State of North Carolina
Flag Seal Nickname(s): Tar Heel State; Old North State Motto(s): Esse quam videri (Latin: To be, rather than to seem)
Official language(s)	English
Demonym	North Carolinian
Capital	Raleigh
Largest city	Charlotte
Largest metro area	Charlotte metro area
Area	Ranked 28th in the US
- Total	53,865 sq mi (139,509 km²)
- Width	150 miles (340 km)
- Length	560[1] miles (900 km)
- % water	9. The Flag of North Carolina is defined by law as follows That the flag of North Carolina shall consist of a blue union containing in the center thereof a white The Great Seal of North Carolina was standardized in design by the North Carolina General Assembly in 1871 This is a list of US state nicknames, including officially adopted Nicknames and other traditional nicknames for individual states of the United States. Tar Heel (or Tarheel) is a Nickname applied to the state and inhabitants of North Carolina. Here is a list of state Mottos for the states of the United States of America. Esse quam videri is a Latin phrase meaning " To be rather than to seem " The United States does not have an Official language; however the majority of the population speaks English as a native language (about 82% English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a People or the inhabitants of a place Washington DC has been the capital of the United States since 1800 Raleigh (pronounced rah-lee) is the Capital of the State of North Carolina and the county seat of Wake County, USA This is a list of the largest cities of US states by population Table of United States Metropolitan Statistical Areas|Table of United States Core Based Statistical AreasIn the United States, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB has produced The Charlotte metropolitan area (also Metrolina, Metro Charlotte, or Charlotte USA) is a Metropolitan area / Region of North Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. This is a complete list of the states of the United States and its major territories ordered by total area, land area, and water area The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand 5
- Latitude	33° 50′ N to 36° 35′ N
- Longitude	75° 28′ W to 84° 19′ W
Population	Ranked 10th in the US
- Total	8,049,313
- Density	165. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology This is a list of states of the United States by population (with inhabited non-state jurisdictions included for comparison as of July 1, 2007, according to the This article is a list of the 50 US States ordered by Population density. 24/sq mi  63. 80/km² (17th in the US)
Elevation
- Highest point	Mt. Mitchell[2] 6,684 ft  (2,038 m)
- Mean	705 ft  (215 m)
- Lowest point	Atlantic Ocean[2] 0 ft  (0 m)
Admission to Union	November 21, 1789 (12th)
Governor	Mike Easley (D)
Lieutenant Governor	Beverly Perdue (D)
U.S. Senators	Elizabeth Dole (R) Richard Burr (R)
Congressional Delegation	List
Time zone	Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Abbreviations	NC US-NC
Website	www.nc.gov

North Carolina (IPA: /ˌnɔrθˌkɛrəˈlaɪnə/) is a state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States. Wikipedia_talkFeatured_lists#Proposed_change_to_all_featured_lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below --> Wikipedia_talkFeatured_lists#Proposed_change_to_all_featured_lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->This is a list of U Events 164 BC - Judas Maccabaeus, son of Mattathias of the Hasmonean family restores the Temple in Jerusalem. Year 1789 ( MDCCLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common A governor is a governing official usually the executive (at least nominally to different degrees also politically and administratively of a non-sovereign level of government Michael Francis (Mike Easley (born March 23, 1950) is the governor of the U This is a complete and current List of United States Lieutenant Governors. Beverly Eaves "Bev" Perdue (Born January 14, 1947 in Grundy Virginia) is the current lieutenant governor of the U The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives Mary Elizabeth Hanford "Liddy" Dole (born July 29 1936 is an American politician who served in both the Ronald Reagan and George H Richard Mauze Burr (born November 30, 1955) is a United States Senator from Winston-Salem North Carolina. The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses These are tables of congressional delegations from North Carolina to the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives. This is a list of United States of America States by time zone The Eastern Time Zone ( ET) of the Western Hemisphere falls mostly along the east coast of North America and the west coast of South America Daylight saving time ( DST The traditional abbreviations for US states and territories were widely used in mailing addresses prior to the introduction of two-letter U ISO 3166-2US is an ISO standard which defines Geocodes it is the subset of ISO 3166-2 which applies to the United States of America. A website (alternatively web site or Web site, a back-construction from the Proper noun World Wide Web) is a collection of Web pages A US state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of the United States of America that share Sovereignty with the federal government The East Coast of the United States, also known as the "Eastern Seaboard" or "Atlantic Seaboard" refers to the easternmost coastal states in the central and northern The US Southeast is the eastern portion of the Southern United States, but the Census Bureau does not provide a standard definition of a "Southeast" region The United States of America —commonly referred to as the North Carolina contains 100 counties and its capital city is Raleigh. Raleigh (pronounced rah-lee) is the Capital of the State of North Carolina and the county seat of Wake County, USA

North Carolina was one of the original Thirteen Colonies, originally known as Carolina, and the home of the first English colony in the Americas. The Thirteen Colonies were part of what became known as British America, a name that was used by Great Britain until the Treaty of Paris (1783 recognized the The Province of Carolina from 1663 to 1712, was a North American British proprietary Colony, controlled by eight English noblemen Roanoke Island is an island in Dare County near the coast of North Carolina, United States. The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World, consisting of the Continents of North America and South America ^[3] On 20 May 1861, it became the last of the Confederate states to secede from the Union, and was readmitted on 4 July 1868. Events 325 - The First Council of Nicaea &ndash the first Ecumenical Council of the Christian Church is held Year 1861 ( MDCCCLXI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Confederate States of America (also called the Confederacy, the Confederate States, and CSA) formed as the government set up from 1861 During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty-three Events 836 - Pactum Sicardi, peace between the Principality of Benevento and the Duchy of Naples Year 1868 ( MDCCCLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap It was also the location of the first successful controlled, powered and sustained heavier-than-air flight, by the Wright brothers, at Kill Devil Hills near Kitty Hawk in 1903. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Kill Devil Hills is a town in Dare County, North Carolina, USA Kitty Hawk is a town in Dare County, North Carolina, United States. Today, it is a fast-growing state with an increasingly diverse economy and population. As of 1 July 2007, the population estimate is 9,061,032 (a 12% increase since 1 April 2000). "July 1st" redirects here For the Ayumi Hamasaki song see H (song. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ^[4]

North Carolina has a wide range of elevations, from sea level on the coast to almost 6,700 feet (2,042 m) in the mountains. The climate in the coastal and Piedmont regions of eastern and central North Carolina is similar to other southern states such as Georgia and South Carolina, while the climate in the western mountains is closer to that found in New England or the upper Midwest. Piedmont is a plateau region located in the eastern United States between the Atlantic Coastal Plain and the main Appalachian Mountains, stretching The State of Georgia ( is a state in the United States and was one of the original Thirteen Colonies that revolted against British rule South Carolina ( is a state in the southern region ( Deep South) of the United States of America. History See also History of New England New England's earliest inhabitants were Algonquian -speaking Native Americans including the The Upper Midwest is a region of the United States with no universally agreed-upon boundary but it almost always lies within the US Census Bureau 's definition While the coastal plains, especially the tidewater areas, are strongly influenced by the Atlantic Ocean, the western, mountainous part of the state is more than 300 miles (500 km) from the coast, resulting in considerably less maritime influence. As such, the climate of the state ranges from a warm, humid subtropical climate near the coast to a humid continental climate in the mountains. Humid subtropical climate ( Köppen Cfa or Cwa) is a climate zone characterized by hot humid summers and chilly to mild winters The humid continental climate is a Climate found over large areas of land masses in the temperate regions of the mid-latitudes where there is a zone of conflict between Most of the state falls in the humid subtropical zone.

Geography

See also: Geography of the United States, East Coast of the United States, Geography of North Carolina, and List of counties in North Carolina

Stream within a Linville community

The Blue Ridge Mountains in the foreground with Grandfather Mountain in the extreme background as seen from Blowing Rock, NC. Area By The East Coast of the United States, also known as the "Eastern Seaboard" or "Atlantic Seaboard" refers to the easternmost coastal states in the central and northern The Geography of North Carolina's second name is bill a state of the United States, falls naturally into three divisions or sections -- the Appalachian Mountains formed The US State of North Carolina is divided into 100 counties. North Carolina ranks 28th in size by area but has Linville is a small community located off US 221 in Avery County, North Carolina. The Blue Ridge, or Blue Ridge Mountains, is a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian division Grandfather Mountain is a mountain near Linville North Carolina. Blowing Rock is a town in North Carolina, situated in both Caldwell and Watauga counties

The Western North Carolina mountains as seen from Sunset Rock in Highlands, North Carolina. A mountain is a Landform that extends above the surrounding Terrain in a limited area with a peak Highlands is an incorporated Town in Jackson and Macon counties in the U

Bodie Island Lighthouse, one of the Outer Banks attractions. The current Bodie Island Lighthouse is the third that has stood in this vicinity of Bodie Island on the Outer Banks in North Carolina and was built in 1872 The Outer Banks is a 200-mile (320-km long string of narrow Barrier islands off the coast of North Carolina, on the east coast of the United States.

North Carolina is bordered by South Carolina on the south, Georgia on the southwest, Tennessee on the west, Virginia on the north, and the Atlantic Ocean on the east. South Carolina ( is a state in the southern region ( Deep South) of the United States of America. The State of Georgia ( is a state in the United States and was one of the original Thirteen Colonies that revolted against British rule Tennessee ( is a state located in the Southern United States. The Commonwealth of Virginia ( is an American state The United States Census Bureau classifies North Carolina as a southern state in the subcategory of being one of the South Atlantic States. The United States Census Bureau (officially Bureau of the Census as defined in Title) is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census The Southern United States &mdashcommonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South &mdashconstitutes a large distinctive The South Atlantic United States form one of the nine Census Bureau Divisions within the United States that are recognized by the United States Census Bureau

North Carolina topographic map

North Carolina consists of three main geographic sections: the coastal plain, which occupies the eastern 45% of the state; the Piedmont region, which contains the middle 35%; and the Appalachian Mountains and foothills. The Atlantic Coastal Plain is the flat stretch of land that borders the Atlantic Ocean (including the Gulf of Mexico) Piedmont is a plateau region located in the eastern United States between the Atlantic Coastal Plain and the main Appalachian Mountains, stretching The Appalachian Mountains ( often called the Appalachians, are a vast system of mountains in eastern North America. The extreme eastern section of the state contains The Outer Banks, a string of sandy, narrow islands which form a barrier between the Atlantic Ocean and inland waterways. The Outer Banks is a 200-mile (320-km long string of narrow Barrier islands off the coast of North Carolina, on the east coast of the United States. The Outer Banks form two sounds—Albemarle Sound in the north and Pamlico Sound in the south. Albemarle Sound is a large Estuary on the coast of North Carolina in the United States located at the confluence of a group of rivers including the Pamlico Sound (PAM-lik-o in North Carolina, is the largest Lagoon along the U They are the two largest landlocked sounds in the United States. Immediately inland, the coastal plain is relatively flat, with rich soils ideal for growing tobacco, soybeans, melons, and cotton. Tobacco is an Agricultural product recognized as an addictive drug processed from the fresh Leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. Melon is a term used for various members of the Cucurbitaceae family with fleshy fruit Cotton is a soft staple Fibre that grows around the seeds of the cotton plant ( Gossypium sp The coastal plain is North Carolina's most rural section, with few large towns or cities. Rural areas can be large and isolated (also referred to as "the country" and/or "the countryside over the course of time Agriculture remains an important industry. Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture The major rivers of this section, the Neuse River, Tar River, Pamlico River, and the Cape Fear River, tend to be slow-moving and wide. The Neuse River is a major permanent stream rising in the piedmont of North Carolina, emptying into the Pamlico Sound below New Bern. The Tar River is a River that is approximately 346 kilometers (215 miles long of northeast North Carolina flowing generally southeast to an Estuary of The Pamlico River is a Tidal river located in the city of Washington, North Carolina, in the United States of America. The Cape Fear River is a long Blackwater river in east central North Carolina in the United States.

The coastal plain transitions to the Piedmont region along the "fall line", a line which marks the elevation at which waterfalls first appear on streams and rivers. In Geomorphology, a fall line (at times referred to as a fall zone) marks the area where an upland region (continental Bedrock) and a Coastal plain The Piedmont region of central North Carolina is the state's most urbanized and densely populated section - all five of the state's largest cities are located in the Piedmont. It consists of gently rolling countryside frequently broken by hills or low mountain ridges. A number of small, isolated, and deeply eroded mountain ranges and peaks are located in the Piedmont, including the Sauratown Mountains, Pilot Mountain, the Uwharrie Mountains, Crowder's Mountain, King's Pinnacle, the Brushy Mountains, and the South Mountains. The Sauratown Mountains are an isolated Mountain range located within Stokes and Surry counties in the U Pilot Mountain, a Quartzite Monadnock rising to a peak above Sea level, is one of the most distinctive natural features in the state of The Uwharrie Mountains are a Mountain range located in North Carolina, USA Crowder's Mountain is one of two main peaks within Crowder's Mountain State Park, the other peak being King's Pinnacle. King's Pinnacle is one of the two main peaks located within Crowder's Mountain State Park. The Brushy Mountains are a mountain range located in northwestern North Carolina. The South Mountains are an ancient and deeply eroded mountain range in western North Carolina. The Piedmont ranges from about 300–400 feet (90–120 m) elevation in the east to over 1,000 feet (300 m) in the west. A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International Due to the rapid population growth of the Piedmont, many of the farms and much of the rural countryside in this region is being replaced by suburbanization - shopping centers, housing developments, and large corporate office parks. Suburbanization (or suburbanisation) is a term used to describe the process of population movement from within towns and cities to the rural-urban fringe Agriculture is steadily declining in importance in this region. The major rivers of the Piedmont, such as the Yadkin and Catawba, tend to be fast-flowing, shallow, and narrow. The Yadkin River is one of the longest rivers in North Carolina. The Catawba River is a Tributary of the Wateree River in the U

The western section of the state is part of the Appalachian Mountain range. The Appalachian Mountains ( often called the Appalachians, are a vast system of mountains in eastern North America. Among the subranges of the Appalachians located in the state are the Great Smoky Mountains, Blue Ridge Mountains, Great Balsam Mountains, Pisgah Mountains, and the Black Mountains. The Great Smoky Mountains are a major Mountain range in the southern part of the Appalachian Mountains, the second ridge line forming a north-south running mountain The Blue Ridge, or Blue Ridge Mountains, is a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian division The Great Balsam Mountains, or Balsam Mountains, are in the mountain region of western North Carolina, United States. Mount Pisgah is a Mountain in the Appalachian Mountain Range and part of the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, United States The Black Mountains are a mountain range in western North Carolina, in the southeastern United States The Black Mountains are the highest in the Eastern United States, and culminate in Mount Mitchell at 6,684 feet (2,037 m). ^[2] It is the highest point east of the Mississippi River. The Mississippi River is the second longest River in the United States, with a length of from its source in Lake Itasca in Minnesota to Although agriculture remains important, tourism has become the dominant industry in the mountains. Tourism is Travel for Recreational or Leisure purposes The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel One agricultural pursuit which has prospered and grown in recent decades is the growing and selling of Christmas Trees. A Christmas tree, Yule tree, holiday tree or Tannenbaum (fir tree is one of the most popular Traditions associated with the celebration Due to the higher altitude in the mountains, the climate often differs starkly from the rest of the state. Winters in western North Carolina typically feature significant snowfall and subfreezing temperatures more akin to a midwestern state than a southern one.

North Carolina has 17 major river basins. Five of the state's river basins - the Hiwassee, Little Tennessee, French Broad, Watauga and New - are part of the Mississippi River Basin, which drains to the Gulf of Mexico. The Mississippi River is the second longest River in the United States, with a length of from its source in Lake Itasca in Minnesota to The Gulf of Mexico ( Spanish: Golfo de México) is the ninth largest Body of water in the world All the others flow to the Atlantic Ocean. Of the 17 basins, 11 originate within the state of North Carolina, but only four are contained entirely within the state's borders - the Cape Fear, Neuse, White Oak and Tar-Pamlico. ^[5]

Climate

Main article: Climate of North Carolina

The geographical divisions of North Carolina are useful when discussing the climate of the state. North Carolina 's climate varies from the Atlantic coast in the east to the Appalachian Mountain range in the west Climate encompasses the temperatures humidity rainfall atmospheric particle count and numerous other meteorogical factors in a given region over long periods of

The coastal plain is influenced by the Atlantic Ocean which keeps temperatures mild in winter and moderate in the summer. Daytime high temperatures on the coast average less than 89 °F (31. 6 °C) during the summer. In the winter, the coast has the mildest temperatures in the state, with daytime temperatures rarely dropping below 40 °F (4. 4 °C); the average daytime winter temperature in the coastal plain is usually in the mid-60's. Temperatures in the coastal plain rarely drop below freezing even at night. The coastal plain usually receives only one inch (2. 5 cm) of snow and/or ice annually, and in some years there may be no snow or ice at all. "Snowfall" redirects here For other uses see Snow (disambiguation or Snowfall (disambiguation.

