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Johns Hopkins University

Johns Hopkins University

The Johns Hopkins University is a private institution of higher learning located in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Johns Hopkins offers its main undergraduate and graduate programs at the Homewood Campus in Baltimore. The Zanvyl Krieger School of Arts & Sciences and the G.W.C. Whiting School of Engineering boast academic strengths in a wide variety of fields from the social sciences and humanities to the natural sciences and engineering. The University maintains full-time campuses in greater Maryland, nearby Washington, D.C., Italy, and China. Johns Hopkins is considered one of the leading research and academic institutions in the world and is ranked among the most prestigious universities in the nation.

General information

China Johns Hopkins holds many "firsts" in American education: it was the first university in the United States to put an emphasis on research, founded on the German university model. As such, it was the first American university to teach through seminars, instead of solely through lectures. The University was the first in America to offer an undergraduate major (as opposed to a purely liberal arts curriculum) and the first American university to grant doctoral degrees. The Hopkins model set the standard in the United States for most large research universities, particularly the University of Chicago. The University is named for Johns Hopkins, who left $7,000,000 (USD) in his 1867 will for the foundation of the University and Johns Hopkins Hospital. At the time, this was the largest philanthropic bequest in United States history, the equivalent of approximately $88,222,449 in the year 2005 (this personal gift is surpassed only by alumnus Michael Bloomberg's total donation of $100,000,000 during the 1990s). The University opened February 22, 1876, with the stated goal of "The encouragement of research ... and the advancement of individual scholars, who by their excellence will advance the sciences they pursue, and the society where they dwell." The University's first president was visionary educator Daniel Coit Gilman, and its motto in Latin is Veritas vos liberabit – "The truth shall make you free". The undergraduate student population at Hopkins was all male until 1970, though many graduate programs were integrated earlier. The University was designed from the start to marry scholarship and research, and graduate education has always been of key importance. All students at Johns Hopkins are encouraged to pursue original research at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and nearly 80% of Johns Hopkins undergraduates produce research by the time of graduation. Johns Hopkins receives more federal research grants than any other university in the United States, which is vital considering its smaller endowment size relative to its peer institutions. The University is affiliated with 31 Nobel laureates. It boasts a wide spectrum in terms of its academic strengths, particularly in art history, biological and natural sciences, biomedical engineering, English, history, international studies, medicine, political theory, public health, Romance languages, and writing. In 1900, Johns Hopkins was one of only fourteen Ph.D.-granting universities to found the Association of American Universities (AAU), along with Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Columbia, Cornell, and other prominent institutions. The AAU is an organization of elite research universities devoted to maintaining a strong system of academic research and education. In addition, Johns Hopkins is a member of the Consortium On Financing Higher Education (COFHE), an association of the United States' top private liberal arts colleges and national universities. People often mistakenly assume that Johns Hopkins' forename was "John". His forename is from a family surname. His great-grandmother, Margaret Johns, married Gerard Hopkins, who named their son Johns Hopkins, and whose name was passed on to his grandson. In a commencement address to the undergraduate Class of 2001, University President William R. Brody had the following to say about the name: :"In 1888, just 12 years after the university was founded, Mark Twain wrote about this university in a letter to a friend. He said: ::A few months ago I was told that the Johns Hopkins University had given me a degree. I naturally supposed this constituted me a Member of the Faculty, and so I started in to help as I could there. I told them I believed they were perfectly competent to run a college as far as the higher branches of education are concerned, but what they needed was a little help here and there from a practical commercial man. I said the public is sensitive to little things, and they wouldn't have full confidence in a college that didn't know how to spell the name 'John'. :More than a century later, we continue to bestow our diplomas only upon individuals of outstanding capabilities and great talent. And we continue to spell Johns with an 's'." Mark Twain

Undergraduate education

Johns Hopkins offers undergraduate programs based at the Homewood Campus, adjacent to Charles Village in northern Baltimore. The Zanvyl Krieger School of Arts & Sciences and the G.W.C. Whiting School of Engineering are two of the three schools based at Homewood, with the third being the School of Professional Studies in Business and Education (SPSBE). Among the many strong undergraduate and graduate departments at Johns Hopkins are art history, astronomy, biology, biomedical engineering, biophysics, creative writing ([http://www.jhu.edu/~writsem/ Writing Seminars]), economics, English, environmental engineering, film and media studies, German, history, international studies, Near Eastern studies, political science (a term coined by a Hopkins professor), and Romance languages. Notably, the Biomedical Engineering Department is widely recognized as one of the best in the nation and the French Department was recognized as a "Center of Excellence" in the study of French culture and language by the government of France, one of only four in the United States. Additionally, the Writing Seminars department was ranked second-best in the nation by US News and World Report. Johns Hopkins also offers undergraduate and graduate degrees at the Peabody Conservatory and the School of Nursing. Through collaborations with its graduate schools and international partners, undergraduate majors in areas such as public health or international studies can cross-register or apply for accelerated programs through the Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine or SAIS's Bologna Center in Italy and Sciences Po in Paris. This unique experience promotes research opportunities among undergraduates with leading researchers in their respective fields, a rarity among other graduate focused research institutions. Finally, the university's rigorous academics and broad alumni base allow for easier transition to graduate school or integration into the workforce.

Graduate education

Sciences Po In addition to graduate education at the schools of Arts & Sciences and Engineering, Johns Hopkins also has several internationally respected graduate professional schools:
- The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine has an exceptional reputation world-wide and the Bloomberg School of Public Health is renowned for its global contributions to preventive medicine and the health of large populations.
- The Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (simply referred to as "SAIS"), based in Washington, DC, is one of the nation's leading graduate schools devoted to international studies and is recognized as a world leader in international relations, diplomacy, and economic studies. SAIS has international campuses in Bologna, Italy and Nanjing, China. Founded in 1943, SAIS became a part of the University in 1950. Notably, SAIS was ranked in a recent survey as the top master's program in International Relations. Source: http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=3292.
- The Peabody Conservatory of Music, located in downtown Baltimore, became a division of the University in 1977. The Conservatory retains its own student body and grants its own degrees in musicology, though both Hopkins and Peabody students may take courses at both institutions. The University offers education abroad through centers in Germany, Singapore, and Italy. The University operates the Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, which specializes in research for the U.S. Department of Defense, NASA and other Government agencies. The Space Telescope Science Institute is located on the Homewood campus and controls, analyzes, and collects data from the Hubble Space Telescope. The recently opened Information Security Institute, is the newest addition to the graduate programs affiliated with Johns Hopkins. Opened in 2003, the Institute is the "University's focal point for research and education in information security, assurance and privacy".

