Pentagon
A five-sided figure is called a pentagon. In
Arlington, Virginia, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C., stands a
five-sided building called the Pentagon. It serves as headquarters for the
United States Department of Defense.
Many people refer to the Department of Defense
by the name of its famous office building—the Pentagon.
HOW BIG IS THE PENTAGON?
The Pentagon is one of the world's largest
office buildings. It covers 29 acres (11.74 hectares). In fact, the outside
wall of the Pentagon stretches about 1 mile (1.6 kilometers)! The U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers built the massive structure from 1941 to 1943.
The Pentagon actually consists of five pentagon-shaped
buildings that fit inside each other like different sized cookie cutters.
Corridors connect the buildings. The largest building is on the outside. In the
center of the Pentagon is a five-sided courtyard.
WHO WORKS AT THE PENTAGON?
About 23,000 people work in the Pentagon. About
half the workers are civilians (ordinary citizens). The other half are
members of the armed forces. In addition to the Department of Defense, the
Pentagon is home to offices for the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force.
The Pentagon is like a small city. It has
restaurants, a shopping center, libraries, a post office, bus and taxi
terminals, and a helicopter port. The Pentagon has one of the world’s largest
private telephone systems. Pentagon workers make about 200,000 phone calls
every day!
Tags
United States