The Atlantic Ocean has less influence on the Piedmont region, and as a result the Piedmont has hotter summers and colder winters than the coast. Daytime highs in the Piedmont usually average over 90 °F (32. 2 °C) in the summer. While it is not common for temperatures to reach over 100 °F (37. 8 °C) in North Carolina, when it happens, the highest temperatures are to be found in the lower areas of the Piedmont, especially around the city of Fayetteville. Fayetteville is a city located in Cumberland County, North Carolina. Additionally, the weaker influence of the Atlantic Ocean means that temperatures in the Piedmont often fluctuate more widely than the coast.

In the winter, the Piedmont is much less mild than the coast, with daytime temperatures that are usually in the mid 50's, and temperatures often drop below freezing at night. The region averages from 3-5 inches of snowfall annually in the Charlotte area to 6-8 inches in the Raleigh-Durham area. The Piedmont is especially notorious for sleet and freezing rain. Freezing rain is a type of precipitation that begins as Snow at higher altitude falling from a Cloud towards earth melts completely on its way down while passing It can be heavy enough in some storms to snarl traffic and collapse trees and power lines. Annual precipitation and humidity is lower in the Piedmont than either the mountains or the coast, but even at its lowest, the precipitation is a generous 40 in (102 cm) per year.

The Appalachian Mountains are the coolest area of the state, with daytime temperatures averaging in the low 40's and upper 30's for highs in the winter and often falling into the teens (−9 °C) or lower in winter nights. The Appalachian Mountains ( often called the Appalachians, are a vast system of mountains in eastern North America. Relatively cool summers have temperatures rarely rising above 80 °F (26. 7 °C). Snowfall in the mountains is usually 14–20 in (36–51 cm) per year, but it is often greater in the higher elevations. For example, during the Blizzard of 1993 more than 50 inches (130 cm) of snow fell on Mount Mitchell. The Storm of the Century, also known as the ’93 Superstorm, No-Name Hurricane, the White Hurricane, or the ( Great) Blizzard

Severe weather is not a rare event in North Carolina. On average, the state receives a direct hit from a hurricane once a decade. Tropical storms arrive every 3 or 4 years. In some years several hurricanes or tropical storms can directly hit the state or brush across the coastal areas. Only Florida and Louisiana are hit by hurricanes more often. On average, North Carolina has 50 days of thunderstorm activity per year, with some storms becoming severe enough to produce hail and damaging winds. Although many people believe that hurricanes only menace coastal areas, the rare hurricane which moves inland quickly enough can cause severe damage. In 1989 Hurricane Hugo caused heavy damage in Charlotte and even as far inland as the Blue Ridge Mountains in the northwestern part of the state. Hurricane Hugo was a destructive Category 5 Hurricane that struck Guadeloupe, Montserrat, Puerto Rico, St The Blue Ridge, or Blue Ridge Mountains, is a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian division North Carolina averages less than 20 tornadoes per year. Many of these are produced by hurricanes or tropical storms along the coastal plain. Tornadoes from thunderstorms are a risk, especially in the eastern part of the state. The western piedmont is often protected by the mountains breaking storms up as they try to cross over them. The storms will often reform farther east. Also a weather feature known as cold air damming occurs in the western part of the state . This can also weaken storms but can also lead to major ice events in winter . "^[6]

History

Main article: History of North Carolina

Native Americans, The Lost Colony and Permanent Settlement

Sir Walter Raleigh and his son

Main articles: Native Americans in the United States and Roanoke Island

North Carolina was originally inhabited by many different native peoples, including the Cherokee, Tuscarora, Cheraw, Pamlico, Meherrin, Coree, Machapunga, Cape Fear Indians, Waxhaw, Saponi, Tutelo, Waccamaw, Coharie, and Catawba. This article discusses the History of a US state. For information on the state today see North Carolina. Sir Walter Raleigh or Ralegh (c 1552 – 29 October 1618 was a famed English writer Poet, Soldier, Courtier and Explorer Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States Roanoke Island is an island in Dare County near the coast of North Carolina, United States. The Cherokee (ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯ a-ni-yv-wi-ya, in the Cherokee language) are a people native to North America, who at the time of European contact The Tuscarora ("hemp gatherers" are an American Indian tribe with members in New York, Canada, and North Carolina. The Cheraw (tʃərɔː Chuh-raw) (variously spelled Charaw Charraw Sara Saraw Saura Suali Sualy Xualla or Xuala) were a tribe of Siouan The Pamlico (or Pomouik) were a Native American people of North Carolina, U The Meherrin Nation is one of eight state-recognized Nations of Native Americans in North Carolina. The Machapunga (meaning bad dust or much dirt were a very small Native American tribe of Algonquian descent now disappeared who once occupied a coastal area of The Cape Fear Indians is an Extinct (in early 19th century tribe on the Cape Fear River (now Carolina Beach State Park North Carolina) The Waxhaws is a geographical area on the border of North and South Carolina. Saponi, is the name of one of the eastern Siouan tribes related to the Tutelo, Occaneechi, Monacan, Manahoac and other eastern Siouan Tutelo is a name classification referring to Indians who historically resided from the eastern edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia down to the valleys of the Mayo and Dan Rivers Waccamaw Siouan Indians are one of eight state-recognized Native American tribal nations in North Carolina. The Coharie are a Native American Tribe who descend from the Neusiok Indians on the Little Coharie River in Sampson and Harnett County North Carolina In 1584, Elizabeth I, granted a charter to Sir Walter Raleigh, for whom the state capital is named, for land in present-day North Carolina (then Virginia). Sir Walter Raleigh or Ralegh (c 1552 – 29 October 1618 was a famed English writer Poet, Soldier, Courtier and Explorer The Commonwealth of Virginia ( is an American state ^[7] Raleigh established two colonies on the coast in the late 1580s, both ending in failure. It was the second American territory the British attempted to colonize. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The demise of one, the "Lost Colony" of Roanoke Island, remains one of the great mysteries of American history. Roanoke Island is an island in Dare County near the coast of North Carolina, United States. Virginia Dare, the first English child to be born in North America, was born on Roanoke Island on August 18, 1587. Virginia Dare (born August 18 1587, date of death unknown was the first child born in the Americas to English parents Eleanor (or The English people (from the adjective in Englisc) are a Nation and Ethnic group native to England who predominantly speak English Dare County is named for her. Dare County is a County located in the US state of North Carolina.

Main article: Province of Carolina

As early as 1650, colonists from the Virginia colony moved into the area of Albemarle Sound. The Province of Carolina from 1663 to 1712, was a North American British proprietary Colony, controlled by eight English noblemen Albemarle Sound is a large Estuary on the coast of North Carolina in the United States located at the confluence of a group of rivers including the By 1663, Charles II granted a charter to establish a new colony on the North American continent which generally established its borders. Charles II may refer to Charles the Bald (823 &ndash 877 king of the West Franks and Holy Roman Emperor Charles II of Naples (1248 He named it Carolina in honor of his father Charles I. The name Charles I may refer to Kings Charlemagne, Charles I Holy Roman Emperor (742-814 Charles I of England, ^[8] By 1665, a second charter was issued to attempt to resolve territorial questions. In 1710, due to disputes over governance, the Carolina colony began to split into North Carolina and South Carolina. South Carolina ( is a state in the southern region ( Deep South) of the United States of America. The latter became a crown colony in 1729.

Colonial Period and Revolutionary War

Main article: American Revolutionary War

The first permanent European settlers of North Carolina were British colonists who migrated south from Virginia, following a rapid growth of the colony and the subsequent shortage of available farmland. In this article the inhabitants of the thirteen colonies that supported the American Revolution are primarily referred to as "Americans" with occasional references to "Patriots" British people, or Britons, are the native inhabitants of Great Britain and their descendants or citizens of the United Kingdom, of the The Commonwealth of Virginia ( is an American state Nathaniel Batts was documented as one of the first of these Virginian migrants. Nathaniel Batts (1620-1679 was a fur trader He became the first recorded European to permanently settle in North Carolina in 1655 He settled south of the Chowan River and east of the Great Dismal Swamp in 1655. The Chowan River is a Blackwater river formed with the merging of Virginia's Blackwater and Nottoway rivers near the stateline between Virginia The Great Dismal Swamp is a marshy area on the Coastal Plain of southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina between Norfolk Virginia, and ^[9] By 1663, this northeastern area of the Province of Carolina, known as the Albemarle Settlements, was undergoing full-scale British settlement. The Province of Carolina from 1663 to 1712, was a North American British proprietary Colony, controlled by eight English noblemen The Albemarle Settlements were the first permanent English settlements in what is now North Carolina, made in the Albemarle Sound and Roanoke River regions ^[10] During the same period, the English monarch Charles II gave the province to the Lords Proprietors, a group of noblemen who had helped restore Charles to the throne in 1660. Charles II (Charles Stuart 29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685 was the King of England, Scotland, and Ireland. Lord Proprietor was the gubernatorial title for the noble "ruling" Proprietors of certain British proprietary colonies in North America such The new province of "Carolina" was named in honor and memory of King Charles I (Latin: Carolus). Charles I, (19 November 1600 &ndash 30 January 1649 was King of England, Scotland and Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution. In 1712, North Carolina became a separate colony. With the exception of the Earl Granville holdings, it became a royal colony seventeen years later. John Carteret 2nd Earl Granville 7th Seigneur of Sark, PC ( 22 April 1690 &ndash 22 January 1763) commonly known by his earlier ^[11]

Differences in the settlement patterns of eastern and western North Carolina, or the low country and uplands, affected the political, economic, and social life of the state from the eighteenth until the twentieth century. The Tidewater in eastern North Carolina was settled chiefly by immigrants from England and the Scottish Highlands. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The Scottish Highlands ( Scottish Gaelic: A' Ghàidhealtachd, Scots: Hielans) include the rugged and Mountainous The upcountry of western North Carolina was settled chiefly by Scots-Irish and German Protestants, the so-called "cohee". The German people (Deutsche are an Ethnic group, in the sense of sharing a common German culture, descent and speaking the German language as Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Tuckahoe was a term used during the 18th and 19th centuries to describe a cultural group i Arriving during the mid-to-late 18th century, the Scots-Irish from Ireland were the largest immigrant group before the Revolution. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world During the Revolutionary War, the English and Highland Scots of eastern North Carolina tended to remain loyal to the British Crown, because of longstanding business and personal connections with Great Britain. In this article the inhabitants of the thirteen colonies that supported the American Revolution are primarily referred to as "Americans" with occasional references to "Patriots" The Scots-Irish and German settlers of western North Carolina tended to favor American independence from Britain.

Most of the English colonists arrived as indentured servants, hiring themselves out as laborers for a fixed period to pay for their passage. An indentured servant is a form of Debt bondage worker The Laborer is under Contract of an Employer for some period of time usually three to In the early years the line between indentured servants and African slaves or laborers was fluid. As a social-economic system slavery is a legal institution under which a Person (called "a slave" is compelled to work for another Some Africans were allowed to earn their freedom before slavery became a lifelong status. Most of the free colored families formed in North Carolina before the Revolution were descended from relationships or marriages between free white women and enslaved or free African or African-American men. Many had migrated or were descendants of migrants from colonial Virginia. ^[12] As the flow of indentured laborers to the colony decreased with improving economic conditions in Great Britain, more slaves were imported and the state's restrictions on slavery hardened. The Kingdom of Great Britain, also known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain, was a State in northwest Europe, in existence from 1707 to 1800 The economy's growth and prosperity was based on slave labor, devoted first to the production of tobacco.

On April 12, 1776, the colony became the first to instruct its delegates to the Continental Congress to vote for independence from the British crown, through the Halifax Resolves passed by the North Carolina Provincial Congress. Events 467 - Anthemius is elevated to Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. Year 1776 ( MDCCLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a The Continental Congress was a convention of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies that became the governing body of the United States during the The Halifax Resolves is the name later given to a resolution adopted by the Fourth Provincial Congress of the Province of North Carolina on April 12 The North Carolina Provincial Congresses were extra-legal unicameral legislative bodies formed in 1774 through 1776 by the people of the Province of North Carolina The dates of both of these independence-related events are memorialized on the state flag and state seal. The Flag of North Carolina is defined by law as follows That the flag of North Carolina shall consist of a blue union containing in the center thereof a white The Great Seal of North Carolina was standardized in design by the North Carolina General Assembly in 1871 ^[13] Throughout the Revolutionary War, fierce guerilla warfare erupted between bands of pro-independence and pro-British colonists. Guerrilla warfare is the unconventional warfare and combat with which a small group of combatants use mobile tactics (ambushes raids etc In some cases the war was also an excuse to settle private grudges and rivalries. A major American victory in the war took place at King's Pinnacle along the North Carolina-South Carolina border. King's Pinnacle is one of the two main peaks located within Crowder's Mountain State Park. On October 7, 1780 a force of 1000 mountain men from western North Carolina (including what is today the State of Tennessee) overwhelmed a force of some 1000 British troops led by Major Patrick Ferguson. Tennessee ( is a state located in the Southern United States. Major Patrick Ferguson (1744&ndashOctober 7 1780 was a British Army officer rifle-designer and early advocate of Light infantry. Most of the British soldiers in this battle were Carolinians who had remained loyal to the British Crown (they were called "Tories"). The American victory at Kings Mountain gave the advantage to colonists who favored American independence, and it prevented the British Army from recruiting new soldiers from the Tories.

The road to Yorktown and America's independence from Great Britain led through North Carolina. Yorktown is a Census-designated place (CDP in York County, Virginia, United States. The Kingdom of Great Britain, also known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain, was a State in northwest Europe, in existence from 1707 to 1800 As the British Army moved north from victories in Charleston and Camden, South Carolina, the Southern Division of the Continental Army and local militia prepared to meet them. The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. Charleston is a city in Charleston county in the US state of South Carolina. Camden is a city in and the County seat of Kershaw County, South Carolina, United States. South Carolina ( is a state in the southern region ( Deep South) of the United States of America. The American Continental Army was an Army formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America Following General Daniel Morgan's victory over the British Cavalry Commander Banastre Tarleton at the Battle of Cowpens on January 17, 1781, southern commander Nathanael Greene led British Lord Charles Cornwallis across the heartland of North Carolina, and away from Cornwallis's base of supply in Charleston, South Carolina. Daniel Morgan (c 1735 &ndash July 6 1802) was an American pioneer soldier and United States Representative from Virginia. General Sir Banastre Tarleton 1st Baronet, GCB ( 21 August 1754 &ndash 16 January 1833) was a British The Colonial force The Colonial forces were commanded by Brigadier-General Daniel Morgan. Events 38 BC - Octavian marries Livia Drusilla. 1287 - King Alfonso III of Aragon invades Minorca Year 1781 ( MDCCLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Nathanael Greene ( August 7 1742 &ndash June 19, 1786) was a Major general of the Continental Army in the American Charles Cornwallis 1st Marquess Cornwallis ( 31 December 1738 &ndash 5 October 1805) was a British military commander and colonial This campaign is known as "The Race to the Dan" or "The Race for the River. "^[14]

Generals Greene and Cornwallis finally met at the Battle of Guilford Courthouse in present-day Greensboro on March 15, 1781. Prelude Following the Battle of Cowpens, Cornwallis was determined to destroy Greene's army Events 44 BC - Julius Caesar, Dictator of the Roman Republic, is stabbed to death by Marcus Junius Brutus, Year 1781 ( MDCCLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Although the British troops held the field at the end of the battle, their casualties at the hands of the numerically superior American Army were crippling. The Kingdom of Great Britain, also known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain, was a State in northwest Europe, in existence from 1707 to 1800 Following this "Pyhrric victory", Cornwallis chose to move to the Virginia coastline to get reinforcements, and to allow the Royal Navy to protect his battered army. A Pyrrhic victory (ˈpɪrɪk is a victory with devastating cost to the victor The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) This decision would result in Cornwallis's eventual defeat at Yorktown, Virginia later in 1781. Yorktown is a Census-designated place (CDP in York County, Virginia, United States. The Patriots' victory there guaranteed American independence.

