Washington
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State flag
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WASHINGTON,
one of the Pacific states of the U.S., bounded on the N by
the Canadian province of British Columbia, on the E by Idaho, on
the S by Oregon, and on the W by the Pacific Ocean. A series of
channels in the NW—Juan de Fuca Strait, Haro Strait, and
the Strait of Georgia—separate the state from Canada’s
Vancouver Island. Puget Sound deeply indents the NW part of the
state. All these bodies of water contain numerous islands that form
part of the state. The Columbia R. forms much of the S boundary.
Washington entered the Union on Nov. 11, 1889, as the 42d
state. Formerly known primarily for its agricultural and forestry
products, Washington had, by the early 1990s, a highly diversified
economy. Although the state remained a leading national producer
of such products as apples, wheat, and timber, manufacturing had
become a leading sector of the economy. Tourism and other services
were also important; visitors are attracted by the state’s
diverse scenic wonders. The state is named for George Washington. Washington
is called the Evergreen State.
| WASHINGTON STATE FACTS |
| DATE OF STATEHOOD: |
November 11, 1889; 42d state |
| CAPITAL: |
Olympia |
| MOTTO: |
Alki (By and by) |
| NICKNAME: |
Evergreen State |
| STATE SONG: |
“Washington, My Home” (words and music by Helen Davis) |
| STATE TREE: |
Western hemlock |
| STATE FLOWER: |
Coast rhododendron |
| STATE BIRD: |
Willow goldfinch |
| POPULATION (2000 census): |
5,894,121; 15th among the states |
| AREA: |
184,674 sq km (71,303 sq mi); 18th largest state; includes 12,227 sq km (4721 sq mi) of inland water |
| COASTLINE: |
253 km (157 mi) |
| HIGHEST POINT: |
Mt. Rainier, 4392 m (14,410 ft) |
| LOWEST POINT: |
Sea level, at the Pacific coast |
| ELECTORAL VOTES: |
11 |
| U.S. CONGRESS: |
2 senators; 9 representatives |
| GOVERNOR: |
Gary Locke (Dem.) Took office January 1997 |
Washington, with an area of 184,674 sq km (71,303 sq mi),
is the 18th largest state in the U.S.; 29.6% of the land
area is owned by the federal government. The state is roughly rectangular
in shape, and its extreme dimensions are about 380 km (about 235
mi) from N to S and about 555 km (about 345 mi) from E to W. Elevations
range from sea level to 4392 m (14,410 ft) atop Mt. Rainier. The
approximate mean elevation is 518 m (1700 ft). Washington’s
coastline on the Pacific Ocean is 253 km (157 mi) long.
The W section of Washington is part of the Coast Ranges region.
In the SW the mountains, known locally as the Willapa Hills, form
the lowest segment of the Pacific Coast mountains; the highest elevation
here is about 948 m (about 3110 ft). By contrast, the Olympic Mts., which
lie to the N of the Chehalis R. valley, have some of the highest
elevations in the entire Pacific mountain system. Mt. Olympus, the
highest peak, reaches 2424 m (7954 ft). With their deep glacial
valleys and snowcapped summits, the Olympic Mts. offer some of the
most spectacular scenery of the Coast Ranges.
To the E of the Coast Ranges lies the Puget Trough, a structural
depression that extends the length of the state. The maximum elevation
here is about 150 m (about 500 ft), and the surface is generally
flat, although in places marked by hummocky glacial deposits. The
basin is penetrated through more than half its length by Puget Sound,
which contains numerous islands.
To the E of the Puget Trough lies the rugged, geologically
complex Cascade Range. From the vicinity of Mt. Rainier southward,
the Cascade Range is a volcanic tableland, studded with such cones
as Mt. Adams and Mt. Saint Helens. The N section of the range, however,
is a granitic mass that includes the most extensive valley glaciers
in the 48 conterminous states; a portion of this area is contained
in North Cascades National Park. Continued mountain building in
the volcanic Cascades was dramatically demonstrated by the 1980 eruption and subsequent activity of Mt. St. Helens.
The SE part of the state is dominated by the Columbia Plateau.
This is a huge basin, the surface of which is formed of vast lava
flows. In Washington the Columbia and Snake rivers have cut deep
trenches in the Columbia Plateau. A portion in the SE, the Palouse
Hills, is covered by fertile, windblown dust (loess); it is one of
the state’s most important agricultural regions. In the
extreme SE are the relatively low-lying Blue Mts. The NE corner
of Washington is crossed by ranges of the Rocky Mts. Several peaks
here have elevations exceeding 2134 m (7000 ft).
