Washington Dc

[Oleanda]

We were watching a TV show based in Washington DC and it made me wonder which US state it is in. I looked it up on Google Maps, and it doesn't appear to be in any of them, being sandwiched between Virginia and Maryland, yet it doesn't seem to be a state in its own right either. How does that work?

[Mamyalynne]

//The U.S. Constitution provided for a federal district under the exclusive jurisdiction of U.S. Congress; the district is therefore not a part of any U.S. state. //

[CrapAtCryptics]

DC District of Columbia

[Mamyalynne]

Source

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington,_D.C.

[Oleanda]

Thankyou.

[jim360]

Of course, it clearly *should* be a State, or absorbed into one. Instead, there is the bizarre anomaly that the 700,000 people living in the Capital don't get any representation in the Senate, and their only representative in Congress doesn't actually get to vote on legislation; while any local measures passed by DC's mayor can be overrode at will by Congress.

[bednobs]

Is overrode a real world jim? Overridden surely?

[ToraToraTora]

yes interesting that the capital of the USA is not actually in the USA.

[Oleanda]

That was my first thought, Tora, which is what prompted me to ask the question.

[zebo]

Doesn't Canberra have a similar status, not in one of the Australian states?

[Mamyalynne]

Yes, it's a Federal Capital Territory and is an enclave within NSW.

[Sunk]

[jim360]

It is, bednobs, but I meant "overridden" in this case.

The situation in Canberra is slightly different, because although the citizens there didn't have voting rights initially, those have since been provided. Presumably, Canberra was originally based on DC, but thankfully the Australians eventually saw sense, whereas the Americans (or, at least, Congress) have not.

[jim360]

The US should perhaps also get on board with Puerto Rican statehood, especially since the citizens there voted yes by 52%-48% in a recent referendum.

[ichkeria]

The Northern Territory of Australia is also not a full state within the nation

[twix123]

Democrat Senator Tom Carper introduced a Bill last Wednesday, as he has done for the last 8 years, to legislate for the District of Columbia to become the 51st state, named Washington, Douglass Commonwealth:

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/dem-senator-introduces-dc-statehood-bill-thanked-by-dc-pols

[jno]

secretly sponsored by Rhode Islanders fed up with being the smallest state, I expect.

[Peter Pedant]

jim has forgotten the bit in history where they wondered if the Capital city should be in any one state as that would give the state an edge. So they decided that it should not be IN a state or a state in itself

If it is in the constitution then it has to be 1783-1787
previously New York

[Peter Pedant]

as er Jim might conclude
it doesnt add up !

[jno]

same with Australia, I think, PP, it was to stop Sydney and Melbourne / NSW and Victoria squabbling.

[Peter Pedant]

isnt bra-heelia in the same position
designed capital which is a federal area?

as for bits of the united kingdom that dont have doo-dah
look at the isle of man and the channel islands