North Carolina

U.S. state

This article is about the U.S. state. For the former British colony, see Province of North Carolina. For other uses, see North Carolina (disambiguation).

"The Old North State" redirects here. For the song, see The Old North State (song).

State in the United States

North Carolina

State

State of North Carolina

Flag of North Carolina

Flag

Official seal of North Carolina

Seal

Nickname(s):

Tarheel State; Old North State

Motto(s):

Esse quam videri:[1] "To be, rather than to seem"

Anthem: The Old North State[2]
Map of the United States with North Carolina highlighted

Map of the United States with North Carolina highlighted

Country| United States
Before statehood| Province of North Carolina
Admitted to the Union| November 21, 1789 (12th)
Capital| Raleigh
Largest city| Charlotte
Largest metro and urban areas| Charlotte
Government

• Governor| Roy Cooper (D)
• Lieutenant Governor| Mark Robinson (R)
Legislature| General Assembly
• Upper house| Senate
• Lower house| House of Representatives
Judiciary| North Carolina Supreme Court
U.S. senators| Richard Burr (R)
Thom Tillis (R)
U.S. House delegation|

* 8 Republicans
* 5 Democrats

(list)
Area

• Total| 53,819 sq mi (139,390 km2)
• Land| 48,711 sq mi (126,161 km2)
• Water| 1,972 sq mi (5,108 km2)  9.5%
• Rank| 28th
Dimensions

• Length| 500[3] mi (804 km)
• Width| 184 mi (296 km)
Elevation

| 700 ft (210 m)
Highest elevation

(Mount Mitchell[4][5])

| 6,684 ft (2,037 m)
Lowest elevation

(Atlantic Ocean[4])

| 0 ft (0 m)
Population

(2021)

• Total| 10,551,162
• Rank| 9th
• Density| 214.6/sq mi (82.9/km2)
• Rank| 15th
• Median household income

| $52,752[6]
• Income rank

| 39th
Demonym(s)| North Carolinian (official);
Tarheel (colloquial)
Language

• Official language| English[7]
• Spoken language| As of 2010[8]

* English 90.70%
* Spanish 6.93%
* Other 2.73%

Time zone| UTC−05:00 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)| UTC−04:00 (EDT)
USPS abbreviation|

ISO 3166 code| US-NC
Traditional abbreviation| N.C.
Latitude| 33° 50′ N to 36° 35′ N
Longitude| 75° 28′ W to 84° 19′ W
Website| www.nc.gov
North Carolina state symbols

File:Flag of North Carolina.svg

Flag of North Carolina

File:Seal of North Carolina.svg
Living insignia
Bird| Cardinal
Butterfly| Eastern tiger swallowtail
Fish| Red drum
Flower| Flowering dogwood
Insect| Western honey bee
Mammal| Eastern gray squirrel
Marsupial| Virginia opossum
Reptile| Eastern box turtle
Tree| Pine
Inanimate insignia
Beverage| Milk
Colors| Red and blue
Dance| Shag
Food| Scuppernong grape and sweet potato
Fossil| Megalodon teeth
Gemstone| Emerald
Mineral| Gold
Motto| Esse quam videri
("To be, rather than to seem")[1]
Rock| Granite
Shell| Scotch bonnet
Slogan| First in Flight; First in Freedom (unofficial)
Song| "The Old North State"
State route marker
North Carolina state route marker
State quarter
North Carolina quarter dollar coin

Released in 2001

Lists of United States state symbols

North Carolina (/ˌkærəˈlaɪnə/ (Audio file "en-us-North Carolina.ogg" not found)) is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and South Carolina to the south, and Tennessee to the west. Raleigh is the state's capital and Charlotte is its largest city. The Charlotte metropolitan area, with a population of 2,595,027 in 2020,[9] is the most-populous metropolitan area in North Carolina, the 21st-most populous in the United States, and the largest banking center in the nation after New York City.[10] The Raleigh-Durham-Cary combined statistical area is the second-largest metropolitan area in the state and 32nd-most populous in the United States, with a population of 2,043,867 in 2020,[11] and is home to the largest research park in the United States, Research Triangle Park.

The earliest evidence of human occupation in North Carolina dates back 10,000 years, found at the Hardaway Site. North Carolina was inhabited by Carolina Algonquian, Iroquoian, and Siouan speaking tribes of Native Americans prior to the arrival of Europeans. North Carolina was established as a royal colony in 1729 and was one of the Thirteen Colonies. North Carolina is named in honor of King Charles I of England who first formed the English colony, Carolus being Latin for "Charles". In 1755, colonial North Carolina received its first postmaster, James Davis, appointed by Benjamin Franklin.[12] The Halifax Resolves resolution adopted by North Carolina on April 12, 1776, was the first formal call for independence from Great Britain among the American Colonies during the American Revolution.[13]

On November 21, 1789, North Carolina became the 12th state to ratify the United States Constitution. In the run-up to the American Civil War, North Carolina declared its secession from the Union on May 20, 1861, becoming the tenth of eleven states to join the Confederate States of America. Following the Civil War, the state was restored to the Union on July 4, 1868.[14] On December 17, 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright successfully piloted the world's first controlled, sustained flight of a powered, heavier-than-air aircraft at Kitty Hawk in North Carolina's Outer Banks. North Carolina often uses the slogan "First in Flight" on state license plates to commemorate this achievement, alongside a newer alternative design bearing the slogan "First in Freedom" in reference to the Mecklenburg Declaration and Halifax Resolves.

North Carolina is defined by a wide range of elevations and landscapes. From west to east, North Carolina's elevation descends from the Appalachian Mountains to the Piedmont and Atlantic coastal plain. North Carolina's Mount Mitchell at 6,684 feet (2,037 m) is the highest point in North America east of the Mississippi River.[15] Most of the state falls in the humid subtropical climate zone; however, the western, mountainous part of the state has a subtropical highland climate.[16]

## Contents

* 1 History
* 1.1 Native Americans, lost colony, and permanent settlement
* 1.2 Anglo-European settlement
* 1.3 Colonial period
* 1.4 Revolutionary War
* 1.5 Antebellum period
* 1.6 American Civil War
* 1.7 Reconstruction era through late 19th century
* 1.8 Early through mid-20th century
* 1.9 Late 20th century to present
* 2 Geography
* 2.1 Flora and fauna
* 2.2 Major rivers
* 2.3 Climate
* 2.4 Parks and recreation
* 2.5 Most populous counties
* 2.6 Largest combined statistical areas
* 2.7 Major cities
* 3 Demographics
* 3.1 Race and ethnicity
* 3.2 Languages
* 3.3 Religion
* 4 Economy
* 5 Arts and culture
* 5.1 TV and Film
* 5.2 Music
* 5.3 Shopping
* 5.4 Cuisine and agriculture
* 5.5 Ships named for the state
* 5.6 State parks
* 5.7 Armed forces installations
* 6 Tourism
* 7 Education
* 7.1 Primary and secondary education
* 7.2 Colleges and universities
* 8 Health
* 9 Transportation
* 9.1 Interstates
* 9.1.1 Primary
* 9.1.2 Auxiliary (three-digit)
* 9.1.3 Business Routes
* 9.2 US highways
* 9.3 State routes
* 9.4 Secondary roads
* 10 Media
* 11 Government and politics
* 11.1 Gerrymandering
* 12 Sports
* 13 See also
* 14 Notes
* 15 References
* 15.1 Bibliography
* 15.2 Further reading
* 16 External links
* 16.1 General
* 16.2 Government and education
* 16.3 Other

## History[edit | edit source]

Main article: History of North Carolina

### Native Americans, lost colony, and permanent settlement[edit | edit source]

See also: Native Americans in the United States, Joara, Roanoke Island, and Fort Raleigh National Historic Site

File:North carolina algonkin-rituale01.jpg

Ceremony of Secotan warriors in North Carolina. Watercolour painted by English colonist John White in 1585.

North Carolina was inhabited for at least 10,000 years by succeeding prehistoric indigenous cultures. The Hardaway Site saw major periods of occupation dating to 10,000 years BCE. Before 200 AD, the people were building earthwork platform mounds, which were used for ceremonial and religious purposes. Succeeding peoples, including those of the South Appalachian Mississippian culture, established by 1000 AD in the Piedmont and mountain region, continued to build this style of mounds. In contrast to some of the larger centers of the classic Mississippian culture (as noted below), in what became known as the western Carolinas, northeastern Georgia and southeastern Tennessee, most of the larger towns had only one central platform mound. The smaller settlements had none but developed close to the more prominent towns. This area became known as the homelands of the historic Cherokee people, who are believed to have migrated over time from the Great Lakes area.

In the 500–700 years preceding European contact, the Mississippian culture built large, complex cities and maintained far-flung regional trading networks. Its largest city was Cahokia, which had numerous mounds for different purposes, a highly stratified society, and was located in present-day southwestern Illinois near the Mississippi River. The Native polities of the Mississippian culture fell apart and reformed as new groups, such as the Catawba, due to a series of destabilizing events known as the "Mississippian shatter zone". As described by anthropologist Robbie Ethridge, the Mississippian shatter zone was an area of great instability, in what is now the American South, caused by the instability of Mississippian chiefdoms, high mortality from new Eurasian diseases, construction of a global capitalistic economy based on trading of Native American slaves, and the emergence of Native "militaristic slaving societies".[17]

Historically documented tribes in the North Carolina region include the Carolina Algonquian-speaking tribes of the coastal areas, such as the Chowanoke, Roanoke, Pamlico, Machapunga, Coree, and Cape Fear Indians, who were the first encountered by the English; the Iroquoian-speaking Meherrin, Cherokee, and Tuscarora of the interior; and Southeastern Siouan tribes, such as the Cheraw, Waxhaw, Saponi, Waccamaw, and Catawba of the Piedmont.

In the late 16th century, the first Spanish explorers traveling inland recorded meeting Mississippian culture people at Joara, a regional chiefdom near what later developed as Morganton. Records of Hernando de Soto attested to his meeting with them in 1540. In 1567, Captain Juan Pardo led an expedition to claim the area for the Spanish colony and to establish another route to reach silver mines in Mexico. Pardo made a winter base at Joara, which he renamed Cuenca. His expedition built Fort San Juan and left a contingent of 30 men there, while Pardo traveled further. His forces built and garrisoned five other forts. He returned by a different route to Santa Elena on Parris Island, South Carolina, then a center of Spanish Florida. In the spring of 1568, natives killed all but one of the Spanish soldiers and burned the six forts in the interior, including the one at Fort San Juan. Although the Spanish never returned to the interior, this effort marked the first European attempt at colonization of the interior of what became the United States. A 16th-century journal by Pardo's scribe Bandera, and archaeological findings since 1986 at Joara, have confirmed the settlement.[18][19]

### Anglo-European settlement[edit | edit source]

File:Sir Walter Raleigh oval portrait by Nicholas Hilliard.jpg

Sir Walter Raleigh, namesake of the state capitol of North Carolina, Raleigh

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 part of the territory of Virginia).[20] It was the second American territory which the English attempted to colonize. Raleigh established two colonies on the coast in the late 1580s, but both failed. The fate of the "Lost Colony" of Roanoke Island remains one of the most widely debated mysteries of American history. Virginia Dare, the first English person to be born in North America, was born on Roanoke Island on August 18, 1587; Dare County is named for her.

As early as 1650, settlers from the Virginia colony had moved into the area of Albemarle Sound. By 1663, King Charles II of England granted a charter to start a new colony on the North American continent; this would generally establish North Carolina's borders. He named it Carolina in honor of his father, Charles I.[21] By 1665, a second charter was issued to attempt to resolve territorial questions. In 1712 owing to disputes over governance, the Carolina colony split into North Carolina and South Carolina. North Carolina would become a crown colony in 1729.[22]

Most of the English colonists had arrived as indentured servants, hiring themselves out as laborers for a fixed period to pay for their passage. In the early years the line between indentured servants and African slaves or laborers was fluid. 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 unions or marriages between free white women and enslaved or free African or African-American men. Because the mothers were free, their children were born free. Many had migrated or were descendants of migrants from colonial Virginia.[23] As the flow of indentured laborers to the colony decreased with improving economic conditions in Great Britain, planters imported more slaves, and the state's legal delineations between free and slave status tightened, effectively hardening the latter into a racial caste. The economy's growth and prosperity was based on slave labor, devoted primarily to the production of tobacco.

