Spokane, Washington

Spokane (pronounced "sp?-CAN" {{IPA|}}) is the county seat of Spokane County in the State of Washington. It is also known as the seat of the Inland Empire. Situated at the foot of a valley, midway between the rise and mouth of the Spokane River, it is 280 miles east of Seattle and 375 miles northeast of Portland. It is the commercial center of the eastern part of Washington and of the northern part of Idaho, and the distributing point for a great agricultural, lumbering, horticultural, and stock raising region. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 195,629, and recent projections place the metropolitan population at around 560,000.

1974 World's Fair

Spokane hosted the environmentally themed Expo '74, becoming the smallest city up to that point ever to host a World's Fair.

Related Topics:
Environmentally - Expo '74 - World's Fair

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Many of the structures built for the World's Fair are still standing. The United States Pavilion now houses an IMAX theater; the Washington State Pavilion became the downtown Opera House. The Expo site itself became the 100 acre (400,000 m²) Riverfront Park, containing the U.S. Pavilion, the Pavilion of the USSR, and a clock tower (part of a Great Northern rail depot that was demolished for Expo '74), which are prominently featured in the park's logo.

Related Topics:
IMAX - Great Northern

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