Why is the capital of the united states called district of columbia?
The District of Columbia is the capital of the United States. The area is located between Virginia and Maryland, along the Potomac River, and the District was named after Christopher Columbus. It is identical to the City of Washington, named to honor the first President. In 1790, Congress selected the site for the new capital along the Potomac. It included about 30 square miles on the Virginia side of the river and about 68 square miles ceded by Maryland. (In 1846, Congress returned Virginia’s part of the District to Virginia) The seat of government was transferred from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C., on 1 December 1800.
