THC Science

State symbols of North Carolina
List of state symbols
	Flag of North Carolina
	Seal of North Carolina
Motto	Esse quam videri; ("To be, rather than to seem")
Slogan	First in Flight, First in Freedom (unofficial)
Song	"The Old North State"
Living insignia
Amphibian	Pine Barrens tree frog
Bird	Cardinal
Butterfly	Eastern tiger swallowtail
Dog breed	Plott Hound
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
Color(s)	Red and blue
Dance	Carolina shag
Food	Scuppernong grape and sweet potato
Fossil	Megalodon teeth
Gemstone	Emerald
Mineral	Gold
Rock	Granite
Shell	Scotch bonnet
Other	Marbled salamander (salamander)
State route marker
State quarter
	Released in 2001
	Lists of United States state symbols

North Carolina
North Carolina
State
	Flag Seal
	Nickname(s): The Tarheel State, The Old North State
	Motto(s): Esse quam videri "To be, rather than to seem"
	Anthem: "The Old North State"
	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 county or equivalent	Wake
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	Thom Tillis (R); Ted Budd (R)
U.S. House delegation	7 Republicans; 7 Democrats; (list)
Area
• Total	53,819.16 sq mi (139,391.0 km2)
• Land	48,617.91 sq mi (125,919.8 km2)
• Water	5,201.25 sq mi (13,471.2 km2) 9.66%
• Rank	28th
Dimensions
• Length	500 mi (804 km)
• Width	184 mi (296 km)
Elevation	700 ft (210 m)
Highest elevation (Mount Mitchell)	6,684 ft (2,037 m)
Lowest elevation (Atlantic Ocean)	0 ft (0 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	10,439,388
• Rank	9th
• Density	214.72/sq mi (82.90/km2)
• Rank	14th
• Median household income	$52,752
• Income rank	39th
Demonym(s)	North Carolinian (official);; Tarheel (colloquial)
Language
• Official language	English
• Spoken language	As of 2010 English 90.70%; Spanish 6.93%; Other 2.73%;
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00 (EDT)
USPS abbreviation	NC
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	nc.gov

North Carolina (/ˌkærəˈlaɪnə/ ^ⓘ KARR-ə-LY-nə) is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia to the southwest, and Tennessee to the west. The state is the 28th-largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. Along with South Carolina, it makes up the Carolinas region of the East Coast. At the 2020 census, the state had a population of 10,439,388.^[7] Raleigh is the state's capital and Charlotte is its most populous city. The Charlotte metropolitan area, with an estimated population of 2,805,115 in 2023,^[8] is the most populous metropolitan area in North Carolina, the 22nd-most populous in the United States, and the largest banking center in the nation after New York City.^[9] The Research Triangle, with an estimated population of 2,368,947 in 2023, is the second-most populous combined metropolitan area in the state, 31st-most populous in the United States,^[8] 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. King Charles II granted eight lord proprietors a colony they named Carolina after the king and which was established in 1670 with the first permanent settlement at Charles Town (Charleston). Because of the difficulty of governing the entire colony from Charles Town, the colony was eventually divided and North Carolina was established as a royal colony in 1729 and was one of the Thirteen Colonies. 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.^[10]

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 reluctantly 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.^[11] 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 ft (2,037 m) is the highest point in North America east of the Mississippi River.^[12] Most of the state falls in the humid subtropical climate zone; however, the western, mountainous part of the state has a subtropical highland climate.^[13]

History

Native Americans, lost colony, and permanent settlement

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, people were building earthwork platform mounds 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 in the area that became known as the western Carolinas, northeastern Georgia, and southeastern Tennessee, most of the larger towns had only one central platform mound. Smaller settlements had none, but were close to 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 elaborate 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. Starting in 1540, 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". Introduction of colonial trading arrangements and hostile native groups from the north such as the Westo Indians hastened changes in an already tenuous regional hierarchy.^[14] As described by anthropologist Robbie Ethridge, the Mississippian shatter zone was a time of great instability in what is now the American South, caused by the instability of Mississippian chiefdoms, high mortality from new Eurasian diseases, conversion to an agricultural society and the accompanying population increase, and the emergence of Native "militaristic slaving societies".^[15]

Historically documented tribes in the North Carolina region include the Carolina Algonquian-speaking tribes of the coastal areas, such as the Chowanoc, Roanoke, Pamlico, Machapunga, and Coree, who were the first encountered by the English; the Iroquoian-speaking Meherrin, Cherokee, and Tuscarora of the interior; and Southeastern Siouan-speaking tribes, such as the Cheraw, Waxhaw, Saponi, Waccamaw, Cape Fear Indians, and Catawba of the Piedmont.^[16]^[17]^[18]^[19]

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.^[20] 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.^[21] Pardo made a winter base at Joara, which he renamed Cuenca.^[22]^[23] His expedition built Fort San Juan and left a contingent of 30 Spaniards there, while Pardo traveled further.^[22] 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 Spaniards and burned the six forts in the interior, including Fort San Juan.^[24] 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.^[25]^[26]

Anglo-European settlement

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).^[27] It was the second American territory that the English attempted to colonize. Raleigh established two colonies on the coast in the late 1580s, but both failed. The colony established in 1587 saw 118 colonists 'disappear' when John White was unable to return from a supply run during battles with the Spanish Armada. The fate of the "Lost Colony" of Roanoke Island remains one of the most widely debated mysteries of American history. Two native Chieftains, Manteo and Wanchese, of which the former helped the colonists and the latter was distrustful, had involvement in the colony and even accompanied Raleigh to England on a previous voyage in 1585. Manteo was also the first Indigenous North American to be baptized by English settlers. Upon White's return in 1590, neither native nor Englishman were to be found. Popular theory holds that the colonists either traveled away with or assimilated into local native culture.^[28] Virginia Dare, the first English person to be born in North America, was born on Roanoke Island on August 18, 1587; the surrounding Dare County is named for her.

