Higher Education  

Washington has 34 colleges and universities, as well as 38 two-year and community colleges. The state's largest institution of higher education is the University of Washington at Seattle. Other state institutions include Washington State University, in Pullman; Western Washington University, in Bellingham; Central Washington University, in Ellensburg; Eastern Washington University, in Cheney; and Evergreen State College, in Olympia. Private institutions include Cornish College of the Arts,  Seattle Pacific University, and Seattle University, all in Seattle; City University, in Bellevue; Gonzaga University and Whitworth College, both in Spokane; University of Puget Sound, in Tacoma; St. Martin's College, in Lacey; Walla Walla College, in College Place; and Whitman College, in Walla Walla.

Geography

The state of Washington covers an area of 176,480 square kilometers. Mountains, lowlands, and plateaus can all be found in the state. Washington has four different mountain regions: the Rocky Mountains, in the northeast corner of the state; the Cascade Mountains, dominating the central part of the state; the Coast Range, in southwest Washington; and the Olympic Mountains, which cover most of the Olympic Peninsula. The Puget Sound Lowland extends east of Puget Sound, west to the Pacific Ocean between the Coast Range and the Olympic Mountains, and south to Oregon. A large basin in southeastern Washington, the Columbia Plateau is a semi-arid region. Washington's major rivers include the Columbia, the Snake, the Yakima, and the Spokane. Important cities include Seattle, Spokane, Tacoma, Bellevue, and Olympia (capital). The population of the state is over 5.6 million.

Climate

Dividing eastern and western Washington, the Cascade Mountains have a considerable effect on the state's weather. The area east of the Cascades is drier, warmer in the summer, and colder in the winter than western Washington. Spokane, in the eastern part of the state, has an average temperature of -6° C in January and 21° C in July. In the western part of the state, Seattle has an average temperature of 5° C in January and 19° C in July. Rainfall is heaviest in the area west of the Cascades, with some areas receiving an average of 343 cm annually. Snowfall is generally scant on the coast, but can be quite heavy in some mountain regions.

Cultural Profile

Washington's museums include the Washington State Historical Society, in Tacoma; the State Capitol Museum, in Olympia; the Museum of History and Industry, the Pacific Science Center, the Seattle Art Museum, the Emma Frye Art Museum, and the Museum of Flight, all in Seattle; the Museum of Native American Cultures and The Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, both in Spokane; the Maryhill Museum of Art, in Goldendale; and the Bremertown Naval Museum.

Performing arts organizations in Seattle include the Seattle Symphony Orchestra, the Seattle Youth Symphony, the Seattle Opera Association, and the Pacific Northwest Ballet. Washington's colleges and universities present a variety of performances throughout the year. At the annual Governor's Festival of the Arts in Olympia, the state's artists and authors are honored.

Recreation

Washington has three national parks (Olympic National Park, Mount Rainier National Park, and North Cascades National Park), six national forests, and 125 state parks. Interesting places to visit in the state include Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument; Fort Spokane, near Grand Coulee Dam; Grand Coulee Dam; Hell's Canyon; Holland Gardens, in Oak Harbor; San Juan Islands, in Puget Sound; Space Needle, in Seattle; and Woodland Park, in Seattle. Washington's popular outdoor activities include hiking, hunting, camping, boating, rafting, waterskiing, horseback riding, sailing, fishing, bicycling, mountain-climbing, snowmobiling, and snow skiing.

Interesting Facts

Of all the fifty states, Washington is the only one named for a president (George Washington). After the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, the mountain changed from being Washington's fifth-tallest peak to its thirteenth-tallest peak. Famous Washingtonians include Bob Barker (television personality), Carol Channing (actress and singer), Bing Crosby (singer and actor), Gretchen Fraser (Olympic skier), Jimi Hendrix (rock guitarist), James Jerome Hill (industrialist), Robert Joffrey (dance choreographer), Gary Larson (cartoonist), Mary McCarthy (author), Theodore Roethke (poet), and Gig Young (actor).