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| | {{City | | {{City |
| − | |name =District of Columbia | + | |name =Columbia Ruins |
| | |picture =US Capitol.jpg | | |picture =US Capitol.jpg |
| | |picture2 =DC flag.jpg | | |picture2 =DC flag.jpg |
| | |map = | | |map = |
| − | |country =United States | + | |country =Union of American Socialist Republics |
| | |state = | | |state = |
| | |region = | | |region = |
| | |settled =1791 | | |settled =1791 |
| | |charter = | | |charter = |
| − | |population =617,996 | + | |population =est. 9000 |
| − | |area =68.3 sq mi | + | |area = |
| − | |density =10,065 | + | |density = |
| − | |mayor =Vincent C. Gray | + | |mayor =Vincent Grey |
| − | |demonym =Washingtonian | + | |demonym =Columbian |
| | }} | | }} |
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| − | '''Washington, D.C.''', also known as the '''District of Columbia''', since 1800 has been the capital of the [[United States]].<ref>http://www.senate.gov/reference/reference_item/Nine_Capitals_of_the_United_States.htm</ref> | + | '''The Columbia Ruins''', once known as '''Washington, D.C''' or the '''District of Columbia''', are all that remains of the former capital of the [[United States of America]]. The city itself was destroyed on New Years' Day 2008 when the Obama Regime detonated a thermonuclear warhead under the city. Today, radiation levels are safe to live in, but the streets are strewn with rubble and debris, and the ruins lay in the middle of a war zone between the [[Confederate States of America|Second Union]] and the Union of American Socialist Republics. |
| − | Legally the name of the city is "District of Columbia".<ref>[http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=llsl&fileName=016/llsl016.db&recNum=0454 District of Columbia Organic Act of 1871.] [[Library of Congress]]</ref><ref> [http://countystation.com/washingtondc.html District of Columbia Information.]</ref>
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| − | [[File:DC2.jpg|thumb|400px]]
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| − | ==Design==
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| − | [[Pierre L'Enfant]], appointed in 1791 by George Washington, designed much of the city, including the city's interesting quadrant formation. The city is divided into four quadrants, which meet at a central point at the [[United States Capitol]]. The Northwest quadrant is by far the largest, and locations in this quadrant include the [[White House]], Ford's Theater (where [[Abraham Lincoln]] was assassinated in 1865), the National Zoo, and a number of the Smithsonian Museums. L'Enfant was fired over a dispute involving [[Thomas Jefferson]] before the city's design was completed.<ref>http://www.exploredc.org/index.php?id=3</ref>
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| − | In 1814, the British army attacked the city as a part of the [[War of 1812]] and burned a number of public buildings in the city, including the [[White House]]. First Lady [[Dolly Madison]] famously saved a portrait of [[George Washington]] from the White House before the building was burned.<ref>http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/washingtonsack.htm</ref>
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| − | The city is located along the [[Potomac River]]. The Anacostia River branches off this, and runs through parts of the Southeast and Northeast Quadrants. This river has had problems with pollution.
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| − | Washington, D.C. is served by the [[Metrorail]] subway system.
| + | ==The Ruins Today== |
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| − | ==Government==
| + | Most denizens of the Columbia live underground, in the [[Metrorail]] system that once connected the DC metro area. Others live in the ruins of old buildings, such as the [[Capitol]], [[White House]], and [[Supreme Court]]. The Metro tunnels are the quickest way to get around the ruins, as many streets are littered with debris. Still others live in the multitude of bunkers that are a leftover from the [[Cold War]] days. The ruins are currently under control by the Union of American Socialist Republics, which also controls nearly half the country, although the Second Union seeks to retake the ruins. Most denizens are apathetic to the conflict. |
| − | Article I of the Constitution specifies that [[Congress]] has exclusive legislative jurisdiction over the District of Columbia.<ref>http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/constitution.articlei.html#section8</ref> In 1973, Congress passed the District of Columbia Self-Government and Governmental Reorganization Act, [[P.L.]] 93-198, which proposed a charter that delegated legislative authority to a locally-elected [[mayor]] and [[Council of the District of Columbia|council]]; the charter was approved by local referendum in 1974.<ref>http://government.westlaw.com/linkedslice/default.asp?rs=gvt1.0&vr=2.0&sp=dcc-1000</ref><ref>http://www.narpac.org/ITXICE.HTM</ref>
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| − | [[Image:WashingtonDC1.gif|thumb|200px|A view of the Washington Monument and United States Capitol In Washington D.C]]
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| − | ===Politics===
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| − | The voters in Washington are 90% Democratic. It is America's fourth-most liberal city.<ref>http://www.govpro.com/News/Article/31439/</ref> The current mayor of the District of Columbia is Vincent C. Gray.
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| − | | |
| − | ===Elected officials===
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| − | * [[Vincent Gray]], Mayor.