Antebellum Period

On November 21, 1789, North Carolina became the twelfth state to ratify the Constitution. Events 164 BC - Judas Maccabaeus, son of Mattathias of the Hasmonean family restores the Temple in Jerusalem. Year 1789 ( MDCCLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme Law of the United States. In 1840, it completed the state capitol building in Raleigh, still standing today. The North Carolina State Capitol is the capitol building of the U Unlike many other Southern states, North Carolina never developed a dominant slaveholding aristocracy, and middle-class yeomen tended to control the state government. Aristocracy is a form of Government, where rule is established through an internal struggle over who has the most status and influence over society and internal relations Yeoman is noun used to indicate a variety of positions or Social classes In the 16th century a yeoman was also a Farmer of middling social status who owned Most of North Carolina's slaveowners and large plantations were located in the eastern Tidewater. Fundamentally a plantation is usually a large Farm or estate, especially in a tropical or semitropical country on which Cotton, Tobacco Western North Carolinians tended to be non-slaveowning subsistence farmers. In mid-century, the state's rural and commercial areas were connected by the construction of a 129–mile (208 km) wooden plank road, known as a "farmer's railroad," from Fayetteville in the east to Bethania (northwest of Winston-Salem). Fayetteville is a city located in Cumberland County, North Carolina. Bethania is the oldest municipality in Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States, and was most recently incorporated in 1995 upon the reactivation Winston-Salem is a city in the US state of North Carolina. As of the 2000 census the city population was 185776 in 2004 the city annexed an additional 17483 ^[15]

In addition to slaves, there were a number of free people of color in the state. In the history of Slavery in the Americas a free person of color was a person of full or partial African descent who was not enslaved Most were descended from free African Americans who had migrated along with neighbors from Virginia during the eighteenth century. The Commonwealth of Virginia ( is an American state After the Revolution, Quakers and Mennonites worked to persuade slaveholders to free their slaves. In this article the inhabitants of the thirteen colonies that supported the American Revolution are primarily referred to as "Americans" with occasional references to "Patriots" The Mennonites are a group of Christian Anabaptist denominations named after Menno Simons (1496&ndash1561 though his teachings were a relatively Enough were inspired by their efforts and the language of men's rights, and arranged for manumission of their slaves. The number of free people of color rose in the first couple of decades after the Revolution. ^[16]

On October 25, 1836 construction began on the Wilmington and Raleigh Railroad^[17] to connect the port city of Wilmington with the state capital of Raleigh. Chartered in 1834 the Wilmington and Raleigh Railroad began operations in 1840 between Wilmington North Carolina and Weldon NC. Wilmington is a city in and the County seat of New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. Raleigh (pronounced rah-lee) is the Capital of the State of North Carolina and the county seat of Wake County, USA In 1849 the North Carolina Railroad was created by act of the legislature to extend that railroad west to Greensboro, High Point, and Charlotte. High Point is a city located in the Piedmont Triad (The 30th largest metro area in the United States with a population of 1 During the Civil War the Wilmington-to-Raleigh stretch of the railroad would be vital to the Confederate war effort; supplies shipped into Wilmington would be moved by rail through Raleigh to the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia. This article is about the city of Richmond the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

During the antebellum period North Carolina was an overwhelmingly rural state, even by Southern standards. Rural areas can be large and isolated (also referred to as "the country" and/or "the countryside over the course of time In 1860 only one North Carolina town, the port city of Wilmington, had a population of more than 10,000. Wilmington is a city in and the County seat of New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. Raleigh, the state capital, had barely more than 5,000 residents. Raleigh (pronounced rah-lee) is the Capital of the State of North Carolina and the county seat of Wake County, USA

While slaveholding was less concentrated than in some Southern states, according to the 1860 census, more than 330,000 people, or 33% of the population of 992,622 were enslaved African Americans. They lived and worked chiefly on plantations in the eastern Tidewater. In addition, 30,463 free people of color lived in the state. They were also concentrated in the eastern coastal plain, especially at port cities such as Wilmington and New Bern where they had access to a variety of jobs. Free African Americans were allowed to vote until 1835, when the state rescinded their suffrage.

American Civil War

Main article: American Civil War

In 1860, North Carolina was a slave state, in which about one-third of the population of 992,622 were enslaved African Americans. Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South This was a smaller proportion than many Southern states. In addition, the state had a substantial number of free people of color, just over 30,000. ^[18] The state did not vote to join the Confederacy until President Abraham Lincoln called on it to invade its sister-state, South Carolina, becoming the last state to join the Confederacy. The Confederate States of America (also called the Confederacy, the Confederate States, and CSA) formed as the government set up from 1861 Abraham Lincoln (February 12 1809 &ndash April 15 1865 the sixteenth President of the United States, successfully led his country through its greatest internal South Carolina ( is a state in the southern region ( Deep South) of the United States of America. North Carolina was the site of few battles, but it provided at least 125,000 troops to the Confederacy— far more than any other state. Approximately 40,000 of those troops never returned home, dying of disease, battlefield wounds, and starvation. Elected in 1862, Governor Zebulon Baird Vance tried to maintain state autonomy against Confederate President Jefferson Davis in Richmond. Zebulon Baird Vance ( May 13, 1830 April 14, 1894) was a Confederate military officer in the American Civil War, twice Jefferson Finis Davis ( June 3, 1808 &ndash December 6, 1889) was an American politician who served as President of the This article is about the city of Richmond the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Even after secession, some North Carolinians refused to support the Confederacy. This was particularly true of non-slave-owning farmers in the state's mountains and western Piedmont region. Some of these farmers remained neutral during the war, while some covertly supported the Union cause during the conflict. Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty-three Even so, Confederate troops from all parts of North Carolina served in virtually all the major battles of the Army of Northern Virginia, the Confederacy's most famous army. The Army of Northern Virginia was the primary military force of the Confederate States of America in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. Five regiments from North Carolina served in the western theater in the Army of Tennessee. About two thousand North Carolinans from the western part of the state enlisted into the Union army, among the regiments they were assigned to were the 2nd and 3rd North Carolina Mounted Infantry regiments, and some in the 13th Tennessee Cavalry. Two other Union regiments made up of North Carolinians, the 1st and 2nd North Carolina U. S. , were organized in the coastal areas of the state. The largest battle fought in North Carolina was at Bentonville, which was a futile attempt by Confederate General Joseph Johnston to slow Union General William Tecumseh Sherman's advance through the Carolinas in the spring of 1865. The Battle of Bentonville was fought March 19 &ndash 21, 1865, in Bentonville North Carolina, near the current town of Four Oaks Joseph Eggleston Johnston (February 3 1807 &ndash March 21 1891 was a career U ^[19] In April 1865 after losing the Battle of Morrisville, Johnston surrendered to Sherman at Bennett Place, in what is today Durham, North Carolina. The Battle at Morrisville Station was fought April 13 &ndash 15, 1865 in Morrisville North Carolina during the Carolinas Campaign Bennett Place, the more well known name for the Farmhouse in Durham, North Carolina, owned by James and Nancy Bennett (alternatively Bennitt was Durham is a city in the US state of North Carolina. It is the County seat of Durham County This was the last major Confederate Army to surrender. North Carolina's port city of Wilmington was the last Confederate port to fall to the Union. Wilmington is a city in and the County seat of New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. It fell in the spring of 1865 after the nearby Second Battle of Fort Fisher. The Second Battle of Fort Fisher was a joint assault by Union army and naval forces against Fort Fisher, outside Wilmington North Carolina, near the

The first Confederate soldier to be killed in the Civil War was Private Henry Wyatt, a North Carolinian. He was killed in the Battle of Big Bethel in June 1861. Background Butler was in command at Fort Monroe near Hampton in support of the Union blockade of Chesapeake Bay. At the Battle of Gettysburg in July 1863, the 26th North Carolina Regiment participated in Pickett/Pettigrew's Charge and advanced the farthest into the Northern lines of any Confederate regiment. Background and movement to battle See also [[Gettysburg Campaign]] [[Gettysburg Battlefield]] [[Gettysburg Confederate order of battle]] [[Confederate order of battle]] See also Battle of Gettysburg See also [[Gettysburg Battlefield]] [[Gettysburg Confederate order of battle]] [[Confederate order of battle]] and [[Gettysburg Union order During the Battle of Chickamauga the 58th North Carolina Regiment advanced farther than any other regiment on Snodgrass Hill to push back the remaining Union forces from the battlefield. Initial movements in the Chickamauga Campaign In his successful Tullahoma Campaign in the summer of 1863 Rosecrans moved southeast from Murfreesboro Tennessee At Appomattox Court House in Virginia in April 1865, the 75th North Carolina Regiment, a cavalry unit, fired the last shots of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the Civil War. Appomattox Court House is a village located three miles (5 km east of Appomattox, Virginia, USA (25 miles east of Lynchburg Virginia, in the The Army of Northern Virginia was the primary military force of the Confederate States of America in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. For many years, North Carolinians proudly boasted that they had been "First at Bethel, Farthest at Gettysburg and Chickamauga, and Last at Appomattox. "

Demographics

See also: Demographics of the United States

North Carolina has 3 Metropolitan Combined Statistical Areas with a population over 1 million:

• The Metrolina: Charlotte-Gastonia-Salisbury, NC-SC - population 2,191,604
• The Triangle: Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC- population of 1,565,223
• The Piedmont Triad: Greensboro--Winston-Salem--High Point, NC - population of 1,513,576

North Carolina Population Density Map

Two thirds of North Carolina's population resides in the middle one third of its landmass. Table of United States Combined Statistical AreasThe United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB defines micropolitan and metropolitan statistical areas. The Charlotte metropolitan area (also Metrolina, Metro Charlotte, or Charlotte USA) is a Metropolitan area / Region of North The Piedmont Triad, Triad, or North Carolina Triad is a region of the U This implies that the middle one third of North Carolina is about four times more densely populated than the remaining two thirds.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2006, North Carolina has an estimated population of 8,856,505, which is an increase of 184,046, or 2. The United States Census Bureau (officially Bureau of the Census as defined in Title) is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census 1%, from the prior year and an increase of 810,014, or 10. 0%, since the year 2000. ^[20] This exceeds the rate of growth for the United States as a whole. The growth comprises a natural increase since the last census of 293,761 people (that is 749,959 births minus 456,198 deaths) and an increase due to net migration of 527,991 people into the state. Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 180,986 people. American immigration ( emigration to the United States of America) refers to the movement of non-residents to the United States. Migration within the country produced a net increase of 347,005 people. Between 2005 and 2006, North Carolina passed New Jersey to become the 10th most populous state. New Jersey ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. ^[21] The state's population reported as under 5 years old was 6. 7%, 24. 4% were under 18, and 12. 0% were 65 or older. Females made up approximately 51% of the population.

Racial Makeup and Population Trends

In 2007, the U. S. Census estimated that the racial makeup of North Carolina was as follows: 70% White American, 22. 3% African-American, 1. African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa 2% American Indian, and the remaining 6. 5% are Hispanic or Latino (of any race). Hispanic (hispano hispánico hispânico Hispānus adjective from ''Hispānia'', the Roman name for the Iberian Peninsula) is a term that historically North Carolina has historically been a rural state, with most of the population living on farms or in small towns. Rural areas can be large and isolated (also referred to as "the country" and/or "the countryside over the course of time However, over the last 30 years the state has undergone rapid urbanization, and today most of North Carolina's residents live in urban and suburban areas, as is the case in most of the United States. Urbanizationn (also spelled urbanisation) is the physical growth of Urban areas into rural or natural land as a result of population in-migration to an existing South San Jose (cropjpg||thumb|A suburban development in San Jose California. In particular, the cities of Charlotte and Raleigh have become major urban centers, with large, diverse, mainly affluent and rapidly growing populations. Raleigh (pronounced rah-lee) is the Capital of the State of North Carolina and the county seat of Wake County, USA Most of this growth in diversity has been fueled by immigrants from Latin America, India, and Southeast Asia. The term multiculturalism generally refers to a state of racial, cultural and ethnic diversity within the Demographics of a specified Immigration refers to the movement of people among countries While the movement of people has existed throughout human history at various levels modern immigration implies long-term India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country ^[22] In addition, large numbers of people from the Northeastern United States and Florida have moved to the state in recent years, further swelling the population. The Northeast is a region of the United States. As defined by the U Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the

The center of population of North Carolina is located in Randolph County, in the town of Seagrove. In Demographics, the center of population of a region is the geographical point nearest to all the inhabitants of that region on average Randolph County is a County located in the US state of North Carolina. Seagrove is a town in Randolph County, North Carolina, United States. ^[23]

Asheville	Charlotte	Durham	Gastonia
Greensboro	Hickory	High Point	Raleigh
Salisbury	Wilmington	Winston-Salem

African Americans

African Americans make up nearly a quarter of North Carolina's population. Scottish Americans or Scots Americans are Citizens of the United States whose ancestry originates in Scotland. Mecklenburg County is a County located in the US state of North Carolina. Wake County is a County located in the US state of North Carolina. Raleigh (pronounced rah-lee) is the Capital of the State of North Carolina and the county seat of Wake County, USA Guilford County is located in the US state of North Carolina. Forsyth County is a County located in the US state of North Carolina. Winston-Salem is a city in the US state of North Carolina. As of the 2000 census the city population was 185776 in 2004 the city annexed an additional 17483 Cumberland County is a County located in the US state of North Carolina. Fayetteville is a city located in Cumberland County, North Carolina. Durham County is a County located in the US state of North Carolina. Durham is a city in the US state of North Carolina. It is the County seat of Durham County Buncombe County is a County located in the US state of North Carolina. Asheville is a City in and the County seat of Buncombe County, North Carolina, United Gaston County is a county located just west of Charlotte ( Mecklenburg County) in the Southern Piedmont in the U Gastonia is a city in North Carolina, United States. It is the County seat of Gaston County. Union County is a County located in the US state of North Carolina. Monroe is a city in Union County, North Carolina, United States. New Hanover County is a County located in the US state of North Carolina. Wilmington is a city in and the County seat of New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa The number of middle-class blacks has increased since the 1970s. African Americans are concentrated in the state's eastern Coastal Plain and in parts of the Piedmont Plateau, where they had historically worked and where the most new job opportunities are. African-American communities number by the hundreds in rural counties in the south-central and northeast, and in predominantly black neighborhoods in the cities: Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham, Greensboro, Fayetteville, Wilmington and Winston-Salem.

Free African Americans migrated to frontier areas of North Carolina from Virginia. Detailed family histories of 80% of those counted as "all other free persons" in the 1790-1810 federal census show they were descendants of African Americans free in Virginia during the colonial period. As boundaries were then more permeable, most free African families descended from unions between white women, free or servant, and African men, free, servant or slave. Indians who adopted English customs became part of free African American communities and married into the families. Some of the lighter-skinned descendants formed their own distinct communities, often identifying themselves as Indian or Portuguese to escape effects of the color line. ^[25]

Until the mid-1860s, North Carolina had more small farms and fewer plantations than adjacent South Carolina and Virginia. These "yeoman" farmers were non-slave-holding (or owning few slaves), private land owners of tracts of approximately 500 acres (2 km²) or less. Yeoman is noun used to indicate a variety of positions or Social classes In the 16th century a yeoman was also a Farmer of middling social status who owned Relatively few blacks live in the state's mountains and rural areas of the western Piedmont. In some mountain counties, the black population has historically numbered in the few dozens at most.

Asian Americans

The state has one of the most rapidly growing Asian American, specifically Indian and Vietnamese, populations in the country; the populations nearly quintupled and tripled, respectively, between 1990 and 2002. Asian Americans are Americans of Asian ancestry. They include sub-ethnic groups such as Chinese Americans Filipino Americans Indian Indian Americans are Americans who are of Indian ancestry The U A Vietnamese American (người Mỹ gốc Việt is a resident of the United States who is of Vietnamese heritage Recent estimates suggest that the state's Asian-American population has increased significantly since 2000. The Hmong population in North Carolina has grown by 12,000 since the 1980s. The terms Hmong (m̥ɔ̃ŋ and Mong ( both refer to an Asian ethnic group in the mountainous regions of southern China. ^[26]

The earliest record of Asian immigration to North Carolina goes back to the mid-1800s when the first Chinese Americans were hired as agricultural workers. Chinese Americans ( Chinese: 华裔美国人 are Americans of Chinese descent The famous Chinese-Malay American Siamese twins - Eng and Chang Bunker - settled in Wilkesboro, North Carolina in 1839. Wilkesboro is a town in Wilkes County, North Carolina, United States. Japanese Americans, Filipino Americans, and Koreans arrived in the early and mid 20th century. are Americans of Japanese heritage Japanese Americans have historically been among the three largest Asian American communities but in recent decades have become the sixth largest group Filipino Americans are Americans of Philippine ancestry which trace back to the Philippines, an archipelagic nation in Southeast Asia. The Korean people are an East Asian Ethnic group. Most Koreans speak the Korean language.

European Americans

Settled first, the coastal region attracted primarily English immigrants of the early migrations, including indentured servants transported to the colonies and descendants of English who migrated from Virginia. In addition, there were waves of Protestant European immigration, including the British, Irish, French Huguenots,^[27] and Swiss-Germans who settled New Bern. British people, or Britons, are the native inhabitants of Great Britain and their descendants or citizens of the United Kingdom, of the The Irish people ( Irish: Muintir na hÉireann, na hÉireannaigh, na Gaeil) are a Western European Ethnic group who originate Legal residents and citizens To be French according to the first article of the Constitution is to be a citizen of France regardless of one's origin race or religion ( The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France (or French Calvinists) from the sixteenth to the eighteenth A concentration of Welsh (usually included with others from Britain and Ireland) settled east of present Fayetteville in the 18th century. The Welsh people ( Welsh: Cymro ("Welshman" Cymraes ("Welsh woman" Cymry ("Welshmen/women" Cymry The Kingdom of Great Britain, also known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain, was a State in northwest Europe, in existence from 1707 to 1800 The Kingdom of Ireland (Ríocht na hÉireann was the name given to the Irish state from 1541 by the Crown of Ireland Act 1542 of the Parliament of Ireland. Fayetteville is a city located in Cumberland County, North Carolina. For a long time the wealthier, educated planters of the coastal region dominated state government.

