With a population of approximately 5.9 million, Washingtonians live in the state with perhaps, some of the most staggeringly gorgeous nature sites. Residents enjoy lush scenery of rare beauty and distinct contrasts, evergreen forests and sparkling coasts and the high mountains that rise above them. This state is home to the largest city in the Pacific Northwest, Seattle, which offers an endless selection of cultural events and fairs, performing arts, professional sports and outdoor activities for residents of all ages and interests.
      Washington’s transportation system contains the third-largest ferry system in the world and an expansive state highway system. Boeing Field, officially King County International Airport located in Seattle, is one of about 140 public airfields in Washington, including 15 state airports. In some of the largest cities, such as Seattle, Bellevue, Tacoma and Olympia, there are extensive waterways. The Puget Sound area is made accessible by the largest ferry system in the United States plus an extensive network of bridges that span the highways. Washington's marine highway constitutes a fleet of 28 ferries that navigate Puget Sound and its inland waterways to 20 different ports of call. Trade with Alaska, Canada and the Pacific Rim flourishes due to the coastal location of the Puget Sound harbors.

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State Nickname: The Evergreen State State Capital: Olympia State Flower: Coast Rhododendron State Bird: Willow Goldfinch

      Washington is a land of sharp contrasts, with variations in topography creating fascinating landscapes. East of the Cascade Mountain Range is a flat, semi-desert with a vast, barren expanse, with foothills and lowlands that are surrounded by snow-covered peaks. By contrast, Washington has the only rainforests in the continental United States and the Olympic Peninsula’s dense forest has some of the rainiest climate conditions in the world. The Okanogan Highlands and the Columbia

River Basin are the two main regions in the eastern side of the state. On clear days, the looming Mount Rainier seems to “float” on the horizon southeast of Seattle and Tacoma. As one of the country’s leading agricultural states, there are also a number of other significant industries at work. Some of them include the design and manufacture of jet aircraft (Boeing), computer software development
(Microsoft, Amazon.com, Nintendo of America), electronics, biotechnology, aluminum production, lumber and wood products, mining, tourism and significant amounts of hydroelectric power generation.Washington is one of only seven states that does not levy a personal income tax and does not collect a state corporate income tax. However, Washington businesses are responsible for various other state levies. Washington's state sales tax is 6.5 percent, and it applies to services as well as products. The combined state and local retail sales tax rates increase the taxes paid by consumers, depending on the variable local sales tax rates, generally between 8 and 9 percent.
      The state’s ethnic composition consists of 87.7 percent Caucasian, 4.5 percent African-American, 2.7 percent American Indian, 7.7 percent Asian and less than 1 percent Native Hawaiian. The southeast-central part of the state is home to many migrant Mexican farm workers. Females make up approximately 50 percent of the population. The state’s religious affiliations break down as 66 percent Christian, 27 percent non-religious and 2 percent as other religions. As with many other Western states, the percentage of Washington's population identifying themselves as “non-religious” is higher than the national average and Washington’s percentage is the highest of any state.

Much to its credit, Washington has the distinction as the first and only state to elect women to all three major statewide offices (state governor and two U.S. Senate seats) at the same time. Public schools throughout the state are strong, as the student’s high test scores indicate. The state offers a variety of institutions of higher learning, including 22 private universities, 31 community colleges and six public universities, among them, the reputable University of Washington.
      Washington has a thriving economy, no personal income taxes, great transportation and education system, and is probably one of the most naturally gorgeous spots in the world. With cities like Seattle where music, arts and culture have been rising to new highs for decades, Washington is a beautiful and exciting place to settle down.