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| − | ====Federal====
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| − | *Del. [[Eleanor Holmes Norton]]<ref>[http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/n000147/ Washington Post U.S. Congress Votes Database]</ref> [D, DC-0]<ref name="alas">[http://www.myjournalcourier.com/articles/state_21548___article.html/alas_columbia.html Alas, D.C. is not a state] The capital has an elected House representative, Eleanor Norton, but she can only vote in committee, not on the floor.</ref>
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| − | ===Constitutional and legal disputes===
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| − | On March 9, 2007, the [[United States Court of Appeals]] for the District of Columbia Circuit struck down Washington, D.C.'s ban on private [[handgun]] possession, as it pertains to carrying them inside one's own home, on the grounds that the [[Second Amendment]] guarantees the right of individual citizens to keep and bear firearms.<ref name="Parker">''See Parker v. District of Columbia'', 478 F. 3d 370 (2007) [quoted in ''District of Columbia v. Heller'', 554 U.S. ____ (2008).]</ref> In a dissent, however, one judge wrote that the District of Columbia is not a [[state]] and therefore the [[Second Amendment]] does not apply within the District of Columbia. Washington, D.C.'s handgun ban was one of the most restrictive [[gun control]] laws in the nation.<ref>http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=topNews&storyid=2007-03-09T223851Z_01_N09246717_RTRUKOC_0_US-USA-GUNS-RULING.xml&src=rss</ref> On June 26, 2008, the [[Supreme Court]] affirmed the decision of the Court of Appeals.<ref name="Heller">''District of Columbia v. Heller'' [http://www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/07pdf/07-290.pdf]</ref>
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| − | [[Image:Washington Monument and WWII memorial.jpg|right|thumb|200px|The WWII memorial and Washington Monument]]
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| − | License plates in Washington, D.C. read "taxation without representation," referring to the fact that citizens of the District pay federal income taxes but do not have voting representation in either the [[United States Senate|Senate]] or [[House of Representatives]].<ref>http://dmv.dc.gov/serv/plates/tax.shtm</ref> These plates do not appear on the presidential limousines. [[George W. Bush|George Walker Bush]] had the plates removed from the limousines after his inauguration, reversing [[Bill_Clinton|William Jefferson Clinton's]] policy.<ref>http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C06E0DB173CF93AA25752C0A9679C8B63</ref> The capital has an elected House representative, Eleanor Holmes Norton, but she can only vote in committee, not on the floor.<ref name="alas"/><ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/05/AR2011010501936_2.html? Boehner elected House speaker as 112th Congress convenes]</ref>
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| − | Since 1992, Washington, D.C. has offered [[domestic partnership]]s.<ref>[http://www.answers.com/topic/domestic-partnership-in-the-united-states Answers.com]</ref> In 2009, the D.C. Council enacted a law, effective March 3, 2010, that "expanded the
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| − | definition of marriage in the District to include same-sex couples."<ref>[http://www.dcappeals.gov/dccourts/appeals/pdf/10-CV-20_JACKSON_MTD.PDF ''Jackson v. District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics''], citing D.C. Code § 46-401 (a) (Supp. 2010); 57 D.C. Reg. 27 (Jan. 1, 2010).</ref>
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| − | == Symbols ==
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| − | [[File:DC flag.jpg|thumb|DC flag.]]
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| − | Some official symbols are:
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| − | *Motto: "Justia Omnibus" - Justice for All
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| − | *Song: The Star-Spangled Banner
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| − | *Bird: Wood thrush
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| − | *Flower: American beauty rose
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| − | *Tree: Scarlet Oak
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| − | {{Clear}}
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| − | ==See also==
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| − | [[File:Tulips White House.jpg|right|240px]]
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| − | *[[White House]]
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| − | *[[Art cities]]
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| − | *[[Famous American Buildings]]
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| − | *[[United States Capitol]].
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| − | [[Image:US Capitol.jpg|thumb|left|US Capitol.]]
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| − | {{Clear}}
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| − | | |
| − | == External links ==
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| − | *[http://www.washington.org/ What's hot in Washington, DC.]
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| − | *[http://www.vrc.dc.gov/vrc/cwp/view.asp?a=1196&q=446778&vrcNav_GID=1408&portal_link=hr Tours] Official website of the Government of the District of Columbia.
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| − | *[http://www.culturaltourismdc.org/ Cultural Tourism DC.] Local History.
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| − | *[http://www.enchantedlearning.com/usa/states/dc/ District of Columbia]
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| | ==References== | | ==References== |
The Columbia Ruins, once known as Washington, D.C or the District of Columbia, are all that remains of the former capital of the United States of America. The city itself was destroyed on New Years' Day 2008 when the Obama Regime detonated a thermonuclear warhead under the city. Today, radiation levels are safe to live in, but the streets are strewn with rubble and debris, and the ruins lay in the middle of a war zone between the Second Union and the Union of American Socialist Republics.
The Ruins Today
Most denizens of the Columbia live underground, in the Metrorail system that once connected the DC metro area. Others live in the ruins of old buildings, such as the Capitol, White House, and Supreme Court. The Metro tunnels are the quickest way to get around the ruins, as many streets are littered with debris. Still others live in the multitude of bunkers that are a leftover from the Cold War days. The ruins are currently under control by the Union of American Socialist Republics, which also controls nearly half the country, although the Second Union seeks to retake the ruins. Most denizens are apathetic to the conflict.
References
