Many people know Washington, DC as the capital of the United States, but not everyone knows what the letters “DC” actually mean. The abbreviation stands for District of Columbia.
The district was established in 1790 as a special federal territory that would not belong to any individual U.S. state. It was created to serve as the permanent seat of the U.S. federal government. The name “Columbia” was an early poetic term used to refer to the United States, inspired by the explorer Christopher Columbus.
Washington, DC is home to the White House, the U.S. Capitol, the Supreme Court, and many of the country’s most important government agencies and national monuments. Unlike U.S. states, the District of Columbia has its own local government but remains under the authority of the U.S. Congress in several key areas.
Today, Washington, DC is a major political, cultural, and historical center, attracting millions of visitors each year from around the world.