First stop Washington: What you need to know about the US capital

The capital, the White House, top-class sport: FC Bayern's first stop on the Audi Summer Tour 2022 is Washington, D.C. in the District of Columbia. The capital of the United States of America has a lot to offer its visitors. However, unlike many other cities, there are no skyscrapers to be seen, and there's a reason for that. fcbayern.com has brought together everything you need to know about Washington.

The history of Washington

Since 1801, the District of Columbia (D.C.), as it is officially known, has been the capital of the USA. Columbia is derived from the name of the famous navigator Christopher Columbus, who discovered America. The city of Washington is named after George Washington, the commander-in-chief in the War of Independence and the first president of the United States. In 1871, the cities of Washington and Georgetown and Washington County were abolished in the District of Columbia Organic Act. As a result, it was determined that the part of the district in which the previous city of Washington was located should continue to be called Washington, despite the fact that the name was identical to the state.

Inhabitants and geographical location of Washington

The capital is located near the east coast of the United States of America, about 35 km west of the Chesapeake Bay, an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean. Washington has a population of approximately 670,000 (as of 2021), placing it far behind the most populous metropolises of New York City (approx. 8.5 million), Los Angeles (3.8 million) and Chicago (2.7 million) in 23rd place among the most populous cities in the United States.

Washington and its sights

The most famous sights in the capital include the White House, the Capitol, the Supreme Court building, the World War II Memorial and the Washington Monument, which, at almost 170 metres is the tallest structure in the city. There are no skyscrapers in Washington because no building may be higher than the width of the adjacent street plus 6.1 metres. Only three buildings, including the Washington Monument, are taller because they were planned or completed before the law came into force. The White House was built in 1800 and is the official residence of the President of the United States. It was officially named by Theodore Roosevelt in 1901 because of its white exterior. The Capitol is the seat of Congress, the legislative branch of the United States. The Supreme Court Building is the seat of the highest court in the land and the World War II Memorial is a monument to the US soldiers who fell in the Second World War.

Successful sports clubs from Washington

NFL (American football), NBA (basketball), MLB (baseball), NHL (ice hockey) and MLS (soccer) - Washington is represented by a team in all five of the country's major leagues. In the National Football League (NFL), the Washington Commanders compete for the coveted Super Bowl. The capital city club has already won the trophy three times. However, the last major success was 31 years ago. The situation is different for the Washington Nationals in Major League Baseball (MLB), who celebrated the greatest success in their club's history in 2019. Starting out as a wild card, the Nationals secured the title in the World Series, the finals of the US professional baseball leagues. In the National Hockey League (NHL), the District of Columbia is represented by the Washington Capitals, who won the Stanley Cup, the most important ice hockey trophy in the world, for the first time in 2018. The Washington Wizards can also look back on a triumph in the National Basketball Association (NBA) (1977/78 as the Washington Bullets). The fifth team in the highest tier is D.C. United in Major League Soccer (MLS), FC Bayern's friendly opponents in Washington on Wednesday evening.

Click here for all you need to know about the FC Bayern Audi Summer Tour 2022: