According to abbreviationfinder, Washington is located in the northwestern United States, between British Columbia, Canada (north), Oregon (south), Idaho (east), and the Pacific Ocean (west). The state is divided into ten regions, namely The Coast, Columbia River Plateau, The Islands, North Cascades, Olympic & Kitsap Peninsulas, The Palouse, Rocky Mountain Gateway, Seattle – King Country, Volcano Country, and Wine Country.
The Evergreen State has a maritime climate, with mild summers and winters. That it rains a lot is said to be a myth invented by the inhabitants to keep out unwanted immigrants. The west is milder than the east, courtesy of the Cascade Mountains. Winter sees temperatures hovering around 7 degrees in the west and around -13 degrees in the east. The east is pleasant in the summer with 28°C, while the west with 23°C is not inferior. The west coast receives the most rain, with 94 cm, a lot less than on the other side of the mountains, where about half the amount falls annually. The months of May through September are the best months to travel to Washington.
Flora and fauna
Washington has a geography with the most diverse ecosystems and landscapes, ranging from rainforest in the south through a beautiful coastal strip to majestic mountains in the middle. Common plants in the dunes are sandy strawberries and beach peas, while fennel and spurrie live in the saltwater marshes. The desert regions of the Columbia Plateau have a lot of sagebrush and greasewood. Commonly seen trees include conifers such as yews, sitka spruces, western hemlock, Douglas firs, and Alaskan cedars, and deciduous trees such as maple, black aspen, and red alder. The forests and mountains are home to black-tailed and mule deer, as well as moose, black bears, lynxes, red foxes, raccoons, muskrats, porcupines, martens, and minks. Hunting is done on bird species such as pheasants, grouse, quail. Several species of marsh and seabirds fly along the coast, as well as the bald eagle, which is more common here than anywhere else (except Alaska). Octopuses, crabs, seals and sea lions live in the waters off the coast, and inland are home to various species of trout and salmon.
Main cities
According to countryaah, the state capital of Washington is Olympia. In addition, Seattle (PHOTO ABOVE), Spokane and Tacoma are major cities.
Nature
Washington has three National Parks: Mount Rainier National Park, starring the majestic volcano, North Cascades National Park, with the splendor of the forested North American Alps to the north, and Olympic National Park, which has a unique temperate rainforest within its borders has.
Mount St Helens
The other volcano, which seems a lot more active than its big brother. An eruption that shocked the world took place here in 1980. Today the mountain is still rumbling, which has not stopped the local government from rebuilding the old way up, the Spirit Lake Highway. Especially a helicopter flight over the cone and crater is very special!
Seattle
With an utterly charming downtown area, the extensive water recreation options of the Puget Sound, and a wealth of museums and entertainment options, this is a must-see in the Northwest. For example, visit the Space Needle, the chaotic market Pike Place Market or the wonderful Experience Music Project. Don’t forget to order a dish with the local specialty, dungeoness crab.
Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area
Lake Roosevelt, located in the territory of Washington state, was named after the former American president Theodore Roosevelt, who personally opened the largest dam of the time about a hundred years ago, thanks to which the lake was actually created. Roosevelt Dam was completed in 1911, but only a small portion of the original structure survives today. The dam underwent extensive reconstruction and modernization in the 1990s. The dam was originally built to protect local residents from torrential rains.
Today there is a small museum by the lake, where you can learn interesting information about the local landscape, its original inhabitants and the construction of the dam. More than 9,000 years ago, the Salado Indian tribe settled here, mainly engaged in fishing and growing some agricultural crops. The most important was probably cotton, which was used not only for the production of clothing, but also as a source of food. In the vicinity of the river, an ingenious system of irrigation canals was created over the centuries. During the 15th century, most of the local inhabitants disappeared for unknown reasons. All that remained of them were numerous archaeological sites.
The landscape is otherwise relatively dry, stony and constantly scorched by the harsh sun. Not even cacti do well here, typical representatives of the fauna include cactus crows, vultures, snakes, scorpions and other species of animals that have managed to adapt to these inhospitable conditions. The lake is located near the village of the same name, or rather the settlement of Roosevelt, where there is only a gas station and a typical rural American pub. However, it is the largest inhabited place in the wider area, which is why it is prominently marked on the map. You can find everything you need here and you can also eat well. Near the dam and museum there is a wharf where many private excursion and fishing boats of various sizes are moored. You can also rent a private boat here.
The lake and its surroundings have been declared a national recreation area under the protection of the National Park Service. The area is particularly sought after for fishing, hunting, camping, boating and recreation.
