Seattle

King County

53-63000

Seattle [ sɪætɫ ] is the largest city in the northwestern United States. It is the county seat of King County in the U.S. state of Washington and is located between Puget Sound and Lake Washington, about 155 km south of the Canadian border. In addition to Vancouver and Portland, Seattle is the transport hub and the economic, scientific and cultural center of the Pacific Northwest region.

The city bears the nickname The Emerald City ( " The Emerald City " ), which is an allusion to the greenery in the urban area, and Rain City - although the rainfall is less than in many other American cities. The nickname comes from the many rich clouds and rainy days a year.

The Port of Seattle is a major commercial hub for trade with Asia, Alaska, and Hawaii. The most important based industries are the aerospace (Boeing ), iron and steel industry and wood processing. Architectural symbol of Seattle is considered the built for the 1962 World's Fair Space Needle. The city is home to a prestigious university, the University of Washington.

The city was named after Noah Sealth, chief of the Duwamish and Suquamish, better known under the name of Chief Seattle.

  • 2.1 Population development
  • 3.1 Music
  • 3.2 Museums
  • 3.3 Sport
  • 5.1 street
  • 5.2 Rail
  • 5.3 Long distance bus
  • 5.4 Marine
  • 5.5 transport
  • 5.6 Air Traffic
  • 6.1 Newspapers

Geography and climate

Seattle is located on the isthmus between Puget Sound and Lake Washington at 47 ° 37'35 " N latitude and 122 ° 19'59 " w. L., in the shadow of the Olympic Mountains located west; east close to the Issaquah Alps, and the Cascade Range. The rivers, lakes and forests were once very fertile, so that the original inhabitants were training one of the few sedentary hunter- gatherer cultures.

The city itself is very hilly, with the largest gradients in Downtown are. The geography of the Downtown District has changed dramatically over the decades. Was it at the beginning of colonization still a short, flat and washed over coastal followed by steep slopes, leveled to the steep slope from and poured to finish the regular floods, the land on the coast, so that one day in the downtown area as a continuous steep rise of the coast finds. In this work, a network of underground passages and cellars, Seattle Underground was born.

Seattle is dominated beside mountains and hills from the water. On the west side of Puget Sound allows access to the Pacific. Within the city there are several lakes, such as Lake Washington and Lake Union, which are connected with channels. The city has an area of ​​369.2 km ². 217.2 km ² of which are land, 152.0 km ² water. So that the amount of water on the surface is 41.16 %.

The city and its surrounding area offer a number of recreational activities due to their location from water sports to hiking and mountain climbing to winter sports.

Seattle is located on the eastern edge of the Pacific on a geologically active zone. Several major earthquakes have rocked the city in its history:

Only 83 km southeast of Seattle and Mount Rainier, a 4,392 -meter-high stratovolcano that last erupted in 1854.

Climate

The climate of Seattle is maritime. There are ( September to early June) both moist ( humid ) and dry ( arid ) climate ( late June to late August). The average annual temperature is 11.2 ° C. The frequent rainfall result in a total annual value of 857 mm. In the summer it hardly rains, on the other hand fall in winter month up to 140 mm of precipitation. The temperatures are mild, which is a typical sign of maritime climate. The lowest average values ​​are around 7 ° C, in summer they reach July-August nearly 20 - ° C mark. By lying to Seattle mountains, the city is protected from strong wind gusts. In winter there is only a weak snowfall.

History

As birth of Seattle is the arrival of the Denny family, the Denny Party considered so-called, which landed November 13, 1851 at Alki Point. They settled in April 1852, the wind more sheltered Elliott Bay, today's Pioneer Square to. The first plans for the establishment of a settlement ( Town), the so-called Plats were filed on May 23, 1853. The corresponding first cadastral boundaries are still reflected today in townscape. The first boom of the city was based on the timber industry and the money that was pulled loggers, among others, business-minded ladies like Mother Damnable from his pocket. The municipality of Seattle has undergone several boom -crash cycles and successfully used a time of crisis for the expansion of infrastructure.

The founding of the city ( City ), as such dates back to the 1869 the designation after the Indian chief Seattle was primarily the result of operating by David Swinson "Doc" Maynard, the first doctor in the city.