Homewood Campus

Information Security Institute The original main university campus was in Baltimore City. This location did not permit room for growth and the trustees began to look for a place to move. They would move to the estate of Charles Carroll of Carrollton and Homewood House, a wedding gift from Charles to his son Charles Jr. The park-like main campus of Johns Hopkins, Homewood, is set on 140 acres (0.57 km²) in the northern part of Baltimore. The architecture was inspired by the Georgian style of Homewood House. Most newer buildings resemble the Georgian style, being built of red brick with white marble trim, but lack the details. Homewood House was later used for administrative offices but now is preserved as a museum. As a part of the donation, Hopkins was required to donate part of the land for art. As a result, the renowned Baltimore Museum of Art is situated just next to the University's campus, and admission is free to students.

Medical Institutions Campus

This "campus" is actually embedded in the East Baltimore neighborhood and is home to the School of Medicine, the Bloomberg School of Public Health, and the School of Nursing. It comprises several city blocks spreading from the main site where the original Johns Hopkins Hospital building was founded (and still exists). The School of Medicine of the Johns Hopkins University is a world renowned research and teaching institution that applies its superb expertise to patient care through the Johns Hopkins Hospital. The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions educate medical students, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows in accordance with the highest professional standards, as well as prepares clinicians to practice top quality patient-centered medicine.

Students

Baltimore Museum of Art Entrance to the college is among the most competitive in the country, with over 11,000 applicants for 1,000 places in the freshman class. Undergraduate students matriculate from all 50 states and over 40 countries. Within six years of graduation, 85% of Hopkins students earn graduate degrees, the highest percentage in the nation. The median SAT score of the Class of '09 is 1400. Approximately 1/3 of male undergraduates and 1/10 of females belong to the Greek system. Most of the fraternities maintain houses off campus, but the sororities tend to not do so.

Social life

While Johns Hopkins has consistently provided a high standard of undergraduate and graduate education, the school has received more mixed reviews of its success in developing an active social life for its students. Several peer rating sites, including [http://www.campusdirt.com/static/631242.cfm Campus Dirt], and [http://www.studentsreview.com/MD/JHU.html Students Review], show that many students have given Hopkins poor grades for its social life. Both Johns Hopkins and the Charles Village community, however, have been striving to improve the neighborhood for students and community members. [http://www.charlesvillageprojects.com/ The Charles Village Project], scheduled for completion in 2008, will bring new commercial spaces to the neighborhood. Hopkins has also invested heavily in improving campus life for its students with the recent completion of brand new [http://apply.jhu.edu/tour/mattin.html performing arts] and [http://apply.jhu.edu/tour/oconnor.html recreation] centers.

Student publications

Hopkins has several entirely student-run publications. Among those are: [http://www.jhunewsletter.com/ The Johns Hopkins News-Letter], [http://www.tcrecord.com/ The Carrollton Record], The Black & Blue Jay, Zeniada, j.mag, Prometheus, and [http://hopkinsdonkey.com/ The Hopkins Donkey]. The News-Letter is the oldest continuously published college newspaper in the nation, founded in 1896, and is published weekly. Named after Charles Carroll of Carrollton, signer of the Declaration of Independence who owned what is now the Homewood campus, Carrollton Record is the university's only independent newsmagazine. The Black & Blue Jay is among the nation's oldest humor magazines, founded in 1921, and is the inspiration for the University's mascot. Zeniada and j.mag are two literary magazines. Prometheus is the undergraduate philosophy journal [http://www.jhu.edu/prometheus], and The Diplomat is the multi-disciplinary international relations journal.

Library system

Charles Carroll of Carrollton The Milton S. Eisenhower Library (called "MSE" by students), located on the Homewood Campus, houses over 2.6 million volumes and over 20,000 journal subscriptions. The Eisenhower Library is a member of the University's Sheridan Libraries encompassing collections at the Albert D. Hutzler Reading Room in Gilman Hall, the John Work Garrett Library at Evergreen House, and the George Peabody Library at Mount Vernon Place. Together these collections provide the major research library resources for the University, serving Johns Hopkins academic programs worldwide. Only two of the library's six stories are above ground; the rest are beneath, though architects designed the building so that every level has windows and natural light. The design accords with a bit of traditional campus lore which says no structure on campus can be taller than Gilman Hall, the oldest academic building. There is no written rule regarding building height, however, and the library's design was chosen for architectural and aesthetic reasons when it was finally built in the 1960's. Prior "master plans" for campus design over the previous decades had included massive, imposing buildings to house the library collections.

Athletics

The school's sports teams are named the Blue Jays. Hopkins has separate sets of colors: Columbia blue and black for athletic uniforms, and sable and gold for academic robes, and it is the only university in the United States to celebrate Homecoming in the spring. Outside of the Men's and Women's Division I lacrosse teams, Hopkins participates in the NCAA's Division III and the Centennial Conference. The school's most prominent sports team is its Men's lacrosse team, which has won 43 national titles - 8 NCAA Division I (2005, 1987, 1985, 1984, 1980, 1979, 1978, 1974), 29 USILA, and 6 ILA titles. Hopkins' primary lacrosse rivals are Princeton University, Syracuse University, and the University of Virginia, and its primary local rivals are the University of Maryland, Loyola College and the United States Naval Academy. The Lacrosse Museum and National Hall of Fame run by US Lacrosse is located on the Homewood campus adjacent to Homewood Field. Hopkins also has a century-old rivalry with McDaniel College (formerly known as Western Maryland), playing the Green Terrors 83 times in football since the first game in 1894.