In 1738–1739, smallpox would cause high fatalities among the Native Americans, who had no immunity to the new disease (it had become endemic over centuries in Europe).[24] According to the historian Russell Thornton, "The 1738 epidemic was said to have killed one-half of the Cherokee, with other tribes of the area suffering equally."[25]

### Colonial period[edit | edit source]

Main articles: Province of Carolina, Province of North-Carolina, French and Indian War, Treaty of Paris (1763), American Revolutionary War, United States Declaration of Independence, and Articles of Confederation § Ratification

* Croatoan.jpg

John White returns to find the colony abandoned

* The Carte of all the Coast of Virginia by Theodor de Bry 1585 1586.jpg

Map of the coast of Virginia and North Carolina, drawn 1585–1586 by Theodor de Bry, based on map by John White of the Roanoke Colony

* Tryon Palace.JPG

Reconstructed royal governor's mansion Tryon Palace in New Bern

After the Spanish in the 16th century, the first permanent European settlers of North Carolina were English colonists who migrated south from Virginia. The latter had grown rapidly and land was less available. Nathaniel Batts was documented as one of the first of these Virginian migrants. He settled south of the Chowan River and east of the Great Dismal Swamp in 1655.[26] By 1663, this northeastern area of the Province of Carolina, known as the Albemarle Settlements, was undergoing full-scale English settlement.[27] During the same period, the English monarch Charles II gave the province to the Lords Proprietors, a group of noblemen who had helped restore him to the throne in 1660. The new Province of Carolina was named in honor and memory of his father, Charles I (Latin: Carolus). A large revolt happened in the state in 1711, known as Cary's Rebellion. In 1712, North Carolina became a separate colony. Except for the Earl Granville holdings, it became a royal colony seventeen years later.[28]

In June 1718, the pirate Blackbeard ran his flagship, the Queen Anne's Revenge, aground at Beaufort Inlet, North Carolina, in present-day Carteret County. After the grounding her crew and supplies were transferred to smaller ships. In November 1718, after appealing to the governor of North Carolina, who promised safe-haven and a pardon, Blackbeard was killed in an ambush by troops from Virginia.[29] In 1996, Intersal, Inc., a private firm, discovered the remains of a vessel likely to be the Queen Anne's Revenge, which was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.[30]

North Carolina became one of the Thirteen Colonies and with the territory of South Carolina was originally known as the Province of North Carolina. The northern and southern parts of the original province separated in 1712, with North Carolina becoming a royal colony in 1729. Originally settled by small farmers, sometimes having a few slaves, who were oriented toward subsistence agriculture, the colony lacked large cities or towns. Pirates menaced the coastal settlements, but by 1718 the pirates had been captured and killed. Growth was strong in the middle of the 18th century, as the economy attracted Scots-Irish, Quaker, English and German immigrants. A majority of the North Carolina colonists generally supported the American Revolution, although there were some Loyalists. Loyalists in North Carolina were smaller in number than in some other colonies such as Georgia, South Carolina, Delaware, and New York.[31][32][33]

During colonial times, Edenton served as the state capital beginning in 1722, followed by New Bern becoming the capital in 1766. Construction of Tryon Palace, which served as the residence and offices of the provincial governor William Tryon, began in 1767 and was completed in 1771. In 1788, Raleigh was chosen as the site of the new capital, as its central location protected it from coastal attacks. Officially established in 1792 as both county seat and state capital, the city was named after Sir Walter Raleigh, sponsor of Roanoke, the "lost colony" on Roanoke Island.[34] The population of the colony more than quadrupled from 52,000 in 1740 to 270,000 in 1780 from high immigration from Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania, plus immigrants from abroad.[35]

North Carolina did not have any printer or print shops until 1749, when the North Carolina Assembly commissioned James Davis from Williamsburg Virginia to act as their official printer. Before this time the laws and legal journals of North Carolina were handwritten and were largely kept in a disorganized manner, prompting them to hire Davis. Davis settled in New Bern, became married and in 1755 was appointed by Benjamin Franklin as North Carolina's first postmaster. In October of that year the North Carolina Assembly awarded Davis the contract to carry the mail between Wilmington, North Carolina and Suffolk, Virginia. He was also active in North Carolina's politics, as a member of the Assembly and later as the Sheriff. Davis also founded and printed the North-Carolina Gazette, North Carolina's first newspaper, printed in his printing house in New Bern.[12][36]

Differences in the settlement patterns of eastern and western North Carolina, or the Atlantic coastal plain and uplands, affected the political, economic, and social life of the state from the 18th until the 20th century. Eastern North Carolina was settled chiefly by immigrants from rural England and Gaelic speakers from the Scottish Highlands. The Piedmont upcountry and western mountain region of North Carolina was settled chiefly by Scots-Irish, English, and German Protestants, the so-called "cohee". Arriving during the mid-to-late 18th century, the Scots-Irish, people of Scottish descent who migrated to and then emigrated from what is today Northern Ireland, were the largest non-English immigrant group before the Revolution; English indentured servants were overwhelmingly the largest immigrant group before the Revolution.[37][38][39][40]

### Revolutionary War[edit | edit source]

File:Halifax Resolves plaque - North Carolina State Capitol - DSC05912.JPG

Halifax Resolves plaque

During the American Revolutionary War, the English and Gaelic speaking Highland Scots of eastern North Carolina tended to remain loyal to the British Crown, because of longstanding business and personal connections with Great Britain. The English, Welsh, Scots-Irish, and German settlers of western North Carolina tended to favor American independence from Britain. 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. The date of this event is memorialized on the state flag and state seal. Throughout the Revolutionary War, fierce guerrilla warfare erupted between bands of pro-independence and pro-British colonists. In some cases the war was also an excuse to settle private grudges and rivalries.[41][42]

North Carolina had around 7,800 men join the Continental Army under General George Washington; and an additional 10,000 served in local militia units under such leaders as General Nathanael Greene.[43] There was some military action, especially in 1780–81. Many Carolinian frontiersmen had moved west over the mountains, into the Washington District (later known as Tennessee), but in 1789, following the Revolution, the state was persuaded to relinquish its claim to the western lands. It ceded them to the national government so the Northwest Territory could be organized and managed nationally.[44]

A major American victory in the war took place at King's Mountain along the North Carolina–South Carolina border; on October 7, 1780, a force of 1,000 mountain men from western North Carolina (including what is today the state of Tennessee) and southwest Virginia overwhelmed a force of some 1,000 British troops led by Major Patrick Ferguson. Most of the soldiers fighting for the British side in this battle were Carolinians who had remained loyal to the Crown (they were called "Tories" or Loyalists). The American victory at King's Mountain gave the advantage to colonists who favored American independence, and it prevented the British Army from recruiting new soldiers from the Tories.[45]

File:Battle of Guiliford Courthouse 15 March 1781.jpg

1st Maryland Regiment holding the line at the Battle of Guilford Court House, 1781

The road to Yorktown and America's independence from Great Britain led through North Carolina. 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. 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 the latter's base of supply in Charleston, South Carolina. This campaign is known as "The Race to the Dan" or "The Race for the River".[28]

In the Battle of Cowan's Ford, Cornwallis met resistance along the banks of the Catawba River at Cowan's Ford on February 1, 1781, in an attempt to engage General Morgan's forces during a tactical withdrawal.[46] Morgan had moved to the northern part of the state to combine with General Greene's newly recruited forces. Generals Greene and Cornwallis finally met at the Battle of Guilford Courthouse in present-day Greensboro on March 15, 1781. Although the British troops held the field at the end of the battle, their casualties at the hands of the numerically superior Continental Army were crippling. Following this "Pyrrhic victory", Cornwallis chose to move to the Virginia coastline to get reinforcements, and to allow the Royal Navy to protect his battered army. This decision would result in Cornwallis' eventual defeat at Yorktown, Virginia, later in 1781. The Patriots' victory there guaranteed American independence. On November 21, 1789, North Carolina became the twelfth state to ratify the U.S. constitution.

### Antebellum period[edit | edit source]

Main articles: Constitutional Convention (United States), Admission to the Union, and List of U.S. states by date of admission to the Union

After 1800, cotton and tobacco became important export crops. The eastern half of the state, especially the Coastal Plain region, developed a slave society based on a plantation system and slave labor. Planters owning large estates wielded significant political and socio-economic power in antebellum North Carolina. They placed their interests above those of the generally non-slave-holding "yeoman" farmers of North Carolina. While slaveholding was slightly less concentrated compared to some other Southern states, according to the 1860 census, more than 330,000 people, or 33% of the population out of 992,622 people in total, were enslaved African Americans.[47] They lived and worked chiefly on plantations in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain regions of the state. In addition, 30,463 free people of color lived in the state.[47] They were also mainly concentrated in the eastern coastal plain, especially at port cities such as Wilmington and New Bern, where a variety of jobs were available. Most were descendants from free African Americans who had migrated along with neighbors from Virginia during the 18th century. The majority were the descendants of unions in the working classes between white women, indentured servants or free, and African men, indentured, slave or free.[48]

File:Map North Carolina roads and railroads 1854.jpg

Map of the roads and railroads of North Carolina, 1854

After the American Revolution, Quakers and Mennonites worked to persuade slaveholders to free their slaves. Some were inspired by their efforts and the language of the Revolution to arrange for manumission of their slaves. The number of free people of color rose markedly in the first couple of decades after the Revolution.[49] Many free people of color migrated to the frontier, along with their European-American neighbors, where the social system was looser. By 1810, nearly three percent of the free population consisted of free people of color, who numbered slightly more than 10,000. The western areas of North Carolina were mainly white families of European descent, especially Scotch-Irish, who operated small subsistence farms. In the early national period, the state became a center of Jeffersonian and Jacksonian democracy, with a strong Whig presence, especially in the western part of the state. After Nat Turner's slave uprising in 1831, North Carolina and other southern states reduced the rights of free blacks. In 1835, the legislature withdrew their right to vote.

In mid-century, the state's rural and commercial areas were connected by the construction of a 129 mi (208 km) wooden plank road, known as a "farmer's railroad", from Fayetteville in the east to Bethania (northwest of Winston-Salem).[28] On October 25, 1836, construction began on the Wilmington and Raleigh Railroad[50] to connect the port city of Wilmington with the state capital of Raleigh. In 1840, the state capitol building in Raleigh was completed, and still stands today.

In 1849, the North Carolina Railroad was created by act of the legislature to extend that railroad west to Greensboro, High Point, and Charlotte. 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.[51]

### American Civil War[edit | edit source]

Main articles: Ordinance of Secession, Confederate States of America, and North Carolina in the American Civil War

Further information: American Civil War

File:Battle of Fort Fisher.jpg

Union troops capture Fort Fisher, 1865

In 1860, North Carolina was a slave state, in which one-third of the state's total population were African-American slaves. The state did not vote to join the Confederacy until President Abraham Lincoln called on it to invade its sister state,[52] South Carolina, becoming the last or penultimate state to officially join the Confederacy. The title of "last to join the Confederacy" has been disputed; although Tennessee's informal secession on May 7, 1861, preceded North Carolina's official secession on May 20,[53][54] the Tennessee legislature did not formally vote to secede until June 8, 1861.[55]

Around 125,000 troops from North Carolina served in the Confederate Army, and about 15,000 North Carolina troops (both black and white) served in Union Army regiments, including men who left the state to join Union regiments elsewhere.[56] Over 30,000 North Carolina troops died from combat or disease during the war.[57] Elected in 1862, Governor Zebulon Baird Vance tried to maintain state autonomy against Confederate President Jefferson Davis in Richmond. The state government was reluctant to support the demands of the national government in Richmond, and the state was the scene of only small battles. In 1865, Durham County saw the largest single surrender of Confederate soldiers at Bennett Place, when Joseph E. Johnston surrendered the Army of Tennessee and all remaining Confederate forces still active in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, totalling 89,270 soldiers.[58]

After secession, some North Carolinians refused to support the Confederacy. Some of the yeoman farmers chiefly in the state's mountains and western Piedmont region remained neutral during the Civil War, with others covertly supporting the Union cause during the conflict.[59] Approximately 15,000 North Carolinians (both black and white) from across the state would enlist in the Union Army. Numerous slaves would also escape to Union lines, where they became essentially free.

File:2008-08-16 Bennett Place historic site.jpg

Bennett Place historic site in Durham

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 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.[28] In April 1865, after losing the Battle of Morrisville, Johnston surrendered to Sherman at Bennett Place, in what is today Durham. North Carolina's port city of Wilmington, was the last Confederate port to fall to the Union, in February 1865, after the Union won the nearby Second Battle of Fort Fisher, its major defense downriver.

The first Confederate soldier to be killed in the Civil War was Private Henry Wyatt from North Carolina, in the Battle of Big Bethel in June 1861. At the Battle of Gettysburg in July 1863, the 26th North Carolina Regiment participated in Pickett/Pettigrew's Charge and advanced the farthest into Union lines of any Confederate regiment. 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. 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. The phrase "First at Bethel, Farthest at Gettysburg and Chickamauga, and Last at Appomattox", later became used through much of the early 20th century.[60]

### Reconstruction era through late 19th century[edit | edit source]

Main article: Reconstruction era

File:NCG-WilliamHolden.jpg

William Woods Holden, a Unionist who served as the 38th and 40th Governor of North Carolina, and during the Reconstruction era

Following the collapse of the Confederacy in 1865, North Carolina, along with other former Confederate States (except Tennessee), was put under direct control by the U.S. military and was relieved of its constitutional government and representation within the United States Congress in what is now referred to as the Reconstruction era. In order to earn back its rights, the state had to make concessions to Washington, one of which was ratifying the Thirteenth Amendment. Congressional Republicans during Reconstruction, commonly referred to as "radical Republicans", constantly pushed for new constitutions for each of the Southern states that emphasized equal rights for African-Americans. In 1868, a constitutional convention restored the state government of North Carolina. Though the Fifteenth Amendment was also adopted that same year, it remained in most cases ineffective for almost a century, not to mention paramilitary groups and their lynching with impunity.[61]

The elections in April 1868 following the constitutional convention led to a narrow victory for a Republican-dominated government, with 19 African-Americans holding positions in the North Carolina State Legislature. In attempt to put the reforms into effect, the new Republican Governor William W. Holden declared martial law on any county allegedly not complying with law and order using the passage of the Shoffner Act.

