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108-585: By December 2014, the group said it had between 500 and 1,000 men in training and that the US was helping train them, and that financial support was coming mostly from the Assyrian diaspora in the US and Europe. In February 2015, there were unverified reports that the group had 5,000 Assyrian men registered to be trained, 500 are already training for combat, and 500 volunteers from the group stationed in threatened towns. The Assyrian Policy Institute reported in 2020 that

216-495: A cascading waterfall with Italian Renaissance -style architecture. Modern , Postmodern , contemporary , and other non-classical architectural styles are also seen in the city. The National Museum of African American History and Culture deeply contrasts the stone-based neoclassical buildings on the National Mall with a design that combines modern engineering with heavy inspiration from African art . The interior of

324-509: A referendum on D.C. statehood resulted in an 85% support among Washington, D.C., voters for it to become the nation's 51st state . In March 2017, the city's congressional delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton introduced a bill for statehood. Reintroduced in 2019 and 2021 as the Washington, D.C., Admission Act , the U.S. House of Representatives passed it in April 2021. After not progressing in

432-532: A single municipality for the remaining portion of the district. There have been several unsuccessful efforts to make the district into a state since the 1880s; a statehood bill passed the House of Representatives in 2021 but was not adopted by the U.S. Senate . To become law it would have to be passed by the Senate and signed by president; it would have renamed the city Washington, Douglas Commonwealth and shrunk

540-408: A garden-lined grand avenue about 1 mile (1.6 km) long and 400 feet (120 m) wide in an area that is now the National Mall inspired by the grounds at Versailles and Tuileries Gardens. In March 1792, President Washington dismissed L'Enfant due to conflicts with the three commissioners appointed to supervise the capital's construction. Andrew Ellicott , who worked with L'Enfant in surveying

648-502: A list of Middle Eastern countries that contain a sizable Assyrian population and outlines a list of recommendations for the country in question to implement in order to protect the rights of its Assyrian population. The API's recommendations for Iraq are: The API has accused the Iraqi government of failing to include provisions in its constitution that legally protect minorities from political discrimination. On January 20, 2020,

756-710: A member of the Nineveh Plains Protection Units claimed that Kurdish soldiers at checkpoints were interrogating and preventing Assyrian NPU soldiers and civilians seeking to enter the Nineveh Plain . In July 2017, NPU was involved in clashes with the Babylon Brigades, led by Rayan al-Kildani. Two days prior to the incident, NPU captured 6 members of the Babylon Brigades on allegations of stealing ancient artefacts from Mar Behnam Monastery . Babylon Brigades have since been expelled by

864-502: A modern glass exterior and heavy curvature. CityCenterDC is home to Palmer Alley, a pedestrian-only walkway, and houses several apartment buildings, restaurants, and luxury-brand storefronts with streamlined glass and metal facades. Outside Downtown D.C., architectural styles are more varied. Historic buildings are designed primarily in the Queen Anne , Châteauesque , Richardsonian Romanesque , Georgian Revival , Beaux-Arts , and

972-431: A relatively high homelessness rate, despite its high living standard compared to many American cities. Washington, D.C., is divided into four quadrants of unequal area: Northwest (NW) , Northeast (NE) , Southeast (SE) , and Southwest (SW) . The axes bounding the quadrants radiate from the U.S. Capitol. All road names include the quadrant abbreviation to indicate their location. House numbers generally correspond with

1080-662: A result of the pandemic. The July 2020 community meeting organized by the API in regards to Assyrians in Lebanon included statements about the impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Assyrian population in Lebanon, particularly Assyrian refugees' inability to resettle in their home countries due to pandemic-related travel restrictions. The API supports the recognition of the Assyrian genocide as well as compensation towards

1188-595: A snowstorm in January 1772. Hurricanes or their remnants occasionally impact the area in late summer and early fall. However, they usually are weak by the time they reach Washington, partly due to the city's inland location. Flooding of the Potomac River , however, caused by a combination of high tide, storm surge, and runoff, has been known to cause extensive property damage in the Georgetown neighborhood of

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1296-676: A special committee charged with beautifying Washington's ceremonial core. What became known as the McMillan Plan was finalized in 1901 and included relandscaping the Capitol grounds and the National Mall, clearing slums, and establishing a new citywide park system. The plan is thought to have largely preserved L'Enfant's intended design for the city. By law, the city's skyline is low and sprawling. The federal Height of Buildings Act of 1910 prohibits buildings with height exceeding

1404-633: A stream valley that bisects the city. Established in 1890, it is the country's fourth-oldest national park and is home to a variety of plant and animal species, including raccoon, deer, owls, and coyotes. Other National Park Service properties include the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park , the National Mall and Memorial Parks , Theodore Roosevelt Island , Columbia Island , Fort Dupont Park , Meridian Hill Park , Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens , and Anacostia Park . The District of Columbia Department of Parks and Recreation maintains