The Columbia R., the largest river in the western U.S.,
drains
the E section of Washington. The river has a great volume of flow, and
the numerous drops along its course give it vast hydroelectric
power potential. The Columbia’s principal tributaries include
the Snake, Spokane, Wenatchee, and Yakima rivers. Many smaller rivers
flow W from the Cascade Range and the Coast Ranges. The most important
of these is the Chehalis R., which rises in the Cascades and flows
W to Grays Harbor, an inlet of the Pacific Ocean. Other rivers include
the Cowlitz, Nisqually, and Skagit. Puget Sound, approximately
one-fifth
the size of Lake Erie, is an inlet of the Pacific; with its numerous
arms, it is the state’s most significant body of water.
Lake Chelan, a long, narrow glacial lake in the Cascade Range, is
the largest natural lake in Washington. Large artificial lakes have
been created behind dams on the Columbia R. Among these are Franklin
D. Roosevelt Lake (behind Grand Coulee Dam) and Banks Lake (behind
Dry Falls Dam).
Washington’s climate varies greatly from W to E.
A mild, humid climate predominates in the W part of the state, and
a cooler dry climate prevails E of the Cascade Range. The average
annual temperature ranges from 10.6° C (51° F)
on the Pacific coast to 4.4° C (40° F) in the
NE. The recorded temperature in the state has ranged from –44.4° C
(–48° F) in 1968 to 47.8° C (118° F)
in 1961. A wet marine West Coast climate predominates in W Washington;
it is mild for its latitude due to the presence of the warm North
Pacific Current offshore and the relatively warm maritime air masses.
The region has frequent cloud cover, considerable fog, and long-lasting
drizzles; summer is the sunniest season. The W side of the Olympic
Peninsula receives as much as 4064 mm (160 in) of precipitation
annually, making it the wettest area of the 48 conterminus states.
Weeks or even months, may pass without a clear day. Portions of the
Puget Sound area, on the leeward side of the Olympic Mts., are less
wet, although still humid. The W slopes of the Cascade Range receive
some of the heaviest annual snowfall (in some places more than 5080 mm/200
in) in the country. In the rain shadow E of the Cascades the annual
precipitation is only 152 mm (6 in). Precipitation increases eastward
toward the Rocky Mts., however.
| WASHINGTON AVERAGE CLIMATE |
| |
Seattle |
Spokane |
| Average January temperature range |
1.7° to 17.2° C |
35° to 45° F |
–6.7° to –0.6° C |
20° to 31° F |
| Average July temperature range |
13.3° to 24.4° C |
56° to 76° F |
12.8° to 28.9° C |
55° to 84° F |
| Average annual temperature |
11.7° C |
53° F |
8.3° C |
47° F |
| Average annual precipitation |
914 mm |
36 in |
432 mm |
17 in |
| Average annual snowfall |
229 mm |
9 in |
1346 mm |
53 in |
| Mean number of days per year with appreciable precipitation |
153 |
115 |
| Average daily relative humidity |
69% |
56% |
| Mean number of clear days per year |
71 |
89 |
Washington is rich in flora. Forest covers about half the
state’s land area. The North Pacific coniferous forest
here contains some of the world’s finest commercial softwood trees.
On the W side of the Olympic Peninsula extending S to the Columbia
R. is a temperate rain forest. This is an extraordinarily luxuriant
woodland of spruce, cedar, and hemlock, its floor densely covered
with ferns and mosses. Inland, on the SE side of the Olympic Range,
is a more open spruce and fir forest with a shrubby understory.
Surrounding Puget Sound and extending into the W Cascade Range is
a much-logged forest dominated by cedar, hemlock, and Douglas fir.
Deeper in the heart of the Cascades is a magnificent forest consisting
of silver and Douglas fir with scattered shrub undergrowth. An open
forest of ponderosa pine with grasses and shrubs is found on the
E slopes of the Cascades. Farther N is a Douglas fir forest that
extends E into the Rocky Mts. In the driest portions of the central
Columbia Plateau is a steppe, an area covered by short grasses.
To the E, in the Palouse Hills, is a prairie, a region of taller
grasses.