A Republican Party coalition of black freedmen, northern carpetbaggers and local scalawags controlled state government for three years. The white conservative Democrats regained control of the state legislature in 1870, in part by Ku Klux Klan violence and terrorism at the polls, to suppress black voting. Republicans were elected to the governorship until 1876, when the Red Shirts, a paramilitary organization that arose in 1874 and was allied with the Democratic Party, helped suppress black voting. More than 150 black Americans were murdered in electoral violence in 1876.[62][63]

Post civil war-debt cycles pushed people to switch from subsistence agriculture to commodity agriculture. Among this time the notorious Crop-Lien system developed and was financially difficult on landless whites and blacks, due to high amounts of usury. Also due to the push for commodity agriculture, the free range was ended. Prior to this time people fenced in their crops and had their livestock feeding on the free range areas. After the ending of the free range people now fenced their animals and had their crops in the open.[64][65]

File:Drinking fountain on the county courthouse lawn, Halifax, North Carolina.jpg

Segregated drinking fountain during the Jim Crow era in Halifax

Democrats were elected to the legislature and governor's office, but the Populists attracted voters displeased with them. In 1896 a biracial, Populist-Republican Fusionist coalition gained the governor's office and passed laws that would extend the voting franchise to blacks and poor whites. The Democrats regained control of the legislature in 1896 and passed laws to impose Jim Crow and racial segregation of public facilities. Voters of North Carolina's 2nd congressional district elected a total of four African-American congressmen through these years of the late 19th century.

Political tensions ran so high a small group of white Democrats in 1898 planned to take over the Wilmington government if their candidates were not elected. In the Wilmington Insurrection of 1898, more than 1,500 white men attacked the black newspaper and neighborhood, killed an estimated 60 to 300 people, and ran off the white Republican mayor and aldermen. They installed their own people and elected Alfred M. Waddell as mayor, in the only successful coup d'état in United States history.[66]

In 1899, the state legislature passed a new constitution, with requirements for poll taxes and literacy tests for voter registration which disenfranchised most black Americans in the state.[67] Exclusion from voting had wide effects: it meant black Americans could not serve on juries or in any local office. After a decade of white supremacy, many people forgot North Carolina had ever had thriving middle-class black Americans.[68] Black citizens had no political voice in the state until after the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965 were passed to enforce their constitutional rights. It was not until 1992 that another African American was elected as a U.S. Representative from North Carolina.

### Early through mid-20th century[edit | edit source]

File:Wright First Flight 1903Dec17 (full restore 115).jpg

First successful flight of the Wright Flyer, near Kitty Hawk, 1903

After the reconstruction era, North Carolina had become a one-party state, dominated by the Democratic Party. The state mainly continued with an economy based on tobacco, cotton textiles and commodity agriculture. Large towns and cities remained in few numbers. However, a major industrial base emerged in the late 19th and early 20th century, in the counties of the Piedmont Triad, based on cotton mills established at the fall line. Railroads were built to connect the new industrializing cities.[69]

The state was the site of the first successful controlled, powered and sustained heavier-than-air flight, by the Wright brothers, near Kitty Hawk on December 17, 1903.

File:Research-triangle-north-carolina.png

Map of Research Triangle, with points representing NC State University, Duke University, and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

In the first half of the 20th century, many African Americans left the state to go North for better opportunities, in the Great Migration. Their departure changed the demographic characteristics of many areas.

North Carolina was hard hit by the Great Depression, but the New Deal programs of Franklin D. Roosevelt for cotton and tobacco significantly helped the farmers. After World War II, the state's economy grew rapidly, highlighted by the growth of such cities as Charlotte, Raleigh, and Durham in the Piedmont region.

Research Triangle Park, established in 1959, serves as the largest research park in the United States. Formed near Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill, the Research Triangle metro is a major area of universities and advanced scientific and technical research.

The Greensboro Sit-ins in 1960 played a crucial role in the Civil Rights Movement to bring full equality to American blacks. By the late 1960s, spurred in part by the increasingly leftward tilt of national Democrats, conservative whites began to vote for Republican national candidates and gradually for more Republicans locally.[70][71]

### Late 20th century to present[edit | edit source]

File:North-Carolina-Museum-of-History-20080321.jpeg

North Carolina Museum of History in Raleigh, 2008

Since the 1970s, North Carolina has seen steady increases in population growth. This growth has largely occurred in metropolitan areas located within the Piedmont Crescent, in places such as Charlotte, Concord, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Durham and Raleigh.[72] The Charlotte metropolitan area has experienced large growth mainly due to its finance, banking, and tech industries.[73]

By the 1990s, Charlotte had become a major regional and national banking center. Towards Raleigh, North Carolina State, Duke University, and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, have helped the Research Triangle area attract an educated workforce and develop more jobs.[74]

In 1988, North Carolina gained its first professional sports franchise, the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The hornets team name stems from the American Revolutionary War, when British General Cornwallis described Charlotte as a "hornet's nest of rebellion."[75] The Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL) became based in Charlotte as well, with their first season being in 1995. The Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League (NHL) moved to Raleigh in 1997, with their colors being the same as the NC State Wolfpack, who are also located in Raleigh.

By the late 20th century and into the early 21st century, economic industries such as technology, pharmaceuticals, banking, food processing, vehicle parts, and tourism started to emerge as North Carolina's main economic drivers. This marked a shift from the state's former main industries of tobacco, textiles, and furniture. Factors that played a role in this shift were globalization, the state's higher education system, national banking, the transformation of agriculture, and new companies moving to the state.[76]

## Geography[edit | edit source]

Main article: Geography of North Carolina

Interactive map of North Carolina

File:NC Topo.png

3D Topographical Map of North Carolina

File:Enodeer.jpg

Deer in the Eno River as it flows through the Piedmont region of North Carolina

File:North Carolina Köppen.svg

Köppen climate types of North Carolina

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. The United States Census Bureau places North Carolina in the South Atlantic division of the southern region.[77]

North Carolina consists of three main geographic regions: the Atlantic coastal plain, occupying the eastern portion of the state; the central Piedmont region, and the mountain region in the west, which is part of the Appalachian Mountains. The coastal plain consists of more specifically-defined areas known as the Outer Banks, a string of sandy, narrow barrier islands separated from the mainland by sounds or inlets, including Albemarle Sound and Pamlico Sound, the native home of the venus flytrap, and the inner coastal plain, where longleaf pine trees are native.

So many ships have been lost off Cape Hatteras that the area is known as the "Graveyard of the Atlantic"; more than a thousand ships have sunk in these waters since records began in 1526. The most famous of these is the Queen Anne's Revenge (flagship of the pirate Blackbeard), which went aground in Beaufort Inlet in 1718.[78]

The coastal plain transitions to the Piedmont region along the Atlantic Seaboard fall line, the elevation at which waterfalls first appear on streams and rivers. The Piedmont region of central North Carolina is the state's most populous region, containing the six largest cities in the state by population.[79] It consists of gently rolling countryside frequently broken by hills or low mountain ridges. 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 Piedmont ranges from about 300 feet (91 m) in elevation in the east to about 1,500 feet (460 m) in the west.

The western section of the state is part of the Blue Ridge Mountains of the larger Appalachian Mountain range. Among the subranges of the Blue Ridge Mountains located in the state are the Great Smoky Mountains and the Black Mountains.[80][81] The Black Mountains are the highest in the eastern United States, and culminate in Mount Mitchell at 6,684 feet (2,037 m), the highest point east of the Mississippi River.[81][82]

File:Cullasaja.jpg

Cullasaja Falls in Macon County

North Carolina has 17 major river basins. The five basins west of the Blue Ridge Mountains flow to the Gulf of Mexico, while the remainder flow to the Atlantic Ocean.[83] Of the 17 basins, 11 originate within the state of North Carolina, but only four are contained entirely within the state's border—the Cape Fear, the Neuse, the White Oak, and the Tar–Pamlico basin.[84]

### Flora and fauna[edit | edit source]

Further information: Wildlife of North Carolina

### Major rivers[edit | edit source]

Further information: List of rivers of North Carolina

### Climate[edit | edit source]

Main article: Climate of North Carolina

See also: Climate change in North Carolina

File:Graveyard Fields 3.jpg

Graveyard Fields in the fall

Elevation above sea level is most responsible for temperature change across the state, with the mountainous regions being coolest year-round. The climate is also influenced by the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf Stream, especially in the coastal plain. These influences tend to cause warmer winter temperatures along the coast, where temperatures only occasionally drop below the freezing point at night. The coastal plain averages around 1 inch (2.5 cm) of snow or ice annually, and in many years, there may be no snow or ice at all.[85]

The Atlantic Ocean exerts less influence on the climate of the Piedmont region, which has hotter summers and colder winters than along the coast, though the average daily maximum is still below 90 °F (32 °C) in most locations.[85]

North Carolina experiences severe weather both in summer and in winter, with summer bringing threat of hurricanes, tropical storms, heavy rain, and flooding.[86] Destructive hurricanes that have hit North Carolina include Hurricane Fran, Hurricane Florence, Hurricane Floyd, Hurricane Hugo, and Hurricane Hazel, the latter being the strongest storm ever to make landfall in the state, as a Category 4 in 1954. Hurricane Isabel ranks as the most destructive of the 21st century.[87][88]

North Carolina averages fewer than 20 tornadoes per year, many of them 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, which tend to break up storms as they try to cross over; the storms will often re-form farther east. A phenomenon known as "cold-air damming" often occurs in the northwestern part of the state, which can weaken storms but can also lead to major ice events in winter.[89]

In April 2011, the worst tornado outbreak in North Carolina's history occurred. Thirty confirmed tornadoes touched down, mainly in the Eastern Piedmont and Sandhills, killing at least 24 people.[90][91] In September 2019 Hurricane Dorian hit the area.

Monthly normal high and low temperatures (Fahrenheit) for various North Carolina cities.

City  | Jan  | Feb  | Mar  | Apr  | May  | Jun  | Jul  | Aug  | Sep  | Oct  | Nov  | Dec
Asheville[92] | 47/27  | 51/30  | 59/35  | 68/43  | 75/51  | 81/60  | 84/64  | 83/63  | 77/56  | 68/45  | 59/36  | 49/29
Boone[93] | 42/21  | 45/23  | 52/29  | 61/37  | 69/46  | 76/54  | 79/58  | 78/57  | 72/50  | 63/39  | 54/31  | 45/24
Cape Hatteras[94] | 52/39  | 54/40  | 59/45  | 66/53  | 74/61  | 81/69  | 85/74  | 84/73  | 80/69  | 72/60  | 64/51  | 56/43
Charlotte[92] | 51/30  | 55/33  | 63/39  | 72/47  | 79/56  | 86/64  | 89/68  | 88/67  | 81/60  | 72/49  | 62/39  | 53/32
Fayetteville[95] | 54/33  | 59/35  | 66/42  | 75/50  | 82/59  | 89/68  | 91/72  | 90/70  | 84/64  | 75/52  | 67/43  | 56/35
Greensboro[95] | 48/30  | 53/32  | 61/39  | 70/47  | 78/56  | 85/65  | 88/69  | 86/68  | 80/61  | 70/49  | 61/40  | 51/32
Raleigh[95] | 51/31  | 55/34  | 63/40  | 72/48  | 80/57  | 87/66  | 90/70  | 88/69  | 82/62  | 73/50  | 64/41  | 54/33
Wilmington[96] | 56/36  | 60/38  | 66/44  | 74/52  | 81/60  | 87/69  | 90/73  | 88/71  | 84/66  | 76/55  | 68/45  | 59/38