North Carolinians of Scots-Irish, Scottish and English ancestry are spread across the state. Scotch-Irish (the historically common term in North America) or Scots-Irish refers to inhabitants of the United States and by some of Canada Scottish Americans or Scots Americans are Citizens of the United States whose ancestry originates in Scotland. English Americans (occasionally known as Anglo -Americans although this may have a wider cultural meaning are Citizens of the United States whose ancestry Historically Scots-Irish and Northern English settled mostly in the Piedmont and backcountry. They were the last and most numerous of the immigrant groups from the Britain and Ireland before the Revolution, and settled throughout the Appalachian South, where they could continue their own culture. ^[28] The Scots-Irish were fiercely independent and mostly yeoman farmers.

In the Winston-Salem area, there is a substantial population of ethnic German ancestry (from the modern area of the Czech Republic), descended from the immigration of members of the Protestant Moravian Church during the mid-18th century. Winston-Salem is a city in the US state of North Carolina. As of the 2000 census the city population was 185776 in 2004 the city annexed an additional 17483 German Americans ( German: Deutschamerikaner) are citizens of the United States of Ethnic German ancestry The Czech Republic ( ˈt͡ʃɛskaː ˈrɛpuˌblɪka short form in Česko ˈt͡ʃɛskɔ also called Czechia, This page is about the Moravian Church globally For information about the church in a particular geographic area use the links at Organisation below

During the early 20th century, a small group of Orthodox immigrants from Ukraine settled in Pender County. Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe. Pender County is a County located in the US state of North Carolina. ^[29]

Hispanics/Latinos

Since 1990 the state has seen a boom in the number of Hispanics/Latinos. Hispanic and Latino Americans are Americans of Hispanic or Latino descent, which comprises ancestry or origins in Hispanic America Once chiefly employed as migrant labor, the increase in Hispanics since 1990 can be attributed in part to the ease of access to low-skilled jobs that are the first step on the economic ladder. As a result, growing numbers of Hispanic immigrants are settling in the state, mainly from Mexico, Central America, and the Dominican Republic. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. The Dominican Republic ( Spanish: República Dominicana;) is a nation located in the Caribbean region and shares the island of Hispaniola with Hispanic neighborhoods are found in the cities, and there are sizable populations of Cuban Americans and Puerto Ricans in North Carolina. A Cuban American ( Cubanoamericano) is a United States citizen who traces his or her "national origin" to Cuba. Puerto Ricans in the United States (also referred to as the "Puerto Rican Diaspora," " Nuyorican " "Stateside Puerto Ricans" "mainland In 2005, the Pew Hispanic Center estimated that 300,000 — roughly 65 percent of North Carolina’s Latino population — are illegal immigrants, based on the Census Bureau’s population estimates. The Pew Research Center is a Think tank based in Washington D Illegal immigration refers to Immigration across National Borders in a way that violates the Immigration laws of the destination Country ^[30] The population has grown from 77,726 in 1990 to 517,617 in 2005, an average increase of 13. 5% per year. ^[30]

Native Americans

Estimated population figures for Native American in North Carolina as of 2004 is 110,198. Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States To date, North Carolina recognizes eight Native American tribal nations within its state borders:^[31]

• The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians were federally recognized in 1868 and received state recognition in 1889. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians are a Federally recognized Native American tribe in the United States of America The Eastern Cherokee live in eastern Swain County, as well as Graham and Jackson counties, and have roughly 13,400 enrolled members, most of whom live on a reservation properly called the Qualla Boundary. Swain County is a County located in the US state of North Carolina. Graham County is a County located in the US state of North Carolina. Jackson County is a County located in the southwest of the US The Eastern Cherokee Indian Reservation (officially known as the Qualla Boundary) is located in western North Carolina just south of Great Smoky Mountains National Park The Reservation is slightly more than 56,000 acres (230 km²), and is held in trust by the federal government specifically for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians are a Federally recognized Native American tribe in the United States of America
• The Haliwa-Saponi Tribe of Native Americans received state recognition in 1965. The Haliwa-Saponi are a group of mixed ancestry in eastern North Carolina, one of eight Native American tribes recognized by the state The tribe comprises a little more than 3,800 enrolled members who reside in northeastern North Carolina's Halifax and Warren counties. Halifax County is a County located in the US state of North Carolina. Warren County is a County located in the US state of North Carolina.
• The almost 2,000 members of the Waccamaw Siouan Indian Tribe are located in the mid-Atlantic North Carolina counties of Bladen, and Columbus and received state recognition in 1971. Waccamaw Siouan Indians are one of eight state-recognized Native American tribal nations in North Carolina. Bladen County is a County located in the US state of North Carolina. Columbus County is a County located in the US state of North Carolina.
• The Coharie Tribe of Native Americans are located in Sampson and Harnett counties, and have a population of 1,781 enrolled members. The Coharie are a Native American Tribe who descend from the Neusiok Indians on the Little Coharie River in Sampson and Harnett County North Carolina Sampson County is a County located in the US state of North Carolina. Harnett County is a County located in the state of North Carolina, USA. The Coharie received state recognition in 1911. The Coharie are a Native American Tribe who descend from the Neusiok Indians on the Little Coharie River in Sampson and Harnett County North Carolina North Carolina rescinded recognition in 1913 but reinstated it in 1971.
• The Sappony received state recognition in 1911 and have 850 enrolled members.
• The Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation have a population of 800 members who reside in Orange and Alamance counties and received state recognition in 2002. The Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation claim to be descendants of the Saponi and other Siouan-speaking Indians who occupied the Piedmont of North Orange County is a County located in the US state of North Carolina. Alamance County is a County located in the US state of North Carolina.
• The Meherrin are a tribe of Iroquoian-descent located primarily in rural northeastern Hertford, Bertie, and Gates counties, with a population of 557 enrolled members. The Meherrin Nation is one of eight state-recognized Nations of Native Americans in North Carolina. The Iroquois Confederacy (also known as the "League of Peace and Power" the "Five Nations" the "Six Nations" or the "People of the Longhouse Hertford County is a County located in the US state of North Carolina. Bertie County (pronounced BURT-TEE is a County located in the U Gates County is a County located in the US state of North Carolina.

Only five states (California, Arizona, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Texas) have a larger Native American population than North Carolina. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. The State of Arizona ( is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. Oklahoma ( is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. New Mexico ( is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States of America. Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. ^[32] The total Native American and Alaska Native population in the United States is 2,824,751, or 0. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the 95% of the total.

• • While recognized by the state, the Lumbee tribe has not been fully recognized as an official tribe by the Federal government. The Lumbee are a Native American tribe of North Carolina, though their origins are disputed There are numerous people in the state who identify themselves as Lumbee, mainly concentrated in the Southeastern portions of the state in Robeson, Scotland, Cumberland and nearby counties. However, researchers have classified Lumbees as a tri-racial isolate group whose ancestors migrated from Virginia as free African Americans. For instance, most of the families from the 1790 census counted as "all other free persons" have been documented as descendants of African Americans who were free in Virginia in the colonial period. ^[33]

Religion

North Carolina, like other Southern states, has traditionally been overwhelmingly Protestant. The Southern United States &mdashcommonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South &mdashconstitutes a large distinctive Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. By the late 19th century, the largest Protestant denomination was the Southern Baptists. The Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC) is a United States -based mostly conservative Christian denomination However, the rapid influx of northerners and immigrants from Latin America is steadily increasing the number of Roman Catholics and Jews in the state, and the numerical dominance of the Baptist Church is beginning to decline. The Northern United States is a large geographic region of the United States of America. Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut

This change is most evident in the urban areas of the state, where the population is more culturally diverse and the bulk of the recent growth has occurred. However, in many rural counties the Southern Baptists remain the dominant Christian church. The second-largest Protestant church in North Carolina are the Methodists, who are strong in the northern Piedmont, and especially in populous Guilford County. Methodism is a movement within Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations Guilford County is located in the US state of North Carolina. There are also substantial numbers of Quakers in Guilford County, and northeastern North Carolina. Guilford County is located in the US state of North Carolina.

The Presbyterians, historically Scots-Irish, have had a strong presence in Charlotte, the state's largest city, and in Scotland County. Presbyterianism is a family of Christian denominations within the Reformed branch of Protestant Western Christianity The current religious affiliations of the people of North Carolina are shown below:^[34]

• Christian – 80%
  • Protestant – 59%
    • Baptist – 38%
    • Methodist – 9%
    • Presbyterian – 3%
    • Lutheran – 2%
    • Pentecostal – 2%
    • Episcopal – 1%
    • Church of God – 1%
    • Congregationalist – 1%
    • Assemblies of God – 1%
    • Seventh Day Adventist – 1%
  • Roman Catholic – 10%
  • Other Christian such as Non-denominational and Mormon Church – 11%
• Judaism – 1%
• Other Religions – 9%
• Non-Religious (unaffiliated, atheists, agnostics, and others) – 10%

Economy

See also: Economy of the United States and Economic history of the United States

According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the state's 2006 total gross state product was $375 billion. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Baptist is a term describing individuals belonging to a Baptist church or a Baptist denomination. Methodism is a movement within Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations Presbyterianism is a family of Christian denominations within the Reformed branch of Protestant Western Christianity Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century German reformer Martin Luther Pentecostalism is a renewalist religious movement within Christianity that places special emphasis on the direct personal experience of God through the Baptism Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently The World Assemblies of God Fellowship, or Assemblies of God for short is the world's largest Pentecostal denomination with over 283413 churches and outstations The Seventh-day Adventist (abbreviated " Adventist " Church is a Christian denomination which is distinguished mainly by its observance Roman Catholicism in the United States has grown dramatically over the country's history from being a tiny minority faith during the time of the Thirteen Colonies In Christianity, the term non-denominational refers to those churches that have not formally aligned themselves with an established denomination, or remain otherwise The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the fourth largest Christian denomination in the United States and the largest and most well-known Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut Atheism Agnosticism ( Greek: α- a-, without + γνώσις gnōsis, knowledge after Gnosticism) is the philosophical view that the The Economy of the United States is the largest national economy in the world The economic history of the United States has its roots in European settlements in the 16th 17th and 18th centuries ^[35] Its 2005 per capita personal income was $31,029, 36^th in the nation. ^[36] North Carolina's agricultural outputs include poultry and eggs, tobacco, hogs, milk, nursery stock, cattle, sweet potatoes, and soybeans. Poultry is the category of Domesticated Birds which some humans keep for the purpose of collecting their eggs, or kill for their Meat and/or An egg is a round or oval body laid by the female of many animals consisting of an Ovum surrounded by layers of Membranes and an outer casing which acts to nourish Tobacco is an Agricultural product recognized as an addictive drug processed from the fresh Leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. Pigs, also called hogs or' swine', are Ungulates which have been domesticated as sources of food leather and similar products since ancient times Milk is an opaque white liquid produced by the Mammary glands of female Mammals (including Monotremes. A nursery is a place where Plants are propagated and grown to usable size Cattle, colloquially referred to as cows, are domesticated Ungulates a member of the Subfamily Bovinae of the family The sweet potato ( Ipomoea batatas) is a Dicotyledonous plant which belongs to the family Convolvulaceae However, North Carolina has recently been affected by offshoring and industrial growth in countries like China; one in five manufacturing jobs in the state has been lost to overseas competition. Offshore may refer to oil and Natural gas production at sea see Oil platform. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National ^[37] There has been a distinct difference in the economic growth of North Carolina's urban and rural areas. While large cities such as Charlotte, Raleigh, Cary, and others have experienced rapid population and economic growth over the last thirty years, many of the state's small towns have suffered from loss of jobs and population. Raleigh (pronounced rah-lee) is the Capital of the State of North Carolina and the county seat of Wake County, USA Cary (ˈkeər'i is a town in Wake and Chatham counties in the U Most of North Carolina's small towns historically developed around textile and furniture factories. As these factories closed and moved to low-wage markets in Asia and Latin America, the small towns that depended upon them have suffered.

The first gold nugget found in the U. S. was found in Cabarrus County in 1799. The first gold dollar minted in the U. S. was minted at the Bechtler Mint in Rutherford County.

Agriculture and Manufacturing

Over the past century, North Carolina has grown to become a national leader in agriculture, financial services, and manufacturing. Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture A banker or bank is a Financial institution whose primary activity is to act as a payment agent for customers and to borrow and lend money Manufacturing (from Latin manu factura, "making by hand" is the use of tools and labor to make things for use or sale The state's industrial output—mainly textiles, chemicals, electrical equipment, paper and pulp/paper products—ranked eighth in the nation in the early 1990s. A textile is a flexible material comprised of a network of natural or artificial Fibres often referred to as thread or Yarn. The chemical industry comprises the companies that produce industrial chemicals Electrical equipment includes any Machine powered by Electricity. Paper is thin material mainly used for writing upon printing upon or packaging Wood pulp is a dry fibrous material prepared by chemically or mechanically separating the fibers which make up Wood. The textile industry, which was once a mainstay of the state's economy, has been steadily losing jobs to producers in Latin America and Asia for the past 25 years, though the state remains the largest textile employer in the United States. ^[38] Over the past few years, another important Carolina industry, furniture production, has also been hard hit by jobs moving to Asia (especially China). Tobacco, one of North Carolina's earliest sources of revenue, remains vital to the local economy, although concerns about whether the federal government will continue to support subsidies for tobacco farmers has led some growers to switch to other crops like wine or leave farming altogether. Tobacco is an Agricultural product recognized as an addictive drug processed from the fresh Leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. Wine is an Alcoholic beverage made from the fermentation of Grape juice ^[39] North Carolina is the leading producer of tobacco in the country. ^[40] Agriculture in the western counties of North Carolina (particularly Buncombe and surrounding counties) is presently experiencing a revitalization coupled with a shift to niche marketing, fueled by the growing demand for organic and local products.

Finance, Technology and Research

Charlotte's growing skyline

Charlotte, North Carolina's largest city, continues to experience rapid growth, in large part due to the banking & finance industry. Charlotte is now the second largest banking center in the United States (after New York), and is home to Bank of America and Wachovia. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The City of New York Banc of America Securities Bank of America () is the largest bank by asset and second largest commercial Bank by deposits and Market capitalization in United Wachovia Corporation ( based in Charlotte North Carolina, is a diversified Financial services holding company provided via its operating subsidiaries a broad The Charlotte metro area is also home to 5 other Fortune 500 companies. The Charlotte metropolitan area (also Metrolina, Metro Charlotte, or Charlotte USA) is a Metropolitan area / Region of North

BB&T (Branch Banking & Trust), one of America's largest banks, was founded in Wilson, NC in 1872. The BB&T Corporation ( is one of America's largest Banks offering full-service commercial and retail banking services along with other financial services like Insurance Today, BB&T is headquartered out of Winston-Salem, NC and still does some operations in Wilson.