1512-586: A tax in said towns [Ankawa]." The API claimed that this was essentially a public admission by the KRG that the tax collection policy was arbitrary. The report concluded that the tax rate was imposed on the city of Ankawa as an act of business discrimination against one of the only Assyrian-majority areas in KRG jurisdiction. They encouraged the KRG to formally accept their role in this policy, and claimed that they, “[stand] ready to meet with KRG officials both in Iraq and in

1620-473: A variety of Victorian styles. Rowhouses are prominent in areas developed after the Civil War and typically follow Federal and late Victorian designs. Georgetown 's Old Stone House , built in 1765, is the oldest-standing building in the city. Founded in 1789, Georgetown University features a mix of Romanesque and Gothic Revival architecture . The Ronald Reagan Building is the largest building in

1728-455: A violation of the laws of war. The API also released a statement of condemnation following the 2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria . Specifically, they condemned the “indiscriminate airstrikes” conducted by Turkey onto Assyrian civilians in the city of Qamishli , a town founded by Assyrian genocide survivors in 1915. The statement went on to address Assyrian civilian casualties and properties owned by Assyrians that were destroyed in

1836-470: Is about 20% of the original Assyrian population. In Tel Keppe , which is controlled by Brigade 50 , the return rate of the original Assyrian population is about 7%. In May 2016, NPU participated in fighting at Tesqopa along with Peshmerga forces in order to capture the town from ISIS . In September 2016, NPU soldiers repelled an ISIL effort to retake Tesqopa. Also in September 2016, NPU liberated

1944-486: Is also not a possibility, due to the global economic crisis caused by the pandemic. Assyrians who wish to leave these conditions for another country are unable to do so due to travel restrictions as a result of the pandemic and the economic instability that came with being a refugee. The Assyrian Policy Institute advocates in favor of the presence of the Nineveh Plain Protection Units (NPU) in

2052-651: Is contested by PMF Brigade 30 or known as the Shabak Militia with the support of the Badr Organization leaving the NPU outnumbered. As of 2020, Nimrud was also under the control of the Nineveh Plains Protection Units. Assyrian Policy Institute The Assyrian Policy Institute (API) is a non-governmental and nonprofit organization based in the United States that primarily advocates for

2160-911: Is generally popular among tourists and locals. In 2007, six of the top ten buildings in the American Institute of Architects ' ranking of America's Favorite Architecture were in the city: the White House , Washington National Cathedral , the Jefferson Memorial , the United States Capitol , the Lincoln Memorial , and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial . The neoclassical , Georgian , Gothic , and Modern styles are reflected among these six structures and many other prominent edifices in

2268-480: Is in plant hardiness zone 8a near downtown, and zone 7b elsewhere in the city. Summers are hot and humid with a July daily average of 79.8 °F (26.6 °C) and average daily relative humidity around 66%, which can cause moderate personal discomfort. Heat indices regularly approach 100 °F (38 °C) at the height of summer. The combination of heat and humidity in the summer brings very frequent thunderstorms, some of which occasionally produce tornadoes in

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2376-452: Is known as a lobbying hub, with K Street as the industry center. The city had 20.7 million domestic visitors and 1.2 million international visitors, ranking seventh among U.S. cities as of 2022. The Algonquian -speaking Piscataway people , also known as the Conoy, inhabited the lands around the Potomac River and present-day Washington, D.C., when Europeans first arrived and colonized

2484-477: Is sea level at the Potomac River. The geographic center of Washington is near the intersection of 4th and L streets NW. The district has 7,464 acres (30.21 km ) of parkland, about 19% of the city's total area, the second-highest among high-density U.S. cities after Philadelphia . The city's sizable parkland was a factor in the city being ranked as third in the nation for park access and quality in

2592-467: Is the capital city and federal district of the United States . The city is on the Potomac River , across from Virginia , and shares land borders with Maryland to its north and east. It was named after George Washington , the first president of the United States . The district is named after Columbia , the female personification of the nation . The U.S. Constitution in 1789 called for

2700-499: The Anacostia River to the east. Washington, D.C.'s street grid was extended, where possible, throughout the district starting in 1888. Georgetown's streets were renamed in 1895. Some streets are particularly noteworthy, including Pennsylvania Avenue , which connects the White House to the Capitol; and K Street, which houses the offices of many lobbying groups. Constitution Avenue and Independence Avenue , located on

2808-587: The Assyrian Democratic Organization and eventually led to widespread protests by Assyrian civilians in the area. The API's recommendations for Turkey are: The API has condemned the government of Turkey for its denial of its role in the Assyrian genocide . The API released a statement condemning the Turkish government's arrest of an Assyrian priest named Sefer Aho Bileçen who was caught providing water and bread to members of

2916-680: The Chief Justice of Iran , Ayatollah Sadeghi Larijani and the Prosecutor General of Tehran, Abbas Ja’fari Dolat Abadi urging them to overturn the convictions of four Christians , including Assyrian couple Pastor Victor Bet Tamraz and Shamiran Issavi, who were previously arrested for "illegal church activities" which “threaten national security." The activities were clarified by Amnesty International as being typical Christian religious practices, including attending Christmas gatherings and organizing house churches. In July 2020,