Between 1890 and 1910, the population of Seattle sixfold. On June 6, 1889 a large fire destroyed large parts of the city. A dry spring and strong winds hampered the fight against the flames. In the evening, nearly 26 acres of the city were destroyed. In 1909, the Alaska-Yukon - Pacific Exposition held on the present campus of the University of Washington. 1914 was one of the first landmark of Seattle, the Smith Tower opened. He was then with 159 meters the tallest building west of the Mississippi. 1919, the first general strike in the country took place in Seattle.

The inception of the modern Seattle World's Fair, the Century 21 Exposition of 1962 is seen, arose which brought many of the city's landmarks such as the Space Needle, KeyArena ( Coliseum ), Pacific Science Center and Seattle Center Monorail.

In December 1999 it was on the edge of the WTO conference in Seattle in the city to violent clashes between anti-globalization protesters and the police.

Population Development

¹ 1980-2010: census results. 2012: estimate of the United States Census Bureau

Culture

Seattle is the cultural center of the Pacific Northwest.

Music

Seattle is the home of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra, Seattle Opera and Pacific Northwest Ballet. The fall in the annual three-week Earshot Jazz Festival is a large, nationally perceived music event.

In the pop- culture Seattle was known in the 1990s as a starting point of a new rock musical style, with its best-known representatives of grunge, the bands Nirvana and Pearl Jam and Soundgarden and Alice in Chains. But the avant-garde jazz musicians Bill Frisell and Wayne Horvitz, rapper Sir Mix - and a- Lot and Macklemore and bands Goodness, The Walkabouts, Queensrÿche and The Presidents of the United States of America come from Seattle. Moreover, Jimi Hendrix and Duff McKagan were born here. Subsequently, Seattle is home to the internationally successful metal bands like Nevermore and Sanctuary and their most famous members Jeff Loomis and Warrel Dane.

Museums

Seattle has several art museums, such as the Consolidated Works, the Frye Art Museum, the Henry Art Gallery, Seattle Art Museum and the Seattle Asian Art Museum. In addition, have other museums and cultural institutions on art collections such as the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, which has an excellent collection of Native American art. Furthermore, there are in Seattle about one hundred commercial and a dozen non- commercial art galleries and studios that are open to the public at least once a month. Many of the galleries and studios are located around the Pioneer Square. Pioneer Square is one with the Seattle Totem Pole which was built there for the first time in 1899, the 1892 -built Pioneer Building and the 1909 built iron pergola to the National Historic Landmarks.

In addition to the art museums are a multitude of other museums in Seattle. The Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, on the campus of the University, shows a variety of objects from botany, zoology and geography, also an anthropological collection with emphasis on Native American peoples of the northwest. Maritime history shows the Maritime Heritage Museum at Lake Union. The Museum of Flight, which has its headquarters and in the original Boeing manufacturing plant, shows the history of aviation. The Museum of History and Industry focuses on the local culture and history.

The Nordic Heritage Museum in Ballard shows the history of Scandinavian immigrants, the Seattle Metropolitan Police Museum in Pioneer Square, the history of the local police. On the campus of the Seattle Center, the Pacific Science Center, Science Fiction Museum and donated by Paul Allen Experience Music Project is located.

The Seattle Aquarium is located on the Elliott Bay waterfront; the Woodland Park Zoo is located in the north of the city.

Sports

Sports teams from Seattle are or were represented with the exception of ice hockey league NHL in every major professional leagues. The basketball team the Seattle SuperSonics from the NBA is known primarily for the German basketball player Detlef Schrempf, who played six years in Seattle in Germany. For the 2008/09 season the team moved to Oklahoma City. The games of the Super Sonics were just as much as the games of the professional women's team Seattle Storm ( WNBA) in the Key Arena.

In Major League Baseball, the Seattle Mariners are represented. They carry their games since 1999 at the Safeco Field from, before they played in the Kingdome.

At the CenturyLink Field to play the Seattle Seahawks (Football, NFL ) and the two football teams of the Seattle Sounders FC. The women's team is in the W-League, the top division in the American and Canadian women's soccer, the men's team also plays in the highest league Major League Soccer since 2009.

Great interest will also learn the games of the Washington Huskies, so the sports teams of the University of Washington.

Economy

The Seattle economy is determined by the constant ups and downs the first economic boom, the city enjoyed by the rapid growth of the timber industry. 1897 led to the Klondike Gold Rush to a further increase, followed by a strong growth of the shipping industry. The Port of Seattle was in 2005, as measured by container handling, the fifth largest port in the United States.

