Washington...
Part of the Oregon territory separated in 1853 to become part of the Washington territory. This state was the 42nd to join the Union in 1889 and was named after our first president, General George Washington. Washington sits on the Pacific Coast and its Puget Sound has harbors that make Washington a leader in trade with Canada, Alaska, and the Pacific Rim. There are two large mountain ranges in Washington State. On the west of Puget Sound are the Olympic Mountains that reach 7,000 feet high and are surrounded by a temperate rain forest. Then there is the Cascade Range of mountains that are very majestic and reach 14, 410 feet into the sky. This is where you can find the well known Mount Rainier and Mount St. Helens which is volcanic and has even erupted twice since 1980.

The capital of Washington is Olympia but the largest cities are Seattle, Everett, and Tacoma, which is where most people in the state reside. The state flower of Washington is the western rhododendron and the state tree is the western hemlock. Washington is also known as the “Ever Green State.