Chapter 5: The North American Manufacturing Core

Washington D.C. is located in the North American Manufacturing Core. This area is located in the Northwest of the United States and is concentrated in the Ohio River Valley, Megalopolis and Great Lakes areas.

Source: http://aboutusa.japan.usembassy.gov/gifs/wwwg-jusa-geo-map04.gif

The district is actually located in the outskirts of the manufacturing core and little manufacturing is actually done within the city limits. In 2004 only 3.9% of all jobs in the city were in the manufacturing field. That number is expected to drop to 2.8% by 2015. (source: http://www.city-data.com/us-cities/The-South/Washington-D-C-Economy.html). 

Source: http://www.copycatprintshop.com/Graphics/bind.jpg

The industries that dominate the D.C. area are paper (there are over 500 publishing/printing companies in the district), telecommunications, information technology, computer, tourism and hospitality firms. In addition, with over 100 million square feet of office space and the fact that D.C. is the capitol of the United States, the concentration of government and government related operations is unmatched in the country.

Chapter 4: Megalopolis

Washington D.C. sits in the original Megalopolis, as described by geographer Jean Gottman in 1961.

The Megalopolis is an the area of the East Coast of the United States (from Washington D.C. to Boston) noted for its large population agglomeration (Approx. 50 million people).

Megalopolis.
Source: http://usa.usembassy.de/etexts/outgeogr/map3.gif

The region accounts for 20% of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product. The region is home to the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ, the White House and United States Capitol, the headquarters of the United Nations, and the headquarters of ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, the New York Times Company, USA Today, and The Washington Post. The headquarters of many major financial companies—such as State Street, Citigroup, and Fidelity—are located within the region, which is also home to 54 of the Fortune Global 500 companies. The headquarters of 162 of the Fortune 500 are in the region. The region is also the center of the global hedge fund industry, with 47.9% of $2.48 trillion of hedge fund assets being managed in its cities and suburbs. Similarly, the majority of the global private equity, venture capital, investment banking, and management consulting industries are centered and/or headquartered in this region.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northeast_Megalopolis


One reason Washington D.C. is part of this Megalopolis is the fact that it is easily accesible by navigable waters. It's proximity to the Potomac river, and in turn Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. This opens up major options for trade and commerce, with the international community as well as the other Megalopolis cities, which are all linked by  Interstate 95 and US Route 1.


Another important reason is due to the fact that Washington D.C. is home to all major government operations. This includes the White House, Capitol, Supreme Court, Pentagon and FBI.

Chapter 3: Foundations of Human Activity

Historical
Washington D.C. is situated in the region first occupied by the Nacotchtank and Piscataway tribes around 4,000 years ago. These tribes were first recorded by English settlers in the early 1600s.

Nacotchtank people with European Settlers (17th Century)
Source: http://www.realtrnva.com/files/159691/people%20having%20a%20meeting.JPG

European settlers would continue to grow in the region, eventually founding present day Georgetown in 1751. After deciding to move the capital of the United States from Philadelphia, an area of land in Maryland was chosen as the new location. This area is know known as Washington D.C. Sites in Virginia, New York and New Jersey were also considered.

Present Day Demographics

Population: 601,723

Population Density: 9,800/sq. mi.

Ethnic Data: 50.7%-African American, 38.5% White, 9.1% Hispanic, 4.1% Other, 3.5% Asian, 0.3% Native American.

• Major sources of immigrants living in Washington D.C. include Vietnam, Ethiopia and El Salvador.
• Population of African Americans living in D.C. has decreased due to movement into suburbs, while the White population has been steadily increased due to Gentrification.

Ethnic Makeup of Washington D.C.
Red-White, Blue-African American, Green-Asian, Orange-Hispanic, Gray-Other
Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/walkingsf/4981417821/

Other Data

Religion

• Christian-28% Catholic, 9.1% American Baptist, 6.8 % Southern Baptist, 1.3% Eastern/Oriental Orthodox, 13% Other.
• Non-Christian: 10.6% Islam, 4.5% Judaism, 
• Other/Non-Practicing: 26.8%

Sexuality

• According to the 2000 census, 8.1% of the population labeled themselves as Gay, Lesbian or Bisexual.

Income

• Median household income in 2009 was $59,290. (Source: http://www.city-data.com/city/Washington-District-of-Columbia.html)

                     

Chapter 2: Geographic Patterns of the Physical Environment

Elevation
The elevation of Washington D.C. ranges from sea level at its lowest point, to 410 ft. above sea level at its highest. These areas are the majority of the shores of the Anacostia and Potomac rivers and Fort Reno, respectively.

Fort Reno
Source: http://dcist.com/2007/05/31/fort_reno_2007.php

Water Bodies
Washington D.C. contains three major natural bodies of water. The Potomac River, Anacostia River, and Rock Creek.

Potomac River
Source: http://ispythingsdc.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/potomac1.jpg

Climate

Washington D.C. is located in the humid subptropical (Cfa) climate region.

The District experiences four distinct seasons:

• Winter-Cold. Highs in the low to mid 40s. Lows in the upper to low 30s
•  Spring-Dry and sunny. Highs in the mid 50s to upper 60s. Lows in the upper 30s to upper 40s.
•  Summer-Hot and humid. Highs in the low 80s to mid 90s. Lows in the upper 60s to mid 70s.
•  Fall-Dry and sunny. Highs in the upper 70s to upper 50s. Lows in the low 60s to low 40s

Rainfall: Spread throughout the year, with average yearly precipitation rate of 39.5 inches.

Snowfall: Usually occurring in January and February, with average yearly snowfall of 14.7 inches.

Soil Type: Piedmont material, Coastal Plain sediment and recent alluvial sediment. (Source:http://www.sawgal.umd.edu/nrcsweb/DCsoils/index.htm)

Chapter 1: Regions and Themes

Area: 68.3 sq mi

Elevation: 0-409 ft

Population: 601,723

Population Density: 9,800/sq mi

Washington D.C. is an autonomous district located on the East Coast of the United States in between the states of Maryland and Virginia. It serves as the capital of the United States.