Washington DC is the capital of the US. It is a federal district, not part of any state, and was designed by French Architect Pierre L'Enfant. It has many broad streets at angles, and many beautiful parks and monuments. The Potomac River flows through it. The President, currently Barack Obama, lives there in the White House, and Congress meets in the Capitol building. Washington has many fine museums, such as the Smithsonian. It also has a small subway system. The Washington Metropolitan Area (excluding Baltimore) has a population of 5.5 million, with a GDP of about $300 bn/year and it has a booming dynamic economy because of the many government contractors based there and many high-tech firms.
Beijing is the capital of China, and it is a direct-controlled municipality, not part of any province. The Forbidden City, in the middle of Beijing, was the home of emperors for more than 500 years until the end of the Qing dynasty, and was the seat of government, but today it is vast museum and heritage site. The President of China, Hu Jintao, lives near the Forbidden City, in an area known as Zhongnanhai. The National People's Congress meets in the Great Hall of the People. Beijing has a population of nearly 20 million, with a GDP of about $200 bn/year, although this is expected to surge to more than $1 tn/year by 2025.
Profile: The Evolving Urban Form - Beijing
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