3024-646: The Compensated Emancipation Act in 1862, which ended slavery in the district, freeing about 3,100 slaves in the district nine months before the Emancipation Proclamation . In 1868, Congress granted the district's African American male residents the right to vote in municipal elections. By 1870, the district's population had grown 75% in a decade to nearly 132,000 people, yet the city still lacked paved roads and basic sanitation. Some members of Congress suggested moving

3132-714: The Continental Congress and under the Articles of Confederation . New York City was the first capital upon the adoption of the Constitution , succeeded by Philadelphia , which was capital from 1790 to 1800. On October 6, 1783, after the capital was forced by the Pennsylvania Mutiny of 1783 to move to Princeton, Congress resolved to consider a new location for it. The following day, Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts moved "that buildings for

3240-811: The District of Columbia Organic Act of 1801 , which officially organized the district and placed the entire territory under the exclusive control of the federal government. The area within the district was organized into two counties, the County of Washington to the east and north of the Potomac and the County of Alexandria to the west and south. After the Act's passage, citizens in the district were no longer considered residents of Maryland or Virginia, which ended their representation in Congress. On August 24, 1814, during

3348-548: The Erbil Governorate , to renew their business licenses with the Erbil Center District for a fee. The alleged regulation applied exclusively to Ankawa, despite the fact that nine other districts were under the Erbil Center District's jurisdiction. There were also allegations that the renewal process was deliberately lengthy and expensive, and that KRG officials expected bribes in exchange for processing

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3456-626: The Iraqi Christian Relief Council , the Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies , and Yazda . As of 2020, the API has been keeping track of United States recognition of the Assyrian genocide at the state level through a map that documents which state legislatures have recognized the genocide. Currently, API's map says that three American state legislatures ( Arizona , California , and New York ) have passed resolutions that officially recognize

3564-689: The Iraqi Prime Minister 's July 2019 order to have Brigade 30 and the Babylon Brigades withdraw from Hamdaniya District and Tel Keppe District in the Nineveh Plains . The API's Recommendations for Jordan are: The challenges facing Assyrian refugees in Jordan were the subject of a June 2019 API report titled Lives on Hold: Assyrian Refugees in Jordan . The API's Recommendations for Lebanon are: In July 2020,

3672-728: The Kurdistan Democratic Party as a result of his criticism of high-ranking KRG officials. The API's recommendations for Syria are: In 2018, the API urged the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria to release Assyrian journalist Souleman Yusph. API stated that Yusph was imprisoned by Kurdish forces in Syria for reporting on alleged human rights violations enacted by Kurdish authorities in Syria. This included forced closures of Assyrian schools, intimidation and imprisonment of rivals, and

3780-688: The National Mall , including the Jefferson Memorial , the Lincoln Memorial , and the Washington Monument . It hosts 177 foreign embassies and serves as the headquarters for the World Bank , the International Monetary Fund , the Organization of American States , and other international organizations. Home to many of the nation's largest industry associations, non-profit organizations, and think tanks , D.C.

3888-548: The Northeast megalopolis . As the seat of the U.S. federal government , the city is an important world political capital . The city hosts the buildings that house federal government headquarters, including the White House , the Capitol, the Supreme Court Building , and multiple federal departments and agencies . The city is home to many national monuments and museums , located most prominently on or around

3996-484: The Potomac River forms the district's border with Virginia and has two major tributaries, the Anacostia River and Rock Creek . Tiber Creek , a natural watercourse that once passed through the National Mall , was fully enclosed underground during the 1870s. The creek also formed a portion of the now-filled Washington City Canal , which allowed passage through the city to the Anacostia River from 1815 until

4104-615: The Shabak village of Badanah from ISIL, with the support of international coalition airstrikes. In October 2016, NPU, alongside Iraqi Army forces liberated the Town of Bartella from ISIL. On the 19th of October, 2016, NPU and the Iraqi Army liberated the Town of Bakhdida from ISIL. They currently run the security profile of the town and protected the town during its first Christmas mass in two years. In December 2016 Jameel al-Jameel,

4212-771: The Simele massacre . In the statement, the organizations encouraged the Iraqi government to officially recognize the massacre, and urged them to maintain the currently unprotected mass grave sites resulting from the massacre, among other requests. Other notable signatories included the Armenian Assembly of America , the Assyrian Aid Society-Iraq, the Hammurabi Human Rights Organization , International Christian Concern ,

4320-428: The U.S. East Coast . The city has a total area of 68.34 square miles (177 km ), of which 61.05 square miles (158.1 km ) is land and 7.29 square miles (18.9 km ) (10.67%) is water. The district is bordered by Montgomery County, Maryland , to the northwest; Prince George's County, Maryland , to the east; Arlington County, Virginia , to the west; and Alexandria, Virginia , to the south. The south bank of

