| Eastern Washington | |
| Region | |
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| State | Washington |
| Part of | Pacific Northwest |
| Borders on | British Columbia, Eastern Oregon, Idaho Panhandle, Cascade Range/Western Washington |
| Parts | Central Washington |
| Rivers | Columbia River, Snake River |
| Coordinates | |
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Eastern Washington is the portion of the U.S. state of Washington east of the Cascade Range. The region contains the city of Spokane (the second largest city in the state), the Tri-Cities, the Columbia River and the Grand Coulee Dam, the Hanford Nuclear Reservation and the fertile farmlands of the Yakima Valley and the Palouse.
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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 Lincoln, and Columbia, or simply Eastern Washington. Many of these proposals were to include the Idaho Panhandle. See: State of Lincoln for more information.
Other terms used for Eastern Washington or large parts of it include:
The following cities and towns in Eastern Washington have over 10,000 inhabitants.[4]
Eastern Washington is composed of Adams, Asotin, Benton, Chelan, Columbia, Douglas, Ferry, Franklin, Garfield, Grant, Kittitas, Klickitat, Lincoln, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, Walla Walla, Whitman, and Yakima Counties.
Compared to Western Washington, Eastern Washington has roughly twice the land area and one-third the population. According to the U.S. Census Bureau the population estimate as of 2004 was 1,371,802. The population growth rate between the two is roughly the same. Of Washington's nine Congressional districts, Eastern Washington exactly encompasses two (the 4th and 5th), aside from a small portion of the 4th in Skamania County.
Eastern Washington hosts a number of world-renowned universities including three of the state's five public universities.