1916, the Boeing Company was founded in Seattle, which is a strong economic factor in the city to this day. 2001 Boeing moved its headquarters from Seattle and moved him to a contest of various American cities because of tax breaks to Chicago. Nevertheless, the Seattle area is still the seat of the commercial aircraft division and various other Boeing plants and the Boeing Employees Credit Union ( BECU ).

More recently, Seattle has become one of the centers of the IT industry, giving the city the one hand, a strong growth impulse was, on the other hand was also strongly feel the impact of the end of the New Economy bubble the city. The most important of the IT company with its headquarters in Redmond, near Seattle is the software manufacturer Microsoft. However, other known IT and telecommunications companies such as Amazon ( in the Columbia Center, the tallest building in the city ), RealNetworks and T -Mobile USA have their headquarters in and around Seattle.

Other well-known, the Seattle-based company include global coffee chain Starbucks, which was founded in Seattle, the U.S. department store chain Nordstrom and the snowboard manufacturer Nitro.

The Seattle-based Washington Mutual Bank was in the wake of the financial crisis from 2007 bankrupt and caused quite the largest bank failure in U.S. history.

Traffic

Road

In Seattle begins west of the Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge Interstate 90, the longest highway in North America, which leads eastwards over 5000 km from the Atlantic coast to Boston. In north -south Interstate 5 (part of the Pan-American Highway ) runs through the city and connects Seattle to the Mexican border at San Diego in the south and the Canadian border in Vancouver in the north.

In addition, there are several federal highways, including the Washington State Route 520 to Redmond. Mostly right on the coast runs along the Washington State Route 99, which is (otherwise known as multi-lane road ) expanded from downtown to the south as a motorway and elevated running along the cliff in downtown Alaskan Way Viaduct as.

Rail traffic

The city is served by three lines of Fernzugnetzes the North American rail company Amtrak: the Cascades from Vancouver to Eugene in Oregon, the Coast Starlight from Seattle to Los Angeles California and a pull portion of the Empire Builder from Seattle to Chicago. All trains run once a day, the Cascades on links several times a day.

Furthermore, there is the Sounder Commuter Rail Sound Transit repeatedly circulating daily commuter trains in the neighboring city of Tacoma (South Line ) and Everett ( North Line ).

All Trains from King Street Station from the south of the city center.

Long distance bus

The Fernbusgesellschaft Greyhound Lines operates two stations in Seattle. There are connections to Bellingham and Vancouver offered in the north, connections in the east to Spokane, to the southeast of the State of Washington to Yakima, Pasco and on to Boise in Idaho, and to the south a line to Tacoma, Olympia and Portland in Oregon.

Shipping

Since the city is located on Puget Sound, in which there are several medium to large islands, and the overland route leading to the opposite Olympic Peninsula is quite long (perhaps 200 to 300 miles), run under the name of Washington State Ferries numerous ferry lines through the estuary - including to Vashon Iceland, Iceland Bainbridge and Bremerton on the Olympic Peninsula, leave all of Pier 50 or 52 in the city center. In addition, from the pier run 48/49 high speed catamarans to Canadian Victoria on Vancouver Iceland. The line network of the Washington State Ferries is the largest of North America and the third largest in the world.

Transport

The bus service in Seattle is operated by King County Metro. There currently operate 231 buses, of which 14 lines DART (Dial- a-Ride ). The route network extends over the entire King County. In addition, express bus routes from Sound Transit between Seattle and the neighboring districts Snohomish County and Pierce County. Pierce Transit offers in addition to connections to Pierce County ( Tacoma City).

In the city mostly by O bus lines, as well as a connection to the surrounding towns normal bus routes. In the city center there is a 1990 taken into service bus tunnel with five stations, many bus lines in the weekdays 5-19 clock. In the tunnel was until 2005 a double catenary for trolleybuses. Between 2005 and 2007, he was equipped with rails and a railway catenary in order to integrate it into the under construction rail network can, while the trolleybus overhead line has been removed. Since its reopening in 2007, the tunnel with duo - buses will be operated. Outside the tunnel uptime operate the bus lines on the normal road network on the surface.