4428-637: The War of 1812 , British forces invaded and occupied the city after defeating an American force at Bladensburg . In retaliation for acts of destruction by American troops in the Canadas , the British set fire to government buildings in the city, gutting the United States Capitol , the Treasury Building , and the White House in what became known as the burning of Washington . However, a storm forced

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4536-623: The Washington Metro stations and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden are designed with strong influence from the 20th-century Brutalism movement. The Smithsonian Institution Building is built of Seneca red sandstone in the Norman Revival style. The Old Post Office building, located on Pennsylvania Avenue and completed in 1899, was the first building in the city to have a steel frame structure and

4644-529: The 1850s. The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal starts in Georgetown and was used during the 19th century to bypass the Little Falls of the Potomac River, located at the northwest edge of the city at the Atlantic Seaboard fall line . The highest natural elevation in the district is 409 feet (125 m) above sea level at Fort Reno Park in upper northwest Washington, D.C. The lowest point

4752-482: The 2018 ParkScore ranking of the park systems of the nation's 100 most populous cities, according to Trust for Public Land , a non-profit organization. The National Park Service manages most of the 9,122 acres (36.92 km ) of city land owned by the U.S. government. Rock Creek Park is a 1,754-acre (7.10 km ) urban forest in Northwest Washington, which extends 9.3 miles (15.0 km) through

4860-522: The 2018 Turkish airstrikes in Iraq. Specifically, the API claimed that these airstrikes happened in villages that are mostly inhabited by Assyrians. The Turkish government's intended targets for these airstrikes were members of the PKK who had taken refuge in northern Iraq. The airstrikes led to the deaths of at least seven non-combatants, which the Human Rights Watch claimed could be considered

4968-651: The API alleged that Kurdish and Dawronoye affiliated authorities had forcefully broken and replaced locks in schools and fired all of their staff without warning. From 1935 until then, these schools had operated under the control of the Syriac Orthodox Church and taught the Syriac language to their students. The API stated that this was an effort by the PYD to "impose a Kurdish nationalist curriculum onto all areas it governs." The forced closures were condemned by

5076-540: The API as an official partner of theirs. The Assyrian Policy institute releases reports concerning issues of interest to the Assyrian people. One of the reports concerning minority quotas in Baghdad and Erbil was presented in Gütersloh, Germany . Currently, its reports are as follows: Washington D.C. Washington, D.C. , formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C. ,

5184-477: The API held an emergency meeting open to all community-members to discuss the living situation of Assyrians in Lebanon . Panelists included Beirut-based Cor-Bishop Yatron Koliana, Acting Head of the Assyrian Church of the East in Lebanon, and Jack Jendo, Board Member of the Assyrian Support Committee (a Lebanon-based Assyrian charity affiliated with the Assyrian Church of the East ). The panelists claimed that Assyrian refugees in Lebanon face unique problems in

5292-439: The API reported that four humanitarian workers from the France-based Christian nonprofit SOS Chrétiens d'Orient were missing in Baghdad, Iraq . One of the reported missing workers was a man named Tareq Khidr Mattoka, a French Assyrian from the town of Bakhdida . No person or group ever claimed responsibility for the disappearance or asked for a ransom. According to a statement released by SOS Chrétiens d'Orient via Twitter ,

5400-434: The API reported that the appeal was denied by the Iranian judiciary , and the court upheld the couples' respective 10-year and 5-year prison sentences. In August 2020, the couple fled the country seeking asylum elsewhere. However, they were otherwise "safe and well" according to their daughter Dabrina in an interview with the API. The API has criticized the Iran-backed Popular Mobilization Forces for refusing to comply with

5508-442: The API's collaborative partners include, but are not limited to, the Assyrian Studies Association , the Assyrian-American Association of Southern California , the Centre for Canadian-Assyrian Relations , and several Assyrian Student Associations. Hanna also stated that there are more, but those are the ones that the API works most closely with. The official website of the Yazidi advocacy organization Nobody's Listening also lists

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5616-568: The Assyrian genocide. Ten other legislatures ( Alabama , Colorado , Delaware , Georgia , Indiana , Michigan , South Dakota , Tennessee , Washington D.C. , and West Virginia ) have passed resolutions that recognize the Armenian genocide , but acknowledge the Assyrian victims within their text. Hanna has also advocated in favor of recognizing the Armenian genocide as well. The API has multiple partnerships with other advocacy-based organizations, particularly Assyrian and Yazidi-based ones. Hanna stated in an interview with ANB TV that some of

5724-504: The British to evacuate the city after just 24 hours. Most government buildings were repaired quickly, but the Capitol, which was largely under construction at the time, would not be completed in its current form until 1868. In the 1830s, the district's southern territory of Alexandria declined economically, due in part to its neglect by Congress. Alexandria was a major market in the domestic slave trade and pro-slavery residents feared that abolitionists in Congress would end slavery in

5832-405: The District from its founding. The building of Washington likely relied in significant part on slave labor, and slave receipts have been found for the White House, Capitol Building, and establishment of Georgetown University. The city became an important slave market and a center of the nation's internal slave trade . After its survey, the new federal city was constructed on the north bank of

