gem	petrified wood (1975)
colors	green and gold (1925)
song	“Washington, My Home” (1959)
folk song	“Roll On Columbia, Roll On” (1987)
dance	square dance (1979)
grass	bluebunch wheatgrass (1989)
insect	blue darner dragonfly (1997)
fossil	Columbian mammoth (1998)
fruit	apple (1989)

Nicknames: Evergreen State

Origin of name: In honor of George Washington

10 largest cities (2005 est.): Seattle, 573,911; Spokane, 196,818; Tacoma, 195,898; Vancouver, 157,493; Bellevue, 117,137; Everett, 96,604; Federal Way, 83,088; Kent, 81,800; Spokane Valley, 81,380; Yakima, 81,214

Land area: 66,544 sq mi. (172,349 sq km)

Geographic center: In Chelan Co., 10 mi. WSW of Wenatchee

Number of counties: 39

Largest county by population and area: King, 1,793,583 (2005); Okanogan, 5,268 sq mi.

State forest lands: 2.1 million ac.

State parks: 120

Residents: Washingtonian

2005 resident population est.: 6,287,759

2000 resident census population (rank): 5,894,121 (15). Male: 2,934,300 (49.8%); Female: 2,959,821 (50.2%). White: 4,821,823 (81.8%); Black: 190,267 (3.2%); American Indian: 93,301 (1.6%); Asian: 322,335 (5.5%); Other race: 228,923 (3.9%); Two or more races: 213,519 (3.6%); Hispanic/Latino: 441,509 (7.5%). 2000 percent population 18 and over: 74.3; 65 and over: 11.2; median age: 35.3.

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