| Washington (state) | |
 | |
Location  | |
Flag  | |
| State | United States of America |
|---|---|
| Region | Northwest Pacific |
| Capital | Olympia |
| Surface | 184,827 km² |
| Inhabitants | 7.061.530 (2014 estimate), 6.724.540 (2010 census) |
| Tourism site | |
| Institutional website | |
Washington it is a federated state USA on the slope Northwest Pacific of the Pacific.
To know
When to go
July-August are the best months for a visit. The climate of the state of Washington is humid with very frequent rains, especially in spring. The climate becomes drier as you go east.
The ski season is very long and runs from November to May. Snow is, in fact, more than abundant and the state has a large number of perennial glaciers. The most popular winter sports centers are located in the Mount Ranier area.
Territories and tourist destinations
Columbia River Plateau - On the southeast side of the Cascades; this region features canyons, deserts and steppes nestled in the hilly valleys. The cities belonging to this region are Kennewick, Walla Walla, and Yakima.
North Cascades - Beautiful mountains and freshwater lakes, outdoor activities galore, national parks (North Cascades National Park) and secluded spots await travelers to the North Cascades region. Cities in this region are Bellingham, Leavenworth, and Wenatchee.
Olympic Peninsula - Known for its rugged beauty with rainforests against a spectacular mountain range and miles of secluded beaches, this area includes the Olympic National Park.
Strait of Puget - With Seattle, the largest city in the state; Tacoma, Olympia (the capital), and the islands and waters between Seattle and the Olympic Peninsula including the island Vashon and the Kitsap Peninsula.
Northeast Washington - This semi-arid area includes the Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area created by the Grand Coulee dam.
San Juan Islands - A handful of wooded islands in the serene waters adjacent to the British Columbia. Ferries, private boats, kayaks and killer whales cross the waters, while floating planes and bald eagle soar above.
Southwest Washington - Known for its stunning coastline and fantastic views along the Columbia River.
Washington state map
Urban centers
- Olympia - The state capital is a town of 50,000 inhabitants.
- Bellevue - A Seattle suburb.
- Bellingham - A short distance from the border with Canada (British Columbia).
- Seattle - The largest city in the state with approximately 3,300,000 inhabitants in 2007.
- Spokane - After Seattle, the largest city in the state. It is located in the eastern part of the state, bordering theIdaho and it is an important railway junction.
- Tacoma - A port of 200,000 inhabitants about fifty km south of Seattle.
- Vancouver - A center of 162,000 on the banks of the Columbia River.
- Walla Walla - In the heart of a wine region.
- Yakima - An agricultural center in the homonymous valley.
Other destinations
The city of Tacoma dominated by the profile of Mount Rainier, a 4392m volcano
- Frenchman Coulee - A gorge formed by the Columbia River whose steep walls are climbed by throngs of climbers.
- Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail - The trail retraces the footsteps of a small group that in May 1804 undertaken byIllinois an adventurous journey towards the Wild West reaching the Pacific coast after about two years.
- Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument - Established in 1982, two years after the eruption of Mount St. Helens volcano which significantly altered the surrounding landscape.
- Mount Rainier National Park - A park established in 1899 in the area of Mount Rainier, a volcano that reaches 4,392 m of altitude.
- North Cascades National Park - High rocky peaks and numerous glaciers. The fauna is varied and consists of wolves, lynxes and many species of birds.
- Olympic National Park - Perhaps the most spectacular of the national parks in Washington state. It occupies the territory of the Olympic Peninsula, cloaked in forests that extend to the coast.
- San Juan Island National Historical Park - A historic park founded in memory of the border dispute that in 1859 pitted the United States against Great Britain, then the ruler of Canada.
- San Juan Islands - Vacation resorts with many recreational opportunities such as sailing, canoeing, fishing and whale watching.
How to get
By plane
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is the largest airport. European companies that made a stopover at Seattle airport in 2009 were theAir France, the British Airways is Lufthansa
Other companies operating at the airport:
- Alaska Airlines - With the largest number of destinations within the United States.
- American Airlines
- Delta Air Lines
- Frontier Airlines - A Low-cost with flights from Denver
- JetBlue Airways - Another Low cost with flights from Boston, Long Beach, New York-JFK, San Diego (California) (seasonal)
- Midwest Airlines - From Kansas City
- Virgin America - From Los Angeles is San Francisco
On the train
The company's long-distance trains Amtrak they stop at King Street Station in Seattle.
- Amtrak Cascades is Coast Starlight range from Vancouver (British Columbia) until Los Angeles, covering the entire Pacific coast.
- Empire Builder colleague Seattle with Chicago crossing the Montana northern and passing through Spokane, Fargo, Saint Paul, Milwaukee.
By bus
Greyhound Bus Company - The largest bus company of the United States it also has a widespread network in the state of Washington.
How to get around
What see
What to do
At the table
Safety
Other projects
Wikipedia contains an entry concerning Washington (state)
Commons contains images or other files on Washington (state)