Presidents of Johns Hopkins


- Daniel Coit Gilman, May 1875 - August 1901
- Ira Remsen, September 1901 - January 1913
- Frank Goodnow, October 1914 - June 1929
- Joseph Sweetman Ames, July 1929 - June 1935
- Isaiah Bowman, July 1935 - December 1948
- Detlev Bronk, January 1949 - August 1953
- Lowell Reed, September 1953 - June 1956
- Milton S. Eisenhower, July 1956 - June 1967 & March 1971 - January 1972
- Lincoln Gordon, July 1967 - March 1971
- Steven Muller, February 1972 - June 1990
- William C. Richardson, July 1990 - July 1995
- Daniel Nathans, June 1995 - August 1996
- William R. Brody, August 1996 - present

Notable alumni, professors, and staff

:See: List of Johns Hopkins University people

Johns Hopkins University in popular culture


- In the sci-fi movie The Island (2005), the retinal scans of Lincoln Six Echo are sent to Johns Hopkins for analysis.
- In the HBO film "Something the Lord Made" (2004) an unusual team (for the time) pioneer cardiac surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital.
- In season 2 finale of Nip/Tuck (2003), Christian Troy and Sean McNamara go to Johns Hopkins to find out further information about Ava Moore.
- The movie The Curve was filmed at the Homewood campus of Johns Hopkins University. A number of popular culture fictional associations can be found in the List of Johns Hopkins University people.

References

The Johns Hopkins University. [http://webapps.jhu.edu/jhuniverse/information_about_hopkins/about_jhu/frequently_asked_questions/index.cfm The Johns Hopkins:frequently asked questions]. December 2005.

External links


- [http://www.jhu.edu/ Johns Hopkins University Main Website]
- The University’s nine divisions
  - [http://www.jhu.edu/ksas/ Zanvyl Krieger School of Arts & Sciences]
  - [http://engineering.jhu.edu/ G.W.C. Whiting School of Engineering]
  - [http://spsbe.jhu.edu/ School of Professional Studies in Business and Education]
  - [http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/som/index.html School of Medicine]
  - [http://www.son.jhmi.edu/ School of Nursing]
  - [http://www.jhsph.edu/ Bloomberg School of Public Health]
  - [http://www.peabody.jhu.edu/ Peabody Institute]
  - [http://www.sais-jhu.edu/ Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies]
  - [http://www.jhuapl.edu/ Applied Physics Laboratory] (a non-academic division of the university)
- [http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/ Johns Hopkins Medicine Website]
- [http://www.library.jhu.edu/ Johns Hopkins University Library Website]
- [http://hopkinssports.ocsn.com/ Johns Hopkins Athletics Website]
- [http://www.jhunewsletter.com/ The Johns Hopkins News-Letter Website]
- [http://wiki.jhu.edu/ JhuWiki]
- [http://www.StudentsReview.com/MD/JHU.html Student Reviews of Johns Hopkins] ja:ジョンズ・ホプキンス大学

Baltimore, Maryland

Baltimore is an independent city located in the U.S. state of Maryland. As of 2004, the population is 636,251, up from 628,670 in 2002 and the population of the Baltimore-Washington Metroplex as of 2000 is 7.6 million, up from 6.7 million in 1990. It is the largest city in Maryland, named after the founding proprietor of the Maryland Colony, Cæcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore. The city is a major part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area and a major U.S. seaport. Because there is also a Baltimore County surrounding (but not including) the city, it is sometimes referred to as Baltimore City when a clear distinction is desired.

