North Carolina (IPA: /?n?r??k?r?'la?n?/)
is a state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southern region
of the United States of America. The capital is Raleigh.
North Carolina was one of the original Thirteen Colonies, originally
known as Carolina, and the home of the first English colony in the
Americas. On 20 May 1861, it became one of the last Confederate
states to secede from the Union, and was readmitted on 4 July 1868.
It was also the location of the first successful manned powered
heavier-than-air flight, by the Wright brothers, at Kill Devil Hills
near Kitty Hawk in 1903. Today, it is a fast-growing state with
an increasingly diverse economy and population. As of 1 July 2007,
the population estimate is 9,061,032 (a 12% increase since 1 April
2000).[3]
North Carolina has a wide range of elevations, from sea level on
the coast to almost 6,700 feet (2,042 m) in the mountains. The climate
in the coastal and Piedmont regions of eastern and central North
Carolina is similar to other southern states such as Georgia and
South Carolina, while the climate in the western mountains is closer
to that found in New England or the upper Midwest. While the coastal
plains, especially the tidewater areas, are strongly influenced
by the Atlantic Ocean, the western, mountainous part of the state
is more than 300 miles (500 km) from the coast, resulting in considerably
less maritime influence. As such, the climate of the state ranges
from a warm, humid subtropical climate near the coast to a humid
continental climate in the mountains. Most of the state falls in
the humid subtropical zone.
Contents [hide]
1 Geography
1.1 Climate
2 History
2.1 Native Americans, The Lost Colony and Permanent Settlement
2.2 Colonial Period and Revolutionary War
2.3 Antebellum Period
2.4 Civil War
3 Demographics
4 Ancestry Group
4.1 Most populated counties
4.2 African Americans
4.3 European Americans
4.4 Native Americans
4.5 Hispanics/Latinos
4.6 Asian Americans
4.7 Religion
5 Economy
5.1 Agriculture and manufacturing
5.2 Finance, Technology and Research
5.3 Film and the arts
5.4 Tax revenue
6 Transportation
6.1 International/Major regional airports
6.2 Mass transit
6.3 Major highways
7 Politics and government
7.1 State constitution
7.2 Federal apportionments
7.3 Politics
8 Education
8.1 Elementary and secondary education
8.2 Colleges and universities
9 Sports and recreation
9.1 Professional sports
9.2 Recreation
10 Other information
10.1 Famous food and drinks from North Carolina
10.2 Ships named for the state
10.3 State symbols
10.4 Armed Forces installations
11 See also
12 References
13 Further reading
13.1 Primary sources
14 External links
14.1 Government and education
14.2 Other links
[edit] Geography
See also: Geography of the United States, East Coast of the United
States, Geography of North Carolina, and List of counties in North
Carolina
Stream within a Linville community
The Blue Ridge Mountains in the foreground with Grandfather Mountain
in the extreme background as seen from Blowing Rock, NC.
The Western North Carolina mountains as seen from Sunset Rock in
Highlands, North Carolina.
Bodie Island Lighthouse, one of the Outer Banks attractions.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
classifies North Carolina as a southern state in the subcategory
of being one of the South Atlantic States.
North Carolina topographic mapNorth Carolina consists of three main
geographic sections: the coastal plain, which occupies the eastern
45% of the state; the Piedmont region, which contains the middle
35%; and the Appalachian Mountains and foothills. The extreme eastern
section of the state contains The Outer Banks, a string of sandy,
narrow islands which form a barrier between the Atlantic Ocean and
inland waterways. The Outer Banks form two sounds—Albemarle
Sound in the north and Pamlico Sound in the south. They are the
two largest landlocked sounds in the United States. Immediately
inland, the coastal plain is relatively flat, with rich soils ideal
for growing tobacco, soybeans, melons, and cotton. The coastal plain
is North Carolina's most rural section, with few large towns or
cities. Agriculture remains an important industry. The major rivers
of this section, the Neuse River, Tar River, Pamlico River, and
the Cape Fear River, tend to be slow-moving and wide.
The coastal plain transitions to the Piedmont region along the
"fall line", a line which marks the elevation at which
waterfalls first appear on streams and rivers. The Piedmont region
of central North Carolina is the state's most urbanized and densely
populated section - all five of the state's largest cities are located
in the Piedmont. It consists of gently rolling countryside frequently
broken by hills or low mountain ridges. A number of small, isolated,
and deeply eroded mountain ranges and peaks are located in the Piedmont,
including the Sauratown Mountains, Pilot Mountain, the Uwharrie
Mountains, Crowder's Mountain, King's Pinnacle, the Brushy Mountains,
and the South Mountains. The Piedmont ranges from about 300–400
feet (90–120 m) elevation in the east to over 1,000 feet (300
m) in the west. Due to the rapid population growth of the Piedmont,
many of the farms and much of the rural countryside in this region
is being replaced by suburbanization - shopping centers, housing
developments, and large corporate office parks. Agriculture is steadily
declining in importance in this region. The major rivers of the
Piedmont, such as the Yadkin and Catawba, tend to be fast-flowing,
shallow, and narrow.
The western section of the state is part of the Appalachian Mountain
range. Among the subranges of the Appalachians located in the state
are the Great Smoky Mountains, Blue Ridge Mountains, Great Balsam
Mountains, Pisgah Mountains, and the Black Mountains. The Black
Mountains are the highest in the Eastern United States, and culminate
in Mount Mitchell at 6,684 feet (2,037 m).[2] It is the highest
point east of the Mississippi River. Although agriculture remains
important, tourism has become the dominant industry in the mountains.
One agricultural pursuit which has prospered and grown in recent
decades is the growing and selling of Christmas Trees. Due to the
higher altitude in the mountains, the climate often differs starkly
from the rest of the state. Winters in western North Carolina typically
feature significant snowfall and subfreezing temperatures more akin
to a midwestern state than a southern one.
North Carolina has 17 major river basins. Five of the state's river
basins - the Hiwassee, Little Tennessee, French Broad, Watauga and
New - are part of the Mississippi River Basin, which drains to the
Gulf of Mexico. All the others flow to the Atlantic Ocean. Of the
17 basins, 11 originate within the state of North Carolina, but
only four are contained entirely within the state's borders - the
Cape Fear, Neuse, White Oak and Tar-Pamlico.[4]
[edit] Climate
Main article: Climate of North Carolina
The geographical divisions of North Carolina are useful when discussing
the climate of the state.
The coastal plain is influenced by the Atlantic Ocean which keeps
temperatures mild in winter and moderate in the summer. Daytime
high temperatures on the coast average less than 89 °F (31.6
°C) during the summer. In the winter, the coast has the mildest
temperatures in the state, with daytime temperatures rarely dropping
below 40 °F (4.4 °C); the average daytime winter temperature
in the coastal plain is usually in the mid-60's. Temperatures in
the coastal plain rarely drop below freezing even at night. The
coastal plain usually receives only one inch (2.5 cm) of snow and/or
ice annually, and in some years there may be no snow or ice at all.