5940-433: The District of Columbia. Shepherd authorized large projects that modernized the city but bankrupted its government. In 1874, Congress replaced the territorial government with an appointed three-member board of commissioners. In 1888, the city's first motorized streetcars began service. Their introduction generated growth in areas of the district beyond the City of Washington's original boundaries, leading to an expansion of

6048-422: The Federal District to about the size of the national mall. Designed in 1791 by Pierre Charles L'Enfant , the city is divided into quadrants , which are centered around the Capitol Building and include 131 neighborhoods . As of the 2020 census , the city had a population of 689,545. Commuters from the city's Maryland and Virginia suburbs raise the city's daytime population to more than one million during

6156-411: The Iraqi Prime Minister Office & PMU High Command from all of Hamdaniya District. NPU has taken control of Mar Behnam Monastery. In December 2018, the Iraqi Government provided funding to the NPU to recruit another 100 troops. The Nineveh Plains Protection Units currently run the security in all major towns in the Al-Hamdaniya District ( Bakhdida and Karamlesh ), while in Bartella the security

6264-467: The KRG is consistent with previous denial of accusations of wrongdoing. Examples of this that the API provided was the KRG's denial of accusations made by Human Rights Watch , Amnesty International , and the US Department of State Human Rights Report. The report goes on to say that the reason that the API had originally made the claim about the KRG tax policy was due to an Ankawa-based activist group called Hand in Hand approaching them and explaining

6372-421: The NPU had 2,000 men registered to be trained awaiting approval and funding from the Federal government of Iraq and that they had 600 active soldiers deployed and running the security in towns such as Bakhdida , Karamlesh , partly in Bartella and the ancient city of Nimrud . A 2019 testimony from Assyrian activist Reine Hanna at the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom claimed that

6480-444: The Potomac River, to the east of Georgetown centered on Capitol Hill . On September 9, 1791, three commissioners overseeing the capital's construction named the city in honor of President Washington. The same day, the federal district was named Columbia, a feminine form of Columbus , which was a poetic name for the United States commonly used at that time. Congress held its first session there on November 17, 1800. Congress passed

6588-399: The Residence Act, the exact location was to be selected by President George Washington , who signed the bill into law on July 16, 1790. Formed from land donated by Maryland and Virginia, the initial shape of the federal district was a square measuring 10 miles (16 km) on each side and totaling 100 square miles (259 km ). Two pre-existing settlements were included in the territory,

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6696-410: The Senate, the statehood bill was introduced again in January 2023. The bill would have made D.C. into a state with one representative and two senators, with the name Washington, Douglas Commonwealth (thus keeping the same abbreviation Washington, D.C.). The legalities, reasons, and impact of statehood have been heavily debated in the 2020s. Washington, D.C., is located in the Mid-Atlantic region of

6804-647: The United States Constitution was ratified in 1961, granting the district three votes in the Electoral College for the election of president and vice president, but still not affording the city's residents representation in Congress. After the assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4, 1968, riots broke out in the city , primarily in the U Street, 14th Street, 7th Street, and H Street corridors, which were predominantly black residential and commercial areas. The riots raged for three days until more than 13,600 federal troops and Washington, D.C., Army National Guardsmen stopped

6912-485: The United States to address the many long-standing grievances of Ankawa residents, including the improper confiscation of lands belonging to Assyrians and KRG policies advancing demographic change in the area, as well as interference in local, regional, and federal elections for Assyrian representatives.” On June 17, 2019, Kurdish Asayish authorities in Dohuk detained an Assyrian journalist named Hormuz Mushi without any charges pressed against him. The API alleged that he

7020-409: The airstrikes. The report concluded by claiming that Turkey, “has consistently abetted ISIS throughout the Syria conflict through its open border policy, provision of weapons to questionable groups, and other practices. American withdrawal allows Turkish-supported extremism to be reasserted in the area.” The API's recommendations for Iran are: In 2018, API Board Chairman Jon Koriel sent a letter to

7128-502: The alleged return rate of the original Assyrian population is about 7% (about 200 Assyrians). During the COVID-19 pandemic , the API signed a joint NGO statement with other NGOs including Nadia's Initiative and Yazda that highlighted the risks posed to vulnerable populations in Iraq, mainly Assyrians in the Nineveh Plains and Yazidis in Sinjar . The statement urged the Iraqi government to take measures to protect these communities, who they claimed were left especially vulnerable as

7236-458: The already-implemented L'Enfant Plan , with the new McMillan Plan leading urban development in the city throughout the movement. Much of the old Victorian Mall was replaced with modern Neoclassical and Beaux-Arts architecture ; these designs are still prevalent in the city's governmental buildings today. Increased federal spending under the New Deal in the 1930s led to the construction of new government buildings, memorials, and museums in