History

During the 17th century, various towns called "Baltimore" were founded as commercial ports at various locations on the upper Chesapeake Bay. The present city dates from July 30, 1729 and is named after Cæcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore who was the first Proprietary Governor of the Province of Maryland. Baltimore grew swiftly in the mid-late 18th century as the granary for sugar producing colonies in the Caribbean. The profit from sugar encouraged the maximum possible cultivation of cane and the importation of food. The relatively shorter distance between Baltimore and the Caribbean colonies allowed swift transport and minimized the spoilage of flour. flour One of Baltimore's greatest moments occurred during the War of 1812 when Fort McHenry came under attack by British forces near the harbor after the British had burned Washington, D.C.. Known today as the Battle of Baltimore, American forces won the decisive battles by repulsing a joint land and naval attack by the British forces. They fought to a stalemate at the Battle of North Point after killing the British commander General Ross. British reinforcements were not possible after the British Navy was repulsed by the defenders of the fort, and all forces then withdrew. It was the naval engagement that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the poem, "The Star-Spangled Banner," the lyrics to the United States national anthem. The battle was memorialized in the Battle Monument which is on the city seal. Battle Monument in the background North of the city]] Baltimore is also the site of the first architectural monument honoring George Washington, a 178 foot doric column erected in 1829 and designed by Robert Mills, who later designed the Washington Monument in Washington D.C. Baltimore became an independent city in 1851, being detached from Baltimore County at that time. During the Civil War, Maryland was officially part of the Union but kept slavery legal. Many, if not most, people in Baltimore at the time were sympathetic to the Confederacy. Pro-Southern sentiment led to the Baltimore riot of 1861 when Union soldiers marched through the city. After the riot, Union troops occupied Baltimore and Maryland came under direct federal administration — in part, to prevent the state from seceding — until the end of the war in April 1865. This was a necessary move by the Union to prevent Washington, DC from being completely surrounded by seceded Confederate territory. The case Ex parte Merryman, written by Supreme Court Justice Roger Taney, dealt with the habeus corpus rights of Marylanders jailed by the Abraham Lincoln Administration. The Great Baltimore Fire on February 7, 1904 destroyed over 1,500 buildings in 30 hours and forced most of the city to rebuild. Immediately afterward, Mayor Robert McLane was quoted in the Baltimore News as saying, "To suppose that the spirit of our people will not rise to the occasion is to suppose that our people are not genuine Americans. We shall make the fire of 1904 a landmark not of decline but of progress." He then refused assistance, stating "As head of this municipality, I cannot help but feel gratified by the sympathy and the offers of practical assistance which have been tendered to us. To them I have in general terms replied, 'Baltimore will take care of its own, thank you.'" (McLane committed suicide on May 30.) Two years later, on September 10, 1906, the Baltimore-American reported that the city had risen from the ashes and "One of the great disasters of modern time had been converted into a blessing." 1906, looking West from Pratt and Gay Streets]] Gay Streets Baltimore is the location of the Baltimore World Trade Center, the world's tallest equilateral five-sided building (the five-sided JPMorganChase Tower in Houston, Texas is taller, but has unequal sides). Baltimore is also the location of Pimlico Race Course, the home of the Preakness Stakes, the second leg of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing. The Preakness has been run since 1873. Baltimore's population peaked at 949,708 in the 1950 Census, which ranked it as the sixth-largest city in the country, behind Detroit and ahead of Cleveland. For the next five decades, the city's population declined while its suburbs grew dramatically. In the 21st Century, the city's population has stabilized and is once again rising, mostly due to revitalization efforts in many city neighborhoods. In 1955 Flag House Courts, a public housing project made up of 3 12-story buildings, was built. The buildings were eventually demolished in 2001. Baltimore has become a prime city for filming movies and television. Many movies such as Hairspray, Ladder 49, Serial mom, Eraser, Enemy of the State, Cry-baby, scenes from 12 Monkeys, True Lies, and the film Hardball were filmed in Baltimore, in fact many scenes from the 1972 cult classic film Pink Flamingos were shot in the city's Waverly and Hampden neighborhoods (the film was made by John Waters, a Baltimore native). Additionally, television shows such as NBC's "Homicide: Life on the Street" and HBO's "The Wire" have also been filmed in the city. In recent years, efforts to redevelop the downtown area have led to a revitalization of the Inner Harbor. In 1979 the Baltimore Convention Center was opened and was subsequently renovated and expanded in 1996. Harborplace, a modern urban retail and restaurant complex, was opened on the waterfront in 1980, followed by the National Aquarium in Baltimore, Maryland's largest tourist destination, in 1981. In 1992, the Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball moved from Memorial Stadium to Oriole Park at Camden Yards downtown, and six years later the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League moved next door into the newly renamed M&T Bank Stadium, formerly known as PSINet Stadium until PSINet went bankrupt. On October 2, 1996, Baltimore became the first city in the United States to adopt 311 as a non-emergency "hot line" telephone number, in order to reserve the use of 911 for genuine emergencies. The concept has been highly successful, and numerous other American municipalities have since implemented the practice. A 60-car train derailment occurred in a tunnel in Baltimore on July 18, 2001. The derailment sparked a chemical fire that raged for six days and virtually shut down the downtown area until the heat caused a water main to rupture, largely extinguishing the fire but also causing significant flooding in the streets above. Three weeks later, manhole covers flew into the air as underground explosions along West Pratt Street followed due to residual explosive chemicals from the fire left in the sewers. In 2003, the Baltimore Development Corporation announced that three hotel projects were being reviewed. As of 2005, the 752-room, $305 million Hilton hotel project has received a 9-6 approval vote from the Baltimore City Council on August 15th. A second approval vote is scheduled for sometime in September 2005. The hotel is expected to be built near the Baltimore Convention Center. The City of Baltimore hopes to have it finished and opened by Spring 2008. (See Baltimore Convention Center Hotel Project for more details regarding the convention center hotel.) Also in 2003, Baltimore was affected by Hurricane Isabel from flooding as a result of tidal surge, affecting primarily the Fells Point community and the Inner Harbor and surrounding low areas. Many places were flooded including the sports center ESPN Zone, the Baltimore World Trade Center (which remained closed for approximately a month during cleanup efforts) and most of the Inner Harbor. Water levels rose some 20 feet in areas, flooding underground parking garages and displacing thousands of cubic yards of trash and debris.

Law and government

Baltimore is an independent city; in other words, not part of any county. For most governmental purposes under Maryland law, Baltimore City is treated as a "county"-level entity. Furthermore the United States Census Bureau uses counties as the basic unit for presentation of statistical information in the United States, and treats Baltimore as a county equivalent for those purposes.

Mayor

The current Mayor of Baltimore is Martin O'Malley. A Democrat in a town that has been Democratic for a century and a half, O'Malley has maintained high approval ratings through both of his terms in office. For a full list of mayors that served the city, see: List of Baltimore Mayors

Baltimore City Council

Grassroots pressure for reform, voiced as Question P, restructured the City Council in November of 2002, against the will of the Mayor, the Council President, and the majority of the Council. A coalition of union and community groups, organized by ACORN, backed the effort. The Baltimore City Council is now made up of 14 single member districts and one elected at-large Council President. Sheila Dixon is the current Council President. On November 2, 2004, Dixon won re-election in a two-way contest; Joan Floyd, a Green Party candidate, was the only challenger; the Republicans did not field a candidate.

Federal Government

Baltimore City falls within parts of three Congressional Districts. These are 2nd Congressional District (Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger, Democrat), 3rd Congressional District (Rep. Ben Cardin, Democrat), 7th Congressional District (Rep. Elijah Cummings, Democrat).

Crime

According to crime statistics, there were 278 murders in Baltimore in 2004. Though this is significantly down from the record-high 353 murders in 1993, The murder rate in Baltimore is nearly seven times the national rate, six times the rate of New York City, and three times the rate of Los Angeles. While murders have been relatively static, other categories of crime in Baltimore have been declining. However, Baltimore still has much higher-than-average rates of aggravated assault, burglary, robbery, and theft. Though the crime situation in Baltimore is considered one of the worst in the nation, city officials are quick to point out that most violent crimes, particularly murders, are committed by people who know their victims and who are often associated with the illegal drug trade. Statistics compiled by independent groups indicate that many young men in the city are under the supervision of the criminal justice system. While racial disparities in arrest and incarceration rates exist in Baltimore, both young white and black men in the city are arrested and incarcerated at relatively high rates. In an infamous case, community activist Angela Dawson and her family were murdered by firebomb in their Baltimore home on October 16, 2002, in retaliation for Dawson's reporting of criminal activity. In late 2004, Baltimore drug dealers shocked the city when they released an underground DVD entitled Stop Snitching, in which they threatened with violence any citizen of Baltimore who interfered with their business. A strange twist emerged after it was discovered that NBA star Carmelo Anthony, who plays for the Denver Nuggets and had lived in Baltimore as a boy, was unwittingly featured in the video while visiting his old neighborhood. A few months later, in early 2005, the Baltimore Police Department responded to Stop Snitching with a video entitled Keep Talking, in which they urged the public to continue to report illicit activity and announced the arrest of at least two participants in the making and filming of the original DVD.
- http://www.ci.baltimore.md.us/government/police/

