Europeans like to associate Washington State geographically with the US capital of the same name – a mistake that can be easily clarified with a glance at the map. The capital is in the eastern  United States, while Washington State is in the far northwest on the border with Canada. As is so often the case, Americans are pragmatic and simply distinguish between the two, both named after first president George Washington, by referring to either Washington State or simply DC. . DC, by the way, is short for  "District of Columbia," not to be confused with the Columbia River of the same name in Washington State. One thing that clearly distinguishes the two, however, is the rich viticulture in Washington State which cannot be found directly in the District of Columbia.