As early as 1650, settlers from the Virginia colony had moved into the Albemarle Sound region. 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.^[29] By 1665, a second charter was issued to attempt to resolve territorial questions. This charter rewarded the Lords Proprietors, eight Englishmen to whom King Charles II granted joint ownership of a tract of land in the state. All of these men either had remained loyal to the Crown or aided Charles's restoration to the English throne after Cromwell. In 1712, owing to disputes over governance, the Carolina colony split into North Carolina and South Carolina. North Carolina became a crown colony in 1729.^[30]

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 whites and enslaved or free Africans or African-Americans. If the mothers were free, their children were born free. Many had migrated or were descendants of migrants from colonial Virginia.^[31] 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. Conditions for both slaves and workers worsened as the ranks of the former eclipsed the latter and expansion of farming operations into former Indigenous territories lowered prices. Unable to establish deep water ports such as at Charles Town and Norfolk, the economy's growth and prosperity was thus based on cheap labor and slave plantation systems, devoted primarily to the production of tobacco, then later cotton and textiles.^[32]

In 1738–1739, smallpox caused high fatalities among the Native Americans, who had no immunity to the new disease (it had become endemic over centuries in Europe).^[33] 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."^[34]

Colonial period

John White returns to find the colony abandoned
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
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. Virginia 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.^[35] By 1663, this northeastern area of the Province of Carolina, known as the Albemarle Settlements, was undergoing full-scale English settlement.^[36] During the same period, the English monarch Charles II gave provincial land grants to the Lords Proprietors, the group of noblemen who had helped restore him to the throne in 1660. These grants were predicated on an agreement that the Lords would use their influence to bring in colonists and establish ports of trade. This new Province of Carolina was named in honor and memory of his father, Charles I (Latin: Carolus).

Lacking a viable coastal port city due to geography, towns grew at a slower pace and remained small. By the late 17th century, Carolina was essentially two colonies, one centered in the Albemarle region in the north and the other located in the south around Charleston.^[32] In 1705 South Carolinian John Lawson purchased land on the Pamlico River and laid out Bath, North Carolina's first town. After returning to England, he published the book A New Voyage to Carolina, which became a travelogue and a marketing piece to encourage new colonists to Carolina. Lawson encouraged Baron Christoph Von Graffenried, the leader of a group of Swiss and German Protestants, to immigrate to Carolina. Von Graffenried purchased land between the Neuse and the Trent Rivers and established the town of New Bern. After an attack on New Bern in which hundreds were killed or injured, Lawson was caught then executed by Tuscarora Indians. A large revolt happened in the state in 1711, known as Cary's Rebellion. In 1712, North Carolina became a separate colony, and in 1729 it became a royal colony, with the exception of the Earl Granville holdings.^[37]

In June 1718, Queen Anne's Revenge, the flagship of pirate Blackbeard, ran 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.^[38] 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.^[39]

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 piracy in the Carolinas was on the decline. 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 fewer in number than in some other colonies such as Georgia, South Carolina, Delaware, and New York.^[40]^[41]^[42]

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.^[43] 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.^[44]

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 kept in a largely disorganized manner, prompting the hiring of Davis. Davis settled in New Bern, 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 a contract to carry mail between Wilmington, North Carolina and Suffolk, Virginia. He was also active in North Carolina 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.^[45]^[46]

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.^[47]^[48]^[49]^[50]

Revolutionary War

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. British loyalists dubbed the Mecklenburg County area to be 'a hornet's nest' of radicals, birthing the name of the future Charlotte NBA team. 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.^[51]^[52]

North Carolina had around 7,800 Patriots 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.^[53] 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.^[54]

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 Patriots 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.^[55]

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".^[37]

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.^[56] 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

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.^[57] 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.^[57] 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.^[58]

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.^[59] 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).^[37] On October 25, 1836, construction began on the Wilmington and Raleigh Railroad^[60] 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.^[61]

American Civil War

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,^[62] 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,^[63]^[64] the Tennessee legislature did not formally vote to secede until June 8, 1861.^[65]

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 those who left the state to join Union regiments elsewhere.^[66] Over 30,000 North Carolina troops died from combat or disease during the war.^[67] 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.^[68]

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.^[37] 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.^[69]

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.^[70] 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.

Reconstruction era through late 19th century

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. 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.^[71]

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.^[72]^[73]

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.^[74]^[75]

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, white Democrats led around 2,000 of their supporters that 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.^[76]

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.^[77] 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.^[78] 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

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.^[79]

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.

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.^[80]^[81]

Late 20th century to present

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.^[82] The Charlotte metropolitan area has experienced large growth mainly due to its finance, banking, and tech industries.^[83]

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.^[84]

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".^[85] 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.^[86]

Geography

Interactive map of North Carolina

Deer in the Eno River as it flows through the Piedmont region 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.^[87] It has a total area of 53,819.16 square miles (139,391.0 km²), of which 48,617.91 square miles (125,919.8 km²) is land and 5,201.25 square miles (13,471.2 km²) (9.66%) is water.^[88]

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.^[89]

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.^[90] 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 (100 m) in elevation in the east to about 1,500 feet (500 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.^[91]^[92] 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.^[92]^[93]

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.^[94] 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.^[95]

Flora and fauna

Major rivers

Climate

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.^[96]

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 winters are still mild.^[96]

North Carolina experiences severe weather both in summer and in winter, with summer bringing threat of hurricanes, tropical storms, heavy rain, and flooding.^[97] 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.^[98]^[99]

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.^[100]

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.^[101]^[102] In September 2019 Hurricane Dorian hit the area.

City	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Monthly normal high and low temperatures (Fahrenheit) for various North Carolina cities.
Asheville^[103]	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^[104]	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^[105]	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^[103]	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^[106]	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^[106]	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^[106]	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^[107]	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)
Mean daily maximum °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)
Mean daily minimum °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: USA.com (averages)^[108]
Source 2: North Carolina State Climate Office (extremes)^[109]

Parks and recreation

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.^[110]^[111]

North Carolinians enjoy outdoor recreation using 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.