Geography and climate

Geography

2005 Baltimore is in the north central part of the state of Maryland, on the Patapsco River, not far from the Chesapeake Bay. It is on the western edge of the Atlantic Coastal Plain, with low hills rising in the western part of the city. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 238.5 km² (92.1 mi²). 209.3 km² (80.8 mi²) of it is land and 29.2 km² (11.3 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 12.240% water. The Baltimore Washington Metropolitan area Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) is the 4th largest in the United States, with a population of 7.6 million.

Climate

Baltimore has a humid subtropical climate. It gets hot summers, cool winters, generally high humidity, and annual precipitation of around 42 inches a year. Summers bring high temperatures typically in the upper 80s to low 90s Fahrenheit, with lows in the mid to upper 60s. Winter can be varied, with Indian summers of 60 to 70-degree days leading to chilly days with highs in the 30s to low 40s. Winter lows tend to hover in the low 30s to upper 20s, with occasional dips into the high 10s. It is almost never below 10 degrees in the city, although as one moves west, away from the Chesapeake and higher in elevation, the climate becomes more continental and winter lows can dip to the single digits. Snowfall is sporadic at best, not occurring every year and blaketing the city in white some years once or twice. Spring and fall have the most pleasant weather, with highs from the 50's to 70's. Sometimes severe thunderstorms occur in the spring and summer, and they usually have heavy rain, lightning, and high winds. Tornadoes and hurricanes are both very rare in Maryland. The city limit is in USDA Zone 8.

Transportation

Public transit in Baltimore City is provided by the Maryland Transit Administration. Baltimore City has many bus routes, a light rail system, and a subway line. Additionally, MARC commuter rail connects Washington, DC's Union Station with the city's two rail stations, Camden Station and Penn Station. The major highways serving the city are I-695 (the Baltimore Beltway), I-95, I-83 and I-70 (its eastern terminus is just beyond the city limits)With 4 underwater tunnels Ft Mchenry and Baltimore Harbor twin tunnels.

Airports


- Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport - Located in neighboring Anne Arundel County
- Martin State Airport - (general aviation) - Located in Baltimore County

Demographics

In the 1830, 1840, and 1850 censuses of the United States of America, Baltimore was the second largest city in population. It was among the top 10 cities in population in the U. S. in every census up to the 1980 census. As of the census of 2000, there are 651,154 people, 257,996 households, and 147,057 families residing in the city. The population density is 3,111.5/km² (8,058.4/mi²). There are 300,477 housing units at an average density of 1,435.8/km² (3,718.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 31.63% White, 64.34% Black or African American, 0.32% Native American, 1.53% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.67% from other races, and 1.47% from two or more races. 1.70% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. There are 257,996 households out of which 25.5% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 26.7% are married couples living together, 25.0% have a female householder with no husband present, and 43.0% are non-families. 34.9% of all households are made up of individuals and 11.3% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.42 and the average family size is 3.16. In the city the population is spread out with 24.8% under the age of 18, 10.9% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 35 years. For every 100 females there are 87.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 82.9 males. The median income for a household in the city is $30,078, and the median income for a family is $35,438. Males have a median income of $31,767 versus $26,832 for females. The per capita income for the city is $16,978. 22.9% of the population and 18.8% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 30.6% of those under the age of 18 and 18.0% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line. List of Baltimore neighborhoods

Education

Colleges and universities

Baltimore is the home of several places of higher learning, both public and private. Among them are:

Private


- Baltimore Hebrew University
- Baltimore International College (BIC)
- College of Notre Dame of Maryland
- Johns Hopkins University (JHU)
- Loyola College in Maryland
- Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA)
- Peabody Institute
- Sojourner-Douglass College

Public


- Baltimore City Community College (BCCC)
- Coppin State University
- Morgan State University
- University of Baltimore (UB)
- University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB, and occasionally UMAB) As well as those located within the city, several are located in the suburbs that surround the city. Major ones include:
- Goucher College, in Towson (private)
- Towson University, in Towson (public)
- University of Maryland Baltimore County, in Catonsville (public)
- Villa Julie College, in Stevenson and Owings Mills (private)

Public schools

The city's public schools are operated by the Baltimore City Public School System.

Media

Newspapers


- The Baltimore Sun
- Baltimore City Paper
- The Baltimore Afro-American

Television


- WBAL-TV
- WBFF
- WJZ-TV
- WMAR
- WNUV
- WUTB

Radio


- WBAL
- WERQ
- WHFS
- WIYY
- WLIF
- WPOC
- WRBS
- WSMJ
- WYPR

Museums and Attractions

WYPR
- American Visionary Art Museum
- Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum
- Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption
- Baltimore Museum of Art
- Baltimore Museum of Industry
- Baltimore Maritime Museum
- Great Blacks In Wax Museum
- B&O Railroad Museum
- Dime Museum
- Druid Hill Park
- Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum
- Fort McHenry National Monument
- Harborplace
- Lacrosse Foundation Hall of Fame Museum
- Maryland Science Center
- National Aquarium in Baltimore
- National Museum of Dentistry
- Pimlico Race Course
- Star Spangled Banner Flag House and 1812 Museum
- USS Constellation
- Walters Art Museum
- Westminster Hall and Burying Ground

Sports teams


- Baltimore Orioles (Major League Baseball)
- Baltimore Ravens (National Football League)
- Baltimore Bayhawks (Major League Lacrosse)
- Baltimore Blast - (Major Indoor Soccer League)
- Baltimore Pearls - (American Basketball Association)

Defunct (or moved) Sports Teams

Football


- Baltimore Stallions - (Canadian Football League )
- Baltimore Stars - (United States Football League)
- Baltimore Colts - (National Football League)

Basketball


- Baltimore Bullets - (National Basketball Association)
- Baltimore Claws - (American Basketball Association)
- Baltimore Bayrunners - (International Basketball League)

Soccer


- Baltimore Bays - (North American Soccer League)

Hockey


- Baltimore Blades - (World Hockey Association )
- Baltimore Bandits - (American Hockey League)
- Baltimore Clippers - (American Hockey League, Eastern Hockey League, Southern Hockey League)
- Baltimore Skipjacks - (American Hockey League, Atlantic Coast Hockey League)

Lacrosse


- Baltimore Thunder - (National Lacrosse League) - moved to Pittsburgh, then D.C.; now Colorado.

