Eastern Washington
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Eastern Washington is a region of the United States defined as that part of Washington east of the Cascade Mountains. It is notable for, among other things:
- Central Washington University
- The Columbia River and the Grand Coulee Dam
- Eastern Washington University
- Gonzaga University
- Hanford Nuclear Reservation
- The Palouse: very fertile farmland; among its products are lentils and wheat
- Washington State University
- Whitman College
- Whitworth College
- The Yakima Valley: also very fertile farmland; amongs its products are apples, hops, wine grapes, pears, and cherries
There have been sporadic movements to create a 51st state out of Eastern Washington by splitting the current state down the Cascades, but proposals have rarely progressed out of the state legislature's committees. Recent proposals were made in 1996, 1999, and 2005. Proposed names for the new state have included Eastern Washington, Lincoln, and Columbia. Many of these proposals were to include the Idaho Panhandle. See: State of Lincoln for more information.
Compared to Western Washington, Eastern Washington has roughly twice the land area and one-third the population. According to the US Census Bureau the population estimate as of 2004 was 1,371,802, less populous than King County alone. The population growth rate between the two is roughly the same. Of Washington's 9 Congressional districts, Eastern Washington is nearly exactly comprised of two (the 4th and 5th), aside from a small portion of the 4th in Skamania County. In the 2004 election, this region voted 59% for Republican Dino Rossi, while the Western half voted 53% for Democrat Christine Gregoire. The cities in Eastern Washington tend to feel many years behind those in Western Washington, as the citizens of Eastern Washington tend to live a more low key lifestyle and fall behind on city planning trends and styles.
Adams, Asotin, Benton, Chelan, Columbia, Douglas, Ferry, Franklin, Garfield, Grant, Kittitas, Klickitat, Lincoln, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, Walla Walla, Whitman, and Yakima Counties are in Eastern Washington.
Cities of note
