Population:
According to the U.S. Census, as of 2008, Washington has an estimated population of 6.5 million, which is an increase of 11%, since the year 2000. The largest city is Seattle. Its metropolitan area has a population of about 3.2 million.
Church Affiliation:
As with many other Western states, the percentage of Washington’s population identifying themselves as “non-religious” is higher than the national average. The percentage of non-religious people in Washington is the highest of any state other than Colorado with 31% and church membership is among the lowest of all states.
The People:
Would you like to meet the people of the Northwest? See them here! – a whimsical observation of Northwest stereotypes.
Washington Facts and Trivia:
- The state of Washington is the only state to be named after a United States president.
- The 36 inches of annual rainfall ranks Seattle behind places like New York and Atlanta.
- Seattleites buy more sunglasses per capita than any other city in the nation.
- Seattle is also home to the first revolving restaurant, the Space Needle, built in 1961.
- Washington state has more glaciers than the other 47 contiguous states combined.
- Mount Baker, near the Canadian border, set the world record in 1999 for the most snowfall in a single season: 1,140 inches, (or 95 feet).
- Washington is the birthplace of both Jimi Hendrix (Seattle) and Bing Crosby (Tacoma).
- Everett is the site of the world’s largest building: Boeing’s final assembly plant.
- Seattle is home to company headquarters such as Amazon.com, Expedia, Costco, Microsoft, Nordstrom and Starbucks.
- The world’s first soft-serve ice cream machine was located in an Olympia Dairy Queen.
- Washington has an extensive ferry system which is the largest in the nation as well as the third largest in the world.
- Popular games Pictionary, Pickle-ball, and Cranium were all invented in Washington.
Source: www.50states.com