Climate data for North Carolina

Month  | Jan  | Feb  | Mar  | Apr  | May  | Jun  | Jul  | Aug  | Sep  | Oct  | Nov  | Dec  | Year
Record high °F (°C)  | 86
(30)  | 90
(32)  | 100
(38)  | 102
(39)  | 107
(42)  | 108
(42)  | 109
(43)  | 110
(43)  | 109
(43)  | 102
(39)  | 90
(32)  | 87
(31)  | 110
(43)
Average high °F (°C)  | 49.9
(9.9)  | 53.7
(12.1)  | 61.8
(16.6)  | 71.0
(21.7)  | 78.1
(25.6)  | 85.2
(29.6)  | 88.1
(31.2)  | 86.8
(30.4)  | 80.8
(27.1)  | 71.6
(22.0)  | 62.5
(16.9)  | 52.5
(11.4)  | 70.2
(21.2)
Daily mean °F (°C)  | 39.2
(4.0)  | 42.3
(5.7)  | 49.5
(9.7)  | 58.1
(14.5)  | 66.1
(18.9)  | 74.1
(23.4)  | 77.5
(25.3)  | 76.3
(24.6)  | 69.9
(21.1)  | 59.4
(15.2)  | 50.4
(10.2)  | 41.7
(5.4)  | 58.7
(14.8)
Average low °F (°C)  | 28.4
(−2.0)  | 30.9
(−0.6)  | 37.2
(2.9)  | 45.2
(7.3)  | 54.0
(12.2)  | 63.0
(17.2)  | 66.8
(19.3)  | 65.8
(18.8)  | 58.9
(14.9)  | 47.2
(8.4)  | 38.3
(3.5)  | 30.8
(−0.7)  | 47.2
(8.4)
Record low °F (°C)  | −34
(−37)  | −31
(−35)  | −29
(−34)  | 0
(−18)  | 13
(−11)  | 22
(−6)  | 30
(−1)  | 29
(−2)  | 23
(−5)  | 5
(−15)  | −22
(−30)  | −33
(−36)  | −34
(−37)
Average precipitation inches (mm)  | 3.7
(94)  | 3.5
(89)  | 4.2
(110)  | 3.5
(89)  | 3.8
(97)  | 4.3
(110)  | 4.8
(120)  | 4.7
(120)  | 4.3
(110)  | 3.3
(84)  | 3.3
(84)  | 3.5
(89)  | 46.9
(1,196)
Average snowfall inches (cm)  | 2.0
(5.1)  | 1.4
(3.6)  | 0.6
(1.5)  | 0.1
(0.25)  | 0.0
(0.0)  | 0.0
(0.0)  | 0.0
(0.0)  | 0.0
(0.0)  | 0.0
(0.0)  | 0.0
(0.0)  | 0.1
(0.25)  | 0.8
(2.0)  | 5
(12.7)
Source 1: "North Carolina Climate Data according USA.com". (averages)
Source 2: "North Carolina Climate Office". Archived from the original on December 31, 2020. Retrieved December 27, 2019. (extremes)

### Parks and recreation[edit | edit source]

File:Blue Ridge NC.jpg

The Blue Ridge Mountains of the Shining Rock Wilderness Area

North Carolina provides a large range of recreational activities, from swimming at the beach to skiing in the mountains. 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. North Carolina has theme parks, aquariums, museums, historic sites, lighthouses, elegant theaters, concert halls, and fine dining.[97][98]

North Carolinians enjoy outdoor recreation utilizing numerous local bike paths, 34 state parks, and 14 national parks. National Park Service units include the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, the Blue Ridge Parkway, Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Cape Lookout National Seashore, Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site at Flat Rock, Fort Raleigh National Historic Site at Manteo, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, Guilford Courthouse National Military Park in Greensboro, Moores Creek National Battlefield near Currie in Pender County, the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail, Old Salem National Historic Site in Winston-Salem, the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail, and Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills.

National Forests include Uwharrie National Forest in central North Carolina, Croatan National Forest in Eastern North Carolina, Pisgah National Forest in the western mountains, and Nantahala National Forest in the southwestern part of the state.

### Most populous counties[edit | edit source]

See also: List of counties in North Carolina

In 2020, the U.S. Census Bureau released its annual population estimate counts for North Carolina's counties. Wake County has the largest population, while Mecklenburg County has the second largest population in North Carolina.[99]

### Largest combined statistical areas[edit | edit source]

North Carolina has three major Combined Statistical Areas with populations of more than 1.6 million (U.S. Census Bureau 2018 estimates):[100]

* Charlotte Metro: Charlotte–Concord–Gastonia, North Carolina–South Carolina population 2,728,933[100]
* Research Triangle: Raleigh–Durham–Chapel Hill, North Carolina population 2,238,315[100]
* Piedmont Triad: Greensboro–Winston-Salem–High Point, North Carolina population 1,677,551[100]

### Major cities[edit | edit source]

See also: List of municipalities in North Carolina

In 2018, the U.S. Census Bureau released 2018 population estimate counts for North Carolina's cities with populations above 70,000. Charlotte has the largest population in the state, while Raleigh has the highest population density of North Carolina's largest cities.[101]

Largest cities or towns in North Carolina

Source (2022 Estimate):[102]

| Rank | Name | County | Pop. | Rank | Name | County | Pop. |
Charlotte
Charlotte
Raleigh
Raleigh | 1 | Charlotte | Mecklenburg | 903,211 | 11 | Asheville | Buncombe | 96,829  | Greensboro
Greensboro
Durham
Durham
2 | Raleigh | Wake | 480,419 | 12 | Greenville | Pitt | 88,115
3 | Greensboro | Guilford | 304,909 | 13 | Gastonia | Gaston | 82,145
4 | Durham | Durham | 294,542 | 14 | Jacksonville | Onslow | 73,239
5 | Winston-Salem | Forsyth | 253,531 | 15 | Huntersville | Mecklenburg | 64,296
6 | Fayetteville | Cumberland | 210,089 | 16 | Apex | Wake | 63,040
7 | Cary | Wake | 182,619 | 17 | Chapel Hill | Orange | 62,906
8 | Wilmington | New Hanover | 117,247 | 18 | Burlington | Alamance | 58,771
9 | High Point | Guilford | 115,997 | 19 | Kannapolis | Cabarrus | 55,212
10 | Concord | Cabarrus | 110,474 | 20 | Rocky Mount | Nash | 53,713

## Demographics[edit | edit source]

Main article: Demographics of North Carolina

Historical population

Census | Pop. |  | %±
1790| 393,751| | —
1800| 478,103| | 21.4%
1810| 556,526| | 16.4%
1820| 638,829| | 14.8%
1830| 737,987| | 15.5%
1840| 753,419| | 2.1%
1850| 869,039| | 15.3%
1860| 992,622| | 14.2%
1870| 1,071,361| | 7.9%
1880| 1,399,750| | 30.7%
1890| 1,617,949| | 15.6%
1900| 1,893,810| | 17.1%
1910| 2,206,287| | 16.5%
1920| 2,559,123| | 16.0%
1930| 3,170,276| | 23.9%
1940| 3,571,623| | 12.7%
1950| 4,061,929| | 13.7%
1960| 4,556,155| | 12.2%
1970| 5,082,059| | 11.5%
1980| 5,881,766| | 15.7%
1990| 6,628,637| | 12.7%
2000| 8,049,313| | 21.4%
2010| 9,535,483| | 18.5%
2020| 10,439,388| | 9.5%
2021 (est.)| 10,551,162| [103]| 1.1%
Source: 1910–2020[104]

File:North Carolina population map.png

North Carolina population density map (2010)

The United States Census Bureau determined the population of North Carolina was 10,439,388 at the 2020 U.S. census.[105][106] Based on numbers in 2012 of the people residing in North Carolina 58.5% were born there; 33.1% were born in another state; 1.0% were born in Puerto Rico, U.S. island areas, or born abroad to American parent(s); and 7.4% were foreign-born.[107]

### Race and ethnicity[edit | edit source]

See also: African Americans in North Carolina

Ethnic composition as of the 2020 census Race and Ethnicity[108] | Alone  | Total

|
|

White (non-Hispanic) | 60.5%  | 60.5

| 63.9%  | 63.9

African American (non-Hispanic) | 20.2%  | 20.2

| 21.8%  | 21.8

Hispanic or Latino[a] | -- |  | 10.7%  | 10.7

Asian | 3.3%  | 3.3

| 4.0%  | 4

Native American | 1.0%  | 1

| 2.5%  | 2.5

Pacific Islander | 0.1%  | 0.1

| 0.2%  | 0.2

Other  | 0.4%  | 0.4

| 1.1%  | 1.1

Historical racial demographics Racial composition | 1990[109] | 2000[110] | 2010[111]

|
|
|

White | 75.6% | 72.1% | 68.5%
Black | 22.0% | 21.6% | 21.4%
Asian | 0.8% | 1.4% | 2.2%
Native | 1.2% | 1.2% | 1.3%
Native Hawaiian and
other Pacific Islander | – | 0.1% | 0.1%
Other race | 0.5% | 2.3% | 4.3%
Two or more races | – | 1.3% | 2.3%

File:North Carolina Counties by race (2020 census).svg

Map of counties in North Carolina by racial plurality, per the 2020 U.S. census

Legend

* Non-Hispanic White

30–40%

40–50%

50–60%

60–70%

70–80%

80–90%

90%+

|  Black or African American

40–50%

50–60%

60–70%

|  Native American

40–50%

|
|

At the 2010 U.S. census,[112] the racial composition of North Carolina was: White: 68.5% (65.3% non-Hispanic white, 3.2% White Hispanic), Black or African American: 21.5%, Latin and Hispanic American of any race: 8.4%, some other race: 4.3%, Multiracial American: 2.2%, Asian American: 2.2%, and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander: 1%. In 2020, North Carolina like much of the U.S. experienced a decline in its non-Hispanic white population; at the 2020 census, non-Hispanic whites were 62.2%, Blacks or African Americans 20.5%, American Indian and Alaska Natives 1.2%, Asians 3.3%, Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islanders 0.1%, people from other race 5.9%, and multiracial Americans 6.8%.[113]

### Languages[edit | edit source]

Most common languages other than English spoken in North Carolina Language | Percentage of population
(in 2010)[114]

|

Spanish | 6.93%
French | 0.32%
German | 0.27%
Chinese (including Mandarin) | 0.27%
Vietnamese | 0.24%
Arabic | 0.17%
Korean | 0.16%
Tagalog | 0.13%
Hindi | 0.12%
Gujarati, Russian, and Hmong (tied) | 0.11%
Italian and Japanese (tied) | 0.08%
Cherokee | 0.01%[115]

North Carolina is home to a spectrum of different dialects of Southern American English and Appalachian English.

In 2010, 89.66% (7,750,904) of North Carolina residents age five and older spoke English at home as a primary language, while 6.93% (598,756) spoke Spanish, 0.32% (27,310) French, 0.27% (23,204) German, and Chinese (which includes Mandarin) was spoken as a main language by 0.27% (23,072) of the population five and older. In total, 10.34% (893,735) of North Carolina's population age five and older spoke a mother language other than English.[114] In 2019, 87.7% of the population aged 5 and older spoke English and 12.3% spoke another language. The most common non-English language was Spanish at the 2019 American Community Survey.[116]

### Religion[edit | edit source]

Religion in North Carolina (2014)[117]

Religion |  | Percent
Evangelical Protestant |

| 35%
Unaffiliated |

| 20%
Mainline Protestant |

| 19%
Historically Black Protestant |

| 12%
Catholic |

| 9%
Mormon |

| 1%
Eastern Orthodox |

| 1%
Jehovah's Witness |

| 1%
Jewish |

| 1%
Other faith |

| 1%

North Carolina residents since the colonial era have historically been overwhelmingly Protestant—first Anglican, then Baptist and Methodist. In 2010, the Southern Baptist Convention was the single largest Christian denomination, with 4,241 churches and 1,513,000 members. The second largest was the United Methodist Church, with 660,000 members and 1,923 churches. The third was the Roman Catholic Church, with 428,000 members in 190 parishes. The fourth largest was the Presbyterian Church (USA), with 186,000 members and 710 congregations; this denomination was brought by Scots-Irish immigrants who settled the backcountry in the colonial era.[118]

In 1845, the Baptists split into regional associations of the Northern United States and Southern U.S., over the issue of slavery. These new associations were the Northern Baptist Convention (today the American Baptist Churches USA) and Southern Baptist Convention. By the late 19th century, the largest Protestant denomination in North Carolina were Baptists. After emancipation, black Baptists quickly set up their own independent congregations in North Carolina and other states of the South, as they wanted to be free of white supervision.[119][120][121] Black Baptists developed their own state and national associations, such as the National Baptist Convention.[120] Other primarily African American Baptist conventions which grew in the state since the 20th century were the Progressive National Baptist Convention and Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship.

Methodists (the second largest group among North Carolinian Protestants) were divided along racial lines in the United Methodist Church and African Methodist Episcopal Church. The Methodist tradition tends to be strong in the northern Piedmont, especially in populous Guilford County. Other prominent Protestant groups in North Carolina as of the Pew Research Center's 2014 study were non/interdenominational Protestants and Pentecostalism. The Assemblies of God and Church of God in Christ are the largest Pentecostal denominations operating in the state, while notable minorities include Oneness Pentecostals primarily affiliated with the United Pentecostal Church International.