The Atlantic Ocean has less influence on the Piedmont region, and
as a result the Piedmont has hotter summers and colder winters than
the coast. Daytime highs in the Piedmont usually average over 90
°F (32.2 °C) in the summer. While it is not common for temperatures
to reach over 100 °F (37.8 °C) in North Carolina, when it
happens, the highest temperatures are to be found in the lower areas
of the Piedmont, especially around the city of Fayetteville. Additionally,
the weaker influence of the Atlantic Ocean means that temperatures
in the Piedmont often fluctuate more widely than the coast.
In the winter, the Piedmont is much less mild than the coast, with
daytime temperatures that are usually in the mid 50's, and temperatures
often drop below freezing at night. The region averages from 3-5
inches of snowfall annually in the Charlotte area to 6-8 inches
in the Raleigh-Durham area. The Piedmont is especially notorious
for sleet and freezing rain. It can be heavy enough in some storms
to snarl traffic and collapse trees and power lines. Annual precipitation
and humidity is lower in the Piedmont than either the mountains
or the coast, but even at its lowest, the precipitation is a generous
40 in (102 cm) per year.
The Appalachian Mountains are the coolest area of the state, with
daytime temperatures averaging in the low 40's and upper 30's for
highs in the winter and often falling into the teens (-9 °C)
or lower in winter nights. Relatively cool summers have temperatures
rarely rising above 80 °F (26.7 °C). Snowfall in the mountains
is usually 14–20 in (36–51 cm) per year, but it is often
greater in the higher elevations. For example, during the Blizzard
of 1993 more than 50 inches (130 cm) of snow fell on Mount Mitchell.
Severe weather is not a rare event in North Carolina. On average,
the state receives a direct hit from a hurricane once a decade.
Tropical storms arrive every 3 or 4 years. In some years several
hurricanes or tropical storms can directly hit the state or brush
across the coastal areas. Only Florida and Louisiana are hit by
hurricanes more often. On average, North Carolina has 50 days of
thunderstorm activity per year, with some storms becoming severe
enough to produce hail and damaging winds. Although many people
believe that hurricanes only menace coastal areas, the rare hurricane
which moves inland quickly enough can cause severe damage. In 1989
Hurricane Hugo caused heavy damage in Charlotte and even as far
inland as the Blue Ridge Mountains in the northwestern part of the
state. North Carolina averages less than 20 tornadoes per year.
Many of these are produced by hurricanes or tropical storms along
the coastal plain. Tornadoes from thunderstorms are a risk, especially
in the Piedmont region of central North Carolina.[5]
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 46/26 50/28 58/35 66/42 74/51 80/58 83/63 82/62 76/55
67/43 57/35 49/29
Cape Hatteras 54/39 55/39 60/44 68/52 75/60 82/68 85/73 85/72 81/68
73/59 65/50 57/43
Charlotte 51/32 56/34 64/42 73/49 80/58 87/66 90/71 88/69 82/63
73/51 63/42 54/35
Greensboro 47/28 52/31 60/38 70/46 77/55 84/64 88/68 86/67 79/60
70/48 60/39 51/31
Raleigh 50/30 54/32 62/39 72/46 79/55 86/64 89/68 87/67 81/61 72/48
62/40 53/33
Wilmington 56/36 60/38 66/44 74/51 81/60 86/68 90/72 88/71 84/66
76/54 68/45 60/38
[1]
[edit] History
Main article: History of North Carolina
[edit] Native Americans, The Lost Colony and Permanent Settlement
Sir Walter Raleigh and his sonMain articles: Native Americans in
the United States and Roanoke Island
North Carolina was originally inhabited by many different native
peoples, including the Cherokee, Tuscarora, Cheraw, Pamlico, Meherrin,
Coree, Machapunga, Cape Fear Indians, Waxhaw, Saponi, Tutelo, Waccamaw,
Coharie, and Catawba. In 1584, Elizabeth I, granted a charter to
Sir Walter Raleigh, for whom the state capital is named, for land
in present-day North Carolina (then Virginia).[6] Raleigh established
two colonies on the coast in the late 1580s, both ending in failure.
It was the second American territory the British attempted to colonize.
The demise of one, the "Lost Colony" of Roanoke Island,
remains one of the great mysteries of American history. Virginia
Dare, the first English child to be born in North America, was born
in North Carolina. Dare County is named for her.
Main article: Province of Carolina
As early as 1650, colonists from the Virginia colony moved into
the area of Albemarle Sound. By 1663, Charles II granted a charter
to establish a new colony on the North American continent which
generally established its borders. He named it Carolina in honor
of his father Charles I. [7] By 1665, a second charter was issued
to attempt to resolve territorial questions. In 1710, due to disputes
over governance, the Carolina colony began to split into North Carolina
and South Carolina. The latter became a crown colony in 1729.
[edit] Colonial Period and Revolutionary War
Main article: American Revolutionary War
The first permanent European settlers of North Carolina were British
colonists who migrated south from Virginia, following a rapid growth
of the colony and the subsequent shortage of available farmland.
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.[8] By 1663, this northeastern area of the
Province of Carolina, known as the Albemarle Settlements, was undergoing
full-scale British settlement.[9] During the same period, the English
monarch Charles II gave the province to the Lords Proprietors, a
group of noblemen who had helped restore Charles to the throne in
1660. The new province of "Carolina" was named in honor
and memory of King Charles I (Latin: Carolus). In 1712, North Carolina
became a separate colony. With the exception of the Earl Granville
holdings, it became a royal colony seventeen years later.[10]
Differences in the settlement patterns of eastern and western North
Carolina, or the Low country and uplands, affected the political,
economic, and social life of the state from the eighteenth until
the twentieth century. The Tidewater in eastern North Carolina was
settled chiefly by immigrants from England and Highland Scotland.
The upcountry of western North Carolina was settled chiefly by Scots-Irish
and German Protestants, the so-called "cohee". Arriving
during the mid-to-late 18th century, the Scots-Irish were the largest
immigrant group from the British Isles before the Revolution. During
the Revolutionary War, the English and Highland Scots of eastern
North Carolina tended to remain loyal to the British Crown, because
of longstanding business and personal connections with Great Britain.
The Scots-Irish and German settlers of western North Carolina tended
to favor American independence from Britain.
Most of the English colonists arrived as indentured servants, hiring
themselves out as laborers for a fixed period to pay for their passage.
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 relationships or marriages between free white
women and enslaved African or African-American men.[11] As the flow
of indentured laborers to the colony decreased with improving economic
conditions in Great Britain, more slaves were imported. The economy's
growth and prosperity was based on slave labor, devoted first to
the production of tobacco.
On April 12, 1776, the colony became the first to instruct its
delegates to the Continental Congress to vote for independence from
the British crown, through the Halifax Resolves passed by the North
Carolina Provincial Congress. The dates of both of these independence-related
events are memorialized on the state flag and state seal.[12] Throughout
the Revolutionary War, fierce guerilla 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.
A major American victory in the war took place at King's Pinnacle
along the North Carolina-South Carolina border. On October 7, 1780
a force of 1000 mountain men from western North Carolina (including
what is today the State of Tennessee) overwhelmed a force of some
1000 British troops led by Major Patrick Ferguson. Most of the British
soldiers in this battle were Carolinians who had remained loyal
to the British Crown (they were called "Tories"). The
American victory at Kings Mountain gave the advantage to colonists
who favored American independence. It prevented the British Army
from recruiting new soldiers from the Tories.
