United States
Country in central North America, consisting of 50 states. Languages: English. Currency: dollar. Capital: Washington, D.C. Population: 307,212,120 (2009 estimate). Area: 9,826,630 sq km (3,794,083 sq mi) Official Name: United States of America Major Cities: Washington, D.C Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States, founded on July 16, 1790. The City of Washington was originally a separate municipality within the Territory of Columbia until an act of Congress in 1871 effectively merged the City and the Territory into a single entity called the District of Columbia. It is for this reason that the city, while legally named the District of Columbia, is known as Washington, D.C. The city shares its name with the U.S. state of Washington, which is located on the country's Pacific coast. The city is located on the north bank of the Potomac River and is bordered by the states...