The state also has a special history with the Moravian Church, as settlers of this faith (largely of German origin) settled in the Winston-Salem area in the 18th and 19th centuries. historically Scots-Irish, historically Scots-Irish, have had a strong presence in Charlotte and in Scotland County.[122]

A wide variety of non-Christian faiths are practiced by other residents in the state, including: Judaism, Islam, Baháʼí, Buddhism, and Hinduism. The rapid influx of Northerners and immigrants from Latin America is steadily increasing ethnic and religious diversity within the state. The number of Roman Catholics and Jews in the state has increased, along with general religious diversity as a whole. There are also a substantial number of Quakers in Guilford County and northeastern North Carolina. Many universities and colleges in the state have been founded on religious traditions, and some currently maintain that affiliation, including:[123]

* Barton College (Disciples of Christ)
* Belmont Abbey College (Catholic)
* Bennett College for Women (United Methodist Church)
* Brevard College (United Methodist Church)
* Campbell University (Baptist)
* Catawba College (United Church of Christ)
* Chowan University (Baptist)
* Davidson College (Presbyterian)
* Duke University (Historically Methodist)
* Elon University (United Church of Christ)
* Gardner–Webb University (Cooperative Baptist Fellowship)
* Greensboro College (Methodist)
* Guilford College (Religious Society of Friends/Quakers)
* High Point University (United Methodist Church)
* Lees-McRae College (Presbyterian)
* Lenoir-Rhyne University (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America)
* Livingstone College (African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church)
* Louisburg College (United Methodist Church)
* Mars Hill University (Christian)
* Methodist University (United Methodist Church)
* Montreat College (Christian)
* University of Mount Olive (Baptist)
* North Carolina Wesleyan College (United Methodist Church)
* William Peace University (Presbyterian)
* Pfeiffer University (Methodist)
* Queens University of Charlotte (Presbyterian)
* St. Andrews Presbyterian College (Presbyterian)
* Saint Augustine's College (Episcopal)
* Salem College (Moravian Church)
* Shaw University (Baptist)
* Wake Forest University (Historically Baptist)
* Warren Wilson College (Historically Presbyterian)
* Wingate University (Historically Baptist)

The state also has several major seminaries, including the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, and the Hood Theological Seminary (AME Zion) in Salisbury.

## Economy[edit | edit source]

Main article: Economy of North Carolina

See also: North Carolina locations by per capita income

North Carolina's 2018 total gross state product was $496 billion.[124] Based on American Community Survey 2010–2014 data, North Carolina's median household income was $46,693. It ranked forty-first out of fifty states plus the District of Columbia for median household income. North Carolina had the fourteenth highest poverty rate in the nation at 17.6%, with 13% of families that were below the poverty line.[125]

The state has a very diverse economy because of its great availability of hydroelectric power,[126] its pleasant climate, and its wide variety of soils. The state ranks third among the South Atlantic states in population, but leads the region in industry and agriculture.[127][128] North Carolina leads the nation in the production of tobacco.[129]

Charlotte, the state's largest city, is a major textile and trade center. According to a Forbes article written in 2013, employment in the "Old North State" has gained many different industry sectors. Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) industries in the area surrounding North Carolina's capital have grown 17.9 percent since 2001. Raleigh ranked the third best city for technology in 2020 due to the state's growing technology sector.[130] In 2010, North Carolina's total gross state product was $424.9 billion,[131] while the state debt in November 2012, according to one source, totalled $2.4 billion,[132] while according to another, was in 2012 $57.8 billion.[133] In 2011, the civilian labor force was at around 4.5 million with employment near 4.1 million.

North Carolina is the leading U.S. state in production of flue-cured tobacco and sweet potatoes, and comes second in the farming of pigs and hogs, trout, and turkeys.[134][135] In the three most recent USDA surveys (2002, 2007, 2012), North Carolina also ranked second in the production of Christmas trees.[134][136][137]

North Carolina has 15 metropolitan areas,[138] and in 2010 was chosen as the third-best state for business by Forbes Magazine, and the second-best state by chief executive officer Magazine.[139] Since 2000, there has been a clear division in the economic growth of North Carolina's urban and rural areas. While North Carolina's urban areas have enjoyed a prosperous economy with steady job growth, low unemployment, and rising wages, many of the state's rural counties have suffered from job loss, rising levels of poverty, and population loss as their manufacturing base has declined. According to one estimate, one-half of North Carolina's 100 counties have lost population since 2010, primarily due to the poor economy in many of North Carolina's rural areas. However, the population of the state's urban areas is steadily increasing.[140]

## Arts and culture[edit | edit source]

Main articles: Culture of North Carolina and List of museums in North Carolina

North Carolina has traditions in art, music, and cuisine. The nonprofit arts and culture industry generates $1.2 billion in direct economic activity in North Carolina, supporting more than 43,600 full-time equivalent jobs and generating $119 million in revenue for local governments and the state of North Carolina.[141] North Carolina established the North Carolina Museum of Art as the first major museum collection in the country to be formed by state legislation and funding[142] and continues to bring millions into the NC economy.[143]

One of the more famous arts communities in the state is Seagrove, the handmade-pottery capital of the U.S., where artisans create handcrafted pottery inspired by the same traditions that began in this community more than two hundred years ago.

### TV and Film[edit | edit source]

Further information: Category:Films shot in North Carolina; Category:Television shows filmed in North Carolina; and Films and television shows produced in Wilmington, North Carolina

### Music[edit | edit source]

Main articles: Music of North Carolina and North Carolina Music Hall of Fame

North Carolina boasts a large number of noteworthy jazz musicians, some among the most important in the history of the genre. These include: John Coltrane, (Hamlet, High Point); Thelonious Monk (Rocky Mount); Billy Taylor (Greenville); Woody Shaw (Laurinburg); Lou Donaldson (Durham); Max Roach (Newland); Tal Farlow (Greensboro); Albert, Jimmy and Percy Heath (Wilmington); Nina Simone (Tryon); and Billy Strayhorn (Hillsborough).

File:Fiddlin' Bill Hensley, mountain fiddler, Asheville, North Carolina (LOC).jpg

Fiddlin' Bill Hensley, mountain fiddler, Asheville, 1937

North Carolina is also famous for its tradition of old-time music, and many recordings were made in the early 20th century by folk-song collector Bascom Lamar Lunsford. Musicians such as the North Carolina Ramblers helped solidify the sound of country music in the late 1920s, while the influential bluegrass musician Doc Watson also hailed from North Carolina. Both North and South Carolina are hotbeds for traditional rural blues, especially the style known as the Piedmont blues.

Ben Folds Five originated in Winston-Salem, and Ben Folds still records and resides in Chapel Hill.

The British band Pink Floyd is named, in part, after Chapel Hill bluesman Floyd Council.

The Research Triangle area has long been a well-known center for folk, rock, metal, jazz and punk.[144] James Taylor grew up around Chapel Hill, and his 1968 song "Carolina in My Mind" has been called an unofficial anthem for the state.[145][146][147] Other famous musicians from North Carolina include J. Cole, DaBaby, 9th Wonder, Shirley Caesar, Roberta Flack, Clyde McPhatter, Nnenna Freelon, Link Wray, Warren Haynes, Jimmy Herring, Michael Houser, Eric Church, Future Islands, Randy Travis, Ryan Adams, Ronnie Milsap, Anthony Hamilton, The Avett Brothers, Charlie Daniels, and Luke Combs.

Metal and punk acts such as Corrosion of Conformity, Between the Buried and Me, and Nightmare Sonata are native to North Carolina.

EDM producer Porter Robinson hails from Chapel Hill.

North Carolina is the home of more American Idol finalists than any other state: Clay Aiken (season two), Fantasia Barrino (season three), Chris Daughtry (season five), Kellie Pickler (season five), Bucky Covington (season five), Anoop Desai (season eight), Scotty McCreery (season ten), and Caleb Johnson (season thirteen). North Carolina also has the most American Idol winners with Barrino, McCreery, and Johnson.

In the mountains, the Brevard Music Center hosts choral, operatic, orchestral, and solo performances during its annual summer schedule.

North Carolina has five professional opera companies: Opera Carolina in Charlotte, NC Opera in Raleigh, Greensboro Opera in Greensboro, Piedmont Opera in Winston-Salem, and Asheville Lyric Opera in Asheville. Academic conservatories and universities also produce fully staged operas, such as the A. J. Fletcher Opera Institute of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem, the Department of Music of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and UNC Greensboro.

Among others, there are three high-level symphonic orchestras: NC Symphony in Raleigh, Charlotte Symphony, and Winston-Salem Symphony. The NC Symphony holds the North Carolina Master Chorale. The Carolina Ballet is headquartered in Raleigh, and there is also the Charlotte Ballet.

The state boasts three performing arts centers: DPAC in Durham, Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts in Raleigh, and the Blumenthal Performing Art Centers in Charlotte. They feature concerts, operas, recitals, and traveling Broadway musicals.[148][149][150]

### Shopping[edit | edit source]

North Carolina has a variety of shopping choices. SouthPark Mall in Charlotte is currently the largest in the Carolinas, with almost two million square feet. Other major malls in Charlotte include Northlake Mall and Carolina Place Mall in nearby suburb Pineville. Other major malls throughout the state include Hanes Mall in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, The Thruway Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Crabtree Valley Mall, North Hills Mall, and Triangle Town Center in Raleigh; Friendly Center and Four Seasons Town Centre in Greensboro; Oak Hollow Mall in High Point; Concord Mills in Concord; Valley Hills Mall in Hickory; Cross Creek Mall in Fayetteville; and The Streets at Southpoint in Durham and Independence Mall in Wilmington, North Carolina, and Tanger Outlets in Charlotte, Nags Head, Blowing Rock, and Mebane, North Carolina.

### Cuisine and agriculture[edit | edit source]

File:Lexington Barbecue Festival - Rides.jpg

2008 Lexington Barbecue Festival

A culinary staple of North Carolina is pork barbecue. There are strong regional differences and rivalries over the sauces and methods used in making the barbecue. The common trend across Western North Carolina is the use of premium grade Boston butt. Western North Carolina pork barbecue uses a tomato-based sauce, and only the pork shoulder (dark meat) is used. Western North Carolina barbecue is commonly referred to as Lexington barbecue after the Piedmont Triad town of Lexington, home of the Lexington Barbecue Festival, which attracts more than 100,000 visitors each October.[151][152] Eastern North Carolina pork barbecue uses a vinegar-and-red-pepper-based sauce and the "whole hog" is cooked, thus integrating both white and dark meat.[153]

Krispy Kreme, an international chain of doughnut stores, was started in North Carolina; the company's headquarters are in Winston-Salem. Pepsi-Cola was first produced in 1898 in New Bern. A regional soft drink, Cheerwine, was created and is still based in the city of Salisbury. Despite its name, the hot sauce Texas Pete was created in North Carolina; its headquarters are also in Winston-Salem. The Hardee's fast-food chain was started in Rocky Mount. Another fast-food chain, Bojangles', was started in Charlotte, and has its corporate headquarters there. A popular North Carolina restaurant chain is Golden Corral. Started in 1973, the chain was founded in Fayetteville, with headquarters located in Raleigh. Popular pickle brand Mount Olive Pickle Company was founded in Mount Olive in 1926. Fast casual burger chain Hwy 55 Burgers, Shakes & Fries also makes its home in Mount Olive. Cook Out, a popular fast-food chain featuring burgers, hot dogs, and milkshakes in a wide variety of flavors, was founded in Greensboro in 1989 and has begun expanding outside of North Carolina. In 2013, Southern Living named Durham–Chapel Hill the South's "Tastiest City".

Over the last decade, North Carolina has become a cultural epicenter and haven for internationally prize-winning wine (Noni Bacca Winery), internationally prized cheeses (Ashe County), "L'institut International aux Arts Gastronomiques: Conquerront Les Yanks les Truffes, January 15, 2010" international hub for truffles (Garland Truffles), and beer making, as tobacco land has been converted to grape orchards while state laws regulating alcohol by volume (ABV) in beer allowed a jump from six to fifteen percent. The Yadkin Valley in particular has become a strengthening market for grape production, while Asheville recently won the recognition of being named "Beer City USA". Asheville boasts the largest number of breweries per capita of any city in the United States. Recognized and marketed brands of beer in North Carolina include Highland Brewing, Duck Rabbit Brewery, Mother Earth Brewery, Weeping Radish Brewery, Big Boss Brewing, Foothills Brewing, Carolina Brewing Company, Lonerider Brewing, and White Rabbit Brewing Company.

North Carolina has large grazing areas for beef and dairy cattle. Truck farms can be found in North Carolina. A truck farm is a small farm where fruits and vegetables are grown to be sold at local markets. The state's shipping, commercial fishing, and lumber industries are important to its economy. Service industries, including education, health care, private research, and retail trade, are also important. Research Triangle Park, a large industrial complex located in the Raleigh-Durham area, is one of the major centers in the country for electronics and medical research.[154]

Tobacco was one of the first major industries to develop after the Civil War. Many farmers grew some tobacco, and the invention of the cigarette made the product especially popular. Winston-Salem is the birthplace of R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company (RJR), founded by R. J. Reynolds in 1874 as one of sixteen tobacco companies in the town. By 1914 it was selling 425 million packs of Camels a year. Today it is the second-largest tobacco company in the U.S. (behind Altria Group). RJR is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Reynolds American Inc., which in turn is 42% owned by British American Tobacco.[155]

### Ships named for the state[edit | edit source]

Further information: USS North Carolina

File:U.S.S. North Carolina.jpg

USS North Carolina on permanent display in Wilmington

Several ships have been named after the state, most famously USS North Carolina in the Pacific Ocean theater of World War II. Now decommissioned, she is part of the USS North Carolina Battleship Memorial in Wilmington. Another USS North Carolina, a nuclear attack submarine, was commissioned in Wilmington on May 3, 2008.[156]

### State parks[edit | edit source]

Main article: List of North Carolina state parks

The state maintains a group of protected areas known as the North Carolina State Park System, which is managed by the North Carolina Division of Parks & Recreation (NCDPR), an agency of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (NCDNCR).[157]

### Armed forces installations[edit | edit source]

File:Flickr - The U.S. Army - Marksmanship training (1).jpg

Troopers of the 82nd Airborne Division training on Fort Bragg, March 2011

Fort Bragg, near Fayetteville and Southern Pines, is a large and comprehensive military base and is the headquarters of the XVIII Airborne Corps, 82nd Airborne Division, and the U.S. Army Special Operations Command. Serving as the air wing for Fort Bragg is Pope Field, also located near Fayetteville.

