Capital Wasteland



The Capital Wasteland is the general name given to the ruins of Washington, D.C. and the region immediately surrounding it. It stretches from Raven Rock in the northwest to Rivet City in the southeast, with the Potomac River dividing the Wasteland roughly in two.

Before the Great War, this area was part of the Columbia Commonwealth and contained the District of Columbia as well as the major cities of Arlington, Annandale, Bethesda, Springvale, Germantown, and Olney. During the events of 2077, the city of Washington, D.C. was hit by a bombardment of nuclear bombs that completely destroyed the White House, ruined the city, and irradiated the surrounding area. Being the Capital, it was hit with many more bombs than most of the west, and by comparison to the west coast, the DC area is mostly rubble and ruins, with only few buildings remaining - mostly landmarks, the primary method of getting around DC is the Metro system, thanks to the roads and streets literally being blocked completely by towering walls of rubble. However the Virginia area of the wasteland is more open, with fewer buildings there in the first place - there isn't much rubble and is much easier to travel across.

Some missiles in this bombardment also targeted nearby Fort Bannister. Not only did the fort suffer a direct hit, the bombs also decimated the surrounding countryside, an area that as of 2277 is a lifeless and barren desert on the western edge of the Capital Wasteland that contains large pockets of radiation.

The nuclear holocaust turned Bethesda into a raider-infested ruin, Olney became Old Olney, an area overrun by deathclaws, and Annandale has become Andale, a town of inbred cannibals. Arlington is nothing more than Mama Dolce's and the national cemetery, Springvale is a bombed-out, deserted town, and Germantown is now a home for super mutants.

Many historic landmarks of the former United States of America such as the Capitol Building, the Museum of Technology, the Museum of American History, and the National Mall are now super mutant infested ruins or, like the White House, just radioactive craters. However, new towns such as Megaton, Rivet City, Tenpenny Tower, Underworld, and Little Lamplight, as well as smaller settlements: the Republic of Dave, Oasis, Big Town, Arefu, Andale, the Temple of the Union, Canterbury Commons, and Girdershade, have since risen out of the ashes of war.

The most influential factions of the region include the East Coast Brotherhood of Steel, with their base camp located in the Citadel, built into and beneath the ruins of the Pentagon, the Enclave, who secluded themselves in Raven Rock, super mutants, emerging from Vault 87, slavers, operating from Paradise Falls, Brotherhood Outcasts of Fort Independence, the Talon Company mercenaries, controlling the Fort Bannister remains, and raiders, who have numerous small camps in the area, the largest being Evergreen Mills.

Vegetation
There are 3 types of flowers: Trees: Some types of trees are distinctive, with the following characteristics:
 * Children of Bob: The children of Bob are plants grown from spores produced by Bob. They can be found in Oasis.
 * Moss: In Oasis, much of the ground is covered in moss.
 * Flowers: The majority of the flowers found in the Capital Wasteland are in human dwellings and are mostly just for decoration. However, in the Arlington Cemetery, there are three healthy flowers poking out of the soil. There is also a flowering plant in front of a grave stone in a cemetery to the north of Mama Dolce's. It is purple and white and appears perfectly healthy.
 * Pansies: A cluster of 3-4 purple/white pansies with a few leaves.
 * Daffodils: Long, slender leaves with 2-3 trumpet shaped yellow flowers.
 * Hollyhock: A spire of pink flowers with a few leaves at the base.
 * Leafless: A trunk with a mass of leafless branches.
 * Pine tree: A spire of leafless branches.
 * Willow tree: Drooping, low-hanging branches.
 * Mangrove tree: Lots of roots with thin trunks and a few branches.
 * Grass: Most wasteland grass is a sickly brown color.
 * Bushes: The bushes provide little cover from fighting, but they do provide concealment, making them a nuisance in VATS as they can cause hit percentages to drop to 0%.
 * Mutfruit: There are two types of mutfruit: crunchy and regular. Mutfruit looks like a blue bloated version of a raspberry, and crunchy mutfruit looks like a brown peach with some glowing red-pink patches. The only source of mutfruits is through traders and some stores, and have never been found growing in the wild.
 * Fresh fruits and vegetables: The fresh fruit and vegetables of the wasteland can be found in the Arlington Public Library beside a trash can in a bathroom and in the Science Lab at Rivet City. Dialogue with various characters throughout Rivet City reveals that they have a hydroponics lab. In which case, the scientists have been engineering pre-war plants to grow with their roots systems in purified water rather than the irradiated soil of the Wasteland.
 * Simulated plants: Two types of pine trees can be found: a green and healthy kind in Tranquility Lane and a brown sickly kind in Operation: Anchorage. Both are a tower of branches and pine needles.
 * Glowing fungus: The green, glowing mushrooms that are found in the Capital Wasteland. Found in most caves, metros, sewers, and other damp, dark places. Often found at sites of radiation. The Deathclaw Sanctuary and Little Lamplight have multiple formations of this fungus.
 * Brain-like fungus: A fungus that resembles a mass of brains. Found in many caves, as well as damp places, and near outcroppings of rocks in the Wasteland. The fungus shares characteristics with live tissue because, when attacked by a weapon, blood flies.
 * Cave Fungus: Cave fungus is found only in the caves of Little Lamplight. It is used extensively by the children of Little Lamplight. The fungus is believed to have grown out of the bodies of deceased adults within the caves. The fungus thrives on strange meat. The fungus soaks up radiation and replenishes lost health. It also acts as a food source for the children, but it supposedly does not taste very good. Cave fungus is eaten on a spit.

Appearances
The Capital Wasteland appears only in Fallout 3.

Other Maps
Planet Fallout interactive map - This is an interactive map showing everything, including, locations, items, and easter eggs.

The Vault Fallout 3 Location map - This is a map which only provides locations, though it does provide the location of the alien crash site. It also provides the correct coordinates and more detailed locations. Use this if the first one is too big.

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