The information and biotechnology industries have been steadily on the rise since the creation of the Research Triangle Park (RTP) in the 1950s. Information technology ( IT) as defined by the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA is "the study design development implementation support Biotechnology is Technology based on Biology, especially when used in Agriculture, Food science, and Medicine. Research Triangle Park ( RTP) is the largest Research park in the United States Located between Raleigh and Durham (mostly in Durham County), its proximity to local research universities has no doubt helped to fuel growth. Raleigh (pronounced rah-lee) is the Capital of the State of North Carolina and the county seat of Wake County, USA Durham is a city in the US state of North Carolina. It is the County seat of Durham County

The North Carolina Research Campus underway in Kannapolis (approx. The North Carolina Research Campus ( NCRC) is a Mixed-use research facility located in downtown Kannapolis North Carolina Kannapolis is a city in Cabarrus, Mecklenburg, and Rowan counties in the U 30 miles (48 km) northeast of Charlotte) promises to enrich and bolster the Charlotte area in the same way that RTP changed the Raleigh-Durham region. ^[41] Encompassing 5,800,000 square feet (539,000 m²), the complex is a collaborative project involving Duke University, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and N.C. State University, along with private and corporate investors and developers. Duke University is a private Research University located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. The University of North Carolina at Charlotte (also known as UNC Charlotte or Charlotte) is a public coeducational research intensive university located in The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ( UNC, North Carolina, or simply Carolina) is a public, Coeducational Research North Carolina State University at Raleigh is a public, Coeducational extensive Research University located in Raleigh North Carolina The facility incorporates corporate, academic, commercial and residential space, oriented toward research and development (R&D) and biotechnology. The phrase research and development (also R and D or more often R&D) according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, refers Similarly, in downtown Winston-Salem, the Piedmont Triad Research Park is undergoing an expansion. Winston-Salem is a city in the US state of North Carolina. As of the 2000 census the city population was 185776 in 2004 the city annexed an additional 17483 Piedmont Triad Research Park (PTRP located in Downtown Winston Salem is a highly interactive master-planned innovation community developed to support Life Approximately thirty miles to the east of Winston Salem's research park, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and North Carolina A&T State University have joined forces to create the Gateway University Research Park, a technology-based research entity which will focus its efforts on areas such as nanotechnology, biotechnology & biochemistry, environmental sciences, and genetics among other science-based disciplines. The University of North Carolina at Greensboro is a public University in Greensboro, North Carolina and is a constituent institution of the University North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University ( NC A&T) is a HBCU historically black college/university and is a constituent institution of the University

Film and the Arts

Film studios are located in Shelby, Raleigh, Durham, Charlotte, Asheville, Wilmington, and Winston-Salem. Shelby is a city in Cleveland County, North Carolina, United States. Asheville is a City in and the County seat of Buncombe County, North Carolina, United Wilmington is a city in and the County seat of New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. Winston-Salem is a city in the US state of North Carolina. As of the 2000 census the city population was 185776 in 2004 the city annexed an additional 17483 Some of the best-known films and television shows filmed in the state include: All the Real Girls, Being There, Blue Velvet, Bull Durham, The Color Purple, Cabin Fever, Cape Fear, Children of the Corn, The Crow, Dawson's Creek, Dirty Dancing, Evil Dead 2, The Fugitive, The Green Mile, Hannibal, The Last of the Mohicans, Nell, One Tree Hill, Patch Adams (film), Shallow Hal, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Leatherheads, and 28 Days. All the Real Girls is a 2003 Romantic drama film written and directed by David Gordon Green. Being There is a 1979 film directed by Hal Ashby, adapted from the 1971 novel written by Jerzy Kosiński. Blue Velvet is a 1986 American Mystery film, written and directed by David Lynch, that exhibits elements of both Film noir Bull Durham is a 1988 American movie about love and Baseball. The Color Purple is a 1985 Drama film directed by Steven Spielberg. Cabin Fever is an American Horror film about a group of College graduates who rent a cabin in the woods and begin to fall victim to a flesh-eating Cape Fear is a 1991 thriller film directed by Martin Scorsese. Children Of The Corn is a short story by Stephen King, published in 1978 in the compilation Night Shift. The Crow is a 1994 American feature film adaptation of the 1989 comic book of the same name by James O'Barr. Dawson's Creek was an American Primetime Television Drama which initially aired from January 20, 1998 Dirty Dancing is a 1987 Romance film. Written by Eleanor Bergstein, the film features Jennifer Grey, Patrick Swayze Evil Dead II (also known as Evil Dead 2 Dead by Dawn) is an American Comedy horror movie released in 1987 The Fugitive is a 1993 American film based on the TV series of the same name. The Green Mile is a 1999 American Drama film, directed by Frank Darabont and adapted by him from the 1996 Stephen Hannibal is a 2001 Thriller film directed by Ridley Scott, adapted from the Thomas Harris novel of the same name. The Last of the Mohicans is a 1992 historical epic film set in 1757 during the French and Indian War. Nell is a 1994 Drama film starring Jodie Foster as a young woman who has to face other people for the first time after being raised One Tree Hill is a teen television drama created by Mark Schwahn that premiered on September 23 2003 on The WB Television Network. Patch Adams is a 1998 Comedy-drama Film directed by Tom Shadyac and based on the true life story of Hunter "Patch" Shallow Hal is a 2001 Romantic comedy film starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Jack Black and Jason Alexander. Talladega Nights The Ballad of Ricky Bobby is a 2006 Comedy film about NASCAR racing Leatherheads is a 2008 American sports Comedy film from Universal Pictures directed by and starring George Clooney 28 Days is a 2000 Drama film starring Sandra Bullock. Sandra Bullock plays Gwen Cummings a newspaper columnist obliged to The television show most associated with North Carolina is The Andy Griffith Show, which aired on CBS-TV from 1960 to 1968. The Andy Griffith Show is an American sitcom first televised by CBS between October 3 1960 and April 1 CBS Broadcasting Inc ( CBS) is an American radio and Television network. The series is set in the fictional small town of Mayberry, North Carolina, and was based on the real-life town of Mount Airy, North Carolina, although it was filmed in California. Mayberry is the name of a Fictional town in North Carolina which was the setting for two American Television sitcoms The Andy Griffith Mount Airy is a city in Surry County, North Carolina, United States. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. Mount Airy is the hometown of actor Andy Griffith. Andy Samuel Griffith (born June 1, 1926) is an American Actor, producer, Writer, director The show is still popular in reruns and is frequently shown in syndication around the nation. A rerun or repeat is a re-airing of an episode of a Radio or Television broadcast. In Broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast Radio shows and Television shows to multiple individual stations without going through North Carolina is also home to some of the Southeast's biggest film festivals, including the National Black Theatre Festival and the RiverRun International Film Festival in Winston-Salem, and the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival in Durham, North Carolina. The National Black Theatre Festival (NBTF was founded in 1989 by Larry Leon Hamlin in Winston-Salem North Carolina. The RiverRun International Film Festival is one of the United States ' fastest-growing regional Film festivals. Winston-Salem is a city in the US state of North Carolina. As of the 2000 census the city population was 185776 in 2004 the city annexed an additional 17483 The Full Frame Documentary Film Festival is one of the United States' premier documentary Film festivals, held over the course of four days each spring at the Durham is a city in the US state of North Carolina. It is the County seat of Durham County

The School of Filmmaking at the North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem is a unique arts conservatory that combines rigorous professional training with unparalleled facilities, equipment and resources. All Second, Third and Fourth Year productions are entered into film and video festivals worldwide, and several have won major awards, including the Student Academy Award, the Angelus Award and the Cine Eagle Award. The best Fourth Year productions are also screened on film in front of large industry audiences at the Directors Guild of America in Los Angeles in June each year. School of the Arts alumni have performed in or behind the scenes of Broadway shows, film, television and regional theatre, and are members of the world’s finest symphony orchestras and opera and dance companies. They have won or been nominated for all of the major awards in the entertainment industry, including Tony, Oscar, Emmy, Grammy and others. The Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Awards, recognize achievement in live American Theatre and are presented "The Oscar" redirects here for the film see The Oscar (film. The Grammy Awards (originally called the Gramophone Awards)—or Grammys —are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences Some well-known alumni of the NCSA School of Drama are Jada Pinkett Smith, Mary-Louise Parker, Catherine Dent, and Tom Hulce.

Tax Revenue

See also: Taxation in the United States and State tax levels

North Carolina personal income tax is slightly progressive, with four incremental brackets ranging from 6. Taxation in the United States is a complex system which may involve payment to at least four different levels of government and many methods of taxation State tax levels indicate both the tax burden and the services a state can afford to provide residents A progressive tax is a Tax imposed so that the Tax rate increases as the amount subject to taxation increases 0% to 8. 25%. The base state sales tax is 4. A sales tax is a Consumption tax charged at the Point of purchase for certain goods and services 25%. ^[42] Most taxable sales or purchases are subject to the state tax as well as the 2. 5% local tax rate levied by all counties, for a combined 6. 75%. Mecklenburg County has an additional 0. 5% local tax for public transportation, bringing sales taxes there to a total 7. 25%. The total local rate of tax in Dare County is 3. 5%, producing a combined state and local rate there of 7. 75%. ^[43] In addition, there is a 30. 2¢ tax per gallon of gas, a 30¢ tax per pack of cigarettes, a 79¢ tax on wine, and a 48¢ tax on beer. There are also additional taxes levied against food and prepared foods, normally totaling 2% and 8% respectively. The property tax in North Carolina is locally assessed and collected by the counties. Property tax, or millage tax, is an Ad valorem tax that an owner pays on the value of the property being taxed The three main elements of the property tax system in North Carolina are real property, motor vehicles and personal property (inventories and household personal property are exempt). In the Common law, real property (or realty) refers to one of the two main classes of Property, the other class being Personal property ( A motor Vehicle is a Machine which incorporates a motor (sometimes known as an Engine) and which is used for Transportation Personal property is a type of Property. In the Common law systems personal property may also be called chattels or personalty. Estimated at 10. 5% of income, North Carolina’s state/local tax burden percentage ranks 23rd highest nationally (taxpayers pay an average of $3,526 per-capita), just below the national average of 10. 6%. ^[44] North Carolina ranks 40th in the Tax Foundation's State Business Tax Climate Index with neighboring states ranked as follows: Tennessee (18th), Georgia (19th), South Carolina (26th) and Virginia (13th). The Tax Foundation is a Washington-DC-based Tennessee ( is a state located in the Southern United States. The State of Georgia ( is a state in the United States and was one of the original Thirteen Colonies that revolted against British rule South Carolina ( is a state in the southern region ( Deep South) of the United States of America. The Commonwealth of Virginia ( is an American state ^[44]

Transportation

International/Major regional airports

Main article: List of airports in North Carolina

• Charlotte/Douglas International Airport (Charlotte)
• Asheville Regional Airport (Asheville)
• Fayetteville Regional Airport (Fayetteville)
• Piedmont Triad International Airport (Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point)
• Pitt-Greenville Airport (Greenville)
• Moore County Airport (Pinehurst/Southern Pines)
• Raleigh-Durham International Airport (Raleigh/Durham)
• Craven County Regional Airport (New Bern)
• Wilmington International Airport (Wilmington)

Mass transit

LYNX light rail car in Charlotte

Several cities are served by mass transit systems. tags they are used to transclude this state's "Commercial Service - Primary" airports in the List of airports Charlotte Douglas International Airport is a public International airport located in Charlotte North Carolina. Asheville Regional Airport is a Class C Airport near Interstate 40 and Interstate 26 in the town of Fletcher, nine miles (14 Asheville is a City in and the County seat of Buncombe County, North Carolina, United Fayetteville Regional Airport, also known as Grannis Field, is a public Airport located three miles (5 km) south of the Central business district Fayetteville is a city located in Cumberland County, North Carolina. Piedmont Triad International Airport (commonly referred to as "PTIA" or just "PTI" is an airport just west of Greensboro, serving Greensboro Winston-Salem is a city in the US state of North Carolina. As of the 2000 census the city population was 185776 in 2004 the city annexed an additional 17483 High Point is a city located in the Piedmont Triad (The 30th largest metro area in the United States with a population of 1 Pitt-Greenville Airport is a public Airport located two miles (3 km) north of East Carolina University, the Central business district (CBD Greenville is the county seat of Pitt County and principal city of the Greenville North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area. Moore County Airport is a public Airport located 3 miles (5 km) north of Southern Pines and 5 miles northeast of Pinehurst, in Moore Pinehurst is a village in Moore County, North Carolina, United States. Southern Pines is a town in Moore County, North Carolina, United States. Raleigh-Durham International Airport is located nine miles (14 Raleigh (pronounced rah-lee) is the Capital of the State of North Carolina and the county seat of Wake County, USA Durham is a city in the US state of North Carolina. It is the County seat of Durham County This airport is in North Carolina for the airport formerly known as "Wilmington Airport" in Delaware see New Castle Airport Wilmington Wilmington is a city in and the County seat of New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. The Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) operates historical trolleys, express shuttles and bus service serving Charlotte and its immediate suburbs. The Charlotte Area Transit System, commonly referred to as CATS, is the Public transit system in Charlotte North Carolina, USA. In 2007 it opened the LYNX light rail line connecting Charlotte with suburban Pineville. LYNX comprises a light rail line serviced by the Charlotte Area Transit System in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. Pineville is a town in Mecklenburg County North Carolina located between Charlotte and York County South Carolina.

The Fayetteville Area System of Transit (FAST) serves the city with ten bus routes and two shuttle routes. Fayetteville Area System of Transit operates ten fixed bus routes and two fixed shuttle routes within the cities of Fayetteville and Spring Lake North Carolina between

Within Raleigh, the Capital Area Transit system operates 27 bus routes. Raleigh CAT, or Capital Area Transit operates 37 public transit routes to serve the city of Raleigh North Carolina. The Triangle Transit Authority operates buses that serve the region and connect to municipal bus systems in Durham and Chapel Hill; efforts for the city of Raleigh to build a light rail from the downtown areas of Raleigh to the downtown area of Durham failed as TTA's projected ridership did not meet federal standards. The Research Triangle Regional Public Transportation Authority which is known by the name Triangle Transit (formerly Triangle Transit Authority or TTA provides regional Durham is a city in the US state of North Carolina. It is the County seat of Durham County Chapel Hill is a town in Durham and Orange counties in North Carolina and the home of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC The Durham Area Transit Authority (DATA) bus system runs within Durham. The Triangle Transit Authority operates buses that serve the region and connect to municipal bus systems in Raleigh and Chapel Hill, which has its own entirely fare-free bus service, Chapel Hill Transit.

Greensboro is serviced by the Greensboro Transit Authority (GTA), which operates 14 bus routes. Additionally, the Higher Education Area Transit (HEAT) system provides service to students who attend the following institutions: Bennett College, Elon University School of Law, Greensboro College, Guilford College, Guilford Technical Community College, North Carolina A&T State University, and The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. The HEAT service provides transportation between campuses and various other destinations, including downtown Greensboro.

Winston-Salem Transit Authority (WSTA) operates 30 bus routes around the city of Winston-Salem; additionally, WSTA recently completed construction of a central downtown mult-modal transportation center with 16 covered bus bays adjacent to a large enclosed lobby/waiting area. Winston-Salem is a city in the US state of North Carolina. As of the 2000 census the city population was 185776 in 2004 the city annexed an additional 17483 There are future plans being discussed for a $52 million streetcar system connecting Piedmont Triad Research Park/Downtown with Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation (PART) is the Triad's 10-county regional organization with the goal of enhancing all forms of transportation through regional cooperation. PART Express Bus provides express shuttle service to each major Triad city from Piedmont Triad International Airport, while Connections Express connects the Triad to Duke and UNC Medical Centers. PART is also administering and developing several rail service studies that include both commuter and intercity rail.

Wilmington's Wave Transit operates six bus lines within the city as well as five shuttles to nearby areas and a downtown trolley.

Major highways

Main article: North Carolina Highway System

The North Carolina Highway System consists of a vast network of Interstate highways, U.S. routes, and state routes. The North Carolina Highway System consists of a vast network of Interstate highways U The Dwight D Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly called the Interstate Highway System (or simply the Interstate System) The system of United States Numbered Highways (often called U State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts two of them related to a State government in a country that is divided North Carolina has the largest state maintained highway network in the United States. ^[45] Major highways include:

Politics and government

The governor, lieutenant governor, and eight elected executive department heads form the Council of State. Interstate 26 (I-26 is a nominally east-west (but physically more north-south main route of the Interstate Highway System in the Southeastern United States. Interstate 40 in North Carolina runs for 421 miles through the state of North Carolina from the Tennessee state line in the west to its eastern terminus Interstate 73 (abbreviated I-73) is a main route of the Interstate Highway System, currently located entirely within the U Interstate 74 (abbreviated I-74) is an Interstate highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Interstate 77 (abbreviated I-77) is an Interstate highway in the eastern United States. In North Carolina, Interstate 85 scales the state for 233 miles (337 kilometers from the South Carolina border to the Virginia border Interstate 95 is a major Interstate highway, running along the East Coast of the United States from Florida to Maine US Route 1 (US 1 is a major north-south US Highway that serves the East Coast of the United States. US Route 17 (also known as the Coastal Highway) is a north-south United States highway. US Route 64 is an east-west United States highway that runs for 2326 miles (3743 km from eastern North Carolina to just southwest of the Four Corners US Route 70 is an east-west United States highway that runs for 2385 miles (3838 km from eastern North Carolina to east-central Arizona. US Route 74 is an east-west United States highway that runs for 524 miles (843 km from Wrightsville Beach North Carolina, to Chattanooga Tennessee US Route 52 is a United States highway that runs across the northern eastern and southeastern regions of the United States. US Route 421 is a spur of US 21. It runs for 941 miles (1514 km from Michigan City Indiana, at U US Route 401 is a spur of US Route 1 located within the states of North Carolina and South Carolina. A governor is a governing official usually the executive (at least nominally to different degrees also politically and administratively of a non-sovereign level of government A Lieutenant Governor is a high officer of state whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction In the government of the state of North Carolina, the Cabinet (analogous to the United States Cabinet) consists of heads of executive departments who are not elected Ten other executive department heads appointed by the governor form the North Carolina Cabinet. In the government of the state of North Carolina, the Cabinet (analogous to the United States Cabinet) consists of heads of executive departments who are not elected The state's current governor is Democrat Mike Easley. The Governor of North Carolina is the top executive of the government of the U The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. Michael Francis (Mike Easley (born March 23, 1950) is the governor of the U The North Carolina General Assembly, or Legislature, consists of two houses: a 50-member Senate and a 120-member House of Representatives. The North Carolina General Assembly is the state legislature of the U For the 2007–2008 session, the current President Pro Tempore of the Senate is Democrat Marc Basnight (the Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina is the President of the Senate); The House Speaker is Democrat Joe Hackney. Members of the North Carolina General Assembly, 2007-2008 session were elected in November 2006. The President Pro Tempore (more commonly "Pro-Tem" of the North Carolina Senate is the highest-ranking (internally elected officer of one house of the The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. Marc Basnight (born May 13, 1947) is a Democratic member of the North Carolina State Senate, representing the 1st District since 1984 The Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina is the second highest elected official in the U The Speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives is the presiding officer of one of the houses of the North Carolina General Assembly. The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. Joe Hackney (born September 23 1945 in Chatham County NC) is a Democratic member of the North Carolina General Assembly