Washington also has a great diversity of wildlife. In the
forests and mountains are bear, elk, mountain lion, wildcat, mountain
goat, and mule deer. Smaller mammals include beaver, mink, marten,
muskrat, weasel, squirrel, porcupine, chipmunk, and gopher. Birdlife
includes the crow, western lark, willow goldfinch, grouse, and prairie
falcon. Shore and marsh birds include gull, sandpiper, oyster catcher,
tern, and cormorant. Shrimp, oysters, and clams are abundant in
the state’s coastal waters, as are tuna, halibut, and red snapper.
Salmon ascend the Columbia R. annually to spawn. Rainbow and steelhead
trout and white sturgeon are principal species in the state’s
rivers and lakes.
Metallic mineral resources are primarily found in the Rocky
Mts. in the NE part of the state. Lead, zinc, magnesium, and gold
are present here. Coal deposits are found in the W Cascades region.
Sand and gravel are found in many areas.
According to the 2000 census, Washington had 5,894,121 inhabitants,
an increase of 21.1% over 1990. The average population
density in 2000 was 88.6 people per sq mi of land area; the distribution
was very uneven, however, with more than half the state’s
population concentrated in the Puget Sound area. Whites made up 81.8% of
the population and blacks 3.2%. Additional population groups
included 93,301 American Indians, 322,335 Asians, and 23,953 Native
Hawaiiian or other Pacific Islanders. (These figures do not include
the 3.6% of the population who reported more than one race.)
Among the state’s numerous Indian groups were the Yakima,
Pend d’Oreille (Kalispel), Spokan, and Makah. A total of
441,509 persons, or 7.5%, reported being of Hispanic background.
The state’s largest cities were Seattle, Spokane, Tacoma,
Vancouver, and Bellevue. Olympia is the capital.
According to the 1990 census, Roman Catholics (19%),
Lutherans (7.8%), Baptists (7.2%), and Methodists
(6.2%) constituted the largest religious groups in the
state. In 1990 about 76% of all Washington’s residents
lived in areas defined as urban, and the rest lived in rural areas.
| POPULATION OF WASHINGTON SINCE 1870 |
| Year of Census |
Population |
Classified As Urban |
| 1870 |
24,000 |
0% |
| 1880 |
75,000 |
10% |
| 1900 |
518,000 |
41% |
| 1920 |
1,357,000 |
55% |
| 1940 |
1,736,000 |
53% |
| 1950 |
2,379,000 |
63% |
| 1960 |
2,853,000 |
68% |
| 1970 |
3,413,000 |
73% |
| 1980 |
4,132,000 |
74% |
| 1990 |
4,866,692 |
76% |
| 2000 |
5,894,121 |
-- |
| POPULATION OF TEN LARGEST CITIES IN WASHINGTON |
| |
2000 Census |
1990 Census |
| Seattle |
563,374 |
516,259 |
| Spokane |
195,629 |
177,196 |
| Tacoma |
193,556 |
176,664 |
| Vancouver |
143,560 |
62,065 |
| Bellevue |
109,569 |
86,874 |
| Everett |
91,488 |
69,961 |
| Federal Way |
83,259 |
67,535 |
| Kent |
79,524 |
37,960 |
| Yakima |
71,845 |
54,827 |
| Bellingham |
67,171 |
52,179 |
Interest in education and culture is keen in Washington, which
also has a number of sites of historical interest.
The first school in what is now Washington was opened in 1832
at Fort Vancouver. A territory-wide school system was established
in 1881, and in 1895 the state legislature passed a bill providing
funds for a statewide public education system.
In the late 1980s Washington had 1858 public elementary and
secondary schools; annual enrollment totaled about 585,800 elementary
pupils and 224,400 secondary students. Private schools were attended
by some 59,350 students. In the same period Washington had 55 institutions
of higher education, with a combined enrollment of about 255,800
students. These institutions included the University of Washington, Seattle
University (1891), and Seattle Pacific University (1891), all in
Seattle; Washington State University (1890), in Pullman; Eastern
Washington University (1882), in Cheney; Central Washington University
(1891), in Ellensburg; Western Washington University (1893), in
Bellingham; Whitman College (1859), in Walla Walla; Gonzaga University
(1887), in Spokane; and the University of Puget Sound (1888), in
Tacoma.
