Introduction The United States has 50 states Each state has a city that is its capital The United States has its own capital Washington D C Each state government meets in that state’s capital city Most governors the person who is in charge of the state government live and work in the capital The state legislature meets in the state’s capital The most important state courts usually meet in the state capital too This is what makes that city the capital Some capitals are small cities Others are huge cities Some capitals have a metropolitan area around them Metropolitan areas are the towns and cities near the main city Sometimes millions of people and businesses are in these areas Many people work in the capital cities They might work for the state government or the city government Some work for the United States government which often has offi ces in a state capital Many others work for private businesses They work in offi ces factories or stores Every capital has a special building It is called a capitol or sometimes a state house Most are very beautiful buildings and very special to the people of that state This is usually where at least some parts of the state government have their offi ces Remember the city in which the government meets is called the capital It is spelled with an al at the end The same word but spelled with an ol at the end capitol is the building in which the government meets
Alabama Capital Montgomery Montgomery is the capital of Alabama Transportation has always been important here American Indians used nearby paths rivers and streams Later railroads connected the city to bigger cities like New Orleans and New York Montgomery was the fi rst city in the Americas to have an electric streetcar system The Wright Brothers had a fl ying school there but it closed after only one student graduated In 1955 African Americans stopped riding the buses in Montgomery They were protesting the unequal treatment of African Americans For a whole year most walked or were driven in cars They only rode them again after the Supreme Court of the United States said that everyone on the buses had to be treated the same City founded 1819 Became Capital Population 1846 200,602 people 2015 estimate City area 159 square miles 414 square kilometers 4
Alaska Capital Juneau Juneau is the capital of Alaska The city was named for a miner who discovered gold there Forest and steep mountains surround the city right up to the water It is an important port because it does not get covered in ice in winter It does not have to close like other ports in Alaska Juneau is on a narrow strip of Alaska’s mainland There are islands between it and the Pacifi c Ocean In 1970 Juneau and Douglas Island joined together Now Juneau covers the largest area of any city in the United States Also it is the only capital to border a foreign country Canada City founded 1880 Became Capital Population Territorial Capital 1906 State Capital 1959 32,756 people 2015 estimate City area 2,702 square miles 6,998 square kilometers 5