Major cities

In 2023, the U.S. Census Bureau released the 2022 population estimates for municipalities in North Carolina. Charlotte has the largest population, while Raleigh has the second-largest population in North Carolina.^[112]

Largest cities or towns in North Carolina (2022 census estimate)^[112]^[113]
	Rank	Name	County	Pop.	Rank	Name	County	Pop.
Charlotte Raleigh	1	Charlotte	Mecklenburg	897,720	11	Asheville	Buncombe	93,776	Greensboro Durham
	2	Raleigh	Wake	476,587	12	Greenville	Pitt	89,233
	3	Greensboro	Guilford	301,115	13	Gastonia	Gaston	82,653
	4	Durham	Durham	291,928	14	Apex	Wake	71,065
	5	Winston-Salem	Forsyth	251,350	15	Jacksonville	Onslow	70,420
	6	Fayetteville	Cumberland	208,873	16	Huntersville	Mecklenburg	63,035
	7	Cary	Wake	180,388	17	Chapel Hill	Orange	62,098
	8	Wilmington	New Hanover	120,324	18	Burlington	Alamance	59,287
	9	High Point	Guilford	115,067	19	Kannapolis	Cabarrus	55,448
	10	Concord	Cabarrus	109,896	20	Rocky Mount	Nash	54,013

Most populous counties

After the 2020 census, Wake County, with a population of 1,129,410, became the most populous county in the state, overtaking Mecklenburg County, with a population of 1,115,482, by a margin of about 14,000. Both counties are still the only to have populations over one million in North Carolina and the Carolinas region.^[114]^[115]

Statistical areas

North Carolina has four major combined statistical areas (CSA) with a population over 1 million (as of 2023):^[116]^[8]

Charlotte Metro: Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC; population 3,387,115
Research Triangle: Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC; population: 2,368,947
Hampton Roads: Virginia Beach-Chesapeake, VA-NC; population: 1,866,723
Piedmont Triad: Greensboro–Winston-Salem–High Point, NC; population: 1,736,099

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	Note	%±
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%
2023 (est.)	10,835,491	^[7]	3.8%
Source: 1910–2020^[117]

The United States Census Bureau determined the population of North Carolina was 10,439,388 at the 2020 census.^[118]^[119]^[120] 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.^[121]

According to HUD's 2022 Annual Homeless Assessment Report, there were an estimated 9,382 homeless people in North Carolina.^[122]^[123]

The top countries of origin for North Carolina's immigrants were Mexico, India, Honduras, China and El Salvador, as of 2018^[update].^[124]

Race and ethnicity

Ethnic composition as of the 2020 census
Race and Ethnicity^[125]	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^[c]	—		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^[126]	2000^[127]	2010^[128]	2020^[129]
White	75.6%	72.1%	68.5%	62.2%
Black	22.0%	21.6%	21.4%	20.5%
Asian	0.8%	1.4%	2.2%	3.3%
Native	1.2%	1.2%	1.3%	1.2%
Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander	–	0.1%	0.1%	0.1%
Other race	0.5%	2.3%	4.3%	5.9%
Two or more races	–	1.3%	2.3%	6.8%

At the 2010 census,^[130] 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%.^[131]

Enslaved Africans were brought to North Carolina to be sold into slavery. A majority of the black population is now concentrated in the urban areas and northeastern part of the state.^[132]

North Carolina's Hispanic population has grown rapidly. The Hispanic population more than doubled in size between 1990 and 2000. Many of North Carolina's Hispanic residents are of Mexican heritage. Many of North Carolina's newer Latino residents came from Mexico largely to work in agriculture, manufacturing, or on one of North Carolina's military installations.^[133]

The most common ancestries in North Carolina are African-American, American, German, English, and Irish.^[134]

North Carolina has the eighth-largest Native American population in the country.^[135] The state is home to eight Native American tribes and four urban Native American organizations.^[136]

Languages

**Most common languages other than English spoken in North Carolina**
Language	Percentage of population (in 2010)^[137]
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%^[138]

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.^[137] 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.^[139]

Religion

Religion in North Carolina (2014)^[140]
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.^[141] In 2020, the Southern Baptists remained the largest with 1,324,747 adherents, though Methodists and others were collectively overtaken by non/interdenominational Protestants numbering 1,053,564.^[142]

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.^[143]^[144]^[145] Black Baptists developed their own state and national associations, such as the National Baptist Convention.^[144] 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 have had a strong presence in Charlotte and in Scotland County.^[146]

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:^[147]

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 (Historically 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

North Carolina's 2018 total gross state product was $496 billion.^[148] 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.^[149]

The state has a very diverse economy because of its great availability of hydroelectric power,^[150] 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.^[151]^[152] North Carolina leads the nation in the production of tobacco.^[153]

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.^[154] In 2010, North Carolina's total gross state product was $424.9 billion,^[155] while the state debt in November 2012, according to one source, totaled $2.4 billion,^[156] while according to another, was in 2012 $57.8 billion.^[157] 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.^[158]^[159] In the three most recent USDA surveys (2002, 2007, 2012), North Carolina also ranked second in the production of Christmas trees.^[158]^[160]^[161]

North Carolina has 15 metropolitan areas,^[116] 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.^[162] 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.^[163]

Arts and culture

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.^[164] 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^[165] and continues to bring millions into the NC economy.^[166]

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

Music

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).

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.^[167] James Taylor grew up around Chapel Hill, and his 1968 song "Carolina in My Mind" has been called an unofficial anthem for the state.^[168]^[169]^[170] 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.^[171]^[172]^[173]

Shopping

North Carolina has a variety of shopping choices. SouthPark Mall in Charlotte is the largest and most upscale mall in the Carolinas, featuring multiple luxury tenants with their sole location in the state. 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

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.^[174]^[175] 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.^[176]

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 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.^[177]

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.^[178]

Ships named for the state

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.^[179]

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).^[180]

Armed forces installations

Fort Liberty, 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 Liberty 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.^[181] In 2013, it was revealed that three safety mechanisms on one bomb had failed, leaving just one low-voltage switch preventing detonation.^[182]

Tourism

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.^[183] Area attractions include Carolina Panthers NFL football team and Charlotte Hornets basketball team, Carowinds amusement park, Catawba Two Kings Casino (in nearby Kings Mountain), Charlotte Motor Speedway, U.S. National Whitewater Center, Discovery Place, Great Wolf Lodge, Sea Life Aquarium,^[184] 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,^[185] 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.^[186] 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.^[187]^[188]

In Raleigh, many tourists visit the capital, African American Cultural Complex,^[189] 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,^[190] home of the Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn; Catawba County Firefighters Museum,^[191] the SALT Block,^[192] 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.^[193]

The Outer Banks and surrounding beaches attract millions of people to the Atlantic beaches every year.^[194]

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.