Most of the major cultural institutions are in Seattle,
Tacoma, and
Olympia. Major museums in Seattle include the Seattle Art Museum
(1991), with superb collections of African and Northwest Native
American art (the original museum, in Volunteer Park, was remodeled
as a center for Asian art in 1994); the Thomas Burke
Memorial–Washington
State Museum, at the University of Washington, noted for its historical
collections; the Henry Art Gallery (1927); and the Museum of History
and Industry (1914). Also notable are the Washington State Capital
Museum (1941), in Olympia; the Washington State Historical Society
(1891), in Tacoma; the Whatcom Museum of History and Art (1940),
in Bellingham; and the Whale Museum (1978), in Friday Harbor. Major
public libraries are in Seattle, Spokane, and Tacoma. Seattle and
Tacoma have symphony orchestras, and Seattle has an opera company.
Also located in Seattle are the Pacific Northwest Ballet and several
theatrical companies, including A Contemporary Theatre and the Seattle
Repertory Theatre.
Historical places of interest often commemorate pioneer days and Indians. Whitman Mission National Historic Site, near Walla
Walla, commemorates one of the area’s first missions, founded
in 1836 and the scene of a massacre by Indians in 1847. Fort Vancouver
National Historic Site, in Vancouver, marks the site of the W headquarters
(1825–49) of the Hudson’s Bay Co. Anglo-American territorial
rivalry is commemorated by the San Juan Island National Historical
Park. One of the state’s oldest houses, the Covington House
(built 1846), is in Vancouver.
Washington’s diverse landscape of mountains, waterways,
seacoast, and extensive forests provides abundant opportunities for
outdoor
recreation. Hunting, fishing, hiking, boating, and camping are popular
activities. The state also has many ski areas. The professional
sports teams include the Seattle Mariners (major league baseball),
the Seattle SuperSonics (basketball), and the Seattle Seahawks
(football).
Washington’s communications facilities are concentrated
in the larger cities. In the early 1990s Washington had 106 AM and
111 FM radio stations, and 34 television stations. The first radio
station in the state, KFBL, began broadcasting in Everett in 1920, and
the first television station, KING, in Seattle, began broadcasting
in 1948. Washington’s first newspaper, the Columbian, began
publishing at Olympia in 1852. In the early 1990s the state had
26 daily newspapers with a combined daily circulation of about 1.2
million copies. Leading dailies include the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, the Seattle
Times, the Morning News Tribune (Tacoma),
the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, and the Olympian (Olympia).
Washington is governed under its original constitution adopted
in 1889, as amended. An amendment to the constitution may be proposed
by the state legislature or by a constitutional convention. To become
effective, an amendment proposed by the legislature must be approved
by a majority voting on the issue in a general election.
The chief executive of Washington is a governor, who is
popularly elected
to a 4-year term and may serve any number of terms. Other statewide
elected officials include the lieutenant governor, who succeeds
when the office of governor becomes vacant; secretary of state;
attorney general; treasurer; auditor; superintendent of public
instruction;insurance commissioner; and commissioner of public lands.
The bicameral Washington legislature comprises a senate and
a house of representatives. The 49 members of the senate are popularly
elected to 4-year terms, and the 98 members of the house of representatives
are popularly elected to 2-year terms.
Washington’s highest tribunal, the supreme court,
consists of a chief justice and eight associate justices. The intermediate
appellate court is the 17-member court of appeals, and the major
trial courts are the superior courts with a total of 147 judges.
The judges of all these courts are popularly elected on nonpartisan
ballots.
In the early 1990s Washington had 39 counties, most of which were
governed by popularly elected three-member boards of commissioners.
Other elected county officials included the assessor, auditor, treasurer,
coroner, clerk, sheriff, and prosecuting attorney. King Co., comprising metropolitan
Seattle, has an elected county executive and council. Most of the
state’s 268 towns and cities have a mayor-council form
of government.
Washington elects 2 senators and 9 representatives to the U.S.
Congress. The state casts 11 electoral votes in presidential elections.
In state and local politics, Washington has been, since statehood,
a two-party state. Democrats and Republicans have generally alternated
in the governorship. In presidential elections Washington voters
generally favored Republican candidates before 1932, backed Democrat Franklin
D. Roosevelt in his four races (1932–44), and trended Republican
from the early 1950s through the mid-’80s. More recently,
the state has returned to the Democratic column.
Before its settlement in the mid-19th century, the
region
that is now Washington was important for its fur-trapping industry.