Sister Cities

Baltimore has ten sister cities, as designated by [http://www.sister-cities.org/ Sister Cities International, Inc. (SCI)]: Cadiz (Spain), Gbarnga (Liberia), Alexandria (Egypt), Genoa (Italy), Kawasaki (Japan), Luxor (Egypt), Odessa (Ukraine), Pireaus (Greece), Rotterdam (Netherlands), and Xiamen (China).

See also


- Cemeteries in Baltimore
- Enoch Pratt Free Library
- List of famous people from Baltimore
- List of Mayors of Baltimore
- Music of Baltimore
- Baltimorese
- Baltimore Police Department

External links


- [http://www.ci.baltimore.md.us City of Baltimore Website]
- [http://www.baltimore.org/ Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association]
- [http://baltimorewritersproject.com/nicholas/blog/index.php?category=4 City Politics Blog]
- [http://www.baltimoredevelopment.com/ Baltimore Development Corporation] Category:All-America City Category:Cities in Maryland
- Category:Independent cities in the United States ja:ボルチモア simple:Baltimore



Washington D.C.

Washington, D.C. is the capital city of the United States of America. "D.C." stands for the "District of Columbia", the federal district containing the city of Washington. The city is named for George Washington, military leader of the American Revolution and the first President of the United States. The District of Columbia and the city of Washington are coextensive and are governed by a single municipal government, so for most practical purposes they are considered to be the same entity. It is known locally as the District or simply D.C. Historically, it was called the Federal City. The District of Columbia, founded on July 16, 1790, is a federal district as specified by the United States Constitution with limited—and sometimes contentious—local rule. The District is ruled "in all cases whatsoever" by the U.S. Congress, though its residents have no voting representative in that body. The land forming the original District came from the states of Virginia and Maryland. However, the area south of the Potomac River (39 mi² or about 100 km²) was returned, or "retroceded", to Virginia in 1847 and now is incorporated into Arlington County and the City of Alexandria. The term "District of Columbia" is derived from an old poetic name for the United States, Columbia, which has fallen out of common use since the early 20th century. The centers of all three branches of the U.S. federal government are in Washington, D.C., as well as the headquarters of most federal agencies. Washington also serves as the headquarters for the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and the Organization of American States, among other international (and national) institutions. All of this has made Washington the frequent focal point of massive political demonstrations and protests, particularly on the National Mall. Washington is also the site of numerous national landmarks, museums, and sports teams, and is a popular destination for tourists. The population of the District of Columbia, as of 2003 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, is 563,384. The Greater Washington, D.C. metropolitan area includes the District of Columbia and parts of Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia, with a population surpassing 4.7 million. If Washington, D.C. were considered a state, it would rank last in area behind Rhode Island, 50th in population ahead of Wyoming, and 36th in Gross State Product, ahead of 15 states. __TOC__

History

Wyoming map of Washington, D.C.]] A Southern site for the new country's capital was agreed upon at a dinner between Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton. The initial plan for the "Federal City" was a diamond, ten miles wide on each side, totaling 100 square miles (260 square kilometers). The actual site on the Potomac River was chosen by President Washington. Washington may have chosen the site for its natural scenery, believing the Potomac would become a great navigable waterway. The city was officially named "Washington" on September 9, 1791. Out of modesty, George Washington never referred to it as such, preferring to call it "the Federal City". Despite choosing the site and living nearby at Mount Vernon, he rarely visited. On August 24, 1814, British forces burned the capital during the most notable and destructive raid of the War of 1812. President James Madison and U.S. forces fled before the British forces, who burned public buildings including the Capitol, the Navy Yard, and the Treasury building. The Presidential Mansion was also gutted. James Madison Washington remained a small city of a few thousand permanent residents until the outbreak of the U.S. Civil War in 1861. The significant expansion of the federal government to administer the war and its legacies—such as veterans' pensions—led to notable growth in the city's population. In July 1864, Confederate forces under Jubal Anderson Early made a brief raid into Washington, culminating in the Battle of Fort Stevens. The Confederates were repulsed and Early eventually returned to the Shenandoah Valley. The site, now called [http://www.nps.gov/batt/ Battleground National Cemetery] is located near present day Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Northwest Washington. The battle was the only battle where a U.S. President, Lincoln, was present and under enemy fire while in office [http://www.nps.gov/rocr/ftcircle/stevens.htm 1]. In the early 1870s, Washington was given a territorial government, but Governor Alexander Shepherd's reputation for extravagance resulted in Congress abolishing his office in favor of direct rule. Congressional governance of the District would continue for a century. The Washington Monument opened in 1888. Plans were laid to further develop the monumental aspects of the city, with work contributed by such noted figures as Frederick Law Olmsted and Daniel Burnham. However, development of the Lincoln Memorial and other structures on the National Mall did not begin until the early 20th century. Lincoln Memorial The District's population peaked in 1950, when the census for that year recorded a record population of 802,178 people. At the time, the city was the ninth-largest in the country, ahead of Boston and behind Saint Louis. The population declined in the following decades, mirroring the suburban out-migration of many of the nation's older urban centers following World War II. The Twenty-third Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified on March 29, 1961, allowing residents of Washington, D.C. to vote for president and have their votes count in the Electoral College. The first 4.6 miles (7.4 kilometers) of the Washington Metro subway system opened on March 27, 1976. Walter Washington became the first elected mayor of the District in 1974. Marion Barry became mayor in 1978, but he was arrested for drug use in an FBI sting on January 18, 1990 and would serve a six-month jail term. His successor, Sharon Pratt Kelly, became the first black woman to lead a city of that size and importance in the U.S. But Barry defeated her in the 1994 primary and was once again elected mayor for his fourth term, during which time the city nearly became insolvent and was forced to give up some home rule to a congressionally-appointed financial control board. On September 29, 2004, Major League Baseball officially relocated the Montreal Expos to Washington for the 2005 season, now named the Washington Nationals, despite opposition from Orioles owner Peter Angelos. A very public back-and-forth between the city council and MLB threatened to scuttle the agreement until December 21, when a plan for a new stadium in Southeast D.C. was finalized. The Nationals will play at R.F.K. Stadium until the new stadium is ready in 2008.