Transportation

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.^[195]

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.^[196]

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 LYNX.^[197]

Major highways

Primary Interstates

Auxiliary (three-digit) Interstates

Education

Primary and secondary education

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.^[198] North Carolina has 115 public school systems, each of which is overseen by a local school board.^[199]^[200] 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.^[201] In total there are 2,425 public schools in the state, including over 200 charter schools.^[202] 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.^[203]

Colleges and universities

Old Well at UNC-Chapel Hill

Duke Chapel at Duke University

Memorial Belltower at NC State

Wait Chapel at Wake Forest University

The Joyner Library clock tower at East Carolina University

The New Quad at UNC Charlotte

North Carolina is also home to many well-known private colleges and universities, including Barton College, Belmont Abbey College (the only Catholic college in the Carolinas), Campbell University, Davidson College, Duke University,^[207] Elon University, Guilford College, High Point University, Laurel University, Lees-McRae College, Lenoir-Rhyne University (the only Lutheran university in North Carolina), Livingstone College, Meredith College, Methodist University, Montreat College, North Carolina Wesleyan College, Pfeiffer University, Salem College, Shaw University (the first historically black college or university in the South), University of Mount Olive, Wake Forest University,^[208] William Peace University, and Wingate University.

North Carolina is also home to the oldest and largest folk school in the United States, the John C. Campbell Folk School.^[209]^[210]

Health

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 than the female national average of a 3.9-year increase.^[211]

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 was 78.1 years.^[212] The Foundation estimated that life expectancy for the United States as a whole in 2021 was 79.2 years.^[213]

Media

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.^[214]

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.^[215]

Government and politics

North Carolina registered voters as of June 15, 2024^[update]^[216]
Party		Number of Voters	Percentage
	Unaffiliated	2,806,349	37.25%
	Democratic	2,404,010	31.90%
	Republican	2,258,580	29.98%
	Libertarian	49,872	0.66%
	No Labels	12,996	0.17%
	Green	2,425	0.03%
Total		7,534,232	100.00%

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.^[217]

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 midterm elections, Republican David Rouzer won the state's 7th congressional district seat, increasing the congressional delegation party split to 10–3 in favor of the GOP, a split they retained in subsequent elections until 2020, when it narrowed to 8-5 in favor of the GOP.

As a result of the 2020 census, North Carolina gained another seat in the 118th United States Congress, for a total of 14.^[218] After the 2022 elections, the partisan split was an even 7–7.

In a 2020 study, North Carolina was ranked as the 23rd easiest state for citizens to vote in.^[219]

Gerrymandering

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 U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina ruled that the 12th congressional district was an illegal racial gerrymander.^[220] This was again appealed, now as Easley v. Cromartie. The U.S. Supreme Court reversed the Eastern District of North Carolina 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.^[221]

In 2015, federal courts again ordered redistricting.^[222] Two lawsuits 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".^[222] They contend that the redistricting resulted in deliberate under-representation of a substantial portion of voters. This case reached the U.S. Supreme Court in March 2019, which also heard a related partisan gerrymandering case from Maryland.^[222]

On February 4, 2022, the North Carolina Supreme Court struck down the congressional and state legislative district maps drawn by the GOP-controlled General Assembly on terms of partisan gerrymandering in a 4–3 ruling.^[223] Later that month, a panel of three former judges chosen by the Wake County Superior Court drew and approved a remedial congressional map after the new map proposed by the General Assembly was struck down by the North Carolina Supreme Court. Though, the state legislative maps proposed by the General Assembly were allowed to be used. The General Assembly would then redraw all three maps for the 2024 elections in the state.^[224]^[225]

On April 28, 2023, the North Carolina Supreme Court—after it flipped Republican in the 2022 elections—overturned the same ruling in a 5–2 decision, which cleared the way for gerrymandering in the next redistricting cycle.^[226]^[227] New maps were approved by the General Assembly on October 25, 2023. All three new maps heavily favor the GOP, with allegations of racial bias made against the maps as well.^[228]^[229]^[230]

In November 2023, a lawsuit was filed against the North Carolina Senate district map—specifically the 1st and 2nd Senate districts—in the Eastern District of North Carolina, arguing the map violates Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.^[231]^[232]^[233] In December 2023, two lawsuits were filed in the Middle District of North Carolina, with the first challenging the 1st, 6th, 12th, and 14th congressional districts in the map,^[234]^[235] and the second, challenging multiple specific districts in all three maps, as racial gerrymanders.^[236]^[237]^[238] Both lawsuits were consolidated together in March 2024.^[239]^[240]

On January 26, 2024—regarding the lawsuit currently in the Eastern District of North Carolina—a preliminary injunction to block the current North Carolina Senate district map was denied, citing the Purcell principle.^[241] The ruling was appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, which upheld the lower court's decision on March 28, 2024. The lawsuit will continue in the district court, but no ruling will be made until after the 2024 elections.^[242]

Sports

Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, home of the Carolina Panthers and Charlotte FC
Carolina Hurricanes Stanley Cup awards ceremony at the RBC Center in Raleigh
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 — 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, GMS Racing, 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.^[243] 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.

Notes

^ ^a ^b In 1893, the North Carolina General Assembly adopted the Latin words "Esse Quam Videri" as the state motto and directed that these words be placed with the state's coat of arms and the date "20 May 1775" upon the great seal.
^ Elevation adjusted to North American Vertical Datum of 1988.
^ Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin are not distinguished between total and partial ancestry.

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Works cited

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.

External links

General

Official website
North Carolina state library
North Carolina Court System official site Archived June 4, 2005, at the Wayback Machine
North Carolina at Curlie
North Carolina State Guide, from the Library of Congress Archived May 13, 2020, at the Wayback Machine

Government and education

Other

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

36°N 80°W / 36°N 80°W / 36; -80 (State of North Carolina)

[motto-1] In 1893, the North Carolina General Assembly adopted the Latin words "Esse Quam Videri" as the state motto and directed that these words be placed with the state's coat of arms and the date "20 May 1775" upon the great seal.