Agriculture and lumbering gradually developed around Puget Sound and in
some outlying areas. A major stimulus to the development
of these embryonic economies was the construction of transcontinental
and N-S railroads in the late 19th century. By the end of the century,
shipping had become important. In the 20th century, the construction
of dams on the Columbia R. provided irrigation water for the dry
farmlands of the E and furnished cheap electric power. Manufacturing
began its rapid growth in the state in the World War II period,
when the federal government established defense industries here.
| WASHINGTON STATE ECONOMY (early 1990s) |
| STATE BUDGET |
|
| General revenue |
$11.5 billion |
| General expenditure |
$11.4 billion |
| Accumulated debt |
$5.7 billion |
 |
| STATE AND LOCAL TAXES, PER CAPITA |
$2123 |
| PERSONAL INCOME, PER CAPITA |
$14,923 |
| POPULATION BELOW POVERTY LEVEL |
10.9% |
| ASSETS, INSURED COMMERCIAL BANKS (92) |
$38.1 billion |
|
| LABOR FORCE (CIVILIAN NONFARM) |
2,045,000 |
| Employed in wholesale and retail trade |
24% |
| Employed in services |
23% |
| Employed in government |
19% |
| Employed in manufacturing |
18% |
|
| MAJOR INDUSTRIES |
% CONTRIBUTED TO GSP* |
| Commercial, financial, and professional services |
50% |
| Manufacturing and construction |
23% |
| Government |
15% |
| Transportation, communications, and public utilities |
8% |
| Agriculture, forestry, and fisheries |
4% |
| Mining |
less than 1% |
*Gross State Product = total value of goods and services produced in a year.
Sources: U.S. government publications |
| PRINCIPAL PRODUCTS OF WASHINGTON (early 1990s) |
| |
Quantity Produced |
Value |
| FARM PRODUCTS |
|
$3.8 billion |
|
| CROPS |
|
$2.4 billion |
| Apples |
2.2 million metric tons |
$778 million |
| Wheat |
4.1 million metric tons |
$413 million |
| Potatoes |
2.9 million metric tons |
$331 million |
| Hay |
2.8 million metric tons |
$283 million |
| Vegetables |
907,000 metric tons |
$173 million |
| Barley |
492,000 metric tons |
$49 million |
|
| LIVESTOCK AND LIVESTOCK PRODUCTS |
|
$1.4 billion |
| Cattle |
296,000 metric tons |
$614 million |
| Milk |
2.0 million metric tons |
$604 million |
| Eggs |
1.3 billion |
$79 million |
| Chickens (broilers) |
71,000 metric tons |
$51 million |
|
| MINERALS |
|
$481 million* |
| Coal |
4.6 million metric tons |
N/A |
| Sand, gravel |
34.3 million metric tons |
$125 million |
| Stone |
12.0 million metric tons |
$57 million |
|
| FISHING |
74,000 metric tons |
$135 million |
|
| |
|
Annual Payroll |
| MANUFACTURING |
|
$11.2 billion |
| Transportation equipment |
|
$4.0 billion |
| Lumber and wood products |
|
$899 million |
| Food and kindred products |
|
$681 million |
| Paper and allied products |
|
$583 million |
| Industrial machinery and equipment |
|
$573 million |
| Primary metals |
|
$467 million |
| Printing and publishing |
|
$464 million |
| Instruments and related products |
|
$444 million |
| Chemicals and allied products |
|
$410 million |
| Fabricated metal products |
|
$351 million |
| Electronic equipment |
|
$306 million |
|
| OTHER |
|
$36.1 billion |
| Government |
|
$10.6 billion |
| Services |
|
$8.7 billion |
| Retail trade |
|
$4.6 billion |
| Wholesale trade |
|
$3.1 billion |
| Transportation, communications, and public utilities |
|
$2.9 billion |
| Finance,insurance, and real estate |
|
$2.8 billion |
| Construction |
|
$2.6 billion |
Excluding coal
Sources: U.S. government publications |
Farming accounts for nearly 3% of the annual gross
state product in Washington. The state has approximately 37,000
farms, which average 175 ha (432 acres) in size. Agriculture is
concentrated in the Puget Sound area and the somewhat isolated valleys
to the S, in the dry-farmed holdings of the E two-thirds of the
state, and in the irrigated land on the upper Columbia, Snake, and
lesser rivers. Crops make up nearly two-thirds of the yearly farm
income. Wheat, the state’s leading field crop, is grown
primarily in the E. Fruits, nuts, and berries account for more than
one-third of the value of the crops produced in the state. The leading
national producer of apples, Washington is also known for its cherries, plums,
grapes, pears, and blueberries. Other important crops are hay, hops,
potatoes, sugar beets, peas, dry beans, and flower bulbs.
