Every country has a capital, the city where its leaders work. Our capital is Washington, D.C.
Key idea
Congress meets in the Capitol, the building with the big dome. The President lives and works in the White House.
Why it works
The city is named after George Washington, our first President. "D.C." stands for "District of Columbia." It is not part of any state, so it belongs to the whole country. It is also full of monuments that honor great Americans.
Common mistake
Washington, D.C., and the state of Washington are two different places, far apart. The capital is on the East Coast; the state is on the West Coast, by the Pacific Ocean. And the Capitol (where Congress meets) is not the White House (where the President lives).