On 18 July 2009, the first line of the light rail system under the name of Link Light Rail stations between the West Lake to the north and Tukwila International Boulevard was put into operation, and its extension was opened to the airport Seattle / Tacoma on 19 December 2009. The line is currently 25.1 km long. The low-floor trains reach a cruising speed of 39.5 km / h A total of 13 stations are operated, including the stations in the downtown tunnel together with the bus and another tunnel station Beacon Hill. In the southern part of the route, there are large sections on its own rail body in the middle position and viaduct sections. For the future, a new station near the Boeing plants is planned. In March 2009, the northern extension of 5.1 km to University of the State of Washington was begun with the construction, which will go into operation in 2016. 2008, the expansion of the system was decided at about 50 km in length.

Seattle has a monorail that connects the city center with the Seattle Center and the Space Needle there ( remarkable is the lines in the final meters, which runs through the architecturally interesting building of the Experience Music Project). The 1 miles (1.6 km) long route is handled in two minutes, while the train runs at 10- minute intervals, but only during the day ( 08:30 clock ).

An older streetcar line, which runs directly on the shore of the Sound, is operated only in the museum traffic. In December 2007, two kilometers South Lake Union Streetcar was put into operation, a newly built tram line connecting the Westlake Center in downtown with some residential areas on Lake Union.

Since the 1970s, the buses could be used for free in downtown Seattle on weekdays. This Free Ride Zone was abolished end of September 2012.

Traffic

In Seattle and the immediate surroundings are - not least thanks to Boeing - several airfields and airports. The largest is the International Seattle / Tacoma airport. With the former Boeing Field King County International Airport said there is a smaller airport located in the city area, but which is only used for chartered and private air traffic, as well as test flights of Boeing.

Media

Newspapers

Seattle has two major newspapers, the Seattle Times and the Post-Intelligencer. Due to ongoing financial difficulties, the print edition of the Post-Intelligencer mid-March 2009 was set because he has losses are generated every year since 2000, most recently $ 14 million in the year 2008. Edition ( weekdays ) in 2008 was about 118,000, which was the Times in 199,000.

Education

36 % of the population of Seattle over 25 have at least a bachelor's degree; 93 % have a high school degree.

In addition to the public school system, there are a number of private schools. Four of the high schools are Catholic, a Lutheran, a further six are non- denominational. There are also three community colleges in Seattle.

The formation in Seattle is dominated by the University of Washington, which is one of the best public institutions in the USA. In her study more than 44,000 students, making it by far the largest and most prestigious university in the northwestern United States. The German department is among the best in the United States. Also located there is the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. More recently, several professors and graduates were awarded the Nobel Prize. The mascot of the University is the Husky.

Other universities include the Seattle University, a Jesuit high school, and was founded by Methodists Seattle Pacific University. Other smaller schools such as the Cornish College of the Arts are dedicated to education in art or psychology.

Others

Seattle was already several times to the " most livable city " (most livable city ) of the USA elected.

The International District Seattle has one of the largest Asian quarter of the U.S. West Coast, in the next to the Chinese and many other ethnic groups from different backgrounds live together in a neighborhood, in particular, Japanese, Filipinos and Vietnamese.

The city is the seat of a Roman Catholic archbishopric.

Seattle has opened with the 1907 Pike Place Market at the Waterfront on one of the oldest operated without interruption markets in the United States.

In Seattle, play TV shows such as Grey 's Anatomy, Frasier and iCarly.

In the city also plays the video game " inFAMOUS: SECOND SON "

Personalities

Twinning

Seattle is twinned with:

  • Israel Be'er Sheva, Israel
  • Norway Bergen, Norway
  • Philippines Cebu, Philippines
  • People's Republic of China Chongqing, People's Republic of China
  • New Zealand Christchurch, New Zealand
  • Flag of South Korea Daejeon, South Korea
  • Ireland Galway, Ireland
  • Poland Gdynia, Poland
  • Vietnam Haiphong, Vietnam
  • China Republic Kaohsiung, Taiwan
  • Japan Kobe, Japan
  • Cameroon Limbe, Cameroon
  • Mexico Mazatlan, Mexico
  • Kenya Mombasa, Kenya
  • France Nantes, France
  • Hungary Pécs, Hungary
  • Italy Perugia, Italy
  • Iceland Reykjavik, Iceland
  • Cambodia Sihanoukville, Cambodia
  • Indonesia Surabaya, Indonesia
  • Uzbekistan Tashkent, Uzbekistan
  • Turkey Izmir, Turkey
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