The Supreme Court of North Carolina is the state's highest appellate court; it numbers seven justices. The Supreme Court of North Carolina is the state's highest Appellate court. Court of Appeal, Court of Appeals, and Appellate Division redirect here for a list of specific courts using those titles see Court of Appeal The North Carolina Court of Appeals is the only intermediate appellate court in the state; it consists of fifteen judges who rule in rotating panels of three. The North Carolina Court of Appeals is the only intermediate Appellate court in the state of North Carolina. Together, the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals constitute the appellate division of the court system. The trial division includes the Superior Court and the District Court. All felony criminal cases, civil cases involving more than $10,000 and misdemeanor and infraction appeals from District Court are tried in Superior Court. In Common law legal systems a felony is a serious Crime, often contrasted with a Misdemeanor. A jury of 12 hears the criminal cases. A jury a sworn body of persons convened to render a rational, impartial Verdict (a finding of fact on a question officially submitted to them Civil cases—such as divorce, custody, child support, and cases involving less than $10,000—are heard in District Court, along with criminal cases involving misdemeanors and lesser infractions. Divorce or dissolution of marriage is the termination of a Marriage. Child custody and '''guardianship''' are Legal terms which are sometimes used to describe the legal and practical relationship between a Parent and his In family law and government policy child support or child maintenance is the ongoing obligation for a periodic payment made directly or indirectly by a non-custodial parent A misdemeanor, or misdemeanour, in many common law legal systems is a "lesser" criminal act The trial of a criminal case in District Court is always without a jury. The term criminal law, sometimes called penal law, refers to any of various bodies of rules in different Jurisdictions whose common characteristic is the potential The District Court also hears juvenile cases involving children under the age of 16 who are delinquent and children under the age of 18 who are undisciplined, dependent, neglected, or abused. Magistrates accept guilty pleas for minor misdemeanors, accept guilty pleas for traffic violations, and accept waivers of trial for worthless-check cases among other things. A cheque (spelled check in American English) is a Negotiable instrument instructing a Financial institution to pay a specific amount of In civil cases, the magistrate is authorized to try small claims involving up to $4,000 including landlord eviction cases. Magistrates also perform civil marriages.

State constitution

Main article: North Carolina Constitution

The state constitution governs the structure and function of the North Carolina government. The Constitution of the State of North Carolina governs the structure and function of the North Carolina state government It is the highest legal document for the state and subjugates North Carolina law. Law is a system of rules enforced through a set of Institutions used as an instrument to underpin civil obedience politics economics and society Like all state constitutions in the United States, this constitution is subject to federal judicial review. The federal government of the United States is the central United States Governmental body established by the United States Constitution. Judicial review is the power of the courts to annul the acts of the executive and/or the legislative power where it finds them incompatible with a higher norm Any provision of the state constitution can be nullified if it conflicts with federal law and the United States Constitution. Federal law is the body of Law created by the Federal government of a country The Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme Law of the United States.

North Carolina has had three constitutions:

• 1776: Ratified December 18, 1776, as the first constitution of the independent state. A constitution is a system for government often Codified as a written document that establishes the rules and principles of an autonomous political entity Events 218 BC - Second Punic War: Battle of the Trebia - Hannibal 's Carthaginian forces defeat those of the Year 1776 ( MDCCLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a The Declaration of Rights was ratified the preceding day.
• 1868: Framed in accordance with the Reconstruction Acts after North Carolina was readmitted into the Union. It was a major reorganization and modification of the original into fourteen articles. It also introduced townships which each county was required to create, the only southern state to do so. A township in the United States refers to a small geographic area
• 1971: Minor consolidation of the 1868 constitution and subsequent amendments.

Federal apportionments

North Carolina currently has 13 congressional districts, which, when combined with its two U.S. Senate seats, gives the state 15 electoral votes. These are tables of congressional delegations from North Carolina to the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives. The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives The Electoral College consists of 538 popularly elected representatives who formally select the President and Vice President of the United States. In the 109th Congress, the state was represented by seven Democratic and six Republican members of congress, plus two Republican Senators. The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. The United States House of Representatives is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress; the other is the Senate. The Democrats picked up one seat (District 11) in the 2006 election for the 110th Congress. The 11th Congressional District sends one representative from North Carolina to the United States House of Representatives. The 2006 United States midterm elections were held on Tuesday November 7 2006.

Politics

See also: Politics of the United States

See also: Disfranchisement after the Civil War

See also: Voting rights in the United States

North Carolina is politically dominated by the Democratic and Republican political parties. Politics of the United States takes place in the framework of a presidential, Federal republic where the President of the United States (the Head of The issue of voting rights in the United States has been contentious over the country's history. The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. Since the 19th century, third parties, such as the Green Party and Libertarian Party, have had difficulty making inroads in state politics. In a Two-party system of politics the term third party is sometimes applied to a party other than the two dominant ones One of the Political parties in the United States, and similar in mission to many of the worldwide Green Parties, the Greens have been active as a third party The Libertarian Party is a United States political party founded on December 11 1971 They have both run candidates for office with neither party's winning a state office. The Libertarian Party is engaged in a lawsuit with the state over ballot access. ^[46]

Historically, North Carolina was politically divided between the eastern and western parts of the state. Before the Civil War, the eastern half of North Carolina supported the Democratic Party, primarily because the region contained most of the state's planter slaveholders who profited from large cash crops. Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South Yeomen farmers in the western Piedmont and mountains were not slaveholders and tended to support the Whig party, seen as more moderate on slavery and more supportive of business interests. The Whig Party was a Political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy.

Following the Civil War, Republicans, including newly enfranchised freedmen, controlled the state government during Reconstruction. When federal troops were removed in the national compromise of 1877, the Democratic Party gained control of the state government, partly through white paramilitary groups conducting a campaign of violence against blacks to discourage them from voting, especially in the Piedmont counties. Despite that, the number of black officeholders peaked in the 1880s as they were elected to local offices in black-majority districts. ^[47]

Following a downturn in food prices, in 1892 many of the nation's farmers created the Populist Party to represent their interests. The Populist Party (also known as the People's Party) was a relatively short-lived Political party in the United States in the late 18th century The party was strengthened by the Panic of 1893 and subsequent nationwide economic depression. The Panic of 1893 was a serious economic depression in the United States that began in 1893 In North Carolina, the Republican and Populist parties formed an interracial alliance, called an electoral fusion, in 1894 which resulted in control of the state legislature. The Populist Party (also known as the People's Party) was a relatively short-lived Political party in the United States in the late 18th century Electoral fusion is an arrangement where two or more political parties support a common Candidate, pooling the votes for all those parties In 1896 the Republican-Populist alliance took control of the governorship and many state offices. In response, many white Democrats began efforts to reduce voter rolls and turnout. ^[48] During the late 1890s, white Democrats began to pass legislation to restrict voter registration and reduce voting by blacks and poor whites.

With the first step accomplished in 1896 by making registration more complicated and reducing black voter turnout, in 1898 the state's Democratic Party regained control of the state government. Contemporary observers described the election as a "contest unquestionably accompanied by violence, intimidation and fraud - to what extent we do not know - in the securing of a majority of 60,000 for the new arrangement". ^[49] Using the slogan, "White Supremacy", and backed by influential newspapers such as the Raleigh News and Observer under publisher Josephus Daniels, the Democrats ousted the Populist-Republican majority. White supremacy is a racist ideology based on the assertion that White people are superior to other racial groups. The News & Observer is the regional daily newspaper of the Research Triangle area of the U Josephus Daniels ( May 18, 1862 &ndash January 15, 1948) was an American politician and newspaper publisher from North Carolina

Encouraged by the U. S. Supreme Court ruling that upheld the Mississippi disfranchising constitution in Williams v. Mississippi (1898), North Carolina legislators passed similar provisions in 1900, as did eight other states. A supreme court, also called a court of last resort or high court, is in some Jurisdictions the highest judicial body within that jurisdiction's Disenfranchisement or disfranchisement is the revocation of the right of Suffrage (the right to vote to a person or group of people or rendering a person's vote Williams v Mississippi, 170 US 213 ( 1898) is a United States Supreme Court case that reviewed provisions of the state constitution that set Provisions included imposition of poll taxes, residency requirements, and literacy tests. A poll tax, head tax, or capitation is a Tax of a uniform fixed amount per individual (as opposed to a percentage of income Literacy Test refers to the government practice of testing the literacy of potential citizens at the federal level and potential voters at the state level Initially the grandfather clause was used to exempt illiterate whites from the literacy test, but many were gradually disfranchised as well. A grandfather clause is a term used in US English for an exception that allows an old rule to continue to apply to some existing situations when a new rule will apply to all future situations By these efforts, by 1904 white Democratic legislators had completely eliminated black voter turnout in North Carolina. ^[50] Although African Americans mounted litigation and the U. S. Supreme Court began to find specific provisions unconstitutional (as in Guinn v. United States (1915) which struck down the grandfather clause), state legislatures responded with new mechanisms for restricting voter registration. Guinn v United States, 238 US 347 (1915 was an important United States Supreme Court decision that dealt with provisions of state constitutions that Disfranchisement lasted until the mid-1960s.

With some notable exceptions, North Carolina then became a part of the "Solid Democratic South". The States' Rights Democratic Party (commonly known as the Dixiecrats) was a segregationist, socially conservative Political party The Solid South was based on disfranchisement of most African Americans and tens of thousands of poor whites. Southern states managed to keep Congressional apportionment based on total population, despite having deprived about half the citizens of the power to vote.

However, some counties in North Carolina's western Piedmont and Appalachian Mountains continued to vote Republican, continuing a tradition that dated from their yeoman culture and opposition to secession before the Civil War. Secession (derived from the Latin term secessio is the act of withdrawing from an organization union or especially a political entity In 1952, aided by the presidential candidacy of popular war hero Dwight Eisenhower, the Republicans were successful in electing a U. Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (October 14 1890 – March 28 1969 was President of the United States from 1953 until 1961 and a five-star general S. Congressman, Charles R. Jonas. Charles Raper Jonas ( December 9, 1904 - September 28, 1988) was a U

In the mid-20th century Republicans began to attract white voters in North Carolina and other Southern states. This was after passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965 under Democratic President Lyndon Johnson, which extended Federal protection and enforcement of civil rights for all American citizens. Because the Democratic Party had supported civil rights at the national level, most black voters (just under 25% of North Carolina's population in the 1960 census) initially aligned with the Democrats when they regained their franchise. ^[51] In 1972, aided by the landslide re-election of Richard Nixon, Republicans in North Carolina elected their first governor and U. S. senator of the twentieth century.

Senator Jesse Helms played a major role in renewing the Republican Party and turning North Carolina into a two-party state. Jesse Alexander Helms Jr (October 18 1921 – July 4 2008 was a five-term Republican United States Senator from North Carolina who served as chairman Under his banner, many conservative white Democrats in the central and eastern parts of North Carolina began to vote Republican, at least in national elections. In part, this was due to dissatisfaction with the national Democratic Party's stance on issues of civil rights and racial integration. Racial integration, or simply integration includes Desegregation (the process of ending systematic Racial segregation) In later decades, conservatives rallied to Republicans over social issues such as prayer in school, gun rights, abortion rights, and gay rights. Gun politics is a set of legal issues surrounding the ownership use and regulation of firearms as well as safety issues related to firearms both through their direct use and through An The LGBT rights movement in the United States seeks to achieve equality for all Americans regardless of their Sexual orientation or Gender identity

Except for regional son Jimmy Carter's election in 1976, from 1968–2004 North Carolina has voted Republican in every presidential election. James Earl "Jimmy" Carter Jr (born October 1 1924 was the thirty-ninth President of the United States, serving from 1977 to 1981 and the recipient of the 2002 The United States presidential election of 1976 followed the resignation of President Richard M At the state level, however, the Democrats still control most of the elected offices. State and local elections have become highly competitive compared to the previous one-party decades of the 20th century. For example, eastern North Carolina routinely elects numerous Republican sheriffs and county commissioners, a shift that did not happen until the 1980s. The Republicans hold both U. S. Senate seats, but the Democrats retain the governorship, majorities in both houses of the state legislature, state supreme court, and a 7-6 majority of U. S. House seats, as of January 2007.

Modern North Carolina politics center less around the old east-west geographical split, and more on a growing urban-suburban-rural divide. Many of the state's rural and small-town areas are now heavily Republican, while growing urban centers such as Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham and Greensboro are increasingly Democratic. Raleigh (pronounced rah-lee) is the Capital of the State of North Carolina and the county seat of Wake County, USA Durham is a city in the US state of North Carolina. It is the County seat of Durham County The suburban areas around the cities usually hold the power, and vote both ways.

Two Presidents of the United States were born and raised in North Carolina, but both men began their political careers in neighboring Tennessee, and were elected President from that state. The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by Tennessee ( is a state located in the Southern United States. The two men were James K. Polk and Andrew Johnson. James Knox Polk ( November 2 1795&ndashJune 15 1849 was the eleventh President of the United States, serving from March 4 1845 to March 4 1849 Andrew Johnson (December 29 1808 – July 31 1875 was the seventeenth President of the United States (1865-69 succeeding to the Presidency upon the assassination A third U. S. President, Andrew Jackson, may also have been born in North Carolina. Andrew Jackson (March 15 1767 June 8 1845 was the seventh President of the United States (1829&ndash1837 However, as he was born almost precisely on the state line with South Carolina, both states claim him as a native son, and historians have debated for decades over the precise site of Jackson's birthplace. South Carolina ( is a state in the southern region ( Deep South) of the United States of America. On the grounds of the old state capitol building in Raleigh is a statue dedicated to the Presidents who were born in the state; Jackson is included in the statue. Raleigh (pronounced rah-lee) is the Capital of the State of North Carolina and the county seat of Wake County, USA Jackson himself stated that he was born in what later became South Carolina, but at the time of his birth, the line between the states had not been surveyed.

North Carolina remains a control state. David Justin 1550 16 September This is probably due to the state's strongly conservative Protestant heritage. Four of the state's counties - Clay, Graham, Mitchell, and Yancey, which are all located in rural areas - remain "dry" (the sale of alcoholic beverages is illegal). Rural areas can be large and isolated (also referred to as "the country" and/or "the countryside over the course of time A dry county is a County in the United States whose Government forbids the sale of Alcoholic beverages Some prohibit off-premises sale some [2] However, the remaining 96 North Carolina counties allow the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages, as is the case in most of the United States. Even in rural areas, the opposition to selling and drinking alcoholic beverages is declining, as the decreasing number of "dry" counties indicates.