Livestock products account for more than one-third of annual
agricultural income. Dairy farming is concentrated in the Puget
Sound region and in valleys of the SW. Cattle and sheep are raised
in the drier E part of the state.
Forestry is a major industry in Washington. About 93% of
the wood cut is softwood, of which the principal commercial species
are Douglas fir and western hemlock. Nearly all the wood is cut
in the moist valleys within the Cascade Range and to the W. More
than 40% of the wood cut is used for lumber, about 40% is
exported as roundwood, and the remainder is used for pulp and plywood.
The fishing industry is significant, although it
accounts
for less than 1% of the annual gross state product. Ports
on Puget Sound and the Pacific Ocean handle almost all landings;
less than 1% comes from fresh water. In value, salmon accounts
for about one-third of the catch, followed by oysters, crab, shrimp,
and other shellfish. Other fish caught include halibut, flounder,
tuna, cod, rockfish, pollock, and sablefish.
The mining industry accounts for less than 1% of
the annual gross state product in Washington. Leading mineral products
include coal, Portland cement, sand and gravel, and stone. Other
minerals produced include diatomite, crude gypsum, lime, magnesium,
olivine, and silver.
Enterprises engaged in manufacturing account for 17% of
the annual gross state product in Washington and employ more than
360,000 workers. The leading manufactures include transportation
equipment, especially aircraft and aerospace equipment; lumber and
wood products; food products; paper; industrial machinery; primary
metals; printed materials; and precision instruments. Most industry
is concentrated in the urbanized corridor along Puget Sound between
Bellingham on the N and Olympia on the S. Seattle and Tacoma are
the primary industrial centers. The processing of commodities from
forestry,
farming, and fishing tends to be decentralized, located near the
sources of raw materials.
Each year several million visitors contribute some $4.8
billion to the Washington economy. The state’s major attractions
are rural and scenic, including three national parks (Mount Rainier,
Olympic, and North Cascades), three national recreation areas (Lake
Chelan, Coulee Dam, and Ross Lake), and extensive areas of national
forests. In addition, the state maintains a system of some 110 parks
developed for recreational use. Seattle is the leading urban tourist
attraction; its Space Needle and monorail, built for the Century
21 Exposition, the world’s fair of 1962, are still in use.
Washington has a network of about 130,840 km (about 81,300
mi) of federal, state, and local roads. This figure includes 1218
km (757 mi) of interstate highways that cross the state from N to
S and from E to W. The road system is densest in the heavily populated
Puget Sound region. Washington is also served by about 5585 km (about
3470 mi) of Class I railroad track.
Seattle, Tacoma, Kalama, and Longview are the most important
of Washington’s ports. Although most ports are located
on Puget Sound or the Pacific coast, several are located on the
upper Columbia R.; oceangoing and river barges can navigate upstream
by a 7-m (24-ft) deep channel as far as the Tri-Cities (Kennewick,
Pasco, and Richland). Ferries connect key points on Puget Sound
with one another and with Victoria, B.C. A crude-oil pipeline reaches
Puget Sound from Alberta, natural-gas pipelines extend from British
Columbia to Spokane and from Alberta through Spokane to Oregon and
California.
Washington has 302 airports, 93 heliports, and 13 seaplane
bases. The Seattle-Tacoma and Spokane international airports dominate
air traffic in the state. The former is also an important terminus
for transpacific flights.
Electricity generating plants in Washington have a total installed
capacity of 24.2 million kw and produce approximately 100.5 billion
kwh of electricity each year. Washington leads the nation in both
installed capacity and annual production of hydroelectricity. The
Grand Coulee, Chief Joseph, and John Day dams are the key units
in a great system that includes six major dams on the Columbia R.,
four on the Snake R. and others on lesser rivers. Approximately
87% of the annual output of electricity is produced by
hydroelectric facilities, about 7% by conventional thermal
installations, and about 6% by nuclear power plants. Some
electricity is exported from the state.
Before the coming of the Europeans, the Indian peoples inhabiting
what is now the state of Washington included the Nez PercÉ,
Spokan, Yakima, Cayuse, Okanogan, Walla Walla, and Colville in the
interior, and the Nooksak, Chinook, Nisqually, Clallam, Makah, Quinault, and Puyallup in the coastal area.
