The state of North Carolina is becoming a popular destination for visitors and residents across the nation who are finding four distinct seasons, a variety of interesting travel destinations, a rich and revered history, a long tradition of fine arts, opportunities for higher education and a good quality of life.
The Appalachian mountains in the west offers camping and beautiful vistas in hardwood forests, skiing and snowboarding in the winter, and in autumn over 120 species of trees put on a brilliant display of color. The gently rolling foothills of the Piedmont in the center of the state boasts of one of the most dynamic economies in the United States and is home to the state's largest cities and biggest financial institutions. Renowned research universities, textile and furniture factories, tobacco farms, shopping meccas, top golf courses and abundant historic sites are also part of the makeup of the Piedmont. Warmed by the Gulf Stream, the North Carolina Coast is a sunny place filled with pristine beaches, wetlands filled with wildlife and a variety of plants, and giant sand dunes -- including Jockey's Ridge, the highest along the East Coast.
Population: 8,049,313 (11th in country)
Size: 52,669 square miles (28th in country)
Nickname: Tar Heel State -- the origin is clothed in mystery, but it probably evolved from the fact that during the Colonial period, the colony's chief exports were tar, pitch and turpentine.
Origin of Name: North Carolina is named in honor of King Charles I of England, from the Latin "Carolus".
Song: "The Old North State" by Judge William Gaston
Rock: Granite
Vegetable: Sweet Potato
Did You Know? North Carolina was first...
∙ On January 15, 1795, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was the first state university in the country to open its doors for students.
∙ The first state-supported institution to emphasize the performing arts was the North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem.
∙ The first forestry school in the United States was established in Transylvania County in 1898 by Dr. Carl A. Schenck.
∙ The first silver mine in the country was the Silver Hill Mine, which opened in 1833 about 10 miles from Lexington.
∙ Babe Ruth hit his first professional home run in Fayetteville on March 7, 1914.
Did You Know? North Carolina has more...
∙ More than 120 species of trees are found in North Carolina more than can be found from Scandinavia to the Mediterranean.
∙ North Carolina boasts more than 200 waterfalls, including the highest on the East Coast: the 411-foot-high, two-tiered Whitewater Falls in Transylvania County.
∙ North Carolina has 1,500 lakes 10 acres or more in size and 37,000 miles of fresh water streams.
∙ There are more than 1.2 million acres of national forest land in the Tar Heel State.
∙ The Tar Heel State has more paved miles of road than any other state in the United States over 78,000 miles.
Did You Know? North Carolina superlatives...
∙ At 6,684 feet, Mount Mitchell is the highest peak in the state, and the tallest mountain in the eastern United States.
∙ At around 500 million years old, the North Carolina Uwharrie Mountains are the oldest in the nation and among the oldest in the world.
∙ The New River, which runs through Ashe County, is the oldest river in North America and second oldest in the world.
∙ Cape Hatteras lighthouse, built of brick in 1870, is 208 feet tall, making it the tallest brick lighthouse in the United States.
∙ The oldest town in the state is Bath, incorporated in 1705.
∙ Blackbeard, America¹s most famous pirate, established a residence and married his 14th wife in Bath, NC, in 1718.