7344-446: The area. Blizzards affect Washington once every four to six years on average. The most violent storms, known as nor'easters , often impact large regions of the East Coast . From January 27 to 28, 1922 , the city officially received 28 inches (71 cm) of snowfall, the largest snowstorm since official measurements began in 1885. According to notes kept at the time, the city received between 30 and 36 inches (76 and 91 cm) from

7452-503: The capital farther west, but President Ulysses S. Grant refused to consider the proposal. In the Organic Act of 1871 , Congress repealed the individual charters of the cities of Washington and Georgetown , abolished Washington County , and created a new territorial government for the whole District of Columbia. These steps made "the city of Washington...legally indistinguishable from the District of Columbia." In 1873, President Grant appointed Alexander Robey Shepherd as Governor of

7560-432: The capital moved from Philadelphia . In 1801, the District of Columbia, formerly part of Maryland and Virginia and including the existing settlements of Georgetown and Alexandria , was officially recognized as the federal district; initially, the city was a separate settlement within the larger district. In 1846, Congress returned the land originally ceded by Virginia , including the city of Alexandria. In 1871, it created

7668-414: The capital. In the Compromise of 1790 , Madison, Alexander Hamilton , and Thomas Jefferson agreed that the federal government would pay each state's remaining Revolutionary War debts in exchange for establishing the new national capital in the Southern United States . On July 9, 1790, Congress passed the Residence Act , which approved the creation of a national capital on the Potomac River . Under

7776-565: The city's 900 acres (3.6 km ) of athletic fields and playgrounds, 40 swimming pools, and 68 recreation centers. The U.S. Department of Agriculture operates the 446-acre (1.80 km ) United States National Arboretum in Northeast Washington, D.C. Washington's climate is humid subtropical ( Köppen : Cfa ), or oceanic ( Trewartha : Do bordering Cf downtown). Winters are cool to cold with some snow of varying intensity, while summers are hot and humid. The district

7884-730: The city's classical-style architecture include buildings constructed in the French Second Empire style, including the Eisenhower Executive Office Building , and the modernist Watergate complex . The Thomas Jefferson Building , the main Library of Congress building, and the historic Willard Hotel are built in Beaux-Arts style , popular throughout the world in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Meridian Hill Park contains

7992-421: The city, was then tasked with completing its design. Though Ellicott revised the original L'Enfant plans, including changing some street patterns, L'Enfant is still credited with the city's overall design. By the early 20th century, however, L'Enfant's vision of a grand national capital was marred by slums and randomly placed buildings in the city, including a railroad station on the National Mall. Congress formed

8100-590: The city. Many of the government buildings, monuments, and museums along the National Mall and surrounding areas are heavily inspired by classical Roman and Greek architecture. The designs of the White House, the U.S. Capitol, Supreme Court Building , Washington Monument , National Gallery of Art , Lincoln Memorial, and Jefferson Memorial are all heavily drawn from these classical architectural movements and feature large pediments, domes, columns in classical order, and heavy stone walls. Notable exceptions to

8208-469: The city. Precipitation occurs throughout the year. The highest recorded temperature was 106 °F (41 °C) on August 6, 1918, and on July 20, 1930. The lowest recorded temperature was −15 °F (−26 °C) on February 11, 1899 , right before the Great Blizzard of 1899 . During a typical year, the city averages about 37 days at or above 90 °F (32 °C) and 64 nights at or below

8316-420: The creation of a federal district under the exclusive jurisdiction of the U.S. Congress . As such, Washington, D.C., is not part of any state , and is not one itself. The Residence Act , adopted on July 16, 1790, approved the creation of the capital district along the Potomac River. The city was founded in 1791, and the 6th Congress held the first session in the unfinished Capitol Building in 1800 after

8424-584: The disputed area of the Nineveh Plain due to its reported positive correlation to the number of Assyrian returnees to towns and villages in the Nineveh Plain where the NPU is in control. In 2019, API director Reine Hanna testified before the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom claiming that the percentage of Assyrian return in towns guarded by the NPU was higher than those controlled by other forces following

8532-482: The district . Alexandria's citizens petitioned Virginia to retake the land it had donated to form the district, a process known as retrocession . The Virginia General Assembly voted in February 1846, to accept the return of Alexandria. On July 9, 1846, Congress went further, agreeing to return all territory that Virginia had ceded to the district during its formation. This left the district's area consisting only of

8640-548: The district over the next few decades. Georgetown's street grid and other administrative details were formally merged with those of the City of Washington in 1895. However, the city had poor housing and strained public works, leading it to become the first city in the nation to undergo urban renewal projects as part of the City Beautiful movement in the early 20th century. The City Beautiful movement built heavily upon

8748-523: The district, though the chairman of the House Subcommittee on District Appropriations, Ross A. Collins of Mississippi , justified cuts to funds for welfare and education for local residents by saying that "my constituents wouldn't stand for spending money on niggers." World War II led to an expansion of federal employees in the city; by 1950, the district's population reached its peak of 802,178 residents. The Twenty-third Amendment to