North Carolina is one of the 12 states to decriminalize marijuana. In 1997 Marijuana and Tetrahydrocannabinols were moved from a schedule I to schedule IV . Transfer of less than 5 grams is not considered sale, and up to 1 1/2 ounces is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine or community service, at the judge's discretion, rather than imprisonment or a felony charge. ^[52]

In 2005, following substantial political maneuvering, the state legislature voted to implement a state lottery, thus altering North Carolina's reputation as the "anti-lottery" state, where owning a lottery ticket from another state was once a felony. The North Carolina Education Lottery was enacted when Governor Mike Easley signed the North Carolina State Lottery Act ( H. A lottery is a form of Gambling which involves the drawing of lots for a prize By 2005, every state surrounding North Carolina had a lottery in operation. The North Carolina Education Lottery began selling tickets on March 31, 2006. The North Carolina Education Lottery was enacted when Governor Mike Easley signed the North Carolina State Lottery Act ( H. Events 307 - After divorcing his wife Minervina, Constantine marries Fausta, the daughter of the retired Roman Emperor Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The lottery has had unexpectedly low sales since its inception. ^[53]

Education

Elementary and secondary education

Elementary and secondary public schools are overseen by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, which is headed by the North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction, who is also secretary of the North Carolina State Board of Education. The North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction is the elected head of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and oversees the Public school The North Carolina State Board of Education, established by Article 9 of the North Carolina Constitution, supervises and administers the public school systems of North Carolina This body holds most of the legal authority for making public education policy. ^[54] North Carolina has 115 public school systems,^[55] each of which is overseen by a local school board. A county may have one or more systems within it. The largest school systems in North Carolina are the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, Wake County Public School System, Guilford County Schools, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, and Cumberland County Schools. Governance The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education or school board, consists of 9 members--3 at-large and 6 from districts The Wake County Public School System is a Public school district located in Wake County, North Carolina. Guilford County Schools is the 3rd largest School district in the U Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools (WSFCS is a School district in Forsyth County North Carolina. Cumberland County Schools ( CCS) is a School district encompassing the entirety of Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States In total there are 2,338 public schools in the state, including 93 charter schools. Charter schools are elementary or secondary schools in the United States that receive public money but ^[55]

See also: List of school districts in North Carolina

Colleges and universities

For more details on this topic, see List of colleges and universities in North Carolina

In 1795, North Carolina opened the first public university in the United States - the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The following is a list broken down by geographical region of the 115 local education agencies (LEA in North Carolina. The following is a list of Colleges and universities in the U More than 200 years later, the University of North Carolina system encompasses 16 public universities including the five largest, North Carolina State University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and East Carolina University, UNC-Charlotte, and Appalachian State University. The University of North Carolina system includes all sixteen public four-year universities in North Carolina, United States and one public residential high A public university is a University that is predominantly funded by public means through a national or subnational government as opposed to private universities. North Carolina State University at Raleigh is a public, Coeducational extensive Research University located in Raleigh North Carolina The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ( UNC, North Carolina, or simply Carolina) is a public, Coeducational Research East Carolina University is a public, Coeducational, Doctoral / Research University located in Greenville, North The University of North Carolina at Charlotte (also known as UNC Charlotte or Charlotte) is a public coeducational research intensive university located in Appalachian State University is a comprehensive ( Master's L) public, Coeducational University located in Boone, North Carolina The system also supports several well-known historically black colleges and universities such as North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina Central University, and Winston-Salem State University. Historically black colleges and universities ( HBCUs) are institutions of Higher education in the United States that were established before 1964 with the intention North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University ( NC A&T) is a HBCU historically black college/university and is a constituent institution of the University North Carolina Central University is a comprehensive university offering programs at the baccalaureate master’s professional and selected doctoral levels Winston-Salem State University is a four-year public coeducational research university located in Winston-Salem North Carolina. Along with its public universities, North Carolina has 58 public community colleges in its community college system. A community college is a type of Educational institution. The term has different meanings in different countries The North Carolina Community College System is a statewide network of fifty-eight (58 public Community colleges.

North Carolina's private universities and colleges include Campbell University, Davidson College, Duke University, Elon University, Gardner-Webb University, High Point University,and Wake Forest University. Unlike Public universities, private universities generally do not receive direct operational funding from national or subnational governments and thus rely on private Campbell University is a University in Buies Creek, North Carolina, USA. Davidson College is a private liberal arts college for 1700 students in Davidson, North Carolina, in the United States. Duke University is a private Research University located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Elon University is a private liberal arts university located in Elon North Carolina. Gardner-Webb University is a four-year private University located 40 miles west of Charlotte in Boiling Springs High Point University is a private, selective Liberal arts University in High Point North Carolina, USA, affiliated with the Wake Forest University is a private, coeducational University in North Carolina, founded in 1834

Sports and recreation

Main article: Sports in North Carolina

Professional sports

Time Warner Cable Arena, home to the Charlotte Bobcats of the NBA. Despite having over eight million people the disbursement of North Carolina 's population over three major metropolitan areas precluded attracting any Major professional sports league The Time Warner Cable Arena (also known locally as "TWC Arena" "St The Charlotte Bobcats are a professional Basketball team based in Charlotte North Carolina.

Despite having over nine million people, North Carolina's population being spread out over three major metropolitan areas precluded attracting any major professional sports league teams until 1974, when the New York Stars of the World Football League was relocated to Charlotte in the middle of the season and renamed the Charlotte Stars (the team would be renamed the Charlotte Hornets in 1975 and would play until the WFL folded later that year). Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. The Charlotte Hornets were a football team in the short-lived World Football League. The World Football League was an American football league that played in 1974 and part of 1975. Year 1975 ( MCMLXXV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

The first successful franchise from a major professional sports league to be created in North Carolina were the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA), which began play in the 1987-88 season. The New Orleans Hornets are a professional Basketball team based in New Orleans Louisiana, United States. The state remains without a Major League Baseball franchise despite numerous efforts to attract a team (including the 2006 push to relocate the Florida Marlins to Charlotte). The Florida Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami Gardens Florida.

On June 19, 2006, the Carolina Hurricanes, a National Hockey League (NHL) franchise based in Raleigh, won the Stanley Cup. Events 1179 - The Norwegian Battle of Kalvskinnet outside Nidaros. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional Ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina. The National Hockey League ( NHL) is a professional Ice hockey league composed of 30 teams in North America The Stanley Cup (La Coupe Stanley is an Ice hockey club championship Trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL playoffs champion The Hurricanes, who call the RBC Center home, are the first professional sports team from North Carolina to win their sport's highest championship. This article is about the indoor arena in Raleigh NC For the office tower in Toronto Ontario see RBC Centre. The National Football League (NFL) is represented by the Carolina Panthers, who began play in 1995, and call Charlotte's Bank of America Stadium home. The National Football League ( NFL) is the largest professional American football league. The Carolina Panthers are a professional football team based in Charlotte North Carolina, representing both North Carolina and South Carolina in the Bank of America Stadium (formerly known as Carolinas Stadium and Ericsson Stadium is a 73504-seat football Stadium located on 33 acres (130000 m² In 2004, the NBA returned to the state with the Charlotte Bobcats who play their home games in Time Warner Cable Arena. The Charlotte Bobcats are a professional Basketball team based in Charlotte North Carolina. The Time Warner Cable Arena (also known locally as "TWC Arena" "St The Carolina RailHawks are a men's professional soccer team in the United Soccer Leagues, and their home field is the WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary. Carolina RailHawks is an American professional Soccer team founded in 2006 History In 1996 the United Systems of Independent Soccer Leagues established the new Select League consisting of its strongest teams from its professional FIFA Notable events 2002 USA Men's National Team World Cup Training Camp 2002 Women's Nike Cup 1st Round 2003 Cary (ˈkeər'i is a town in Wake and Chatham counties in the U The American Indoor Football Association (AIFA) is represented by the Fayetteville Guard who plays at Crown Coliseum. The Fayetteville Guard is a professional Indoor football team Cumberland County Crown Coliseum is an 8500-seat multi-purpose arena in Fayetteville North Carolina. North Carolina was home to the Charlotte Rage and the Carolina Cobras of the Arena Football League. The Charlotte Rage was a team in the Arena Football League, a league which plays a scaled-down version of American football suitable for play in venues primarily designed Not to be confused with the Los Angeles Cobras, who played in the 1988 AFL season The Arena Football League (AFL was founded in 1987 as an American football indoor league.

The state is also a center of American motorsports, with more than 80% of NASCAR racing teams and related industries located in the Piedmont region. The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing ( NASCAR) is the largest sanctioning body of Stock cars in the United States. The largest race track in North Carolina is Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord where the Sprint Cup Series holds three major races each year. Lowe's Motor Speedway (formerly Charlotte Motor Speedway) is a speedway in Concord North Carolina, north of Charlotte. Concord (kän-kord is a city in the US state of North Carolina. The NASCAR Hall of Fame, located in Charlotte, is due to open in 2010. The NASCAR Hall of Fame will honor drivers who have shown exceptional skill at NASCAR driving all-time great crew chiefs and owners and other major contributors to the sport Many of NASCAR's most famous driver dynasties, the Pettys, Earnhardts, Allisons, Jarretts and Waltrips all live within an hour of Charlotte.

In off-road motocycle racing, the Grand National Cross Country series makes two stops in North Carolina, Morganton and Yadkinville; the only other state to host two GNCC events is Ohio. Off Roading is a term for driving a specialized vehicle on unpaved roads such as Sand, Gravel, riverbeds Mud, Snow, Rocks, MotorCycle is the title of a 1993 album by Rock band Daniel Amos, released on BAI Records. GNCC Racing was founded in the early 1980s It is the premier Off-road Motorcycle and ATV series in Morganton is a city in Burke County, North Carolina, United States. Yadkinville is a town in Yadkin County, North Carolina, United States. Ohio ( is a Midwestern state of the United States. As part of the Great Lakes region, Ohio has long been a cultural and geographical crossroads For sport amateurs, the state holds the State Games of North Carolina each year. The State Games of North Carolina is an Olympic -style competition for residents of North Carolina, and a member of the State Games of America.

From the 1930s to the early 1990s, the Mid Atlantic Championship Wrestling professional wrestling promotion, under the Crockett family, operated almost entirely out of Charlotte. Mid Atlantic was a long-time member of the National Wrestling Alliance and many of their top stars appeared on national television on NWA and later WCW events. The National Wrestling Alliance ( NWA) is the largest governing body for a group of independent Professional wrestling promotions and sanctions various NWA Many retired or still-current wrestlers live in the Charlotte/Lake Norman area, including Ric Flair, Ricky Steamboat, Matt and Jeff Hardy, Stan Lane, and Shannon Moore. Richard Morgan Fliehr According to WWE and PWI Flair is an eight-time National Wrestling Alliance (NWA Champion, six-time WCW Champion Richard Henry Blood (born February 28, 1953 in West Point, New York) The Hardy Boyz (also known as the The Hardys and Team Xtreme) are an on-and-off Professional wrestling Tag team in World Wrestling Wallace Stanfield "Sweet Stan" Lane (born August 5, 1953 in Greensboro North Carolina) is a Professional wrestler, trained by Shannon Brian Moore is an American professional wrestler best known for his work with World Championship Wrestling (WCW as a member of 3 Count

North Carolina has become a hot bed for professional bull riding (PBR). Bull riding is a Rodeo Sport that involves a rider getting on a large bull and attempting to stay mounted for at least 8 seconds while the animal attempts Professional Bull Riders Inc ( PBR) is an international professional Bull riding organization based in Pueblo Colorado, USA It is the home of the 1995 PRCA World Champion Bull Rider Jerome Davis. The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA is an Organization whose members compete in Rodeos around the United States. It is also home to several professional stock contractors and bull owners including Thomas Teague of Teague Bucking Bulls. The Southern Extreme Bull Riding Association SEBRA headquarters are located in Archdale. The Southern Extreme Bull Riding Association was established in 1994 in Archdale North Carolina. Archdale is a city in Guilford and Randolph counties in the U

North Carolina is a state known for minor league sports, notably the setting of the 1987 comedy Bull Durham about the Durham Bulls of the Carolina League. Bull Durham is a 1988 American movie about love and Baseball. The Durham Bulls are a Minor league baseball team based in Durham North Carolina. The Carolina League is a Minor league baseball affiliation which operates in the South Atlantic region of the United States. The state boasts over 30 minor league baseball teams in six different minor leagues, including the Triple-A International League teams in Charlotte and Durham. Part of the History of baseball series Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of Professional baseball leagues in North The International League ( IL) is a Minor league baseball league which operates in the eastern United States. There is a number of indoor football, indoor soccer, minor league basketball, and minor league ice hockey teams throughout the state. American football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, is a competitive Team sport known for mixing strategy with Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Basketball is a team Sport in which two teams of five active players each try to score points against one another by propelling a ball through a 10 feet (3 m Minor leagues are professional Sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports North Carolina has become a top golf destination for players across the nation, notably in Pinehurst, and the community of Southern Pines of Moore County which is home to over 50 golf courses. Pinehurst Resort is an historic upmarket Golf resort at Pinehurst, North Carolina, USA Southern Pines is a town in Moore County, North Carolina, United States. Moore County is a County located in the US state of North Carolina.

College Sports

Although North Carolina did not have a major-league professional sports franchise until the 1980s, the state has long been known as a hotbed of college basketball. College basketball most often refers to the American Basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA Since the formation of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in 1953, the conference's North Carolina member schools have excelled in conference play. The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), Duke University, and North Carolina State University are all located within 25 miles of one another, creating fierce rivalries. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ( UNC, North Carolina, or simply Carolina) is a public, Coeducational Research Duke University is a private Research University located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. North Carolina State University at Raleigh is a public, Coeducational extensive Research University located in Raleigh North Carolina Wake Forest University, another ACC member, is located less than 100 miles to the west of these schools in Winston-Salem. Wake Forest University is a private, coeducational University in North Carolina, founded in 1834 Winston-Salem is a city in the US state of North Carolina. As of the 2000 census the city population was 185776 in 2004 the city annexed an additional 17483 UNC has won four NCAA national championships in basketball, Duke has won three NCAA championships, and NC State has won two. The National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA, often pronounced "N-C-Double-A" is a voluntary association of about 1200 institutions conferences organizations The Duke-UNC basketball rivalry has been called one of the best rivalries in college sports, and the two schools are often contenders for the national title. In addition to the ACC schools, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte went to the NCAA's Final Four in 1977, and Davidson College near Charlotte went to the NCAA's "Elite Eight" in 1968, 1969, and 2008. The University of North Carolina at Charlotte (also known as UNC Charlotte or Charlotte) is a public coeducational research intensive university located in The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single elimination Tournament held each spring featuring 65 College basketball teams in the Davidson College is a private liberal arts college for 1700 students in Davidson, North Carolina, in the United States. In 2007 Barton College in Wilson won the NCAA Division II championship in men's basketball. Barton College is a private Liberal arts college located in Wilson North Carolina. Although basketball remains the dominant college sport in North Carolina, several schools have also enjoyed success in football and other sports. In 2005, 2006, and 2007 Appalachian State University won the NCAA Division I-AA national championship in football; they are the first university to win the I-AA national championship three times in a row. Appalachian State University is a comprehensive ( Master's L) public, Coeducational University located in Boone, North Carolina

Recreation

The Blue Ridge Mountains of the Shining Rock Wilderness Area

Due to geography, rich history, and growing industry, North Carolina provides a large range of recreational activities from swimming at the beach^[56] to skiing in the mountains. The Blue Ridge, or Blue Ridge Mountains, is a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian division Swimming is the movement by humans or animals through Water, usually without artificial assistance Snow skiing is a group of sports utilizing Skis as primary equipment A mountain is a Landform that extends above the surrounding Terrain in a limited area with a peak North Carolina offers fall colors, freshwater and saltwater fishing, hunting, birdwatching, agritourism, ATV trails, ballooning, rock climbing, biking, hiking, skiing, boating and sailing, camping, canoeing, caving (spelunking), gardens, and arboretums. Autumn leaf color is a phenomenon that affects the normally Green leaves of many Deciduous Trees and Shrubs by which they take on during For the computer security term see Phishing. Fishing is the activity of catching Fish. Hunting is the practice of pursuing Animals for Food, Recreation, or Trade. Birdwatching or birding is the observation and study of Birds with the naked eye or through a visual enhancement device like Binoculars. Agritourism is a style of vacation that normally takes place on a Farm. An all-terrain vehicle (ATV is defined by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI as a vehicle that travels on low pressure tires with a seat that is straddled by "Ballooning" redirects here For the behavior of Spiders and other Arthropods see Ballooning (spider. Rock climbing is a Sport in which participants climb up or across natural rock formations or man-made rock walls with the goal of reaching the Cycling is the use of Bicycles or - less commonly - Unicycles Tricycles Quadricycles and other similar wheeled Human powered vehicles The word 'hiking' is understood in all English-speaking countries but there are differences in usage Snow skiing is a group of sports utilizing Skis as primary equipment Boating, the leisurely activity of traveling by Boat typically refers to the Recreational use of boats whether Power boats sail boats, or Sailing is the art of controlling a Sailing vessel. By changing the Rigging, Rudder and dagger or centre board a Sailor manages the force Definition Camping describes a range of activities Survivalist campers set off with little more than their boots whereas Recreational vehicle travelers arrive equipped Canoeing is the activity of paddling a Canoe for the purpose of recreation (also called a float trip Sport, or transportation. Caving or spelunking is the recreational Sport of exploring Caves In contrast Speleology is the scientific study of caves and the cave A garden is a planned space usually outdoors set aside for the display cultivation and enjoyment of Plants and other forms of Nature. An arboretum is a collection of trees Related collections include a fruticetum (from the Latin frutex, meaning shrub and a viticetum a collection of vines North Carolina has theme parks, aquariums, zoos, museums, historic sites, lighthouses, elegant theaters, concert halls, and fine dining. Theme park is the generic term for a collection of rides and other Entertainment attractions assembled for the purpose of entertaining a large group An aquarium (plural aquariums or aquaria) is a Vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which Water -dwelling Plants A zoological garden, shortened to zoo, is an institution in which living animals are exhibited in captivity A museum is a "permanent institution in the service of society and of its development open to the public which acquires conserves researches communicates and exhibits the A historic site is an official location where pieces of political military or social History have been preserved A lighthouse is a Tower, building or framework designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or in older times from a fire and used as an Theatre (or theater, see spelling differences) is the branch of the Performing arts defined by Bernard Beckerman as what "occurs when one A concert hall is a cultural building which serves as performance venue chiefly for classical instrumental music There are various types of Restaurants. Restaurants fall into several industry classification based upon menu style preparation methods and pricing ^[57]