The road to Yorktown and America's independence from Great Britain
led through North Carolina. 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 Cornwallis's base of supply in Charleston, North Carolina.
This campaign is known as "The Race to the Dan" or "The
Race for the River."[13]
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 American Army
were crippling. Following this "Pyhrric victory", Cornwallis
chose to move to the Virginia coastline to get reinforcements, and
to allow the British Navy to protect his battered army. This decision
would result in Cornwallis's eventual defeat at Yorktown, Virginia
later in 1781. The Patriots' victory there guaranteed American independence.
[edit] Antebellum Period
On November 21, 1789, North Carolina became the twelfth state to
ratify the Constitution. In 1840, it completed the state capitol
building in Raleigh, still standing today. Unlike many other Southern
states, North Carolina never developed a dominant slaveholding aristocracy,
and middle-class yeomen tended to control the state government.
Most of North Carolina's slaveowners and large plantations were
located in the eastern Tidewater. Western North Carolinians tended
to be non-slaveowning subsistence farmers. In mid-century, the state's
rural and commercial areas were connected by the construction of
a 129–mile (208 km) wooden plank road, known as a "farmer'
railroad," from Fayetteville in the east to Bethania (northwest
of Winston-Salem).[14]
On October 25, 1836 construction began on the Wilmington and Raleigh
Railroad [15] to connect the port city of Wilmington with the state
capital of Raleigh. 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.
During the antebellum period North Carolina was an overwhelmingly
rural state, even by Southern standards. In 1860 only one North
Carolina town, the port city of Wilmington, had a population of
more than 10,000. Raleigh, the state capital, had barely more than
5,000 residents.
While slaveholding was less concentrated than in some Southern
states, according to the 1860 census, 33% of the population of 992,622
were enslaved African Americans. They lived and worked chiefly on
plantations in the eastern Tidewater. In addition, 30,463 free blacks
lived in the state. They were also concentrated in the eastern coastal
plain, especially around ports such as Wilmington and New Bern.
Free African Americans had been allowed to vote until 1835.
[edit] Civil War
Main article: American Civil War
In 1860, North Carolina was a slave state with about one-third slaves,
a smaller proportion than many Southern states. It refused to join
the Confederacy until President Abraham Lincoln called on it to
invade its sister-state, South Carolina. The state was the site
of few battles, but it provided at least 125,000 troops to the Confederacy—
far more than any other state. Approximately 40,000 of those troops
never returned home, dying of disease, battlefield wounds, and privation.
Elected in 1862, Governor Zebulon Baird Vance tried to maintain
state autonomy against Confederate President Jefferson Davis in
Richmond.
Even after secession, some North Carolinians refused to support
the Confederacy. This was particularly true of non-slave-owning
farmers in the state's mountains and western Piedmont region. Some
of these farmers remained neutral during the war, while some covertly
supported the Union cause during the conflict. Even so, Confederate
troops from all parts of North Carolina served in virtually all
the major battles of the Army of Northern Virginia, the Confederacy's
most famous army. The 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.[16] In April
1865 Johnston surrendered to Sherman at Bennett Place, in what is
today Durham, North Carolina. This was the last major Confederate
Army to surrender. North Carolina's port city of Wilmington was
the last Confederate port to fall to the Union. It fell in the spring
of 1865 after the nearby Second Battle of Fort Fisher.
The first Confederate soldier to be killed in the Civil War was
Private Henry Wyatt, a North Carolinian. He was killed in the Battle
of Big Bethel in June 1861. At the Battle of Gettysburg in July
1863, the 26th North Carolina Regiment participated in Pickett/Pettigrew's
Charge and advanced the farthest into the Northern lines of any
Confederate regiment. 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. For many years, North Carolinians proudly boasted that they
had been "First at Bethel, Farthest at Gettysburg, and Last
at Appomattox."
Demographics of North Carolina (csv)
By race White Black AIAN Asian NHPI
AIAN is American Indian or Alaskan Native — NHPI is Native
Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
2000 (total population) 75.27% 22.20% 1.65% 1.70% 0.11%
2000 (Hispanic only) 4.28% 0.33% 0.10% 0.05% 0.03%
2005 (total population) 74.95% 22.29% 1.65% 2.06% 0.12%
2005 (Hispanic only) 5.89% 0.37% 0.12% 0.05% 0.03%
Growth 2000–2005 (total population) 7.41% 8.31% 7.51% 30.62%
17.92%
Growth 2000–2005 (non-Hispanic only) 4.93% 8.13% 6.31% 30.71%
16.84%
Growth 2000–2005 (Hispanic only) 48.62% 20.36% 25.79% 27.15%
21.63%
North Carolina has 3 Metropolitan Combined Statistical Areas with
a population over 1 million:
The Metrolina: Charlotte-Gastonia-Salisbury, NC-SC - population
2,191,604
The Triangle: Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC- population of 1,565,223
The Piedmont Triad: Greensboro--Winston-Salem--High Point, NC -
population of 1,513,576
North Carolina Population Density Map
Two thirds of North Carolina's population resides in the middle
one third of its landmass. This implies that the middle one third
of North Carolina is about four times more densely populated than
the remaining two thirds.According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as
of 2006, North Carolina has an estimated population of 8,856,505,
which is an increase of 184,046, or 2.1%, from the prior year and
an increase of 810,014, or 10.0%, since the year 2000. This exceeds
the rate of growth for the United States as a whole. The growth
comprises a natural increase since the last census of 293,761 people
(that is 749,959 births minus 456,198 deaths) and an increase due
to net migration of 527,991 people into the state. Immigration from
outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 180,986
people. Migration within the country produced a net increase of
347,005 people. Between 2005 and 2006, North Carolina passed New
Jersey to become the 10th most populous state.[17]
North Carolina has historically been a rural state, with most of
the population living on farms and in small towns. However, over
the last 30 years the state has undergone rapid urbanization. Today
the residents of North Carolina live primarily in urban and suburban
areas, as is the case in most of the United States. In particular,
the cities of Charlotte and Raleigh have become major urban centers,
with large, diverse, mainly affluent and rapidly growing populations.
Most of this growth in diversity has been fueled by immigrants from
Latin America,[2] India, and Southeast Asia.[3]
The center of population of North Carolina is located in Randolph
County, in the town of Seagrove.[18]
6.7% of North Carolina's population were reported as under 5 years
old, 24.4% under 18, and 12.0% were 65 or older. Females made up
approximately 51% of the population.
[edit] Ancestry Group
The largest ancestry groups in North Carolina are:
Ancestry Percentage Main article:
African (21.6%) Of Total) See African American
American (13.9%) See British American
English (9.5%) See English American
German (9.5%) See German American
Irish (7.4%) See Irish American
Scots-Irish (3.2%) See Scots-Irish American
Italian (2.3%) See Italian American
Scottish (2.2%) See Scottish American
[edit] Most populated counties
[4]
County Seat 2010 Projection
Mecklenburg Charlotte 925,084
Wake Raleigh 900,072
Guilford Greensboro 474,605
Forsyth Winston-Salem 350,784
Cumberland Fayetteville 311,777
Durham Durham 262,256
Buncombe Asheville 234,697
Gaston Gastonia 205,489
Union Monroe 203,527
New Hanover Wilmington 200,401
[edit] African Americans
African Americans make up a quarter of North Carolina's population.
