Key Facts
- Per Capita Real GDP
- $40,361 Rank: 12/50 (2007)
- Population
- 6,549,220 Rank: 13/50 (2008)
- Per Capita Personal Income
- $37,423 Rank: 14/50 (2006)
- Unemployment Rate
- 4.50% Rank: 24/50 (2008)
- Business Tax Climate Index
- Rank: 11/50 (2008)
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Washington: Introduction
The state of Washington is located in the far Northwestern corner of the continental United States. The terrain is predominately mountainous with flat areas found on the coast, in the Puget Sound Lowlands in the center part of the state, and on the Columbian Plateau in the southeast. In the nineteenth century, American and British settlers quarreled over the land, but war was averted by the signing of the Oregon Treaty in 1846. Mining was the main driver of Washington’s economy in the nineteenth century but it has diversified significantly since then. The discovery of gold in Alaska sparked the growth of Seattle in the early twentieth century, as the city’s location made it the perfect departure point for those hoping to strike it rich in the northern frontier.
Modern days have seen Washington become a manufacturing hub for the aerospace and technology industries. Home to the cities of Seattle, Tacoma, and Everett, the Puget Sound contains a significant portion of Washington’s industrial and commercial development. The Columbia River has long been at the heart of Washington’s economy as a source of transportation, fishing, hydroelectric power, and irrigation. Agriculture accounts for roughly one fifth of Washington’s gross domestic product and employs nearly 200,000 people. Washington is the country’s leading producer of apples, pears and sweet cherries. Other significant contributors to the state’s robust economy include the production of wheat, aluminum, and tourism.