In the 18th century, Europeans were attracted to the coast
of present-day Washington by the valuable fur of the sea otter,
an animal found there in great numbers. The Spanish explorer Bruno
Heceta visited the area in 1775 and claimed it for his country.
In 1790, however, Britain and Spain concluded the Nootka Sound Agreement,
which opened the coast between California and Alaska to trade and
settlement by both nations. In 1792 George Vancouver, a British
naval officer, explored Puget Sound. By 1800 British interest had
shifted from sea-dwelling furbearers to land animals, particularly the
beaver, and the MontrÉal-based North West Co. played a
major role in opening Washington to the fur trade.
The first Americans interested in the Pacific Northwest
were
merchants who came from Boston as early as the 1780s, among them
Robert Gray, who explored the Columbia River in 1792. The Lewis and
Clark expedition (1804–6) stimulated public interest, and in 1811 John
Jacob Astor established a fur-trading post—Astoria—near
the mouth of the Columbia and a fort at the mouth of the Okanogan
River. In 1818 the U.S. and Britain agreed to a 10-year period of
joint occupancy of the Oregon country.
In 1846 the present U.S.-Canadian boundary was established, and Washington became part of the U.S. territory of Oregon two years
later. When it was separated from Oregon in 1853, the new territory
contained fewer than 4000 white inhabitants and stretched from the
Pacific Ocean to the crest of the Rocky Mountains. The first territorial
governor, Isaac I. Stevens (1818–62), moved quickly to
extinguish Indian title to the land and to improve transportation,
the two keys to rapid settlement and economic development. The treaties
negotiated by Stevens in 1854–55 were an attempt to defuse
tensions between natives and settlers, but for various reasons the
treaty structure quickly deteriorated, and intermittent warfare
took place between 1855 and 1858. Because of this strife, and numerous
delays in constructing a northern transcontinental railroad, the
territory languished until the 1880s.
Completion of the Northern Pacific (1886) and Great
Northern
(1893) rail lines boosted Washington’s economy, and statehood
in 1889 brought political stability, beginning a period of rapid
growth that lasted through World War I. During that time the population
increased from 75,000 to 1.25 million. Wheat growing and cattle
raising in eastern Washington and lumbering and fishing in the western
portions of the state were the main economic activities. The Boeing
Airplane Co., founded during World War I, became the largest private
employer in the state during and after World War II. Lack of
diversification and the cyclical nature of the major elements of the
economy led
to a series of boom-and-bust periods. The availability of inexpensive
hydroelectric
power after 1940 attracted the energy-intensive aluminum industry.
By the mid-20th century, agriculture had made dramatic gains.
Construction of huge dams provided irrigation and flood control,
as well as cheap electric power, and led to the development of inland
ports and increased river shipping. As the gateway to Alaska, Washington
has been moving away from dependence on federal contracts and has
encouraged new industries to develop and process Alaskan resources.
During the 1960s, ’70s, and ’80s the population
increased rapidly—especially in the Seattle and Puget Sound
areas. State authorities tried to encourage industrial growth while
protecting the environment.
Washington’s reputation as a maverick state with
citizens
who tend toward radicalism in politics and social attitudes springs
from its agrarian populist tradition and onetime strong radical
labor movement. Both influenced the adoption of the initiative,
referendum and recall, the open primary, and workers’ compensation and
consumer protection laws. Perhaps the most pervasive deteminants
of the character of the state, however, have been the relative
homogeneity
of its population, a relaxed pace of life, and a philosophy of harmony
with nature. Many citizens have enjoyed Washington’s status
as an isolated corner of the nation. This isolation was reflected
in national politics, in which the state had little impact until
after World War II, when Warren G. Magnuson (1905–89),
who represented Washington in the Senate from 1945 to 1981, and
Henry M. Jackson (1912–83), who served in the Senate from
1953 until his death, acquired considerable influence in health,
consumer affairs, foreign policy, and defense. Another prominent
Democrat, Thomas S. Foley (1929– )
of Spokane, was Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1989
through 1994, when he lost his House seat to a Republican.
In recent decades, the Seattle region, home of the Microsoft
Corp. and other high-technology firms, has become an important gateway
for Asian commerce. A Democrat, Gary Locke (1950– ),
the first American of Chinese ancestry to become a state governor,
won election in 1996 and was reelected four years later.