Geography and climate

Geography

2008, 2002. The axes bounding its quadrants radiate from the U.S. Capitol building.]] Washington, D.C. is located at (the coordinates of the Zero Milestone, on The Ellipse). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 177.0 km² (68.3 mi²). 159.0 km² (61.4 mi²) of it is land and 18.0 km² (6.9 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 10.16% water. Washington is surrounded by the states of Virginia (on its southwest side) and Maryland (on its southeast, northeast, and northwest sides); it interrupts those states' common border, which is the Potomac River's southern shore both upstream and downstream from the District. The Potomac River as it passes Washington is virtually entirely within the District of Columbia border. The physical geography of the District of Columbia is very similar to the physical geography of much of Maryland. The District has three major natural flowing bodies of water: the Potomac River, the Anacostia River, and Rock Creek. The Anacostia River and Rock Creek are tributaries of the Potomac River. There are also three man-made reservoirs: Dalecarlia Reservoir, which crosses over the northwest border of the District from Maryland; McMillan Reservoir near Howard University; and Georgetown Reservoir upstream of Georgetown. The highest point in the District of Columbia is 410 feet (125 m) above sea level at Tenleytown. The lowest point is sea level, which occurs along all of the Anacostia shore and all of the Potomac shore except the uppermost mile (the Little Falls - Chain Bridge area). The sea level Tidal Basin rose eleven feet during Hurricane Isabel on September 18, 2003. Geographical features of Washington, D.C. include Theodore Roosevelt Island, Columbia Island, the Three Sisters, and Hains Point.

Climate

Washington's weather is seasonal subtropical with some variations between summer and winter, although it is moderated by its proximity to the coast, making its climate more moderate than cities at a similar latitude further inland. Summer tends to be very hot and humid with daily high temperatures in July and August averaging in the high 80s° to low 90s°F (about 30°C). Spring and fall are mild with high temperatures in April and October averaging in the high 60s°F (about 20°C). Winter can bring cold temperatures and, on some occassions, significant snowfall. While hurricanes (or the remnants of them) occasionally track through the area, they have often weakened by the time they reach Washington. The average annual snowfall is 17 inches (430 mm) and the average high temperature in January is 43°F (6°C); the average low for January is 24°F (−4°C). The highest recorded temperature was 106°F (41°C) on July 20, 1930 and August 6, 1918 and the lowest recorded temperature was −15°F (−26°C) on February 11, 1899. 1899

People and culture

Demographics

As of the 2000 census, 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. 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. 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. 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. 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%. According to the 2001 [http://www.gc.cuny.edu/faculty/research_studies/aris.pdf American Religious Identification Survey], nearly three out of four 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.

Housing

Due in part to the renewed expansion of the federal government, Washington has experienced a huge housing boom that has seen thousands of units constructed, along with thousands of people moving to the District. While the Census Bureau estimated in 2005 that the District's population will drop to 433,000 by 2030, city officials alleged systemic undercounting and released their own estimate that the District's population will rise to 712,000 by 2030.

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 farther 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 for 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]

Landmarks and museums

Gary, Indiana Washington is home to 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 the city featuring many monuments to American leaders, as well as connecting the White House and the United States Capitol buildings. Located prominently in the center of the Mall is the Washington Monument. Other notable points of interest near the Mall 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. The world famous Smithsonian Institution, is also located in the District. The Smithsonian today is a collection of museums that includes 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. There are also many art museums in D.C., in addition to those that are part of the Smithsonian, including the National Gallery of Art, National Museum of Women in the Arts, the Corcoran Museum of Art, and the Phillips Collection. The Library of Congress and the National Archives 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. Other 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, Theodore Roosevelt Island, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and the Washington National Cathedral.

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 exposing 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 District 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), the Voice of the Hill, the Hill Rag (Capitol Hill), and East of the River (Anacostia).

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. Channels 4, 5, 20, and 50 are owned by the networks themselves. 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. 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.

Radio

Al Jazeera 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 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). 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), WPFW 89.3 FM (jazz and progressive talk), WJZW 105.9 FM (smooth jazz), and WRQX 107.3 FM (adult contemporary). XM Satellite Radio and National Public Radio are based in Washington. The Voice of America, the U.S. government's international broadcasting service, is also headquartered in Washington.

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 canon 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; the Eighteenth Street Lounge in the Dupont Circle district; and the Black Cat, the 9:30 Club, and the Bohemian Caverns jazz club, all in the U Street NW area. D.C. has its own native music genre, called 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". 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 popularity peaked. The region also has a storied indie rock history and was home to TeenBeat and Simple Machines, among other indie record labels. 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. For instance, Murphy Brown focused on the lives of the reporters of the (fictional) 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.

