The District of Washington (informally Washington and commonly Washington D.C.) is an autonomous city located between the New England provinces of Maryland and Virginia. It is entirely made up of the former federal district of Washington D.C., of the United States. The city endured heavy fighting and sustained heavy damage during the course of the Second American Civil War, but it has since been repaired considerably. It is distinct from other New England cities in that it has a high degree of autonomy. It was established by the Washington Act of 2007, shortly after the Civil War had ended.