North Carolinians enjoy outdoor recreation utilizing numerous local bike paths, 34 state parks, and 14 national parks, including:

• Appalachian National Scenic Trail
• Blue Ridge Parkway
• Cape Hatteras National Seashore
• Cape Lookout National Seashore
• Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site at Flat Rock
• Croatan National Forest in Eastern North Carolina
• Fort Raleigh National Historic Site at Manteo
• Great Smoky Mountains National Park
• Guilford Courthouse National Military Park in Greensboro
• Moores Creek National Battlefield near Currie
• Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail
• Old Salem National Historic Site in Winston-Salem
• Trail of Tears National Historic Trail
• Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina
• Uwharrie National Forest

Other information

Famous food and drinks from North Carolina

A nationally-famous cuisine from North Carolina is pork barbecue. North Carolina State Parks: Carolina Beach State Park Chimney Rock State Park Cliffs of the Neuse State The National Park Service ( NPS) is the United States federal agency that manages all National Parks, many National Monuments, and other conservation The Appalachian National Scenic Trail, generally known as the Appalachian Trail or simply The A The Blue Ridge Parkway is a National Parkway and All-American Road in the United States, noted for its scenic beauty Cape Hatteras National Seashore preserves the portion of the Outer Banks of North Carolina from Bodie Island to Ocracoke Island, stretching Cape Lookout National Seashore preserves a 56 mile (90 km long section of the Southern Outer Banks, or Crystal Coast, of North Carolina, USA Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site, located near Hendersonville in Flat Rock North Carolina, preserves Connemara Farms the home of Pulitzer Prize Flat Rock is a village in Henderson County, North Carolina, United States. The Croatan National Forest is a US National Forest located on the Atlantic coast of North Carolina. Eastern North Carolina or Down East I thought Down East was just the eastern Carteret Peninsula The Lost Colony' redirects here For other uses see Lost Colony (disambiguation. Manteo (pronounced man-te-oh is a town in Dare County, North Carolina, United States. Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a United States National Park that straddles the ridgeline of the Great Smoky Mountains, part of the Blue Ridge Mountains Guilford Courthouse National Military Park, at 2331 New Garden Road in Greensboro Moores Creek National Battlefield is a United States National Battlefield managed by the National Park Service. Currie is an unincorporated settlement in Pender County, North Carolina, United States. The Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail (OVHT is part of the U Old Salem is a Living history museum that operates within the restored Moravian community of Winston-Salem North Carolina. Winston-Salem is a city in the US state of North Carolina. As of the 2000 census the city population was 185776 in 2004 the city annexed an additional 17483 The Trail of Tears was the forced relocation of Native Americans from their homelands to Indian Territory (present day Oklahoma in the Western United States Wright Brothers National Memorial, located in Kill Devil Hills North Carolina, commemorates the first successful sustained powered flights in a heavier-than-air machine Kill Devil Hills is a town in Dare County, North Carolina, USA The Uwharrie Mountains are a Mountain range located in North Carolina, USA Cuisine (from French cuisine, "cooking culinary art kitchen" ultimately from Latin coquere, "to cook" is a specific set barbeque block party Kansas cityjpg|thumb|right|275px|A barbecue on a trailer at a Block party in Kansas City. However, there are strong regional differences and rivalries over the sauces and method of preparation used in making the barbecue. Eastern North Carolina pork barbecue uses a vinegar-based sauce and the "whole hog" is cooked, thus using both white and dark meat. Vinegar is an acidic liquid processed from the Fermentation of Ethanol in a process that yields its key ingredient Acetic acid (also called ethanoic acid The "capital" of eastern Carolina barbecue is usually considered to be the town of Wilson, near Raleigh. Wilson is a city and the County seat of Wilson County in the Coastal Plain region of the U Raleigh (pronounced rah-lee) is the Capital of the State of North Carolina and the county seat of Wake County, USA Western North Carolina pork barbecue uses a ketchup-based sauce and only the pork shoulder (dark meat) is used. Ketchup (also spelled catsup or catchup) also known as tomato ketchup, tomato sauce, red sauce, Tommy sauce, The "capital" of western Carolina barbecue is usually considered to be the town of Lexington, south of Winston-Salem. Lexington is the County seat of Davidson County North Carolina, United States. A third type of pork barbecue, using a sauce which is a combination of ketchup and vinegar, is "Shelby" barbecue which is made in the town of Shelby. Shelby is a city in Cleveland County, North Carolina, United States.

North Carolina is the birthplace of Pepsi-Cola, first produced in 1890 in New Bern. Pepsi-Cola is a carbonated beverage that is produced and manufactured by PepsiCo. Regional soft drinks created and still based in the state are Sundrop and Cheerwine. Soft drink is a beverage that does not contain Alcohol. Carbonated soft drinks are commonly known as soda soda pop pop, or Cheerwine is a Soft drink produced by the Carolina Beverage Corporation of Salisbury, North Carolina. Krispy Kreme, a popular chain of doughnut stores, was started in North Carolina; the company's headquarters are in Winston-Salem. Krispy Kreme is a chain of Doughnut stores Its parent company is Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc Winston-Salem is a city in the US state of North Carolina. As of the 2000 census the city population was 185776 in 2004 the city annexed an additional 17483 Despite its name, the hotsauce Texas Pete was created in North Carolina; its headquarters are also in Winston-Salem. Texas Pete is a retail Brand name for a Louisiana-style Hot sauce in the United States manufactured by the TW Garner Food Company in Winston-Salem The Hardees fast-food chain was started in Greenville. Hardee's is an American Fast-food restaurant chain located mostly in the Midwest United States and Southeast regions Greenville is the county seat of Pitt County and principal city of the Greenville North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area. Another fast-food chain, Bojangles', was started in Charlotte, and has its corporate headquarters there. Bojangles' Famous Chicken n' Biscuits is a regional chain of Fast food restaurants based in Charlotte North Carolina, specializing in spicy "Cajun" A popular North Carolina restaurant chain is Golden Corral. Golden Corral is an American family-style restaurant chain that features a large Buffet and Grill offering 150 hot and cold items a carving Started in 1973, the chain was founded in Fayetteville. Fayetteville is a city located in Cumberland County, North Carolina.

Ships named for the state

Several ships have been named for the state. Five ships of the United States Navy and one of the Confederate States Navy have been named USS North Carolina in honor of North Carolina. Most famous is the USS North Carolina, a World War II battleship. Construction and shakedown She was laid down 27 October 1937 at the New York Naval Shipyard and launched on 13 June 1940 sponsored by Isabel Hoey (daughter A battleship is a large heavily armored Warship with a main battery consisting of the largest Calibre of Guns Battleships were The ship served in several battles against the forces of Imperial Japan in the Pacific theater during the war. The Pacific Ocean theater was one of four major naval theatres of war of the Second World War that pitted forces of the Japan against those of the United World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Now decommissioned, it is part of the USS North Carolina Battleship Memorial in Wilmington. Another USS North Carolina, a nuclear attack submarine, is to be commissioned in 2008. History The contract to build her was awarded to Northrop Grumman Newport News (then called Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Company in Newport News Virginia A submarine is a Watercraft that can operate independently below water as distinct from a Submersible that has only limited underwater capability ^[58]

State symbols

Strawberry, North Carolina state red berry

Main article: North Carolina state symbols

• State motto: Esse quam videri ("To be, rather than to seem") (1893)
• State song: "The Old North State" (1927)
• State flower: Dogwood (1941)
• State bird: Cardinal (1943)
• State colors: the red and blue of the N.C. and U.S. flags (1945)
• State toast: The Tar Heel Toast (1957)
• State tree: Pine (1963)
• State shell: Scotch bonnet (1965)
• State mammal: Eastern Grey Squirrel (1969)
• State salt water fish: Red Drum (also known as the Channel bass) (1971)
• State insect: European honey bee (1973)
• State gemstone: Emerald (1973)
• State reptile: Eastern Box Turtle (1979)
• State rock: Granite (1979)
• State beverage: Milk (1987)
• State historical boat: Shad boat (1987)
• State language: English (1987)
• State dog: Plott Hound (1989)
• State military academy: Oak Ridge Military Academy (1991)
• State tartan: Carolina tartan (1991)^[59]
• State vegetable: Sweet potato (1995)
• State red berry: Strawberry (2001)
• State blue berry: Blueberry (2001)
• State fruit: Scuppernong grape (2001)
• State wildflower: Carolina Lily (2003)
• State Christmas tree: Fraser Fir (2005)
• State carnivorous plant: Venus Flytrap (2005)
• State folk dance: Clogging (2005)
• State popular dance: Shag (2005)
• State freshwater trout: Southern Appalachian Brook Trout (2005)
• State birthplace of traditional pottery: the Seagrove area (2005)

Armed Forces installations

According to Governor Easley, North Carolina is the "most military friendly state in the nation. Garden strawberries are a common variety of strawberry cultivated worldwide The following is a list of official state symbols of the US State of North Carolina, listed in the order adopted by the North Carolina General Assembly Here is a list of state Mottos for the states of the United States of America. Esse quam videri is a Latin phrase meaning " To be rather than to seem " Introduction Forty-nine states of the United States (all except New Jersey) have one or more state songs, selected by the state The Old North State is the official State song of the US state of North Carolina. This is a list of US state flowers: See also List of US state trees Lists of U The Dogwoods comprise a group of 30-50 species of mostly Deciduous Woody plants growing as Shrubs and Trees some species are herbaceous perennial This is a list of US state birds as designated by each state's legislature The Northern Cardinal ( Cardinalis cardinalis) is a North American Bird in the Cardinal family. This is a list of US state colors: See also Lists of US state insignia The Flag of North Carolina is defined by law as follows That the flag of North Carolina shall consist of a blue union containing in the center thereof a white Flags of the United States The Flag of the United States of America consists of 13 equal horizontal stripes of Red (top and bottom alternating The Tar Heel Toast was adopted by the North Carolina General Assembly in 1957: Here's to the land of the long leaf pine, This List of US state trees includes official trees of the following states and U This article is about the tree For other uses of the term "pine" see Pine (disambiguation. This is a list of official state shells: See also Lists of US The Scotch bonnet (ˈskɒtʃ boˈneɪ ˈskɒtʃ ˈbɒnɨt Semicassis granulata granulata, also known as the ridged bonnet, is a medium-sized Subspecies A state mammal is the official or representative Animal of a U The eastern gray squirrel ( Sciurus carolinensis) is a Tree squirrel native to the eastern and Midwestern United States and to the southerly This is a list of official and *unofficial US state fish:The only states lacking a state fish as of 2008 are Arkansas Indiana Kansas and Ohio The Red Drum ( Sciaenops ocellatus) also known as Channel Bass Redfish Puppy Drum or just Red is a Game fish that is found in the Atlantic Ocean This is a list of United States state insects note that some states have more than one designated insect or have multiple categories (e Not every state has an official state mineral rock stone or gemstone Emeralds are a variety of the Mineral Beryl (Be3Al2(SiO36 colored Green by trace amounts This is a list of official US state reptiles: See also Lists of United States state insignia The Eastern Box Turtle ( Terrapene carolina carolina) is a Subspecies within a group of Hinge -shelled turtles normally called Box turtles Not every state has an official state mineral rock stone or gemstone Granite (ˈɡrænɪt is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, Felsic, igneous rock. This is a list of official state beverages: Milk is an opaque white liquid produced by the Mammary glands of female Mammals (including Monotremes. The shad boat was proclaimed the Official State Historic Boat of North Carolina by the North Carolina General Assembly in 1987 English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Oak Ridge Military Academy (ORMA is a college-preparatory Military school in northwestern Guilford County, North Carolina. This is a list of official US state foods: The sweet potato ( Ipomoea batatas) is a Dicotyledonous plant which belongs to the family Convolvulaceae This is a list of official US state foods: Garden strawberries are a common variety of strawberry cultivated worldwide This is a list of official US state foods: Blueberries are Flowering plants in the genus Vaccinium, sect This is a list of official US state foods: A scuppernong (also called "scuppernine" or "suscadine" in parts of Georgia is a large type of Muscadine, a type of Grape native to the This is a list of US state flowers: See also List of US state trees Lists of U Lilium michauxii, commonly known as the Carolina Lily, can be found in the Southeastern United States from West Virginia in the north to Abies fraseri ( Fraser Fir) is a species of Fir native to the mountains of the eastern United States. The Venus Flytrap Dionaea muscipula, is a Carnivorous plant that catches and digests animal prey&mdashmostly Insects and Arachnids This is a list of official US state dances: See also Lists of U Clogging is a type of Folk dance rooted in traditional European dancing from the British Isles, in which the dancer's footwear is used musically by striking the heel This is a list of official US state dances: See also Lists of U The shag is a form of swing dancing that evolved from the Jitterbug and Jump blues of the Big band Jazz era and originated along the The brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis, (sometimes called the eastern brook trout, Adirondack coaster lake trout) is a Species of Fish Seagrove is a town in Randolph County, North Carolina, United States. "^[60] Fort Bragg, near Fayetteville is the largest and most comprehensive military base in the United States and is the headquarters of the XVIII Airborne Corps, 82nd Airborne Division, and the U.S. Army Special Operations Command. Fayetteville is a city located in Cumberland County, North Carolina. Etymology The word bases is first recorded in English language from c The XVIII Airborne Corps is the Corps of the United States Army designed for rapid deployment anywhere in the world The United States Army Special Operations Command (Airborne ( USASOC or ARSOC)is the command charged with overseeing the various Special Operations Forces Serving as the airwing for Fort Bragg is Pope Air Force Base also located near Fayetteville. Pope Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located 12 miles (19 km) northwest of the Central business district of Fayetteville Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune which, when combined with nearby bases Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point, MCAS New River, Camp Geiger, Camp Johnson, Stone Bay and Courthouse Bay, makes up the largest concentration of Marines and sailors in the world. Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune is near Jacksonville North Carolina, on the Atlantic seaboard of the United States. Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point or MCAS Cherry Point (* is a United States Marine Corps airfield located in Havelock, North Carolina Marine Corps Air Station New River is a United States Marine Corps helicopter base near Jacksonville North Carolina, in the eastern part of the state For the Missouri Boy Scout camp see Camp Geiger (Boy Scouts Camp Geiger is a United States Marine Corps Base Camp Gilbert H Johnson is a satellite camp of Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune and home to the Marine Corps Combat Service Support Schools (MCCSSS Based on the south side of Camp Lejeune North Carolina. It is separated from mainside by the New River and is home to Weapons Training Battalion MCAS Cherry Point is home of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing. Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point or MCAS Cherry Point (* is a United States Marine Corps airfield located in Havelock, North Carolina The 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (2nd MAW is the major east coast aviation unit of the United States Marine Corps and is based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Located in Goldsboro, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base is home of the 4th Fighter Wing and 916th Air Refueling Wing. Goldsboro is a city in Wayne County, North Carolina, United States. Seymour Johnson Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located within the city limits of Goldsboro North Carolina. The 4th Fighter Wing is a United States Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle wing based at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina. The 916th Air Refueling Wing ( 916 ARW) is a wing of the United States Air Force based out of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North One of the busiest air stations in the United States Coast Guard is located at the Coast Guard Air Station in Elizabeth City. Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City is a United States Coast Guard air station located at Elizabeth City North Carolina, along the Albemarle Sound. Elizabeth City is a City in Pasquotank and Camden counties in the U

See also

• List of North Carolina-related topics

References

Further reading

External links

Find more about North Carolina on Wikipedia's sister projects:
	Dictionary definitions
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Government and education

• North Carolina state government
• North Carolina State Databases - Annotated list of searchable databases produced by North Carolina state agencies and compiled by the Government Documents Roundtable of the American Library Association.
• North Carolina Department of Commerce
• North Carolina state library
• USGS real-time, geographic, and other scientific resources of North Carolina
• North Carolina facts from US Department of Agriculture ERS
• North Carolina Court System official site
• North Carolina facts from US Census Bureau
• North Carolina Travel and Tourism Website
• NC ECHO - North Carolina Exploring Cultural Heritage Online
• North Carolina Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• Green 'N' Growing: The History of Home Demonstration and 4-H Youth Development in North Carolina - hosted by NCSU Libraries Special Collections Research Center
• NC Office of Archives and History
• NC Museum of History

Other links

• North Carolina travel guide from Wikitravel
• Old Growth Forest Wilderness Areas in Western North Carolina
• Old Growth Forest Wilderness Areas in Eastern North Carolina
• The Appalachian Trail
• Updates of statewide trends since publication of The North Carolina Atlas in 2000
• North Carolina Information
• Lost Colony Blog
• Interactive North Carolina for Kids
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