8856-475: The end of the Islamic State 's occupation of the Nineveh Plain. The NPU-guarded Assyrian town of Bakhdida , for example, saw a 70% return of the town's original Assyrian population (about 35,000 Assyrians). In Tesqopa , which is controlled by Peshmerga , the alleged rate of return is about 20% of the original Assyrian population (about 2,000 Assyrians). In Tel Keppe , which is controlled by Brigade 50 ,

8964-620: The era of economic-downturn , anti-corruption protests , and the COVID-19 pandemic . This was said to be due to their distinct ethnic and religious background. They claimed that Assyrian refugees ruled out the idea settling refugee camps due to fear of discrimination targeting Christians in these camps. This has led them to seek other forms of private shelter, which often have costs of rental, food, water, utilities, and healthcare, which many Assyrian refugees are unable to pay themselves. Previous reliance on remittances from abroad to pay these costs

9072-473: The federal level, politically disenfranchised since the city's residents do not have voting representation in Congress; the city's residents elect a single non-voting congressional delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives. The city's voters choose three presidential electors in accordance with the Twenty-third Amendment , passed in 1961. Washington, D.C. anchors the southern end of

9180-684: The first to use electrical wiring in its design. Notable contemporary residential buildings, restaurants, shops, and office buildings in the city include the Wharf on the Southwest Waterfront , Navy Yard along the Anacostia River , and CityCenterDC in Downtown . The Wharf has seen the construction of several high-rise office and residential buildings overlooking the Potomac River . Additionally, restaurants, bars, and shops have been opened at street level. Many of these buildings have

9288-635: The four workers were released on March 26, 2020. On October 31, 2018, the API released a statement commemorating the eighth anniversary of the Our Lady of Salvation Church Massacre . The API has also accused the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in Iraq of multiple discriminatory business practices. One report claimed that the KRG required all business owners from the Assyrian-majority city of Ankawa , located in

9396-404: The freezing mark (32 °F or 0 °C). On average, the first day with a minimum at or below freezing is November 18 and the last day is March 27. Washington, D.C., was a planned city , and many of the city's street grids were developed in that initial plan. In 1791, President George Washington commissioned Pierre Charles L'Enfant , a French-born military engineer and artist, to design

9504-546: The last Assyrians living in Meer, a historically Assyrian village that was evacuated twice in both 1989 and 1992 due to heightened conflict between the Turkish government and the PKK. On January 25, 2020, an eyewitness claimed that the couple was abducted by members of the PKK. On March 3, 2020, Şimoni's body was found with no cause of death apparent. As of June 29, 2020, Hurmiz Diril's whereabouts are still unknown. The API reported on

9612-469: The need for the national government not to rely on any state for its own security. Article One, Section Eight of the Constitution permits the establishment of a "District (not exceeding ten miles square) as may, by cession of particular states, and the acceptance of Congress, become the seat of the government of the United States". However, the constitution does not specify a location for

9720-496: The new capital. He enlisted the help of Isaac Roberdeau, Étienne Sulpice Hallet and Scottish surveyor Alexander Ralston to help lay out the city plan. The L'Enfant Plan featured broad streets and avenues radiating out from rectangles, providing room for open space and landscaping. L'Enfant was also provided a roll of maps by Thomas Jefferson depicting Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Strasbourg, Paris, Orleans, Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille, Turin, and Milan. L'Enfant's design also envisioned

9828-552: The north and south sides of the National Mall, respectively, are home to many of Washington's iconic museums, including many Smithsonian Institution buildings and the National Archives Building . Washington hosts 177 foreign embassies ; these maintain nearly 300 buildings and more than 1,600 residential properties, many of which are on a section of Massachusetts Avenue informally known as Embassy Row . The architecture of Washington, D.C., varies greatly and

9936-404: The number of blocks away from the Capitol. Most streets are set out in a grid pattern with east–west streets named with letters (e.g., C Street SW), north–south streets with numbers (e.g., 4th Street NW), and diagonal avenues, many of which are named after states . The City of Washington was bordered on the north by Boundary Street (renamed Florida Avenue in 1890); Rock Creek to the west, and

10044-440: The outlawed PKK . The priest was charged with terrorism as a result. In 2020, the API released a statement of concern regarding the disappearance of Assyrian couple Hurmuz and Şimoni Diril. The couple were abducted outside of their home in the village of Meer , in the Şirnak Province of Turkey. Their disappearance was first reported by their son Ramzi Diril, a Chaldean Catholic priest. The couple were reported to be some of

10152-501: The policy, but the government upheld its decision. Furthermore, the report claimed that the Assyrian parliamentarians who were interviewed about the new tax policy claimed that they had inquired to the KRG Shura Council about the policy, and received a response saying: "Not collecting this tax in some towns as a result of negligence or incompetence of the relevant KRG departments is no reason to refrain from collecting such

10260-568: The port of Georgetown , founded in 1751, and the port city of Alexandria, Virginia , founded in 1749. In 1791 and 1792, a team led by Andrew Ellicott , including Ellicott's brothers Joseph and Benjamin and African American astronomer Benjamin Banneker , whose parents had been enslaved, surveyed the borders of the federal district and placed boundary stones at every mile point; many of these stones are still standing. Both Maryland and Virginia were slave states , and slavery existed in