The number of middle-class blacks has increased since the 1970s.
African Americans are concentrated in the state's eastern Coastal
Plain and in parts of the Piedmont Plateau, where they had historically
worked and where new job opportunities are. African American communities
number by the hundreds in rural counties in the south-central and
northeast, and in predominantly black neighborhoods in the cities:
Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham, Greensboro, Fayetteville, Wilmington
and Winston-Salem.
Until the mid 1860s, North Carolina had more small farms and fewer
plantations than adjacent South Carolina and Virginia. These "yeoman"
farmers were non-slave-holding (or owning few slaves), private land
owners of tracts of approximately 500 acres (2 km²) or less.
Relatively few blacks live in the state's mountains and rural areas
of the western Piedmont. In some mountain counties, the black population
has historically numbered in the few dozens at most.
North Carolina was the site of the famous Greensboro sit-ins of
1960, important events in the moral education of America in Civil
Rights Movement.
[edit] European Americans
North Carolinians of Scots-Irish, Scottish and English ancestry
are spread across the state. In the Winston-Salem area, there is
a substantial population of German ancestry from the migration of
members of the Moravian Church during the mid-18th century. The
coastal region attracted a history of European immigration, like
Swiss-Germans who settled New Bern and Welsh who settled east of
present Fayetteville in the 18th century. A small group of Ukrainians
settled in Pender County during the early 20th century.[19]
[edit] Native Americans
Estimated population figures for Native American in North Carolina
as of 2004 is 110,198. Only five states (California, Arizona, Oklahoma,
New Mexico, and Texas) have a larger Native American population
than North Carolina.[20] The total Native American and Alaska Native
population in the United States is 2,824,751, or 0.95% of the total.
To date, North Carolina recognizes eight Native American tribal
nations within its state borders:
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians were federally recognized
in 1868 and received state recognition in 1889. The Eastern Cherokee
live in eastern Swain County, as well as Graham and Jackson counties,
and have roughly 13,400 enrolled members, most of whom live on a
reservation properly called the Qualla Boundary. The Reservation
is slightly more than 56,000 acres (230 km²), and is held in
trust by the federal government specifically for the Eastern Band
of Cherokee Indians.
The Haliwa-Saponi Tribe of Native Americans received state recognition
in 1965. The tribe comprises a little more than 3,800 enrolled members
who reside in northeastern North Carolina's Halifax and Warren counties.
The almost 2,000 members of the Waccamaw Siouan Indian Tribe are
located in the mid-atlantic North Carolina counties of Bladen, and
Columbus and received state recognition in 1971.
The Coharie Tribe of Native Americans are located in Sampson and
Harnett counties, and have a population of 1,781 enrolled members.
The Coharie received state recognition in 1911. North Carolina rescinded
recognition in 1913 but reinstated it in 1971.
The Sappony received state recognition in 1911 and have 850 enrolled
members.
The Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation have a population of 800
members who reside in Orange and Alamance counties and received
state recognition in 2002.
The Meherrin are an Iroquoian-descent Native American tribe located
primarily in rural northeastern Hertford, Bertie, and Gates counties,
with a population of 557 enrolled members.
Not officially a Native American tribe according to the federal
government, the Lumbee tribe would have the largest number of descendants
in the state, mainly concentrated in the Southeastern portions of
the state in Robeson, Scotland, Cumberland and nearby counties.
[edit] Hispanics/Latinos
Since 1990 the state has seen a boom in the number of Hispanics/Latinos.
Once chiefly employed as migrant labor, the increase in Hispanics
since 1990 can be attributed in part to the ease of access to low
skilled jobs that are the first step on the economic ladder. As
a result growing numbers of Hispanics are settling in the state,
mainly from Mexico, Central America, and the Dominican Republic.
Hispanic neighborhoods are found in the cities and there are sizable
populations of Cuban Americans and Puerto Ricans in North Carolina.
In 2005, the Pew Hispanic Center estimated that 300,000 —
roughly 65 percent of North Carolina’s Latino population —
are illegal immigrants, based on the Census Bureau’s population
estimates.[21] The population has grown from 77,726 in 1990 to 517,617
in 2005, an average increase of 13.5% per year.[21]
[edit] Asian Americans
The state has one of the most rapid growing Asian American, specifically
Indian and Vietnamese, populations in the country; the populations
nearly quintupled and tripled, respectively, between 1990 and 2002.
The earliest record of Asian immigration in North Carolina goes
back to the mid 1800s when the first Chinese Americans were hired
as agricultural workers. The famous Chinese-Malay American Siamese
twins - Eng and Chang Bunker - settled in Wilkesboro, North Carolina
in 1839. Japanese Americans, Filipino Americans, and Koreans arrived
in the early and mid 20th century. Recent estimates suggest that
the state's Asian American population has increased significantly
since 2000. The Hmong population in North Carolina has grown by
12,000 since the 1980s.[22]
[edit] Religion
North Carolina, like other Southern states, has traditionally been
overwhelmingly Protestant, with the largest Protestant denomination
being the Southern Baptists. However, the rapid influx of northerners
and immigrants from Latin America is steadily increasing the number
of Roman Catholics and Jews in the state, and the numerical dominance
of the Baptist Church is beginning to decline. This is especially
evident in the urban areas of the state, where the population is
more culturally diverse and the bulk of the growth has occurred.
However, in many rural counties the Southern Baptists remain the
dominant Christian church. The second-largest Protestant church
in North Carolina are the Methodists, who are strong in the northern
Piedmont, and especially in populous Guilford County. There are
also substantial numbers of Quakers in Guilford County, and northeastern
North Carolina. The Presbyterians have historically had a strong
presence in Charlotte, the state's largest city, and in Scotland
County. The current religious affiliations of the people of North
Carolina are shown below:
Christian – 88%
Protestant – 77%
Baptist – 40%
Methodist – 10%
Presbyterian – 3%
Episcopal – 3%
Roman Catholic – 10%
Other Christian – 1% such as Mormon or Eastern Orthodox.
Non-Religious – 11% (unaffiliated, atheists, agnostics, and
others)
Other Religions – 1% (Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism)
[edit] Economy
See also: Economy of the United States and Economic history of the
United States
According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the state's 2006 total
gross state product was $375 billion.[23] Its 2005 per capita personal
income was $31,029, 36th in the nation.[24] North Carolina's agricultural
outputs include poultry and eggs, tobacco, hogs, milk, nursery stock,
cattle, sweet potatoes, and soybeans. However, North Carolina has
recently been affected by offshoring and industrial growth in countries
like China; one in five manufacturing jobs in the state has been
lost to overseas competition.[25] There has been a distinct difference
in the economic growth of North Carolina's urban and rural areas.
While large cities such as Charlotte, Raleigh, Cary, and others
have experienced rapid population and economic growth over the last
thirty years, many of the state's small towns have suffered from
loss of jobs and population. Most of North Carolina's small towns
historically developed around textile and furniture factories. As
these factories closed and moved to low-wage markets in Asia and
Latin America, the small towns that depended upon them have suffered.