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International	ISNI 2 VIAF WorldCat
National	Spain France BnF data Catalonia Germany Israel United States Sweden Czech Republic
Geographic	MusicBrainz area
Other	NARA IdRef

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|U.S. state}}
-{{Refimprove|date=October 2007}}
+{{About|the U.S. state|the former British colony|Province of North Carolina|other uses}}
-{{US state |
+{{Redirect|The Old North State|the song|The Old North State (song)}}
-  Name            = mono|
+{{pp-move}}
-  Fullname        = The State of North Carolina |
+{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
-  Flag            = Flag of North Carolina.svg| (palmetto log on flag)
+{{Use American English|date=July 2022}}
-  Flaglink      = [[Flag of North Carolina]] |
+{{Infobox U.S. state
-  Seal            = North Carolina state seal.png |
-  Map             = Map of USA NC.svg |
+| image_flag = Flag of North Carolina.svg
+| name = North Carolina
-  Nickname        = [[Tar Heel]] State; Old North State  | Motto = [[Esse quam videri]]
+| image_seal = Seal of North Carolina.svg
-(Latin: To be, rather than to seem)|
-  Capital      = [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]]|
+| flag_link = Flag of North Carolina
+| nickname = [[Tar Heel|The Tarheel State]], The Old North State
-  LargestCity  = [[Charlotte, North Carolina|Charlotte]]|
+| motto = {{lang|la|[[Esse quam videri]]}}{{efn|name=motto|In 1893, the North Carolina General Assembly adopted the Latin words "{{lang|la|Esse Quam Videri}}" as the state motto and directed that these words be placed with the state's coat of arms and the date "20 May 1775" upon the great seal.}} {{nowrap|"To be, rather than to seem"}}
-  LargestMetro = [[Charlotte metropolitan area|Charlotte metro area]]|
+| anthem = "[[The Old North State (song)|The Old North State]]"<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ncleg.net/enactedlegislation/statutes/html/bychapter/chapter_149.html|title=Chapter 149|access-date=May 20, 2022|archive-date=November 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108115332/https://www.ncleg.net/enactedlegislation/statutes/html/bychapter/chapter_149.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
-  Governor      = [[Mike Easley]] (D)|
+| image_map = North Carolina in United States.svg
-  Senators        = [[Elizabeth Dole]] (R)<br/>[[Richard Burr]] (R) |
+| OfficialLang = English<ref>{{cite web|page=§ 145–12|title=State language|quotation=(a) Purpose. English and Spanish are the most common languages of the people of the United States of America and the State of North Carolina. This section is intended to preserve, protect and strengthen the English language, and not to supersede any of the rights guaranteed to the people by the Constitution of the United States or the Constitution of North Carolina. (b) English as the Official Language of North Carolina. English is the official language of the State of North Carolina.|url=ftp://www.ncga.state.nc.us/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/ByArticle/Chapter_145/Article_%20.html|website=Ncga.state.nc.cus|access-date=May 23, 2016}}{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
-  PostalAbbreviation = NC |
+| Languages = <small>As of 2010</small><ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.mla.org/map_data_results&SRVY_YEAR=2005&geo=state&state_id=37&county_id=&mode=geographic&lang_id=&zip=&place_id=&cty_id=&region_id=&division_id=&ll=&ea=n&order=&a=n&pc=1 |title= North Carolina |publisher= [[Modern Language Association]] |access-date= August 11, 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130604191459/http://www.mla.org/map_data_results%26SRVY_YEAR%3D2005%26geo%3Dstate%26state_id%3D37%26county_id%3D%26mode%3Dgeographic%26lang_id%3D%26zip%3D%26place_id%3D%26cty_id%3D%26region_id%3D%26division_id%3D%26ll%3D%26ea%3Dn%26order%3D%26a%3Dn%26pc%3D1 |archive-date= June 4, 2013 |url-status= dead }}</ref>
-  OfficialLang    = [[English language|English]] |
+* English 90.70%
-  AreaRank        = 28<sup>th</sup> |
+* Spanish 6.93%
-  TotalAreaUS     = 53,865 |
+* Other 2.73%
-  TotalArea       = 139,509 |
+| population_demonym = North Carolinian (official);<br />[[Tarheel]] (colloquial)
-  LandAreaUS      = 48,748  |
+| LargestCity = [[Charlotte, North Carolina|Charlotte]]
-  LandArea        = 126,25sss |
+| seat = [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]]
-  Coastline       = 301  |4907666 yep!|
+| LargestMetro = [[Charlotte metropolitan area|Charlotte]]
-  WaterArea       = 13,227 |
+| area_rank = 28th
-  PCWater         = 9.5 |
+| area_total_sq_mi = 53819.16
-  PopRank         = 10th |
+| area_total_km2 = 139391.0
-Pop         = 8,049,313 |
+| width_mi = 184
-  DensityRank     = 17<sup>th</sup> |
+| width_km = 296
-DensityUS   = 165.24  |
+| length_mi = 500<ref>{{cite web |date=May 8, 2006 |url=http://www.secretary.state.nc.us/kidspg/geog.htm |title=North Carolina Climate and Geography |website=NC Kids Page |publisher=North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State |access-date=November 7, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061104080337/http://www.secretary.state.nc.us/kidspg/geog.htm |archive-date=November 4, 2006 |url-status=live }}</ref>
-Density     = 63.80 |
+| length_km = 804
-  AdmittanceOrder = 12<sup>th</sup> |
+| Latitude = 33° 50′ N to 36° 35′ N
-  AdmittanceDate  = [[November 21]], [[1789]] |
+| Longitude = 75° 28′ W to 84° 19′ W
-TimeZone = [[Eastern Standard Time Zone|Eastern]]: [[UTC]]-5/[[Daylight saving time|-4]] |
+| population_rank = 9th
-  Latitude       = 33°&#8202;50′ N to 36°&#8202;35′ N |
+| population_as_of = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
-  Longitude      = 75°&#8202;28′ W to 84°&#8202;19′ W |
+| 2020Pop = 10439388
-  WidthUS        = 150 |
+| MedianHouseholdIncome = $52,752<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kff.org/other/state-indicator/median-annual-income/?currentTimeframe=0|website=The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation|title=Median Annual Household Income|access-date=December 8, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220091007/http://kff.org/other/state-indicator/median-annual-income/?currentTimeframe=0|archive-date=December 20, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>
-  Width          = 240 |
+| 2020DensityUS = 214.72
