Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

People and culture

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there are 572,059 people (2004 estimate: 553,523), 248,338 households, and 114,235 families residing in the city. The population density is 3,597.3/km² (9,316.4/mi²). There are 274,845 housing units at an average density of 1,728.3/km² (4,476.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 60.01% Black or African American, 32.78% White, 2.66% Asian, 0.30% Native American, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 3.84% from other races, and 2.35% from two or more races. 7.86% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race, with Salvadorans being the largest Hispanic group. A plurality of whites are of British ancestry.

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There are 248,338 households out of which 19.8% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 22.8% are married couples living together, 18.9% have a female householder with no husband present, and 54.0% are non-families. 43.8% of all households are made up of individuals and 10.0% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.16 and the average family size is 3.07.

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In the city the population is spread out with 20.1% under the age of 18, 12.7% from 18 to 24, 33.1% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 35 years. For every 100 females there are 89.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 86.1 males.

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The median income for a household in the city is $40,127, and the median income for a family is $46,283. Males have a median income of $40,513 versus $36,361 for females. The per capita income for the city is $28,659. 20.2% of the population and 16.7% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 31.1% of those under the age of 18 and 16.4% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Related Topics:
Per capita income - Poverty line

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As of 2000, 83.2% of Washington, D.C. residents age 5 and older speak English at home and 9.2% speak Spanish. French is the third most spoken language at 1.8%, followed by African languages at 1.0% and Chinese at 0.5%.

Related Topics:
English - Spanish - French - Chinese

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According to the 2001 American Religious Identification Survey, nearly four out of five District residents self-identified as Christians. This breaks down to 72% Christian (27% Catholic, 19% Baptist, and 26% as some other form of Protestant), 13% stating no religion, and minor religions including 4% Buddhist, 2% Muslim, and 1% Jewish. As with all survey data, the estimates are subject to sampling error and non-response bias. For instance, given that most African Americans are Baptist or Methodist and blacks comprise 60% of DC's population, it appears that Baptists and Methodists were undersampled.

Related Topics:
2001 - Christians - Catholic - Baptist - Protestant - Buddhist - Muslim - Jewish - African American

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Crime

During the violent crime wave of the early 1990s, Washington, D.C. was known as the murder capital of the United States. The number of homicides peaked in 1991 at 482, with violence declining drastically since then. Once plagued with violent crime, many D.C. neighborhoods, such as Columbia Heights, are becoming safe and vibrant areas as a result of gentrification. While not as intensely violent, crime hot spots have since displaced further into the eastern sections of Washington, D.C. and across the border into Maryland. Although the eastern side of the city has developed a reputation of being unsafe, these crime hot spots are generally concentrated in very specific areas that are associated with drugs and gangs. Other areas east of the U.S. Capitol, as well as the city's wealthier Northwest neighborhoods, experience low levels of crime. Despite the declining trends, Washington D.C. crime rates (2004) remain among the highest of U.S. cities ? behind only Camden, New Jersey, Detroit, Michigan, St. Louis, Missouri, and Gary, Indiana. http://www.morganquitno.com/cit05pop.htm#25

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Landmarks and museums

Washington is the home of numerous national landmarks and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the United States. The National Mall is a large, open area in the center of town that features many of the monuments to American leaders, as well as connects the White House and the United States Capitol buildings. Located prominently in the center is the Washington Monument. Other notable points of interest here include the Jefferson Memorial (see right), Lincoln Memorial, Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, National World War II Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and the Albert Einstein Memorial.

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The world famous Smithsonian Institution, is also located in Washington. This is a collection of museums including the Anacostia Museum, Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Hirshhorn Museum, National Air and Space Museum, National Museum of American History, National Museum of the American Indian, National Museum of Natural History, National Portrait Gallery, National Postal Museum, Smithsonian American Art Museum, and the National Zoo.

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There are also many art museums in town, in addition to those in the Smithsonian, including the National Gallery of Art, National Museum of Women in the Arts, and the Corcoran Museum of Art.

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The Library of Congress and the National Archives also house thousands of documents covering every period in American history. Some of the more notable documents in the National Archives include the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution.

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Other exciting points of interest in the District include Arena Stage, Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Blair House, Folger Shakespeare Library, Ford's Theatre, Frederick Douglass National Historic Site, International Spy Museum, National Building Museum, Old Post Office Building, The Phillips Collection, Theodore Roosevelt Island, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and the Washington National Cathedral.

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Media

Newspaper

The Washington Post is the oldest and most read daily newspaper in Washington, and has developed into one of the most reputable daily newspapers in the U.S., perhaps most notable for cracking the Watergate Scandal, among other achievements. The daily Washington Times and the free weekly Washington City Paper also have substantial readership in the District. On February 1, 2005 the free daily tabloid Washington Examiner debuted, having been formed from a chain of suburban newspapers known as the Journal Newspapers. The weekly Washington Blade focuses on gay issues, and the Washington Informer on African-American issues. Many neighborhoods in the city have their own small-circulation newspaper, usually published by the neighborhood association on a weekly basis. Some of these papers included the Dupont Current (Dupont Circle), Georgetown Current (Georgetown), In-Towner (Dupont Circle, Logan Circle, & Adams Morgan), Northwest Current (Upper Northwest), and the Voice of the Hill and the Hill Rag (Capitol Hill), and East of the River (Anacostia).

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Television

The metro area is well served by several local broadcast television stations, and is the eighth largest designated market area in the U.S., with 2,252,550 homes (2.04% of the U.S. population). Major television network affiliates include WUSA 9 (CBS), WJLA 7 (ABC), WRC 4, (NBC), WTTG 5 (Fox), WBDC 50 (WB), WDCA 20 (UPN), as well as WETA 26 and WHUT 32 (PBS) stations. Public Access on Cable Television is also provided by the Public Access Corporation of the District of Columbia on two channels simulcast to both local cable TV Systems. One channel is devoted to religious programming and the other channel provides a diversity of offerings.