[edit] Agriculture and manufacturing
Over the past century, North Carolina has grown to become a national
leader in agriculture, financial services, and manufacturing. The
state's industrial output—mainly textiles, chemicals, electrical
equipment, paper and pulp/paper products—ranked eighth in
the nation in the early 1990s. The textile industry, which was once
a mainstay of the state's economy, has been steadily losing jobs
to producers in Latin America and Asia for the past 25 years, though
the state remains the largest textile employer in the United States.[26]
Over the past few years, another important Carolina industry, furniture
production, has also been hard hit by jobs moving to Asia (especially
China). Tobacco, one of North Carolina's earliest sources of revenue,
remains vital to the local economy, although concerns about whether
the federal government will continue to support subsidies for tobacco
farmers has led some growers to switch to other crops like wine
or leave farming altogether.[27] North Carolina is the leading producer
of tobacco in the country.[28] Agriculture in the western counties
of North Carolina (particularly Buncombe and surrounding counties)
is presently experiencing a revitalization coupled with a shift
to niche marketing, fueled by the growing demand for organic and
local products.
[edit] Finance, Technology and Research
Charlotte's growing skylineCharlotte, North Carolina's largest city,
continues to experience rapid growth, in large part due to the banking
& finance industry. Charlotte is now the second largest banking
center in the United States (after New York), and is home to Bank
of America and Wachovia. The Charlotte metro area is also home to
5 other Fortune 500 companies.
BB&T (Branch Banking & Trust), one of America's largest
banks, was founded in Wilson, NC in 1872. Today, BB&T is headquartered
out of Winstom-Salem, NC and still does some operations in Wilson.
The information and biotechnology industries have been steadily
on the rise since the creation of the Research Triangle Park (RTP)
in the 1950s. Located between Raleigh and Durham (mostly in Durham
County), its proximity to local research universities has no doubt
helped to fuel growth. Meanwhile, beginning in the 1980s,
The North Carolina Research Campus underway in Kannapolis (approx.
30 miles (48 km) northeast of Charlotte) promises to enrich and
bolster the Charlotte area in the same way that RTP changed the
Raleigh-Durham region.[29] Encompassing 5,800,000 square feet (539,000
m²), the complex is a collaborative project involving Duke
University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and N.C.
State University, along with private and corporate investors and
developers. The facility incorporates corporate, academic, commercial
and residential space, oriented toward research and development
(R&D) and biotechnology. Similarly, in downtown Winston-Salem,
the Piedmont Triad Research Park is undergoing an expansion. Approximately
thirty miles to the east of Winston Salem's research park, the University
of North Carolina at Greensboro and North Carolina A&T State
University have joined forces to create the Gateway University Research
Park, a technology-based research entity which will focus its efforts
on areas such as nanotechnology, biotechnology & biochemistry,
environmental sciences, and genetics among other science-based disciplines.
[edit] Film and the arts
Film studios are located in Shelby, Raleigh, Durham, Charlotte,
Asheville, Wilmington, and Winston-Salem. Some of the best-known
films and television shows filmed in the state include: All the
Real Girls, Being There, Blue Velvet, Bull Durham, The Color Purple,
Cabin Fever, Cape Fear, The Crow, Dawson's Creek, Dirty Dancing,
Evil Dead 2, The Fugitive, The Green Mile, Hannibal, The Last of
the Mohicans, Nell, One Tree Hill, Patch Adams (film), Shallow Hal,
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, and 28 Days. The television
show most associated with North Carolina is The Andy Griffith Show,
which aired on CBS-TV from 1960 to 1968. The series is set in the
fictional small town of Mayberry, North Carolina, and was based
on the real-life town of Mount Airy, North Carolina, although it
was filmed in California. Mount Airy is the hometown of actor Andy
Griffith. The show is still popular in reruns and is frequently
shown in syndication around the nation. North Carolina is also home
to some of the Southeast's biggest film festivals, including the
National Black Theatre Festival and the RiverRun International Film
Festival in Winston-Salem, and the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival
in Durham, North Carolina.
The School of Filmmaking at the North Carolina School of the Arts
in Winston-Salem is a unique arts conservatory that combines rigorous
professional training with unparalleled facilities, equipment and
resources. All Second, Third and Fourth Year productions are entered
into film and video festivals worldwide, and several have won major
awards, including the Student Academy Award, the Angelus Award and
the Cine Eagle Award. The best Fourth Year productions are also
screened on film in front of large industry audiences at the Directors
Guild of America in Los Angeles in June each year. School of the
Arts alumni have performed in or behind the scenes of Broadway shows,
film, television and regional theatre, and are members of the world’s
finest symphony orchestras and opera and dance companies. They have
won or been nominated for all of the major awards in the entertainment
industry, including Tony, Oscar, Emmy, Grammy and others. Some well-known
alumni of the NCSA School of Drama are Jada Pinkett Smith, Mary-Louise
Parker, Catherine Dent, and Tom Hulce.
[edit] Tax revenue
See also: Taxation in the United States and State tax levels
North Carolina personal income tax is slightly progressive, with
four incremental brackets ranging from 6.0% to 8.25%. The state
sales tax is 4.25%.[30] Most taxable sales or purchases are subject
to the state tax as well as the 2.5% local tax rate levied by all
counties, for a combined 6.75%. Mecklenburg County has an additional
0.5% local tax for public transportation, bringing sales taxes there
to a total 7.25%. The total local rate of tax in Dare County is
3.5%, producing a combined state and local rate there of 7.75%.[31]
In addition, there is a 29.9¢ tax per gallon of gas, a 30¢
tax per pack of cigarettes, a 79¢ tax on wine, and a 48¢
tax on beer. There are also additional taxes levied against food
and prepared foods, normally totaling 2% and 8% respectively. The
property tax in North Carolina is locally assessed and collected
by the counties. The three main elements of the property tax system
in North Carolina are real property, motor vehicles and personal
property (inventories and household personal property are exempt).
Estimated at 10.5% of income, North Carolina’s state/local
tax burden percentage ranks 23rd highest nationally (taxpayers pay
an average of $3,526 per-capita), just below the national average
of 10.6%.[32] North Carolina ranks 40th in the Tax Foundation's
State Business Tax Climate Index with neighboring states ranked
as follows: Tennessee (18th), Georgia (19th), South Carolina (26th)
and Virginia (13th).[32]
[edit] Transportation
[edit] International/Major regional airports
Main article: List of airports in North Carolina
Charlotte/Douglas International Airport (Charlotte)
Asheville Regional Airport (Asheville)
Fayetteville Regional Airport (Fayetteville)
Piedmont Triad International Airport (Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High
Point)
Pitt-Greenville Airport (Greenville)
Moore County Airport (Pinehurst/Southern Pines)
Raleigh-Durham International Airport (Raleigh/Durham)
Craven County Regional Airport (New Bern)
Wilmington International Airport (Wilmington)
[edit] Mass transit
LYNX light rail car in CharlotteSeveral cities are served by mass
transit systems. The Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) operates
historical trolleys, express shuttles and bus service serving Charlotte
and its immediate suburbs. In 2007 it opened the LYNX light rail
line connecting Charlotte with suburban Pineville.
