District of Columbia
    n 1: the district occupied entirely by the city of Washington;
         chosen by George Washington as the site of the capital of
         the United States and created out of land ceded by Maryland
         and Virginia [syn: District of Columbia, D.C., DC]

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. The name of a district of country, ten miles square, 
situate between the states of Maryland and Virginia, over which the national 
government has exclusive jurisdiction. By the constitution, congress may " 
exercise exclusive jurisdiction in all cases whatsoever, over such district, 
not exceeding ten miles square, as may, by, cession of particular states, 
and the acceptance of congress, become the seat of government of the United 
States." In pursuance of this authority, the states of Maryland and 
Virginia, ceded to the United States, a small territory on the banks of the 
Potomac, and congress, by the Act of July 16, 1790, accepted the same for 
the permanent seat of the government of the United States. The act provides 
for the removal of the seat of government from the city of Philadelphia to 
the District of Columbia, on the first Monday of December, 1800. It is also 
provided, that the laws of the state, within such district, shall not be 
affected by the acceptance, until the time fixed for the removal of the 
government thereto, and until congress shall otherwise by law provide. 
     2. It seems that the District of Columbia, and the territorial 
districts of the United States, are not states within the meaning of the 
constitution, and of the judiciary act, so as to enable a citizen thereof to 
sue a citizen of one of the states in the federal courts. 2 Cranch, 445; 1 
Wheat, 91. 
     3. By the Act of July 11, 1846, congress retroceded the county of 
Alexandria, part of the District of Columbia, to the state of Virginia. 

District of Columbia -- U.S. County in District of Columbia
   Population (2000):    572059
   Housing Units (2000): 274845
   Land area (2000):     61.403254 sq. miles (159.033692 sq. km)
   Water area (2000):    6.937868 sq. miles (17.968995 sq. km)
   Total area (2000):    68.341122 sq. miles (177.002687 sq. km)
   Located within:       District of Columbia (DC), FIPS 11
   Location:             38.913611 N, 77.013222 W
   Headwords:
    District of Columbia
    District of Columbia, DC