U.S. Capitol Building in Washington D.C.

When living in Washington State, I often get the question, "Oh, is that the U.S. capital?"

I have already lived in Bellevue for over 20 years, and I still laugh every time I hear that from my Korean friends.

Washington D.C., the capital, and Washington State, where we live, are actually completely different places, but many people get confused because they have the same name.

It's understandable since both are named after 'George Washington.' But why did the U.S. use the same name for two places?

George Washington, the first president of the United States, was so respected among the people that he was almost called the 'Father of the Nation.'

So when the capital was established, it was named 'Washington City,' which later became Washington D.C.

Here, D.C. stands for District of Columbia, meaning 'Columbia District.'

Later, as the American West was settled, a new state was created and named 'Washington State' after that.

Being on the western edge, it could have been called 'Washington West State,' but they just used the same name.

So even today, these two places cause confusion because of their names. 

Washington State Capitol
Washington State is located at the northwestern tip of the U.S., bordering Canada, and has cities like Seattle, Bellevue, and Tacoma.

On the other hand, Washington D.C. is the capital located in the eastern U.S., between Virginia and Maryland.

They are almost 4,000 kilometers apart.

However, since people learn that 'Washington is the capital of the U.S.' in Korea, most automatically think of D.C.

In fact, when I first immigrated, my parents said, "We thought you lived near the capital."

The confusion caused by the name is significant. Although Washington State has the same name, the atmosphere is completely different.

Here, there are green mountains and seas, and it rains often throughout the year. That's why it's also called the 'Emerald State.'

Seattle is the home of Starbucks and has the headquarters of Boeing and Microsoft, making it a city filled with technology and coffee aroma.

If Washington D.C. is the center of politics, Washington State is the center of nature and technology.

But because of this confusion, sometimes funny things happen. When a Korean friend asks, "Do you live near the White House?" I laugh and say, "No, we live near White Mountain. There are mountains, water, and plenty of coffee!"

Perhaps the name Washington has become a symbol of the U.S.

So if someone asks, "Is Washington State the capital?" just say this.

"No, the Washington I live in is a place that rains a lot. So my heart is always green."