The Fayetteville Area System of Transit (FAST) serves the city
with ten bus routes and two shuttle routes.
Within Raleigh, the Capital Area Transit system operates 27 bus
routes. The Triangle Transit Authority operates buses that serve
the region and connect to municipal bus systems in Durham and Chapel
Hill; efforts for the city of Raleigh to build a light rail from
the downtown areas of Raleigh to the downtown area of Durham failed
as TTA's projected ridership did not meet federal standards. The
Durham Area Transit Authority (DATA) bus system runs within Durham.
The Triangle Transit Authority operates buses that serve the region
and connect to municipal bus systems in Raleigh and Chapel Hill,
which has its own entirely fare-free bus service, Chapel Hill Transit.
Greensboro is serviced by the Greensboro Transit Authority (GTA),
which operates 14 bus routes. Additionally, the Higher Education
Area Transit (HEAT) system provides service to students who attend
the following institutions: Bennett College, Elon University School
of Law, Greensboro College, Guilford College, Guilford Technical
Community College, North Carolina A&T State University, and
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. The HEAT service
provides transportation between campuses and various other destinations,
including downtown Greensboro.
Winston-Salem Transit Authority (WSTA) operates 30 bus routes around
the city of Winston-Salem; additionally, WSTA recently completed
construction of a central downtown mult-modal transportation center
with 16 covered bus bays adjacent to a large enclosed lobby/waiting
area. There are future plans being discussed for a $52 million streetcar
system connecting Piedmont Triad Research Park/Downtown with Wake
Forest University Baptist Medical Center.
Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation (PART) is the Triad's
10-county regional organization with the goal of enhancing all forms
of transportation through regional cooperation. PART Express Bus
provides express shuttle service to each major Triad city from Piedmont
Triad International Airport, while Connections Express connects
the Triad to Duke and UNC Medical Centers. PART is also administering
and developing several rail service studies that include both commuter
and intercity rail.
Wilmington's Wave Transit operates six bus lines within the city
as well as five shuttles to nearby areas and a downtown trolley.
[edit] Major highways
Main article: North Carolina Highway System
The North Carolina Highway System consists of a vast network of
Interstate highways, U.S. routes, and state routes. North Carolina
has the second largest state-maintained highway network in the United
States.[33] Major highways include:
Interstate 26
Interstate 40
Interstate 73
Interstate 74
Interstate 77
Interstate 85
Interstate 95
U.S. Highway 1
U.S. Highway 17
U.S. Highway 64
U.S. Highway 70
U.S. Highway 74
U.S. Highway 52
U.S. Highway 421
U.S. Highway 401
[edit] Politics and government
The governor, lieutenant governor, and eight elected executive department
heads form the Council of State. Ten other executive department
heads appointed by the governor form the North Carolina Cabinet.
The state's current governor is Democrat Mike Easley. The North
Carolina General Assembly, or Legislature, consists of two houses:
a 50-member Senate and a 120-member House of Representatives. For
the 2007–2008 session, the current President Pro Tempore of
the Senate is Democrat Marc Basnight (the Lieutenant Governor of
North Carolina is the President of the Senate); The House Speaker
is Democrat Joe Hackney.
The Supreme Court of North Carolina is the state's highest appellate
court; it numbers seven justices. The North Carolina Court of Appeals
is the only intermediate appellate court in the state; it consists
of fifteen judges who rule in rotating panels of three. Together,
the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals constitute the appellate
division of the court system. The trial division includes the Superior
Court and the District Court. All felony criminal cases, civil cases
involving more than $10,000 and misdemeanor and infraction appeals
from District Court are tried in Superior Court. A jury of 12 hears
the criminal cases. Civil cases—such as divorce, custody,
child support, and cases involving less than $10,000—are heard
in District Court, along with criminal cases involving misdemeanors
and lesser infractions. The trial of a criminal case in District
Court is always without a jury. The District Court also hears juvenile
cases involving children under the age of 16 who are delinquent
and children under the age of 18 who are undisciplined, dependent,
neglected, or abused. Magistrates accept guilty pleas for minor
misdemeanors, accept guilty pleas for traffic violations, and accept
waivers of trial for worthless-check cases among other things. In
civil cases, the magistrate is authorized to try small claims involving
up to $4,000 including landlord eviction cases. Magistrates also
perform civil marriages.
[edit] State constitution
Main article: North Carolina Constitution
The state constitution governs the structure and function of the
North Carolina government. It is the highest legal document for
the state and subjugates North Carolina law. Like all state constitutions
in the United States, this constitution is subject to federal judicial
review. Any provision of the state constitution can be nullified
if it conflicts with federal law and the United States Constitution.
North Carolina has had three constitutions:
1776: Ratified December 18, 1776, as the first constitution of
the independent state. The Declaration of Rights was ratified the
preceding day.
1868: Framed in accordance with the Reconstruction Acts after North
Carolina was readmitted into the Union. It was a major reorganization
and modification of the original into fourteen articles. It also
introduced townships which each county was required to create, the
only southern state to do so.
1971: Minor consolidation of the 1868 constitution and subsequent
amendments.
[edit] Federal apportionments
North Carolina currently has 13 congressional districts, which,
when combined with its two U.S. Senate seats, gives the state 15
electoral votes. In the 109th Congress, the state was represented
by six Democratic and seven Republican members of congress, plus
two Republican Senators. The Democrats picked up one seat (District
11) in the 2006 election for the 110th Congress.
[edit] Politics
See also: Politics of the United States
North Carolina is politically dominated by the Democratic and Republican
political parties. Third parties have had difficulty making inroads
in state politics, including the Green Party and Libertarian Party.
They have both run candidates for office with neither party successfully
electing a candidate to a state office. The Libertarian party is
currently engaged in a lawsuit with the state over ballot access.[34]
Historically, North Carolina has been politically divided between
the eastern and western parts of the state. Before the Civil War,
the eastern half of North Carolina supported the Democratic Party,
primarily because the region contained most of the state's slave
owners and large cash crops. The western half of the state tended
to support the Whig party, which was generally seen as being more
moderate on the issue of slavery and was more supportive of business
interests. Following the Civil War, the Republicans, backed by the
victorious U.S. Army, controlled the state government. When federal
troops were removed in the 1870s, the Democratic Party quickly gained
control of the state government.
In 1894, the Republican and Populist parties formed an alliance,
called an electoral fusion, which resulted in control of the state
legislature and governorship. However, in 1898 the state's Democratic
Party, in a blatantly racist campaign, regained control of the state
government. Using the slogan, "White Supremacy", and backed
by influential newspapers such as the Raleigh News and Observer
under publisher Josephus Daniels, the Democrats ousted the Populist-Republican
majority. With some notable exceptions, North Carolina then became
a part of the "Solid Democratic South". However, some
counties in the western Piedmont and Appalachian Mountains continued
to vote Republican, continuing a tradition that dated from their
opposition to secession before the Civil War. In 1952, aided by
the presidential candidacy of popular war hero Dwight Eisenhower,
the Republicans were successful in electing a U.S. Congressman,
Charles R. Jonas. Republicans slowly made gains in the 1960s, and
in 1972, aided by the landslide re-election of Richard Nixon, the
Republicans elected their first governor and U.S. Senator of the
twentieth century.