Sports

Washington Metro area is home to several professional sports teams: the MLS D.C. United, the NHL Washington Capitals, the NBA Washington Wizards, the WNBA Washington Mystics, the MLB Washington Nationals, and the NFL Washington Redskins (now based at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland). Other professional and semi-professional teams based in D.C. include the USAFL Baltimore Washington Eagles, the NWFA D.C. Divas, the Minor League Football D.C. Explosion, and the Washington Cricket League. It was also home to the WUSA Washington Freedom, and, during the 2000–2002 NLL seasons, the Washington Power was based in the city. There were two Major League Baseball teams named the Washington Senators in the early and mid-20th century, which left to become respectively the Minnesota Twins and the Texas Rangers. In the 19th century, the town was home to teams called the Washington Nationals, Washington Statesmen, and Washington Senators on and off from the 1870s to the turn of the century. Washington was also home to several Negro League teams, including the Homestead Grays, Washington Black Senators, Washington Elite Giants, Washington Pilots, and Washington Potomacs. The MCI Center in Chinatown, Washington, D.C., home to the Capitals, Mystics, Wizards, and the Georgetown Hoyas, is also a major venue for concerts, WWE professional wrestling, and other events. Washington also hosts the annual Legg Mason Tennis Classic tennis tournament that takes place at the Carter Barron Tennis Center on 16th Street.

Economy

Carter Barron Tennis Center Washington, D.C. is first and foremost a company town, with the primary company being, of course, the federal government. A significant portion of the metro area's population has some sort of connection to the federal government. Also, the presence of many major government agencies, including the Department of Defense, National Institutes of Health, or the Food and Drug Administration, has led to a significant amount of business development both in the District itself as well as in the suburbs of northern Virginia and Maryland. These businesses include federal contractors (defense and civilian), numerous nonprofit organizations, law firms and lobbying firms, catering and administrative services companies, and several other industries that are sustained by the enormous economic presence of the federal government. This arrangement has the effect of making the Washington economy virtually recession-proof relative to the rest of the country, because the federal government will still operate no matter the state of the general economy, and often grows during recessions. The metro area includes thirteen major Fortune 500 companies, including:
- Freddie Mac (McLean, Fairfax County)
- Fannie Mae
- electric utility Pepco Holdings Incorporated
- manufacturing company Danaher
- communications giant Nextel (Reston, Fairfax County)
- the credit card company Capital One (McLean, Fairfax County)
- AES Corporation (Arlington County)
- Gannett (McLean, Fairfax County), the publisher of USA Today
- SLM Corporation (Reston, Fairfax County)
- NVR Incorporated (McLean, Fairfax County)
- hotel services company Marriott International (Bethesda, Montgomery County)
- Choice Hotels (Silver Spring, Montgomery County)
- Coventry Healthcare Incorporated (Bethesda, Montgomery County) Defense contractors General Dynamics (Falls Church) and Lockheed Martin (Bethesda) are also in the metro area. In addition to Nextel, several other major network and communications companies are located in the area, including America Online (Dulles) and MCI Communications (Ashburn). Other media companies located in the DC metro area include the new XM Satellite Radio and Al Hurra (Springfield), a new cable new channel marketed towards Arabic countries. The Public Broadcasting Service is also based in suburban Alexandria, while Discovery Communications, the parent company of such cable networks as the Discovery Channel, is based in Silver Spring. The largest private employer in DC is the [http://wwww.bna.com Bureau of National Affairs], a publishing company based in the west end of the city since the early 1950s. The aerospace and commercial air travel industries also have a major presence in the area, in addition to the aforementioned General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin, and US Airways. Independence Air, based in Dulles, started service in 2004, and operates as a low-cost air carrier to many major airports in the United States. The regional airline Colgan Air, based in Manassas, also operates out of the DC area. Defense contractor Orbital Sciences Corporation is also based in Dulles and specializes in satellite launch and manufacture. Due to the proximity to the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, the American genomics industry has recently sprouted in the Maryland suburbs of Washington. Prominent players are Celera Genomics, The Institute for Genomic Research (also known as "TIGR"), and Human Genome Sciences (all of which are in the city of Rockville). The gross state product of the District in 2004 was $75.264 billion, ranking it #36 when compared with the fifty states.

Infrastructure

Government

Local government

$ The city is run by an elected mayor (currently Anthony A. Williams) and a city council. The city council is composed of 13 members — a representative elected from each of the eight wards and five members, including the chairman, elected at large. The council conducts its work through standing committees and special committees established as needed. District schools are administered by a school board that has both elected and appointed members. There are also 37 elected Advisory Neighborhood Commissions that provide the most direct access for residents to their local government. The ANCs serve as local councils, and their suggestions are required to be given "great weight" by the DC Council. However, the U.S. Congress has the ultimate plenary power over the district. It has the right to review and overrule laws created locally, and has often done so. The Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution does not apply to the District of Columbia. D.C. residents do pay all federal taxes, such as income tax, as well as local taxes. The mayor and council adopt a budget of local money with Congress reserving the right to make any changes. Much of the valuable property in the District is federally owned and hence exempt from local property taxes; at the same time, the city is burdened with the extraordinary expenses related to its role as the capital, such as police overtime and street cleaning for D.C.'s frequent parades and festivals. These factors are often used to explain why the city's budget is frequently overstretched. However, the federal government also appropriates funds for the city. For instance, according to Public Law 108-7, the federal government provided, among other funds, an estimated 25% of the District's operating budget in 2003. Historically, the city's local government has earned somewhat of a reputation for mismanagement and waste, particularly during the mayoralty of Marion Barry. A front page story in the July 21, 1997 Washington Post reported that Washington had some of the highest cost, lowest quality services in the region. Prosperity in the late 1990s and early 2000s has lessened public pressure on Mayor Williams, who still faces daunting urban renewal, public health, and public education challenges.

Representation in federal government

2000s The U.S. Constitution gives Congress direct jurisdiction for Washington, D.C. While Congress has delegated various amounts of this authority to local government, from time to time, Congress still intervenes in local affairs relating to schools, gun control policy, and other issues. Citizens of the District also lack voting representation in Congress, though they do have three electoral votes in the Presidential elections. Citizens of Washington are represented in the House of Representatives by a non-voting delegate (currently Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC At-Large)) who sits on committees and participates in debate but cannot vote. D.C. does not have representation in the Senate. Citizens of Washington, D.C. are thus unique in the world, as citizens of the capital city of every other country have the same representation rights as other citizens. Attempts to change this situation, including the proposed District of Columbia Voting Rights Amendment, have been unsuccessful. The history of D.C.'s relationship with the federal government, as well as the arguments for and against increased representation, are covered in the article District of Columbia voting rights.

Education

Public schools

The public school system in the city is operated b