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| Capital (and largest city) |
Olympia | |||||
| Governor | Christine Gregoire | |||||
| Lt. Governor | Steven Point | |||||
| Area | 184,827 km² | |||||
| Population | 9,326,195 | |||||
| Admission | November 11, 1889 (42nd) | |||||
Washington, officially the State of Washington, and sometimes referred to as Washington State, to distinguish it from Washington, DC, the capital of the United States, which is often shortened to Washington. Home to the largest trading port on the West Coast, the Seattle Metroplex, Washington is one of the wealthiest states in the Union. The capital of Washington is the city of Olympia, but Seattle is the state's most dynamic cultural, political and economic center. Washington is the dominating power of the Pacific North West, and a leader in the West Coast Greenhouse Gas Initiative. Washington has some of the strictest anti-pollution and climate change legislation in the world. As of 2018 the state is almost completely off fossil fuels, and with their strict building codes and forestry protection, they are the only place on Earth that actually captures more CO2 than they put out.
Economy[]
The 2018 total gross state product for Washington was $751.5 billion, placing it 6th in the nation behind California, Texas and New York. The per capita income was $73,486, 4th in the nation after Alaska. Significant business within the state include the design and manufacture of aircraft and spacecraft, software development, electronics, biotechnology, aluminum and carbon fiber production, lumber and wood products, mining, and tourism. The state has significant amounts of hydroelectric and tidal power generation, and is developing wind and solar power systems.
Significant amounts of trade with Asia pass through the ports of the Puget Sound. A Fortune magazine survey of the top 20 Most Admired Companies in the US has six Washington based companies in it, Starbucks, Microsoft, Costco and Nordstrom, Boeing, Seattle Dynamics, and Amazon Inc. The Commonwealth of Washington has the least progressive tax structure in the US. It is one of only seven states that does not levy a personal income tax. The wealthiest one percent of Washington taxpayers pay 15 percent of the state income in taxes. The poorest fifth of Washington taxpayers pay Zero percent of state income in taxes. The state does collect a corporate income tax, though it is considerably lower for companies in their first year of business in the state, this has led to a greater development of the state economy. Washington businesses are also responsible for various other state levies. One tax Washington charges on most businesses is the business and occupation tax, a gross receipts tax which charges varying rates for different types of businesses, though businesses in their first year are exempt. Washington state sales tax is 6.5 percent, and it applies to services and products.
Politics[]
Considered a fairly liberal state, Washington doesn't have a single Republican of Democrat in their State Legislature. Governor Gregoire is one of the country's many Democrats who converted to be Independent to stay in office. The state has 21 representatives in the Congress, most of them Independents with a minority of Libertarians.
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