It is hard to believe, but the land on which Washington, DC's elegant National Mall and its stately buildings stand was once a marshy swamp. George Washington created this special district as a federal power hub to avoid the problem of establishing the capital city in any one state.

Its strategic location, with accessibility to the sea via the Potomac River and between the South and the North, made it an attractive site. Originally designed by the French architect Pierre L'Enfant in 1791, Washington is a city of green parks, wide tree-lined streets and very few skyscrapers, all of which give it a European air. It is very much a purpose-built capital, a city of grand buildings (such as the White House and the US Capitol) and impressive monuments (the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial, to name but two).

Congress and the second president, John Adams, moved to Washington, DC in 1800, but it was a further six decades before it began to look like a capital city. In the interim period, foreign ambassadors considered it a hardship posting. Now, this political centre stage, capital of the most powerful nation in the world, is the place to be.

Washington, DC is always in the international spotlight. Occasionally this attention is not welcome, for example, the world's largest concentration of spies lurks around the city. Washington, DC has also had its share of political scandal, such as the Watergate affair, Mayor Marion Barry's imprisonment for drug offences, the Monica Lewinsky affair, the painful struggle of the 2000 presidential elections and most recently, indictments in the Bush administration for the CIA leak in 2005.

The most tragic of events in the nation's capital occurred on 11 September 2001, when a hijacked plane crashed into the Pentagon. Since that time, barricades, blocked-off streets, police and security checks have given parts of the city a different facade.

Washington, DC (Washington to visitors and DC or the District to locals) is divided into four quadrants - northwest (NW), northeast (NE), southeast (SE) and southwest (SW). It is a city of neighbourhoods, each with its own diverse culture.

Capitol Hill, beyond the Capitol, is a blend of government buildings, townhouses and speciality shops and restaurants. Foggy Bottom, also home to several government buildings, is now a charming, quiet neighbourhood. Perhaps the most famous is Georgetown, a historic district with elegant 18th- and 19th-century townhouses, home to many influential residents, as well as chic restaurants and shops. One of the most colourful neighbourhoods is Adams Morgan, with an eclectic mix of international restaurants, sidewalk cafés, ethnic stores and late-night entertainment.

After the federal government, tourism is the capital's primary industry. Over 15 million tourists explore the city each year, preferring to see the sights during autumn, spring and summer rather than in winter when it can be bitterly cold and wet.

They are drawn by the wealth of impressive monuments and museums, many of which have free entry. Other important industries located here include trade associations, law, higher education and publishing. The city is also the headquarters for the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

Though wealthy on the surface, the city has had problems with a high crime rate, plus high unemployment, illiteracy and drug abuse. In the last few years, it has cleaned up its act. The crime rate has gone down and the city has been revitalised.

It is now chic to live in DC, where power and politics are a heady mix. So much American history is crammed into it. Add to that its wealth of monuments, public buildings, museums and memorials to past heroes and visitors cannot fail to be impressed.