-  LengthUS         = 560<ref>{{cite web | year = [[May 8]] [[2006]] | url = http://www.secretary.state.nc.us/kidspg/geog.htm | title = North Carolina Climate and Geography | work = NC Kids Page | publisher = North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State | accessdate = 2006-11-07}}</ref>  |
+| population_density_rank = 14th
-  Length           = 900 |
+| IncomeRank = [[List of U.S. states and territories by income#States and territories ranked by median household income|39th]]
-  HighestPoint = [[Mount Mitchell (North Carolina)|Mt. Mitchell]]<ref name=usgs>{{cite web| year =[[29 April]] [[2005]] | url =http://erg.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html#Highest| title =Elevations and Distances in the United States| publisher =U.S Geological Survey| accessdate = 2006-11-06}}</ref> |
+| elevation_max_point = [[Mount Mitchell (North Carolina)|Mount Mitchell]]<ref name=USGS>{{cite web |url=http://egsc.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html |title=Elevations and Distances in the United States |publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]] |year=2001 |access-date=October 24, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015012701/http://egsc.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html |archive-date=October 15, 2011 }}</ref>{{efn|Elevation adjusted to [[North American Vertical Datum of 1988]].}}
-  HighestElevUS   = 6,684  |
+| elevation_max_ft = 6684
-  HighestElev     = 2,038 |
+| elevation_max_m = 2037
-  MeanElevUS      = 705 |
+| elevation_ft = 700
-  MeanElev        = 215 |
+| elevation_m = 210
-  LowestPoint     = [[Atlantic Ocean]]<ref name=usgs/> |
+| elevation_min_point = Atlantic Ocean<ref name=USGS />
-  LowestElevUS    = 0 |
+| elevation_min_m = 0
-  LowestElev      =  0 |
+| elevation_min_ft = 0
-  ISOCode         = US-NC |
+| Former = Province of North Carolina
-  Website         = www.nc.gov
+| AdmittanceDate = November 21, 1789
+| AdmittanceOrder = 12th
+| Governor = {{nowrap|[[Roy Cooper]] ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]])}}
+| Lieutenant Governor = {{nowrap|[[Mark Robinson (American politician)|Mark Robinson]] ([[Republican Party (United States)|R]])}}
+| Legislature = [[North Carolina General Assembly|General Assembly]]
+| Upperhouse = [[North Carolina Senate|Senate]]
+| Lowerhouse = [[North Carolina House of Representatives|House of Representatives]]
+| Judiciary = [[North Carolina Supreme Court]]
+| Senators = {{nowrap|[[Thom Tillis]] (R)}}<br />{{nowrap|[[Ted Budd]] (R)}}
+| Representative = {{plainlist|
+* 7 Republicans
+* 7 Democrats
+ }}
+| timezone1 = [[Eastern Time Zone|Eastern]]
+| utc_offset1 = −05:00
+| timezone1_DST = [[Eastern Daylight Time|EDT]]
+| utc_offset1_DST = −04:00
+| iso_code = US-NC
+| postal_code = NC
+| TradAbbreviation = N.C.
+| website = https://nc.gov
+| LargestCounty = [[Wake County, North Carolina|Wake]]
+| area_land_sq_mi = 48617.91
+| area_land_km2 = 125919.8
+| area_water_sq_mi = 5201.25
+| area_water_km2 = 13471.2
+| area_water_percent = 9.66
+| Capital = Raleigh
+}}
+{{Infobox region symbols|country=United States
+| state = North Carolina
+| image_flag = Flag of North Carolina.svg
+| image_seal = Seal of North Carolina.svg
+| bird = [[Northern Cardinal|Cardinal]]
+| butterfly = [[Papilio glaucus|Eastern tiger swallowtail]]
+| dog = [[Plott Hound]]
+| fish = [[Red drum]]
+| flower = [[Flowering dogwood]]
+| amphibian = [[Pine Barrens tree frog]]
+| insect = [[Western honey bee]]
+| mammal = [[Eastern gray squirrel]]
+| marsupial = [[Virginia opossum]]
+| reptile = [[Eastern box turtle]]
+| tree = [[Pine]]
+| beverage = [[Milk]]
+| colors = [[Red]] and [[blue]]
+| dance = [[Carolina shag]]
+| food = [[Scuppernong]] grape and [[sweet potato]]
+| fossil = [[Megalodon]] teeth
+| gemstone = [[Emerald]]
+| mineral = [[Gold]]
+| motto = {{lang|la|[[Esse quam videri]]}}<br />("To be, rather than to seem"){{efn|name=motto}}
+| rock = [[Granite]]
+| shell = [[Scotch bonnet (sea snail)|Scotch bonnet]]
+| slogan = First in Flight, First in Freedom (unofficial)
+| song = "[[The Old North State (song)|The Old North State]]"
+| other = [[Marbled salamander]] (salamander)
+| image_route = File:NC 8.svg
+| image_quarter = 2001 NC Proof.png
+| quarter_release_date = 2001
 }}
-{{portal}}
-'''North Carolina''' ({{IPAEng|ˌnɔrθˌkɛrəˈlaɪnə}}) is a [[U.S. state|state]] located on the [[Atlantic Seaboard]] in the [[Southern United States|southern region]] of the [[United States of America]].  The capital is [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]].
+'''North Carolina''' ({{IPAc-en|audio=en-us-North Carolina.ogg|ˌ|k|ær|ə|ˈ|l|aɪ|n|ə}} {{respell|KARR|ə|LY|nə}}) is a [[U.S. state|state]] in the [[Southeastern United States|Southeastern]] region of the [[United States]]. It is bordered by [[Virginia]] to the north, the [[Atlantic Ocean]] to the east, [[South Carolina]] to the south, [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] to the southwest, and [[Tennessee]] to the west. The state is the [[List of U.S. states and territories by area|28th-largest]] and [[List of states and territories of the United States by population|9th-most populous]] of the [[List of states and territories of the United States|United States]]. Along with South Carolina, it makes up the [[Carolinas]] region of the [[East Coast of the United States|East Coast]]. At the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], the state had a population of 10,439,388.<ref name="2020CensusQuickFacts"/> [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]] is the state's [[List of capitals in the United States|capital]] and [[Charlotte, North Carolina|Charlotte]] is its [[List of municipalities in North Carolina|most populous city]]. The [[Charlotte metropolitan area]], with an estimated population of 2,805,115 in 2023,<ref name="PopEstCBSA"/> is the [[North Carolina statistical areas|most populous metropolitan area]] in North Carolina, the [[Metropolitan statistical area|22nd-most populous]] in the United States, and the largest banking center in the nation after New York City.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/business/banking/article221589840.html|title=Charlotte regains its place as No. 2 U.S. banking center. Will it keep it?|last=Roberts|first=Deon|date=November 15, 2018|access-date=December 1, 2018|newspaper=The Charlotte Observer|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181121161744/https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/business/banking/article221589840.html|archive-date=November 21, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[Research Triangle]], with an estimated population of 2,368,947 in 2023, is the second-most populous combined metropolitan area in the state, [[Combined statistical area|31st-most populous]] in the United States,<ref name="PopEstCBSA"/> and is home to the largest research park in the United States, [[Research Triangle Park]].