10368-538: The portion originally donated by Maryland. Confirming the fears of pro-slavery Alexandrians, the Compromise of 1850 outlawed the slave trade in the district, although not slavery itself. The outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861 led to the expansion of the federal government and notable growth in the city's population, including a large influx of freed slaves. President Abraham Lincoln signed

10476-470: The rate of Assyrian return in towns guarded by the NPU was significantly higher than those controlled by other forces following the end of the Islamic State's occupation of the Nineveh Plain. The NPU-guarded Assyrian town of Bakhdida , for example, saw a 70% return of the town's original Assyrian population (about 35,000 Assyrians). In Tesqopa , which is controlled by KRG Peshmerga, the rate of return

10584-538: The region in the early 17th century. The Nacotchtank , also called the Nacostines by Catholic missionaries , maintained settlements around the Anacostia River in present-day Washington, D.C. Conflicts with European colonists and neighboring tribes ultimately displaced the Piscataway people, some of whom established a new settlement in 1699 near Point of Rocks, Maryland . Nine cities served as capitals to

10692-422: The renewals. Many Assyrians viewed this as an attempt by the KRG to hurt their businesses and secure a monopoly on industries in their areas of control. The KRG later released an official statement in which they denied these allegations and referred to them as “baseless.” The API responded to the KRG's denial of these claims in a later report. The API claimed that this latest denial of human rights abuses by

10800-679: The rights of Assyrians and other minorities in the Middle East including Yazidis and Mandaeans . The API was founded in 2018 in order to effectively represent worldwide Assyrian interests in Washington . Shortly after the founding of the organization, the API further clarified its purpose, stating: "Our work will focus on fostering public awareness about issues affecting Assyrians in their ancestral lands, guiding U.S. policy on matters related to Assyrians in countries like Iraq and Syria, and publishing authoritative reports that are valuable to academics and policymakers." The API maintains

10908-572: The severe beating of Isa Rashid, an Assyrian education director who worked for some of the closed Assyrian schools. Yusph was also critical of the Dawronoye movement and posted videos on his personal Facebook page showing individuals tied to the movement forcefully closing schools and intimidating residents. The API also further reported on the Administration's 2018 forced closure of Assyrian schools in its areas of control. Specifically,

11016-640: The situation to them. The report also provided documentation the ordinance in question that proved that a new tax policy specifically in Ankawa had been created by the KRG. The report then says that Assyrian business-owners affected by the new tax policy as well as Assyrian parliamentarians in the Iraqi Parliament and the Kurdistan Region Parliament who corroborated these claims. Some business-owners attempted to legally appeal

11124-427: The survivors and their descendants. In August 2019, the API spearheaded an effort among 15 other Assyrian organizations to release a letter thanking Representative Josh Harder for the creation of House Resolution 537, which would have the United States officially recognize the Assyrian genocide if passed. In August 2020, the API released a joint statement cosigned by 35 total non-governmental organizations regarding

11232-575: The use of Congress be erected on the banks of the Delaware near Trenton , or of the Potomac , near Georgetown , provided a suitable district can be procured on one of the rivers as aforesaid, for a federal town". In Federalist No. 43 , published January 23, 1788, James Madison argued that the new federal government would need authority over a national capital to provide for its own maintenance and safety. The Pennsylvania Mutiny of 1783 emphasized

11340-442: The violence. Many stores and other buildings were burned, and rebuilding from the riots was not completed until the late 1990s. In 1973, Congress enacted the District of Columbia Home Rule Act providing for an elected mayor and 13-member council for the district. In 1975, Walter Washington became the district's first elected and first black mayor. Since the 1980s, the D.C. statehood movement has grown in prominence. In 2016,

11448-541: The width of the adjacent street plus 20 feet (6.1 m). Despite popular belief, no law has ever limited buildings to the height of the United States Capitol or the 555-foot (169 m) Washington Monument , which remains the district's tallest structure. City leaders have cited the height restriction as a primary reason that the district has limited affordable housing and its metro area has suburban sprawl and traffic problems. Washington, D.C., still has

11556-407: The workweek. The Washington metropolitan area , which includes parts of Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia , is the country's seventh-largest metropolitan area , with a 2023 population of 6.3 million residents. A locally elected mayor and 13-member council have governed the district since 1973, though Congress retains the power to overturn local laws. Washington, D.C., residents are, on

11664-526: Was being detained due to his reporting of the negligence of Assyrian cultural sites by the KRG. The API urged KRG authorities to release Mushi. The arrest was also condemned by Assyrian parliamentarian Fareed Yaqoob. In November 2019, the API reported that Kurdish authorities had detained an Assyrian journalist named William Bnyameen Adam for nearly two weeks following a report on his recent trip to Syria . An earlier statement claimed that Adam and his family had previously received death threats from members of

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