The Senator, Jesse Helms, played a major role in reviving the Republicans
and turning North Carolina into a two-party state. Under his banner,
many conservative Democrats in the central and eastern parts of
North Carolina left the Democrats and began to vote increasingly
Republican, at least at the national level. In part, this was due
to dissatisfaction with the national Democratic Party's stance on
the issues of civil rights and racial integration, and later to
the leftward tilt on social issues such as prayer in school, gun
rights, abortion rights, and gay rights. From 1968–2004 (excepting
Jimmy Carter's election in 1976), North Carolina has voted Republican
in every presidential election. At the state level, however, the
Democrats still control most of the elected offices in the state
government, and state and local elections are highly competitive
compared to previous historical eras (for example, eastern North
Carolina routinely elects a sizable number of Republican sheriffs
and county commissioners, which did not happen until the 1980s).
The Republicans hold both U.S. Senate seats, but the Democrats retain
the governorship, majorities in both houses of the state legislature,
state supreme court, and a 7-6 majority of U.S. House seats as of
January 2007.
Modern North Carolina politics center less around the old east-west
geographical split, and more on a growing urban-suburban-rural divide.
Many of the state's rural and small-town areas are now heavily Republican,
while growing urban centers such as Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham and
Greensboro are increasingly Democratic. The suburban areas around
the cities usually hold the power, and vote both ways. Two Presidents
of the United States were born and raised in North Carolina, but
both men began their political careers in neighboring Tennessee,
and were elected President from that state. The two men were James
K. Polk and Andrew Johnson. A third U.S. President, Andrew Jackson,
may also have been born in North Carolina. However, as he was born
almost precisely on the state line with South Carolina, both states
claim him as a native son, and historians have debated for decades
over the precise site of Jackson's birthplace. On the grounds of
the old state capitol building in Raleigh is a statue dedicated
to the Presidents who were born in the state; Jackson is included
in the statue. Jackson himself stated that he was born in what later
became South Carolina, but at the time of his birth the line between
the states had not been surveyed.
North Carolina remains a control state. This is probably due to
the state's strongly conservative Protestant heritage. Four of the
state's counties - Clay, Graham, Mitchell, and Yancey, which are
all located in rural areas - remain "dry" (the sale of
alcoholic beverages is illegal).[5] However, the remaining 96 North
Carolina counties allow the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages,
as is the case in most of the United States. Even in rural areas,
the opposition to selling and drinking alcoholic beverages is declining,
as the decreasing number of "dry" counties indicates.
North Carolina is one of the 12 states to decriminalize marijuana.
In 1997 Marijuana and Tetrahydrocannabinols were moved from a schedule
I to schedule IV . Transfer of less than 5 grams is not considered
sale, and up to 1 1/2 ounces is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine
or community service, at the judge's discretion, rather than imprisonment
or a felony charge. [35]
In 2005, following substantial political maneuvering, the state
legislature voted to implement a state lottery, thus altering North
Carolina's reputation as the "anti-lottery" state, where
owning a lottery ticket from another state was once a felony. By
2005, every state surrounding North Carolina had a lottery in operation.
The North Carolina Education Lottery began selling tickets on March
31, 2006. The lottery has had unexpectedly low sales since its inception.[6]
[edit] Education
[edit] Elementary and secondary education
Elementary and secondary public schools are overseen by the North
Carolina Department of Public Instruction, which is headed by the
North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction, who is also
secretary of the North Carolina State Board of Education. This body
holds most of the legal authority for making public education policy.[36]
North Carolina has 115 public school systems, each of which is overseen
by a local school board. A county may have one or more systems within
it. The largest school systems in North Carolina are the Charlotte-Mecklenburg
Schools, Wake County Public School System, Winston-Salem/Forsyth
County Schools, Cumberland County Schools,and Guilford County Schools.
The state has also established charter schools, which fall outside
the ordinary structure.
See also: List of school districts in North Carolina
[edit] Colleges and universities
For more details on this topic, see List of colleges and universities
in North Carolina
In 1795, North Carolina opened the first public university in the
United States - the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
More than 200 years later, the University of North Carolina system
encompasses 16 public universities including the three largest East
Carolina University, North Carolina State University, and University
of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The system also supports several
well-known historically black colleges and universities such as
North Carolina A&T State University, Winston-Salem State University,
and North Carolina Central University. Along with its public universities,
North Carolina has 58 public community colleges in its community
college system.
North Carolina's private universities and colleges include Barton
College, Mount Olive College, Davidson College, Warren Wilson College,
Duke University, High Point University, Elon University,Gardner-Webb
University, Wake Forest University, and Campbell University.
[edit] Sports and recreation
Main article: Sports in North Carolina
[edit] Professional sports
Charlotte Bobcats Arena is home to the Charlotte Bobcats of the
NBA.Despite having over eight million people, North Carolina's population
being spread out over three major metropolitan areas precluded attracting
any major professional sports leagueteams until the late 1980s.
The first franchise from a major professional sports league to be
created in North Carolina were the NBA's Charlotte Hornets, which
began play in the 1987-1988 NBA season. North Carolina remains without
a Major League Baseballteam despite numerous efforts to attract
a team to the state (including the 2006 push to relocate the Florida
Marlinsto Charlotte). North Carolina lacks its own team, and only
one neighboring state (equally sized Georgia) has a team, the Atlanta
Braves.
On June 19, 2006, the Carolina Hurricanes, a National Hockey League
franchise based in Raleigh, won the Stanley Cup. The Hurricanes
are the first professional sports team from North Carolina to win
their sport's highest championship. Home games are played in the
RBC Center, which was named by the Royal Bank of Canada. The National
Football League (NFL) is represented by the Carolina Panthers, who
play home games in the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. The
NBA is represented by the Charlotte Bobcats; home games are played
in the Charlotte Bobcats Arena in Charlotte. The Carolina Railhawks
are a men's professional soccer team in the United Soccer Leagues,
due to compete in their first season in 2007. Home field is the
SAS Stadium in Cary. North Carolina was home to the now defunct
AFL teams the Charlotte Rage from 1992 to 1996 and the Carolina
Cobras from 2000 to 2004. The Rage's home games were played in the
Charlotte Coliseum. The Cobras' home games were played in the RBC
Center from 2000 to 2002. They then moved to the Charlotte Coliseum
until being terminated by the league. The National Indoor Football
League (NIFL) is represented by the Fayetteville Guard who plays
at Crown Coliseum.
The state is also a center of American motorsports, with more than
80% of NASCAR racing teams and related industries located in the
Piedmont region. The largest race track in North Carolina is the
Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina where the NASCAR's
Nextel Cup holds three major races each year. NASCAR recently began
construction on the NASCAR Hall of Fame will open late 2008 in Uptown
Charlotte. There are also many motocross and off-road races in North
Carolina. Many of NASCAR's most famous driver dynasties, the Pettys,
Earnhardts, Allisons, Jarretts and Waltrips all live within an hour
of Charlotte.