-North Carolina was one of the original [[Thirteen Colonies]], originally known as [[Province of Carolina|Carolina]], and the home of the [[Roanoke Island|first English colony]] in the [[Americas]]. On [[20 May]], [[1861]], it became the last of the [[Confederate States of America|Confederate states]] to secede from the [[Union (American Civil War)|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, North Carolina|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]])<ref>{{cite web| title = national and state population estimates| work = Annual Population Estimates 2000 to 2006| publisher = US Census Bureau| date = 2006-12-22| url = http://www.census.gov/popest/states/NST-ann-est.html| accessdate = 2006-12-22}}</ref>.
+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 language|Carolina Algonquian]], [[Iroquoian languages|Iroquoian]], and [[Siouan languages|Siouan]] speaking tribes of Native Americans prior to the arrival of Europeans. King Charles II granted eight lord proprietors a colony they named Carolina after the king and which was established in 1670 with the first permanent settlement at Charles Town (Charleston).  Because of the difficulty of governing the entire colony from Charles Town, the colony was eventually divided and North Carolina was established as a [[Crown colony|royal colony]] in 1729 and was one of the [[Thirteen Colonies]].  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]].<ref>[https://www.nps.gov/mocr/halifax-resolves.htm#:~:text=The%20Fourth%20Provincial%20Congress,Resolves%20on%20April%2012%2C%201776. The Halifax Resolves and the Declaration of Independence] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210502231800/https://www.nps.gov/mocr/halifax-resolves.htm#:~:text=The%20Fourth%20Provincial%20Congress,Resolves%20on%20April%2012%2C%201776. |date=May 2, 2021 }}. ''National Park Service''. Retrieved May 2, 2021.</ref>
-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 (United States)|Piedmont]] regions of eastern and central North Carolina is similar to other southern states such as [[Georgia (U.S. state)|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 {{convert|300|mi|km|-2}} 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.
+On November 21, 1789, North Carolina became the 12th state to ratify the [[Constitution of the United States|United States Constitution]]. In the run-up to the [[American Civil War]], North Carolina reluctantly declared its [[Secession in the United States|secession]] from the [[Union (American Civil War)|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.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Richter|first=William Lee |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Fa2_G9yaX38C |title=The A to Z of the Civil War and Reconstruction |date=2009 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |isbn=978-0-8108-6336-1 |location=Lanham |oclc=435767707}}</ref> On December 17, 1903, [[Wright brothers|Orville and Wilbur Wright]] successfully piloted the world's first controlled, sustained flight of a powered, [[Aircraft|heavier-than-air aircraft]] at [[Kitty Hawk, North Carolina|Kitty Hawk]] in North Carolina's [[Outer Banks]]. North Carolina often uses the slogan "First in Flight" on state [[Vehicle registration plate|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 (United States)|Piedmont]] and [[Atlantic coastal plain]]. North Carolina's [[Mount Mitchell]] at {{Convert|6684|ft|m|abbr=on|sp=us|sigfig=4}} is the highest point in North America east of the [[Mississippi River]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Mount Mitchell State Park |url=http://ncparks.gov/Visit/parks/momi/history.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101120185237/http://www.ncparks.gov/Visit/parks/momi/history.php |archive-date=November 20, 2010 |access-date=November 7, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Most of the state falls in the [[humid subtropical climate]] zone; however, the western, mountainous part of the state has a [[Oceanic climate|subtropical highland climate]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Western North Carolina Weather and Climate Information |url=https://www.hikewnc.info/areainfo/weather-and-climate |access-date=September 22, 2022 |website=www.hikewnc.info |archive-date=September 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922233252/https://www.hikewnc.info/areainfo/weather-and-climate |url-status=live }}</ref>
+==History==
+{{Main|History of North Carolina}}
+===Native Americans, lost colony, and permanent settlement===
+{{See also|Native Americans in the United States|Joara|Roanoke Island|Fort Raleigh National Historic Site}}
+[[File:North carolina algonkin-rituale01.jpg|thumb|Ceremony of [[Secotan]] warriors in North Carolina. Watercolour painted by English colonist [[John White (colonist and artist)|John White]] in 1585.]]
+North Carolina was inhabited for at least 10,000 years by succeeding [[prehistoric]] [[Indigenous peoples|Indigenous]] cultures. The [[Hardaway Site]] saw major periods of occupation dating to 10,000 years BCE. Before 200 AD, people were building [[Earthworks (archaeology)|earthwork]] [[platform mounds]] for ceremonial and religious purposes. Succeeding peoples, including those of the [[South Appalachian Mississippian culture]], established by 1000 AD in the [[Piedmont (United States)|Piedmont]] and mountain region, continued to build this style of mounds. In contrast to some of the larger centers of the classic Mississippian culture in the area that became known as the western Carolinas, northeastern Georgia, and southeastern Tennessee, most of the larger towns had only one central platform mound. Smaller settlements had none, but were close to 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 elaborate 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. Starting in 1540, the Native polities of the Mississippian culture fell apart and reformed as new groups, such as the [[Catawba people|Catawba]], due to a series of destabilizing events known as the "[[Mississippian shatter zone]]". Introduction of colonial trading arrangements and hostile native groups from the north such as the Westo Indians hastened changes in an already tenuous regional hierarchy.