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Washington
State: A state of the northwest United
States on the Pacific Ocean. It was admitted as the 42nd state in
1889. Originally explored by Capt. James Cook (1778), Washington was
the object of a dispute between England and the United States until
1846, when its northern border was set at the 49th parallel.
Washington is noted for its lumber and defense industries. Olympia
is the capital and Seattle the largest city. Population: 4,887,941.
Puget
Sound: A deep inlet of the Pacific
Ocean in western Washington extending south from the Strait of Juan
de Fuca through Admiralty Inlet. It was explored and named by Capt.
George Vancouver for his aide, Peter Puget, in 1792.
Cascade
Mountains: A mountain range in the northwestern United
States extending through Washington and Oregon and northern
California; a part of the Coast Range.
Olympic
Mountains: A range of the Coast Ranges on the Olympic
Peninsula of northwest Washington. The rugged peninsula is
bounded by the Pacific Ocean, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and Puget
Sound. On the western slope of the mountains is a rain forest with
an annual precipitation of more than 330 cm (130 in). Mount Olympus,
in the center of the range, is the highest peak, rising to 2,429.3 m
(7,965 ft).
Mt.Rainier:
a mountain peak in central Washington; highest peak in the Cascade
Range; (14,410 feet high).
Mt.Baker:
A peak, 3,287.3 m (10,778 ft) high, of northwest Washington in the
Cascade Range east of Bellingham. It is in a popular resort area.
San
Juan Islands: An archipelago of northwest Washington off the
southeast coast of Vancouver Island north of Puget Sound. The
islands were named c. 1790 by Spanish explorers and were later
claimed by both Great Britain and the United States. The boundary
dispute was finally settled in 1872. |
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