Located in Jacksonville, Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, 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. MCAS Cherry Point is home of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing. Located in Goldsboro, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base is home of the 4th Fighter Wing and 916th Air Refueling Wing. One of the busiest air stations in the United States Coast Guard is located at the Coast Guard Air Station in Elizabeth City. Also stationed in North Carolina is the Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Point in Southport.

On January 24, 1961, a B-52G broke up in midair and crashed after suffering a severe fuel loss, near Goldsboro, dropping two nuclear bombs in the process without detonation.[158] In 2013, it was revealed that three safety mechanisms on one bomb had failed, leaving just one low-voltage switch preventing detonation.[159]

## Tourism[edit | edit source]

File:Biltmore Estate, 2012.jpg

Biltmore Estate, Asheville

File:USCGHatteras.jpg

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, located in North Carolina's Outer Banks

Charlotte is the most-visited city in the state, attracting 28.3 million visitors in 2018.[160] Area attractions include Carolina Panthers NFL football team and Charlotte Hornets basketball team, Carowinds amusement park, Charlotte Motor Speedway, U.S. National Whitewater Center, Discovery Place, Great Wolf Lodge, Sea Life Aquarium,[161] Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, Billy Graham Library, Carolinas Aviation Museum, Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture, Levine Museum of the New South, McColl Center for Art + Innovation, Mint Museum, and the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Every year the Appalachian Mountains attract several million tourists to the western part of the state,[162] including the historic Biltmore Estate. The scenic Blue Ridge Parkway and Great Smoky Mountains National Park are the two most visited national park and unit in the United States with more than 25 million visitors in 2013.[163] The City of Asheville is consistently voted as one of the top places to visit and live in the United States, known for its rich art deco architecture, mountain scenery and outdoor activities.[164][165]

In Raleigh, many tourists visit the capital, African American Cultural Complex,[166] Contemporary Art Museum of Raleigh, Gregg Museum of Art & Design at NCSU, Haywood Hall House & Gardens, Marbles Kids Museum, North Carolina Museum of Art, North Carolina Museum of History, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame, Raleigh City Museum, J. C. Raulston Arboretum, Joel Lane House, Mordecai House, Montfort Hall, and the Pope House Museum. The Carolina Hurricanes NHL hockey team is also located in the city.

In the Conover–Hickory area, attractions include Hickory Motor Speedway, RockBarn Golf and Spa,[167] home of the Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn; Catawba County Firefighters Museum,[168] the SALT Block,[169] and Valley Hills Mall.

The Piedmont Triad, or center of the state, is home to Krispy Kreme, Mayberry, Texas Pete, the Lexington Barbecue Festival, and Moravian cookies. The internationally acclaimed North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro attracts visitors to its animals, plants, and a 57-piece art collection along five miles (8 km) of shaded pathways in the world's largest-land-area natural-habitat park. Seagrove, in the central portion of the state, attracts many tourists along Pottery Highway (NC Hwy 705). MerleFest in Wilkesboro attracts more than 80,000 people to its four-day music festival; and Wet 'n Wild Emerald Pointe water park in Greensboro is another attraction.[170]

The Outer Banks and surrounding beaches attract millions of people to the Atlantic beaches every year.[171]

The mainland northeastern part of the state, having recently adopted the name the Inner Banks, is also known as the Albemarle Region, for the Albemarle Settlements, some of the first settlements on North Carolina's portion of the Atlantic Coastal Plain. The region’s historic sites are connected by the Historic Albemarle Tour.

## Education[edit | edit source]

### Primary and secondary education[edit | edit source]

See also: List of school districts in North Carolina and List of high schools in North Carolina

File:Kituwah Academy.png

A lesson at New Kituwah Academy on the Qualla Boundary in North Carolina. This bilingual language immersion school, operated by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, teaches the same curriculum as other state elementary schools

Elementary and secondary public schools are overseen by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. The North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction is the secretary of the North Carolina State Board of Education, but the board, rather than the superintendent, holds most of the legal authority for making public education policy. In 2009, the board's chairman also became the "chief executive officer" for the state's school system.[172] North Carolina has 115 public school systems, each of which is overseen by a local school board.[173][174] A county may have one or more systems within it. The largest school systems in North Carolina are the Wake County Public School System, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, Guilford County Schools, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, and Cumberland County Schools.[175] In total there are 2,425 public schools in the state, including over 200 charter schools.[176] North Carolina Schools were segregated until the Brown v. Board of Education trial and the release of the Pearsall Plan.

Previously the SAT was the dominant university entrance examination students took. In 2004 76% of NC high school students took the SAT. In 2012 state law changed which required 11th grade students to take the ACT. The SAT testing rate fell to 46% in 2019. Because students now can take that test for free, the ACT became the dominant university entrance examination. This also caused SAT average scores to rise, as in 1996 North Carolina was 48th nationally in SAT scores, but the profile of students taking the SAT has gotten smaller.[177]

### Colleges and universities[edit | edit source]

Further information: List of colleges and universities in North Carolina and List of universities in North Carolina by enrollment

In 1795, North Carolina opened the first public university in the United States—the University of North Carolina (now named the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill).[178] More than 200 years later, the University of North Carolina system encompasses 16 public universities including North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina Central University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, East Carolina University, Western Carolina University, Winston-Salem State University, the University of North Carolina at Asheville, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Elizabeth City State University, Appalachian State University, Fayetteville State University, and UNC School of the Arts, and 1 public, boarding high school, the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics.[179] Along with its public universities, North Carolina has 58 public community colleges in its community college system. The largest university in North Carolina is currently North Carolina State University, with more than 34,000 students.[180]

File:2008-07-11 UNC-CH Old Well in the sun.jpg

Old Well at UNC-Chapel Hill

File:Duke Chapel snow.JPG

Duke Chapel at Duke University

File:NCSU Belltower.png

Memorial Bell Tower at NC State

File:Wait.chapel.png

Wait Chapel at Wake Forest University

File:Joyner Library.jpg

The Joyner Library clock tower at East Carolina University

File:UNCCNewQuad.jpg

The New Quad at UNC Charlotte

North Carolina is also home to many well-known private colleges and universities, including Duke University,[181] Wake Forest University,[182] Pfeiffer University, Lees-McRae College, Davidson College, Barton College, North Carolina Wesleyan College, Elon University, Guilford College, Livingstone College, Salem College, Shaw University (the first historically black college or university in the South), Laurel University, William Peace University, Meredith College, Methodist University, Belmont Abbey College (the only Catholic college in the Carolinas), Campbell University, University of Mount Olive, Montreat College, High Point University, Lenoir-Rhyne University (the only Lutheran university in North Carolina) and Wingate University.

## Health[edit | edit source]

The residents of North Carolina have a lower life expectancy than the U.S. national average of life expectancy. According to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, in 2014, males in North Carolina lived an average of 75.4 years compared to the national average of 76.7 years. Females in North Carolina lived an average of 80.2 years compared to the national average of 81.5 years. Male life expectancy in North Carolina between 1980 and 2014 increased by an average of 6.9 years, slightly higher than the male national average of a 6.7 year increase. Life expectancy for females in North Carolina between 1980 and 2014 increased by 3.2 years, lower that the female national average of a 3.9 year increase.[183]

Using 2017–2019 data, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation calculated that life expectancy for North Carolina counties ranged from 71.4 years for Swain County to 82.3 years for Orange County. Life expectancy for the state as a whole was 78.1 years.[184] Life expectancy for the United States as a whole in 2021 was 78.1 years.[185]

## Transportation[edit | edit source]

Main article: Transportation in North Carolina

Further information: Vehicle registration plates of North Carolina

File:1981 North Carolina license plate Balloonduck.png

A North Carolina license plate

Transportation systems in North Carolina consist of air, water, road, rail, and public transportation including intercity rail via Amtrak and light rail in Charlotte. North Carolina has the second-largest state highway system in the country as well as the largest ferry system on the east coast.[186]

North Carolina's airports serve destinations throughout the United States and international destinations in Canada, Europe, Central America, and the Caribbean. In July 2022, Charlotte Douglas International Airport, which serves as the second busiest hub for American Airlines, ranked as the 11th busiest airport in the United States with Raleigh-Durham International Airport, a focus-city for Delta Air Lines and formerly a hub for American Airlines and Midway Airlines, ranked as the 37th busiest airport in the United States.[187]

North Carolina has a growing passenger rail system with Amtrak serving most major cities. Charlotte is also home to North Carolina's only light rail system known as the Lynx.[188]

### Interstates[edit | edit source]

Main article: Interstate Highways in North Carolina

#### Primary[edit | edit source]

* File:I-26.svg I-26
* File:I-40.svg I-40
* File:Future plate blue.svg
File:I-42.svg Future I-42
* File:I-73.svg I-73
* File:I-74.svg I-74
* File:I-77.svg I-77
* File:I-85.svg I-85
* File:I-87.svg I-87
* File:I-95.svg I-95

#### Auxiliary (three-digit)[edit | edit source]

* File:I-140.svg I-140
* File:I-240.svg I-240
* File:I-277.svg I-277
* File:I-285.svg I-285
* File:I-295.svg I-295
* File:I-440.svg I-440
* File:I-485.svg I-485
* File:I-495.svg I-495
* File:I-540.svg I-540
* File:I-587.svg I-587
* File:Future plate blue.svg
File:I-685.svg Future I-685
* File:I-785.svg I-785
* File:I-795.svg I-795
* File:I-840.svg I-840
* File:I-885.svg I-885

#### Business Routes[edit | edit source]

* File:Business Loop 85.svg I-85 BL
* File:Business Loop 95.svg I-95 BL

### US highways[edit | edit source]

Further information: List of U.S. Highways in North Carolina

### State routes[edit | edit source]

Further information: List of state highways in North Carolina

### Secondary roads[edit | edit source]

Further information: North Carolina Highway System § Secondary roads

## Media[edit | edit source]

See also: Category:Mass media in North Carolina, List of newspapers in North Carolina, List of defunct newspapers of North Carolina, List of radio stations in North Carolina, and List of television stations in North Carolina

Early newspapers were established in the eastern part of North Carolina in the mid-18th century. The Fayetteville Observer, established in 1816, is the oldest newspaper still in publication in North Carolina. The Wilmington Star-News, established 1867, is the oldest continuously running newspaper. As of January 1, 2020, there were approximately 240 North Carolina newspapers in publication in the state of North Carolina.[189]

The News and Observer was founded in 1871 and is the largest in circulation in the state. In 2006, The Charlotte Observer was acquired by the company, it is the second largest circulating news paper in the state.[190]

## Government and politics[edit | edit source]

Main articles: Government of North Carolina, Politics of North Carolina, and Political party strength in North Carolina

File:NC Legislature.JPG

North Carolina State Legislative Building

North Carolina registered voters as of October 22, 2022[update][191]

Party  | Number of Voters  | Percentage
| Unaffiliated | 2,634,894  | 35.59%
| Democratic | 2,496,441  | 33.72%
| Republican | 2,221,647  | 30.01%
| Libertarian | 50,148  | 0.68%
| Green | 218  | 0.00%
Total  | 7,403,348  | 100%

The government of North Carolina is divided into three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. These consist of the Council of State (led by the Governor), the bicameral legislature (called the General Assembly), and the state court system (headed by the North Carolina Supreme Court). The state constitution delineates the structure and function of the state government. Most municipalities in North Carolina operate under council-manager governments.[192]

North Carolina's party loyalties have undergone a series of important shifts in the last few years: While the 2010 midterms saw Tarheel voters elect a bicameral Republican majority legislature for the first time in more than a century, North Carolina has also become a Southern swing state in presidential races. Since Southern Democrat Jimmy Carter's comfortable victory in the state in 1976, the state had consistently leaned Republican in presidential elections until Democrat Barack Obama narrowly won the state in 2008. In the 1990s, Democrat Bill Clinton came within a point of winning the state in 1992 and also only narrowly lost the state in 1996. In 2000, Republican George W. Bush easily won the state by more than 13 points.

By 2008, demographic shifts, population growth, and increased liberalization in densely populated areas such as the Research Triangle, Charlotte, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Fayetteville, and Asheville, propelled Barack Obama to victory in North Carolina, the first Democrat to win the state since 1976. In 2012, North Carolina was again considered a competitive swing state, with the Democrats even holding their 2012 Democratic National Convention in Charlotte. However, Republican Mitt Romney ultimately eked out a two-point win in North Carolina, the only 2012 swing state Obama lost, and one of only two states (along with Indiana) to flip from Obama in 2008 to the GOP in 2012. Furthermore, Republican Donald Trump carried the state in 2016 and 2020.

