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Washington

For travel information purposes we have divided the state into more than simply geographic regions. However, in fact, Washington can be divided into 3 geographic regions: the Washington's Cascade Mountains running down the center of the state, Seattle/King County Basin and the Olympic and Kitsap Peninsulas on the west, and the Rocky Mountain Gateway in the interior.

Puget Sound Basin is the economic and demographic nucleus of Washington. It contains the Seattle Metropolitan Area and further south, the state capital of Olympia. North of Puget Sound lie the Emerald Coast and the San Juan Islands. The San Juans, which are accessible by ferry, are known for their unspoiled beauty and their wildlife, particularly orcas. On the west lies the Olympic Peninsula, whose rain forests see as much as 150 inches of annual precipitation. Olympic National Park is remote and difficult to access, but it is heaven for backcountry enthusiasts willing to make the effort. The peninsula is sparsely populated save for coastal cities such as Port Townsend.

The Cascade Mountains are a young range whose volcanoes are still active. Mount St Helens, in the south of the state, lost 1,300 feet in height when it blew its top on May 18, 1980. Mount Rainier, the tallest peak in the Cascades, is officially dormant but may explode one day in a similar manner; nevertheless most scientists believe that the two million annual visitors to Mount Rainier National Park with be safe for at least another 5 centuries.

The Columbia Plateau is a major agricultural region. It recieves less rainfall than the rest of the state, but there is adequate water from the rivers which run through it to irrigate the crops. The dry climate also proves attractive to residents from western Washington looking for a respite during the long rainy season.

Regions of Washington:

Columbia River Plateau
North Cascades
Olympic and Kitsap Peninsulas
Palouse
Rocky Mountain Gateway
San Juan Islands
Seattle / King County
Volcano Country
Washington Coast
Wine Country

Cities in Washington:

Aberdeen
Anacortes
Arlington
Ashford
Auburn
Bainbridge Island
Battle Ground
Bellevue
Bellingham
Benton City
Blaine
Bothell
Bow
Bremerton
Centralia
Chelan
Chewelah
Clinton
Coulee City
Coulee Dam
Coupeville
Deer Harbor
Eastsound
Ellensburg
Enumclaw
Everett
Federal Way
Forks
Freeland
Friday Harbor
Gig Harbor
Glacier
Grand Coulee
Greenbank
Issaquah
Kennewick
Kent
Kirkland
La Conner
Lacey
Lakewood
Langley
Leavenworth
Long Beach
Lopez Island
Lowden
Lynnwood
Manson
Maple Valley
Mercer Island
Moclips
Monroe
Moses Lake
Mount Vernon
Oak Harbor
Ocean Park
Ocean Shores
Olga
Olympia
Pacific Beach
Packwood
Pasco
Peshastin
Port Angeles
Port Ludlow
Port Orchard
Port Townsend
Poulsbo
Prosser
Pullman
Puyallup
Quincy
Redmond
Renton
Republic
Richland
SeaTac
Seattle
Seaview
Sedro-Woolley
Sekiu
Sequim
Shoreline
Silver Lake
Silverdale
Snohomish
Spokane
Sumner
Sunnyside
Tacoma
Trout Lake
Vancouver
Vashon
Walla Walla
Wapato
Wenatchee
Westport
Winthrop
Woodinville
Yakima
Zillah