From the 1930s to the early 1990s, the Mid Atlantic Championship
Wrestling professional wrestling promotion, under the Crockett family,
operated almost entirely out of Charlotte. Mid Atlantic was a long-time
member of the National Wrestling Alliance and many of their top
stars appeared on national television on NWA and later WCW events.
Many retired or still-current wrestlers live in the Charlotte/Lake
Norman area, including Ric Flair, Ricky Steamboat, Matt and Jeff
Hardy and Stan Lane.
North Carolina has become a hot bed for professional bull riding
PBR. It is the home of the 1995 PRCA World Champion Bull Rider Jerome
Davis. It is also home to several professional stock contractors
and bull owners including Thomas Teague of Teague Bucking Bulls.
The Southern Extreme Bull Riding Association SEBRA headquarters
are located in Archdale, North Carolina.
The North Carolina Hare scramble Association hosts 16 races each
year throughout North Carolina. In addition, the GNCC Racing series
makes two stops in North Carolina, in Morganton and Yadkinville,
the only other state to host 2 GNCCs is Ohio. For sport amateurs,
the state holds the State Games of North Carolina each year.
North Carolina is a state known for minor league sports, notably
the setting of the 1987 comedy Bull Durham about the Durham Bulls
of the class A Carolina League. The state boasts over 30 minor league
baseball teams in six different minor leagues, including the triple-A
International League teams in Charlotte and Durham. There is a number
of indoor football, indoor soccer, minor league basketball, and
minor league ice hockey teams throughout the state. North Carolina
has became a top golf destination for players across the nation,
notably in Pinehurst, and the community of Southern Pines of Moore
County which is home to over 50 golf courses.
[edit] Recreation
The Blue Ridge Mountains of the Shining Rock Wilderness AreaDue
to geography, rich history, and growing industry, North Carolina
provides a large range of recreational activities from swimming
at the beach[37] 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,
zoos, museums, historic sites, lighthouses, elegant theaters, concert
halls, and fine dining.[38]
North Carolinians enjoy outdoor recreation utilizing numerous local
bike paths, 34 state parks, and 14 national parks, including:
Appalachian National Scenic Trail
Blue Ridge Parkway
Cape Hatteras National Seashore
Cape Lookout National Seashore
Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site at Flat Rock
Croatan National Forest in Eastern North Carolina
Fort Raleigh National Historic Site at Manteo
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Guilford Courthouse National Military Park in Greensboro
Moores Creek National Battlefield near Currie
Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail
Trail of Tears National Historic Trail
Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina
Uwharrie National Forest
[edit] Other information
[edit] Famous food and drinks from North Carolina
A nationally-famous cuisine from North Carolina is pork barbecue.
However, there are strong regional differences and rivalries over
the sauces and method of preparation used in making the barbecue.
Eastern North Carolina pork barbecue uses a vinegar-based sauce;
the "capital" of eastern Carolina barbecue is usually
considered to be the town of Wilson, North Carolina, near Raleigh.
Western North Carolina pork barbecue uses a ketchup-based sauce;
the "capital" of western Carolina barbecue is usually
considered to be the town of Lexington, North Carolina, south of
Winston-Salem. A third type of pork barbecue in North Carolina is
"Shelby" barbecue, so named because it is made in the
town of Shelby, North Carolina. Shelby pork barbecue uses a sauce
which is a combination of ketchup and vinegar. North Carolina is
the birthplace of Pepsi-Cola, first produced in 1890 in New Bern,
North Carolina. Regional soft drinks created and still based in
the state are Sundrop and Cheerwine. Krispy Kreme, a popular chain
of doughnut stores, was started in North Carolina; the company's
headquarters are in Winston-Salem. Despite its name, the hotsauce
Texas Pete was created in North Carolina; its headquarters are in
Winston-Salem. The Hardees fast-food chain was started in Greenville,
North Carolina. Another fast-food chain, Bojangles', was started
in Charlotte, North Carolina, and has its corporate headquarters
there. A popular North Carolina restaurant chain is Golden Corral.
Started in 1973, the chain was founded in Fayetteville, North Carolina.
[edit] Ships named for the state
Several ships have been named for the state. Most famous is the
USS North Carolina, a World War II battleship. Now decommissioned,
it is part of the USS North Carolina Battleship Memorial in Wilmington.
The ship served in several battles against the forces of Imperial
Japan in the Pacific theater of World War Two. Another USS North
Carolina, a nuclear attack submarine, is to be commissioned in 2007[39].
[edit] State symbols
Strawberry, North Carolina state red berryMain article: North Carolina
state symbols
State motto: Esse quam videri ("To be, rather than to seem")
(1893)
State song: "The Old North State" (1927)
State flower: Dogwood (1941)
State bird: Cardinal (1943)
State colors: the red and blue of the N.C. and U.S. flags (1945)
State toast: The Tar Heel Toast (1957)
State tree: Pine (1963)
State shell: Scotch bonnet (1965)
State mammal: Eastern Grey Squirrel (1969)
State salt water fish: Red Drum (also known as the Channel bass)
(1971)
State insect: European honey bee (1973)
State gemstone: Emerald (1973)
State reptile: Eastern Box Turtle (1979)
State rock: Granite (1979)
State beverage: Milk (1987)
State historical boat: Shad boat (1987)
State language: English (1987)
State dog: Plott Hound (1989)
State military academy: Oak Ridge Military Academy (1991)
State tartan: Carolina tartan (1991)[40]
State vegetable: Sweet potato (1995)
State red berry: Strawberry (2001)
State blue berry: Blueberry (2001)
State fruit: Scuppernong grape (2001)
State wildflower: Carolina Lily (2003)
State Christmas tree: Fraser Fir (2005)
State carnivorous plant: Venus Flytrap (2005)
State folk dance: Clogging (2005)
State popular dance: Shag (2005)
State freshwater trout: Southern Appalachian Brook Trout (2005)
State birthplace of traditional pottery: the Seagrove area (2005)
[edit] Armed Forces installations
According to Governor Easley, North Carolina is the "Most military
friendly state in the nation".[41] Fort Bragg, near Fayetteville
is the largest and most comprehensive military base in the United
States and is the headquarters of the XVIII Airborne Corps, 82nd
Airborne Division, and the U.S. Army Special Operations Command.
Serving as the airwing for Fort Bragg is Pope Air Force Base also
located near Fayetteville, NC. Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune which,
when combined with nearby Marine 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 in Cherry
Point, NC is home of the MC Harrier, USN F/A-18 Hornet, and USN
F/A-18E/F Super Hornet squadrons Seymour Johnson Air Force Base
is located in Goldsboro, NC. Also at this base is the Special Mission
Training Center. One of the largest concentration of United States
Coast Guard is at Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City. Other
Coast Guard stations include, CG Station Hobuken, CG Station Oregon
Inlet, CG Station Emerald Isle, CG Station Hatteras, CG Station
Oak Island, CG Station Wrightsville Beach, and CG Station Ocracoke.
Also there is the CG Base Fort Macon located at Atlantic Beach.
There is a Marine Safety Unit located in Wilmington.
CONTACT
msn: milantoplica@hotmail.com or mob: +381
63 427 577