In 2012, the state elected a Republican governor (Pat McCrory) and lieutenant governor (Dan Forest) for the first time in more than two decades, while also giving the Republicans veto-proof majorities in both the State House of Representatives and the State Senate. Several U.S. House of Representatives seats flipped control in 2012, with the Republicans holding nine seats to the Democrats' four. In the 2014 mid-term elections, Republican David Rouzer won the state's seventh congressional district seat, increasing the congressional delegation party split to 10–3 in favor of the GOP.

North Carolina Republicans won 10 of the 13 seats in 2016, when Democrats got 47 percent of the statewide vote. In 2018 Republicans took nine, with one seat undecided, even though Democrats got 48 percent of the overall vote.

As a result of the 2020 census, North Carolina will gain another seat in the 118th United States Congress, for a total of 14.[193]

In a 2020 study, North Carolina was ranked as the 23rd easiest state for citizens to vote in.[194]

### Gerrymandering[edit | edit source]

See also: Gerrymandering in the United States

The state has been sued for racially gerrymandering the districts, which resulted in minority voting power being diluted in some areas, resulting in skewed representation. In 2000, the District Court ruled that the 12th District was an illegal racial gerrymander.[195] This was again appealed, now as Easley v. Cromartie. The U.S. Supreme Court reversed the District Court in 2001 and ruled that the 12th district boundaries were not racially based but was a partisan gerrymander. They said this was a political question that the courts should not rule upon.[196]

In 2015, federal courts again ordered redistricting.[197] Two suits challenging the state congressional district map were led by "two dozen voters, the state Democratic Party, the state chapter of the League of Women Voters, and the interest group Common Cause".[197] They contend that the redistricting resulted in deliberate under-representation of a substantial portion of voters. This case reached the United States Supreme Court in March 2019, which also heard a related partisan gerrymandering case from Maryland.[197]

## Sports[edit | edit source]

Main article: Sports in North Carolina

* Bank of America Stadium.jpg

Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, home of the Carolina Panthers and Charlotte FC

* RBC Center Stanley Cup Championship.jpg

Carolina Hurricanes Stanley Cup awards ceremony at the RBC Center in Raleigh

* Spectrum Center 2018.jpg

The Spectrum Center, home arena of the NBA's Charlotte Hornets

North Carolina is home to four major league sports franchises: the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League, the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association, and Charlotte FC of Major League Soccer are based in Charlotte, while the Raleigh-based Carolina Hurricanes play in the National Hockey League. The Panthers and Hurricanes are the only two major professional sports teams that have the same geographical designation while playing in different metropolitan areas. The Hurricanes are the only major professional team from North Carolina to have won a league championship, having captured the Stanley Cup in 2006. North Carolina is also home to two other top-level professional teams in less prominent sports—the Charlotte Hounds of Major League Lacrosse and the North Carolina Courage of the National Women's Soccer League.

While North Carolina has no Major League Baseball team, it does have numerous Minor League Baseball teams, with the highest level of play coming from the Triple-A Charlotte Knights and Durham Bulls. Additionally, North Carolina has minor league teams in other team sports including soccer and ice hockey, most notably North Carolina FC and the Charlotte Checkers, both of which play in the second tier of their respective sports.

In addition to professional team sports, North Carolina has a strong affiliation with NASCAR and stock-car racing, with Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord hosting two Cup Series races every year. Charlotte also hosts the NASCAR Hall of Fame, while Concord is the home of several top-flight racing teams, including Hendrick Motorsports, Roush Fenway Racing, Petty GMS Motorsports, Stewart-Haas Racing, and Chip Ganassi Racing. Numerous other tracks around North Carolina host races from low-tier NASCAR circuits as well.

Golf is a popular summertime leisure activity, and North Carolina has hosted several important professional golf tournaments. Pinehurst Resort in Pinehurst has hosted a PGA Championship, Ryder Cup, two U.S. Opens, and one U.S. Women's Open. The Wells Fargo Championship is a regular stop on the PGA Tour and is held at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, and Quail Hollow has also played host to the PGA Championship. The Wyndham Championship is played annually in Greensboro at Sedgefield Country Club.

College sports are also popular in North Carolina, with 18 schools competing at the Division I level. The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is headquartered in Greensboro, and both the ACC Football Championship Game (Charlotte) and the ACC men's basketball tournament (Greensboro) were most recently held in North Carolina. Additionally, the city of Charlotte is home to the National Junior College Athletics Association's (NJCAA) headquarters.[198] College basketball is very popular in North Carolina, buoyed by the Tobacco Road rivalries between ACC members North Carolina, Duke, North Carolina State, and Wake Forest. The ACC Championship Game and the Duke's Mayo Bowl are held annually in Charlotte's Bank of America Stadium, featuring teams from the ACC and the Southeastern Conference. Additionally, the state has hosted the NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four on two occasions, in Greensboro in 1974 and in Charlotte in 1994.

## See also[edit | edit source]

* Index of North Carolina-related articles
* Outline of North Carolina
* List of people from North Carolina

## Notes[edit | edit source]

1. ^ Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin are not distinguished between total and partial ancestry.

## References[edit | edit source]

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194. ^ J. Pomante II, Michael; Li, Quan (December 15, 2020). "Cost of Voting in the American States: 2020". Election Law Journal: Rules, Politics, and Policy. 19 (4): 503–509. doi:10.1089/elj.2020.0666. S2CID 225139517. Archived from the original on October 25, 2021. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
195. ^ "Cromartie v. Hunt, 133 F. Supp. 2d 407 (E.D.N.C. 2000)".
196. ^ "Easley v. Cromartie, 532 U.S. 234 (2001)". Justia Law. Retrieved March 5, 2019.
197. ^ a b c Stohr, Greg; McCartney, Allison (March 22, 2019). "The Supreme Court Has Never Struck Down a Partisan Voter Map. Will North Carolina's Be the First?". Bloomberg. Archived from the original on May 17, 2019. Retrieved May 19, 2019.
198. ^ "NJCAA". NJCAA. Archived from the original on April 6, 2019. Retrieved August 22, 2019.

### Bibliography[edit | edit source]

* Lee, James Melvin (1923). History of American journalism. Boston, New York, Houghton Mifflin Company. (Alternative publication)
* Powell, William S., ed. (2000). Dictionary of North Carolina biography. Vol. II. University of North Carolina Press. ISBN 978-0-8078-67013. \- link to Davis biography
* Lefler, Hugh (numerous editions since 1934). North Carolina History Told by Contemporaries . University of North Carolina Press.
* Jones, H. G. (1984). North Carolina Illustrated, 1524–1984. University of North Carolina Press.
* North Carolina Manual. Published biennially by the Department of the Secretary of State since 1941.
* The Religion in North Carolina Digital Collection Archived August 17, 2020, at the Wayback Machine. A grant-funded project to provide digital access to publications of and about religious bodies in North Carolina. Partner institutions at Duke University, UNC-Chapel Hill, and Wake Forest University contributed the largest portion of the items in this collection, but the collection is enriched by unique materials from libraries and archives throughout North Carolina. The materials in this collection include local church histories, periodicals, clergy biographies, cookbooks, event programs, directories, and much more.

### Further reading[edit | edit source]

* James, Clay; Orr, Douglas, eds. (1971). North Carolina Atlas: Portrait of a Changing Southern State.
* Christensen, Rob (2008). The Paradox of Tarheel Politics. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press.
* Cooper, Christopher A.; Knotts, H. Gibbs, eds. (2008). The New Politics of North Carolina. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press.
* Crow; Jeffrey J.; Tise, Larry E. (1979). Writing North Carolina History. Online.
* Eamon, Tom (2014). The Making of a Southern Democracy: North Carolina Politics from Kerr Scott to Pat McCrory. Chapel Hill, North Carolina: University of North Carolina Press.
* Fleer, Jack D. (1994). North Carolina Government & Politics. Online political science textbook.
* Hawks, Francis L. (1857). History of North Carolina, Volumes I and II.
* Kersey, Marianne M.; Coble, Ran, eds. (1989). North Carolina Focus: An Anthology on State Government, Politics, and Policy. 2d ed. Raleigh: North Carolina Center for Public Policy Research.
* Lefler, Hugh Talmage (1963). A Guide to the Study and Reading of North Carolina History. Online.
* Lefler, Hugh Talmage; Newsome, Albert Ray (1954, 1963, 1973). North Carolina: The History of a Southern State. Standard textbook.
* Link, William A. (2009). North Carolina: Change and Tradition in a Southern State. History by leading scholar.
* Luebke, Paul (1990). Tar Heel Politics: Myths and Realities.
* Powell, William S. (1979–88). Dictionary of North Carolina Biography. Vol. 1, A-C; vol. 2, D-G; vol. 3, H-K.
* Powell, William S. (1958). North Carolina Fiction, 1734–1957: An Annotated Bibliography.
* Powell, William S. (1989). North Carolina through Four Centuries. Standard textbook.
* Powell, William S.; Mazzocchi, Jay, eds. (2006). Encyclopedia of North Carolina.
* Ready, Milton. (2005). The Tarheel State: A History of North Carolina.
* Thuesen, Sarah Caroline. (2013). Greater Than Equal: African American Struggles for Schools and Citizenship in North Carolina, 1919–1965. Chapel Hill, North Carolina: University of North Carolina Press.
* WPA Federal Writers' Project (1939). North Carolina: A Guide to the Old North State. Famous WPA guide to every town.

## External links[edit | edit source]

Justapedia supports:

* Definitions from Wiktionary
* Media from Commons
* Quotations from Wikiquote
* File:Wikivoyage-Logo-v3-icon.svgTravel information from Wikivoyage

### General[edit | edit source]

* Wineries, Restaurants and Tourism in the state
* North Carolina at Curlie

* North Carolina State Guide, from the Library of Congress
* North Carolina state government
* North Carolina state library
* North Carolina Court System official site

### Government and education[edit | edit source]

* Energy & Environmental Data for North Carolina
* USGS real-time, geographic, and other scientific resources of North Carolina Archived December 9, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
* North Carolina facts from U.S. Department of Agriculture ERS
* NC ECHO—North Carolina Exploring Cultural Heritage Online
* North Carolina Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
* NC Office of Archives and History
* Commemorative Landscapes of North Carolina
* North Carolina facts at Carolana.com
* North Carolina wiki site at NCpedia.org
* Wellness and Health Retreat Center at artoflivingretreatcenter.org

### Other[edit | edit source]

* File:Openstreetmap logo.svg Geographic data related to North Carolina at OpenStreetMap

Preceded by

New York

|  List of U.S. states by date of admission to the Union
Ratified Constitution on November 21, 1789 (12th)  | Succeeded by

Rhode Island

|
|

Topics related to North Carolina
Old North State, Tar Heel State

* v
* t
* e

State of North Carolina

Raleigh (capital)

Topics|

* Index
* Climate
* Geography
* state parks
* wildlife
* History
* Mass media
* newspapers
* radio
* TV
* North Carolinians
* Politics
* government
* law
* Symbols
* Tourist attractions

Society|

* Culture
* music
* sports
* Crime
* Demographics
* Economy
* Education
* Elections
* Gambling

Regions|

* Western
* Foothills
* High Country
* Piedmont
* Metrolina (Charlotte)
* Piedmont Triad
* Triangle
* Eastern
* Sandhills
* Cape Fear
* Crystal Coast
* Inner Banks
* Outer Banks

Largest cities|

* Asheville
* Cary
* Chapel Hill
* Charlotte
* Concord
* Durham
* Fayetteville
* Gastonia
* Greensboro
* Greenville
* High Point
* Jacksonville
* Raleigh
* Wilmington
* Winston‑Salem

Smaller cities|

* Albemarle
* Apex
* Asheboro
* Burlington
* Conover
* Eden
* Elizabeth City
* Garner
* Goldsboro
* Graham
* Havelock
* Henderson
* Hendersonville
* Hickory
* Kannapolis
* Kings Mountain
* Kinston
* Laurinburg
* Lenoir
* Lewisville
* Lexington
* Lumberton
* Monroe
* Morganton
* New Bern
* Newton
* Reidsville
* Roanoke Rapids
* Rocky Mount
* Salisbury
* Sanford
* Shelby
* Statesville
* Thomasville
* Wake Forest
* Wilson

Major towns|

* Beaufort
* Boone
* Brevard
* Carrboro
* Clayton
* Cornelius
* Dunn
* Fuquay-Varina
* Harrisburg
* Holly Springs
* Hope Mills
* Huntersville
* Indian Trail
* Kernersville
* Knightdale
* Leland
* Matthews
* Midland
* Mint Hill
* Mooresville
* Morehead City
* Morrisville
* Mount Pleasant
* Oxford
* Shallotte
* Smithfield
* Southern Pines
* Tarboro
* Waynesville
* Winterville

