Nickname: Evergreen State
Area: 66 512 sq.mi. (172 265.3 km2)
Highest point:  Mount Rainier 14 410 ft. (4392.2 m)
Population: 5 797 300
Capital: Olympia
Largest city: Seattle

The Eastern region of Washington State is flat and hilly, but the central part is dominated by the Cascade Mountains, and it is bordered by the Pacific-Ocean from West. The Eastern and South Eastern region of the state feature well-developed agriculture. They primarily grow wheat here. Its central and Western areas are covered with evergreen forests. The density of the population decreases from the West coast towards East. The largest settlements are: Bellingham, Shoreline, Bremerton, Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia and Vancouver in US in West, Yakima in the middle, and Spokane in East.

Photo: Country, Washington, USA, flickr.com, by CommonObjects (by Jay)

The largest city of Washington State is Seattle. It is a transformational, industrial, educational scientific and cultural center. It is the home of several higher educational institutions, like the Seattle University, the City University, the Bastyr University, the University of Washington and the Seattle Pacific University. The city is one of the most rapidly developing cities in the USA. It is the seat of such famous companies as the Microsoft Corporation, the aircraft manufacturer The Boeing Company, and the world’s largest cafeteria chain, the Starbucks Coffee Company. There are several places to visit in the beautiful downtown of Seattle. The Pika Place Market is the most popular in the city. One can buy the vegetables, fruits, sea-food and crabs here. It’s also worth to visit the Pioneer Square, which wins people’s heart with its buildings from the 19th century. It is the commercial center of the city. The entertainment quarter of Seattle is Belltown, which is full of restaurants, bars and various shops. It’s definitely advised to visit the Seattle Center, which was built for the world exposition in 1962.  You’ll find a beautiful park, several museums and a fantastic construction here. It is called the Space Needle, which is a 184 meter tall tower, reaching for the sky. It has a restaurant around 160 meters, which offers a wonderful panorama of the city. Further interesting places are: the Capitol Hill, full of interesting sights, restaurants and shops; Fremont, the artistic quarter; the Seattle Aquarium, which has several hundreds of creatures to show us; and the University District. Visit the famous museums of the city: the Seattle Art Museum, which is a fantastic artistic collection; the Klondike National Historical Park, which tells the history of the city; and the Nordic Heritage Museum, which talks about the effect of the Scandinavian immigrants on the city. The Washington Park Arboretum may be the perfect place for relaxation, with nearly 5 thousand plant species. The Woodland Park Zoo is one of the most popular zoos along the West coast.

Photo: Seattle, Washington, USA, flickr.com, by A Boy And His Bike

The second largest city of the state is Tacoma, which is situated south of Seattle. It is an important transformational center. It’s worth to visit the Washington State History Museum in the city, which introduces the history of the state. The Tacoma Art Museum is a fantastic artistic collection, and the Museum of Glass features works of art made of glass. The Point Defiance Park is also an interesting site. It is surrounded by the ocean, and it is the home of the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium.

Photo: Tacoma, Washington, USA, flickr.com, by fusionpanda

The city of Olympia is located south of Tacoma. It is the administrative center of Washington State. The beautiful State Capitol is to be found in the city. Olympia is a true city for relaxation, with wonderful parks and small lakes.

Photo: State Capitol, Olympia, Washington, USA, flickr.com, by AaverageJoe

The largest city of the Eastern part of the state is Spokane. It is a commercial and cultural center. The most famous park of the city is the Riverfront Park, and it’s also worth to visit the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture, which talks about the history of the neighborhood.

Photo: Spokane, Washington, flickr.com, USA, by Bill Tann (by Jay)

Washington State is extremely rich in natural wonders and sites. It’s worth to visit the fabulous Olympic Peninsula. We can go for pleasure boating from its harbor, Port Townsend. We may go and discover the charmingly beautiful San Juan Islands, which are a popular place for tourists.

Photo: Olympic Peninsula, Washington, USA, flickr.com, by mingofaust

The well-known Mount Rainier National Park is situated in the central part of the state, and one may find the highest peak here, the Mount Rainier, which is still an active volcano. The waterfalls, glaciers and huge forests amaze every tourist. We can participate in exciting adventure trips of we can go rafting here.

Photo: Mount Rainier National Park, Washington, USA, flickr.com, by tromasbronot