[From WikiTravel], Washington DC is the capital of the United States and the seat of its three branches of government, has a collection of free, public museums unparalleled in size and scope throughout the history of mankind, and the lion's share of the nation's most treasured monuments and memorials. The bulk of the main attractions is at the National Mall and the Smithsonian is a can't-miss. District of Columbia is not a city or state, rather it's an artificial body born of politics, by politics, and for politics.