Counties|

* Alamance
* Alexander
* Alleghany
* Anson
* Ashe
* Avery
* Beaufort
* Bertie
* Bladen
* Brunswick
* Buncombe
* Burke
* Cabarrus
* Caldwell
* Camden
* Carteret
* Caswell
* Catawba
* Chatham
* Cherokee
* Chowan
* Clay
* Cleveland
* Columbus
* Craven
* Cumberland
* Currituck
* Dare
* Davidson
* Davie
* Duplin
* Durham
* Edgecombe
* Forsyth
* Franklin
* Gaston
* Gates
* Graham
* Granville
* Greene
* Guilford
* Halifax
* Harnett
* Haywood
* Henderson
* Hertford
* Hoke
* Hyde
* Iredell
* Jackson
* Johnston
* Jones
* Lee
* Lenoir
* Lincoln
* Macon
* Madison
* Martin
* McDowell
* Mecklenburg
* Mitchell
* Montgomery
* Moore
* Nash
* New Hanover
* Northampton
* Onslow
* Orange
* Pamlico
* Pasquotank
* Pender
* Perquimans
* Person
* Pitt
* Polk
* Randolph
* Richmond
* Robeson
* Rockingham
* Rowan
* Rutherford
* Sampson
* Scotland
* Stanly
* Stokes
* Surry
* Swain
* Transylvania
* Tyrrell
* Union
* Vance
* Wake
* Warren
* Washington
* Watauga
* Wayne
* Wilkes
* Wilson
* Yadkin
* Yancey

* v
* t
* e

Mayors of cities with populations exceeding 100,000 in North Carolina

1. Vi Lyles (D)
(Charlotte)
2. Mary-Ann Baldwin (D)
(Raleigh)
3. Nancy Vaughan (D)
(Greensboro)
4. Elaine O'Neal (D)
(Durham)
5. Allen Joines (D)
(Winston-Salem)
6. Mitch Colvin (D)
(Fayetteville)
7. Harold Weinbrecht (I)
(Cary)
8. Bill Saffo (D)
(Wilmington)
9. Jay W. Wagner (R)
(High Point)
10. William C. "Bill" Dusch (I)
(Concord)

* v
* t
* e

Protected areas of North Carolina

Federal|

| National Parks|

* Great Smoky Mountains

|

National Historic Sites|

* Carl Sandburg Home
* Fort Raleigh

National Memorials|

* Wright Brothers

National Military Parks|

* Guilford Courthouse

National Battlefields|

* Moores Creek

National Parkways|

* Blue Ridge Parkway
* (Crabtree Falls
* Craggy Gardens
* Cumberland Knob
* Doughton Park
* E.B. Jeffress Park
* Julian Price Memorial Park
* Linville Falls
* Moses H. Cone Memorial Park
* Mount Pisgah
* Waterrock Knob)

National Trails|

* Appalachian Trail
* Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail

National Seashores|

* Cape Hatteras
* Cape Lookout

National Marine Sanctuary|

* Monitor

National Estuarine
Research Reserve|

* Currituck Banks
* Rachel Carson
* Masonboro Island
* Zeke’s Island

National Forests|

* Cherokee
* Croatan
* Nantahala
* Pisgah
* Uwharrie

National Wildlife Refuges|

* Alligator River
* Cedar Island
* Currituck
* Great Dismal Swamp
* Mackay Island
* Mattamuskeet
* Mountain Bogs
* Pea Island
* Pee Dee
* Pocosin Lakes
* Roanoke River
* Swanquarter

Wilderness Areas|

* Birkhead Mountains
* Catfish Lake South
* Ellicott Rock
* Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock
* Linville Gorge
* Middle Prong
* Pocosin
* Pond Pine
* Sheep Ridge
* Shining Rock
* Southern Nantahala
* Swanquarter

Wilderness Study Areas|

* Craggy Mountain
* Harper Creek
* Lost Cove
* Overflow
* Snowbird

Wild and Scenic Rivers|

* Chattooga River
* Horsepasture River
* Lumber River
* New River
* Wilson Creek

State|

| State Parks|

* Carolina Beach
* Carvers Creek
* Chimney Rock
* Cliffs of the Neuse
* Crowders Mountain
* Dismal Swamp
* Elk Knob
* Eno River
* Fort Macon
* Goose Creek
* Gorges
* Grandfather Mountain
* Hammocks Beach
* Hanging Rock
* Haw River
* Jockey's Ridge
* Jones Lake
* Lake James
* Lake Norman
* Lake Waccamaw
* Lumber River
* Mayo River
* Medoc Mountain
* Merchants Millpond
* Morrow Mountain
* Mount Mitchell
* New River
* Pettigrew
* Pilot Mountain
* Pisgah View
* Raven Rock
* Rendezvous Mountain
* Singletary Lake
* South Mountains
* Stone Mountain
* William B. Umstead

|

State Recreation Areas|

* Falls Lake
* Fort Fisher
* Jordan Lake
* Kerr Lake

State Natural Areas|

* Hemlock Bluffs
* Lea Island
* Masonboro Island
* Mount Jefferson
* Occoneechee Mountain
* Theodore Roosevelt
* Weymouth Woods

* See also List of North Carolina State Natural Areas

State Lakes|

* Bay Tree Lake
* Jones Lake
* Lake Phelps
* Salters Lake
* Singletary Lake
* Lake Waccamaw
* White Lake

State Trails|

* Dan River
* Deep River
* East Coast Greenway
* Fonta Flora
* French Broad River
* Hickory Nut Gorge
* Mountains-to-Sea
* Northern Peaks
* Overmountain Victory
* Roanoke River
* Wilderness Gateway
* Yadkin River

State Rivers|

* Horsepasture River
* Linville River
* Lumber River
* New River

State Forests|

* Bladen Lakes
* DuPont
* Headwaters
* Rendezvous Mountain

Educational State Forests|

* Clemmons
* Holmes
* Jordan Lake
* Mountain Island
* Turnbull Creek
* Tuttle

State Historic Sites|

* Alamance Battleground
* Charles B. Aycock Birthplace
* Historic Bath
* Bennett Place
* Bentonville Battleground
* Brunswick Town / Fort Anderson
* C.S.S. Neuse and Governor Caswell Memorial
* Charlotte Hawkins Brown Memorial
* Duke Homestead
* Historic Edenton
* Fort Dobbs
* Fort Fisher
* Historic Halifax
* Horne Creek Living Historical Farm
* House in the Horseshoe
* North Carolina Transportation Museum
* President James K. Polk Historic Site
* Reed Gold Mine
* Somerset Place
* Stagville
* State Capitol
* Town Creek Indian Mound
* Tryon Palace Historic Sites & Gardens
* Zebulon B. Vance Birthplace
* Thomas Wolfe Memorial

NC Coastal Reserve|

* Kitty Hawk Woods
* Emily and Richardson Preyer Buckridge
* Buxton Woods
* Permuda Island
* Bald Head Woods
* Bird Island

Other|

| Nature centers|

* List of nature centers in North Carolina

|

* v
* t
* e

Southern United States

Topics|

* Culture
* Cuisine
* Geography
* Economy
* Government and politics
* History
* Sports
* Black Southerners
* White Southerners

States|

* Alabama
* Arkansas
* Delaware
* Florida
* Georgia
* Kentucky
* Louisiana
* Maryland
* Mississippi
* North Carolina
* Oklahoma
* South Carolina
* Tennessee
* Texas
* Virginia
* West Virginia

Federal districts|

District of Columbia

Major cities|

* Atlanta
* Austin
* Baltimore
* Birmingham
* Charleston (SC)
* Charleston (WV)
* Charlotte
* Columbia
* Dallas
* Fort Worth
* Greensboro
* Hampton
* Hialeah
* Houston
* Jacksonville
* Little Rock
* Louisville
* Memphis
* Miami
* Nashville
* New Orleans
* Newport News
* Norfolk
* Oklahoma City
* Orlando
* Portsmouth
* Raleigh
* Richmond
* San Antonio
* St. Petersburg
* Tampa
* Tulsa
* Virginia Beach
* Washington, D.C.
* Wilmington
* Winston-Salem

State capitals|

* Annapolis
* Atlanta
* Austin
* Baton Rouge
* Charleston (WV)
* Columbia
* Dover
* Frankfort
* Jackson
* Little Rock
* Montgomery
* Nashville
* Oklahoma City
* Raleigh
* Richmond
* Tallahassee

* v
* t
* e

Thirteen Colonies

* New England Colonies
* Middle Colonies
* Chesapeake Colonies
* Tobacco Colonies
* Southern Colonies
* United Colonies

* Virginia (1607–1776)
* New Hampshire (1629–1641; 1679–1686; 1689–1776)
* Maryland (1632–1776)
* Connecticut (1636–1776)
* Rhode Island (1636–1776)
* Delaware (1664–1776)
* New Jersey (1664–1673; 1702–1776)
* New York (1664–1776)
* Pennsylvania (1681–1776)
* Massachusetts Bay (1691–1776)
* North Carolina (1712–1776)
* South Carolina (1712–1776)
* Georgia (1732–1776)

* Other British colonial entities in the contemporary United States

* Roanoke (1585–1590)
* Popham (1607–1608)
* Jamestown (1607–1699)
* Plymouth (1620–1686; 1689–1691)
* Maine (1622–1658)
* Saint Croix (1625–1650)
* Massachusetts Bay Colony (1629–1686; 1689–1691)
* Carolina (1629–1712)
* Saybrook (1635–1644)
* New Haven (1638–1664)
* New England Confederation (1643–1654; 1675–c. 1680)
* Rupert's Land (1670–1811)
* North-Western Territory (1670–1870)
* East Jersey (1674–1702)
* West Jersey (1674–1702)
* Dominion of New England (1686–1689)
* Indian Reserve (1763–1783)
* Quebec (1763–1783)
* East Florida (1763–1783)
* West Florida (1763–1783)
* New Ireland (1779–1783; 1814–1815)
* Columbia District (1810–1846)
* Red River Colony (1811–1818)
* Stickeen Territories (1862–1863)
* Colony of British Columbia (1863–1866)
* Colony of British Columbia and Vancouver Island (1866–1871)
* Province of British Columbia (1871–1903)

* Non-British colonial entities in the contemporary United States

* Columbian Viceroyalty (1492–1535)
* New Spain
* 1521–1821; Spanish Florida, 1565–1763
* New Navarre, 1565–1821
* Captaincy General of the Philippines, 1565–1898
* Captaincy General of Puerto Rico, 1580–1898
* Santa Fe de Nuevo México, 1598–1821
* Captaincy General of Cuba, 1607–1801
* Spanish Saint Croix, 1650–1651
* Spanish Texas, 1690–1821
* Las Californias, 1767–1804
* Spanish Louisiana, 1769–1801
* Provincias Internas, 1776–1821
* Spanish East Florida, 1783–1821
* Spanish West Florida, 1783–1821
* Alta California, 1804–1821
* New France
* 1534–1763; French Florida, 1562–1565
* Hospitaller Saint Croix, 1651–1665
* French Saint Croix, 1665–1733
* French Louisiana, 1682–1763 and 1801–1803
* New Netherland (1614–1667)
* Dutch Virgin Islands (1625–1672)
* New Sweden (1638–1655)
* Danish West Indies (1672–1917)
* Brandenburger Saint Thomas (1685–1754)
* Krabbeninsel (1689–1693)
* Scottish Darien Company (1698)
* Russian America (1799–1867)
* German New Guinea (1884–1919)

* Category
* Commons page Commons

* v
* t
* e

Political divisions of the Confederate States (1861–1865)

States|

* Alabama
* Arkansas
* Florida
* Georgia
* Louisiana
* Mississippi
* North Carolina
* South Carolina
* Tennessee
* Texas
* Virginia
* West Virginia1

Map of the Confederate States

Governments in exile|

* Kentucky
* Missouri

Territory|

* Arizona Territory2

* 1 Admitted to the Union June 20, 1863.
* 2 Organized January 18, 1862.

* v
* t
* e

Political divisions of the United States

List of states and territories

States|

* Alabama
* Alaska
* Arizona
* Arkansas
* California
* Colorado
* Connecticut
* Delaware
* Florida
* Georgia
* Hawaii
* Idaho
* Illinois
* Indiana
* Iowa
* Kansas
* Kentucky
* Louisiana
* Maine
* Maryland
* Massachusetts
* Michigan
* Minnesota
* Mississippi
* Missouri
* Montana
* Nebraska
* Nevada
* New Hampshire
* New Jersey
* New Mexico
* New York
* North Carolina
* North Dakota
* Ohio
* Oklahoma
* Oregon
* Pennsylvania
* Rhode Island
* South Carolina
* South Dakota
* Tennessee
* Texas
* Utah
* Vermont
* Virginia
* Washington
* West Virginia
* Wisconsin
* Wyoming

Federal district|

Washington, D.C.

Insular areas|

* American Samoa
* Guam
* Northern Mariana Islands
* Puerto Rico
* U.S. Virgin Islands

Outlying islands|

* Baker Island
* Howland Island
* Jarvis Island
* Johnston Atoll
* Kingman Reef
* Midway Atoll
* Navassa Island
* Palmyra Atoll
* Wake Island

Indian reservations|

* List of Indian reservations

Others|

* Federal enclave

Coordinates: 36°N 80°W﻿ / ﻿36°N 80°W﻿ / 36; -80﻿ (State of North Carolina)
*[Pop.]: Population
*[%±]: Percent change
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