Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia and commonly shortened to Washington, or DC, is the capital city of the United States, and its only federal district. The city stands on the north-east bank of the Potomac River, across from the state of Virginia, surrounded by Maryland to its north, east, and south. The district was named for Columbia, the female personification of the American nation, through which human form and attributes are applied to the United States. "Washington" is a more recent addition to the city's common name, and is from the name of George Washington, the first U.S. president.