Washington is located in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States and is named after the first President of the United States - George Washington. The state capital is Olympia, and the largest city is Seattle. Washington's population is approximately 5.9 million with the Puget Sound area, which includes five of the seven largest cities in Washington state (Seattle, Tacoma, Everett, Federal Way, and Bellevue) being home to the majority of the states population, or about 4 million people.

Geographically, Washington is bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west, Oregon to the south (along the Columbia River), Idaho to the east and British Columbia, Canada to the north. Washington is famous for scenery of breathtaking beauty and sharp contrasts. High mountains rise above evergreen forests and sparkling coastal waters and its coastal location and Puget Sound harbors give it a leading role in trade with Alaska, Canada, and the Pacific Rim.

Washington is a land of contrasts. While the lush forests of the Olympic Peninsula are among the rainiest places in the world and the only rainforests in the continental United States the flat semi-desert that lies east of the Cascade Range stretches for miles without a single tree.

Significant industry within Washington includes 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, and tourism.