Related Topics:
Television - Designated market area - WUSA - CBS - WJLA - ABC - WRC - NBC - WTTG - Fox - WBDC - WB - WDCA - UPN - WETA - WHUT - PBS

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Several cable television networks have their headquarters in the Washington area including C-SPAN on Capitol Hill, Black Entertainment Television (BET) in Northeast Washington, and Discovery Communications in Silver Spring, Maryland. Major national broadcasters and cable outlets including NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox, and CNN also maintain a significant presence in Washington, as do those from around the world including the BBC, CBC, and Al Jazeera.

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Radio

There are also several major radio stations serving the metro area, with a wide variety of musical interests. Rock stations include WARW 94.7 FM (classic rock), WIHT 99.5 FM (top 40), WWDC, 101.1 FM (alternative rock), and WWZZ 104.1 FM (alternative rock). Urban stations include WPGC 95.5 FM (Rhythmic CHR/Mainstream Urban), WHUR 96.3 FM (student-run Howard University Urban AC station), WMMJ 102.3FM (Urban Adult Contemporary|Urban AC]], WKYS 93.9 FM (Mainstream Urban), and Radio CPR 97.5 FM (a popular pirate radio station broadcasting the area around Mount Pleasant, Adams Morgan and Columbia Heights). Stations that concentrate on talk and sports include WJFK 106.7 FM, WMAL 630 AM (conservative), WPGC 1580 AM (Urban Gospel), WTEM 980 AM (sports talk), and WTOP 1500 AM (all news).

Related Topics:
Radio - Rock - WARW - WIHT - Top 40 - WWDC - WWZZ - Urban - WPGC - Rhythmic CHR - Mainstream Urban - Howard University - Urban AC - WMMJ - WKYS - Radio CPR - Pirate radio - Mount Pleasant - Adams Morgan - Columbia Heights - WJFK - WMAL - WPGC - Urban Gospel - WTOP

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There are also two NPR affiliates: WAMU 88.5 FM (usual NPR programs, community programming, and BBC news) and WETA 90.9 FM (round-the-clock news/analysis, broadcasting shows originating mainly from NPR, PRI, and BBC). Other stations include WASH 97.1 FM (adult contemporary), WMZQ 98.7 FM (country music), WLZL 99.1 FM (Latin/Hispanic), WGMS 103.5 FM (classical music), and WJZW 105.9 FM (smooth jazz).

Related Topics:
NPR - WAMU - WETA - NPR - PRI - BBC - Adult contemporary - Country music - WLZL - Classical music - WJZW - Smooth jazz

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XM Satellite Radio is based in Washington, as is National Public Radio.

Related Topics:
XM Satellite Radio - National Public Radio

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Performing arts

There are a number of venues for the performing arts in the city. Arena Stage, one of the first not-for-profit regional theaters in the nation is rich with history and produces an eight-show season ranging from classics to world premieres, dedicated to the American cannon of theater. The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts hosts the National Symphony Orchestra, the Washington National Opera, the Washington Ballet, and a variety of other musical and stage performances. Notable local music clubs include Madam's Organ Blues Bar in Adams Morgan, and the black cat, , and the historic Bohemian Caverns jazz club, all in the U Street NW area.

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The only native D.C. music genre is go-go, a post-funk, percussion-driven flavor of R&B that blends live sets with relentless dance rhythms (that "go and go and go.") The most accomplished practitioner of go-go was D.C. bandleader Chuck Brown, who brought go-go to the brink of national recognition with his 1979 LP Bustin' Loose. Go-Go band and Washington natives Experience Unlimited hit the American pop charts in 1988 with their memorable dance tune "Da Butt".

Related Topics:
Go-go - Chuck Brown - Bustin' Loose - Experience Unlimited - 1988 - "Da Butt"

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Washington was also an important center in the genesis of punk rock in the United States. Punk bands of note from Washington include Fugazi, Bad Brains, and Minor Threat. Native Washingtonians continue to support punk bands, long after the punk movement's peak in popularity. The region also has a storied indie rock history and was home to TeenBeat and Simple Machines, among other indie record labels.

Related Topics:
Punk rock - Fugazi - Bad Brains - Minor Threat - Indie rock - TeenBeat - Simple Machines

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There have also been a number of television series that have featured the District. Most of these have been related to government (The West Wing) or security organizations (The District, Get Smart). Other programs had the nation's capital as a secondary focus, telling stories on their own that were not always tied to the infrastructure of the government either in the district or for the country. (Murphy Brown, which focused on the lives of the reporters of a Washington-based television newsmagazine, FYI). The soap opera Capitol allowed for stories about political intrigue alongside the traditional class struggle sagas. The sitcom 227 portrayed the life of the African-American majority as seen through the eyes of residents in a Washington apartment building.

Related Topics:
The West Wing - The District - Get Smart - Murphy Brown - Capitol - 227

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Sports

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Club

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Sport

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League

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Venue

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Logo

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Washington Redskins

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Football

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National Football League; NFC

Related Topics:
National Football League - NFC

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FedEx Field

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Washington Nationals

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Baseball

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Major League Baseball; NL

Related Topics:
Major League Baseball - NL

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RFK Stadium

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Washington Wizards

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Basketball

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National Basketball Association

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MCI Center

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Washington Mystics

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Basketball

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Women's National Basketball Association

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MCI Center

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Washington Capitals

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Ice Hockey

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National Hockey League

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◄ Washington, D.C.: Geography and climate

~ Table of Content ~

►	Introduction
►	History
►	Geography and climate
►	People and culture

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