Olympia
The capital of Washington state, Olympia is known for its scenic mountains and lakes. Olympia lies on Budd Inlet and Capitol Lake, at the southern end of the Puget Sound. Mount Rainier is visible to the east of Olympia, and the Olympic Mountains lie to the northwest.
Olympia is surrounded by beautiful natural scenery. The Olympic National Forest covers an area of almost 1,000 square miles (2,600 square kilometers). It was established to preserve the Olympic Mountains and their forests and wildlife. The Olympia National Park is located within the forest. Olympia has several other parks as well.
Many sites are located around Olympia's Capitol building. Its grounds contain a copy of the Tivoli Gardens Fountain in Copenhagen, Denmark. They also have sunken gardens and several war memorials. The dome of the Legislative Building is 287 feet (87 meters) high. It is one of the tallest domes of its kind in the world.
The Temple of Justice is the home of the State Supreme Court. The Washington State Capital Museum includes exhibits on Olympia's history and local Native Americans.
The Olympia area also includes the communities of Lacey and Tumwater. Tumwater, founded in 1845, is the oldest permanent American settlement north of the Columbia River.
Olympia's many forests and mountains have made it an important tourist stop. The city manufactures wood products, metal products, and food. It is a deep-sea port and has lumber-based industries. Oyster farming and the dairy industry are also part of Olympia's economy. However, most of the city's jobs are in state government.
Levi Smith and Edmund Sylvester first laid out the town in 1851 and called it Smithfield. They later renamed it for the nearby Olympic Mountains. In 1853 the land north of the Columbia River was separated from Oregon, and the Washington Territory was formed with Olympia as the capital. It was named a city in 1859. Population (2000 census), 42,514.