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Fox |first=William, A. |title=Mapping the Mississippian Shatter Zone |chapter=Events as Seen from the North |date=2009 |chapter-url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1dgn4d8.7|publisher=[[University of Nebraska Press]] |volume=3 |issue=4 |pages=63–80|doi=10.2307/j.ctt1dgn4d8.7 |jstor=j.ctt1dgn4d8.7 |isbn=9780803217591 }}</ref> As described by anthropologist [[Robbie Ethridge]], the Mississippian shatter zone was a time of great instability in what is now the American South, caused by the instability of Mississippian chiefdoms, high mortality from new Eurasian diseases, conversion to an agricultural society and the accompanying population increase, and the emergence of Native "militaristic slaving societies".<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/873985135|title=Colonial Genocide in Indigenous North America|editor-last1=Woolford |editor-first1=Andrew John |editor-last2=Benvenuto |editor-first2=Jeff |editor-last3=Hinton |editor-first3=Alexander Laban|date=October 31, 2014|isbn=978-0-8223-5763-6|location=Durham, North Carolina|oclc=873985135|access-date=September 18, 2020|archive-date=February 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210220154131/https://www.worldcat.org/title/colonial-genocide-in-indigenous-north-america/oclc/873985135|url-status=live |publisher=[[Duke University Press]]}}</ref>
+Historically documented tribes in the North Carolina region include the [[Carolina Algonquian]]-speaking tribes of the coastal areas, such as the [[Chowanoc]], [[Roanoke (tribe)|Roanoke]], [[Pamlico]], [[Machapunga]], and [[Coree]], who were the first encountered by the English; the [[Iroquoian]]-speaking [[Meherrin]], [[Cherokee]], and [[Tuscarora (tribe)|Tuscarora]] of the interior; and Southeastern [[Siouan]]-speaking tribes, such as the [[Cheraw (tribe)|Cheraw]], [[Waxhaws|Waxhaw]], [[Saponi]], [[Waccamaw Siouan|Waccamaw]], [[Cape Fear Indians]], and [[Catawba (tribe)|Catawba]] of the Piedmont.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Speck |first=Frank G. |date=1935 |title=Siouan Tribes of the Carolinas as Known from Catawba, Tutelo, and Documentary Sources |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/662257 |journal=American Anthropologist |volume=37 |issue=2 |pages=201–225 |doi=10.1525/aa.1935.37.2.02a00020 |jstor=662257 |issn=0002-7294 |access-date=March 24, 2024 |archive-date=March 24, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240324073242/https://www.jstor.org/stable/662257 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Ganyard |first=Robert L. |date=1968 |title=Threat from the West: North Carolina and the Cherokee, 1776-1778 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/23518133 |journal=The North Carolina Historical Review |volume=45 |issue=1 |pages=47–66 |jstor=23518133 |issn=0029-2494 |access-date=March 24, 2024 |archive-date=March 24, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240324073241/https://www.jstor.org/stable/23518133 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Coe |first=Joffre L. |date=1979 |title=The Indian in North Carolina |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/23534827 |journal=The North Carolina Historical Review |volume=56 |issue=2 |pages=158–161 |jstor=23534827 |issn=0029-2494 |access-date=March 24, 2024 |archive-date=March 24, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240324073241/https://www.jstor.org/stable/23534827 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Davis |first1=R. P. Stephen |last2=Ward |first2=H. Trawick |date=1991 |title=The Evolution of Siouan Communities in Piedmont North Carolina |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/40712940 |journal=Southeastern Archaeology |volume=10 |issue=1 |pages=40–53 |jstor=40712940 |issn=0734-578X |access-date=March 24, 2024 |archive-date=March 24, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240324073242/https://www.jstor.org/stable/40712940 |url-status=live }}</ref>
+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, North Carolina|Morganton]].<ref>{{Cite book |url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctvx073wb |title=Fort San Juan and the Limits of Empire: Colonialism and Household Practice at the Berry Site |date=2016-01-26 |publisher=University Press of Florida |isbn=978-0-8130-5567-1 |editor-last=Beck |editor-first=Robin A. |pages=31–56 |doi=10.2307/j.ctvx073wb.10 |jstor=j.ctvx073wb |editor-last2=Rodning |editor-first2=Christopher B. |editor-last3=Moore |editor-first3=David G. |access-date=April 27, 2024 |archive-date=March 24, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240324044051/https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctvx073wb |url-status=live }}</ref> Records of [[Hernando de Soto]] attested to his meeting with them in 1540. In 1567, Captain [[Juan Pardo (explorer)|Juan Pardo]] led an expedition to claim the area for the Spanish colony and to establish another route to reach silver mines in Mexico.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=DePratter |first1=Chester B. |last2=Hudson |first2=Charles M. |last3=Smith |first3=Marvin T. |date=1983 |title=The Route of Juan Pardo's Explorations in the Interior Southeast, 1566-1568 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/30146259 |journal=The Florida Historical Quarterly |volume=62 |issue=2 |pages=125–158 |jstor=30146259 |issn=0015-4113 |access-date=March 24, 2024 |archive-date=January 15, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230115080912/https://www.jstor.org/stable/30146259 |url-status=live }}</ref> Pardo made a winter base at Joara, which he renamed ''Cuenca''.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Kickler |first=Troy L |date=2016-03-07 |title=Exploration in North Carolina (Spanish) - North Carolina History |url=https://northcarolinahistory.org/encyclopedia/exploration-in-north-carolina-spanish/ |access-date=2024-03-24 |website=North Carolina History - |language=en-US |archive-date=March 24, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240324044049/https://northcarolinahistory.org/encyclopedia/exploration-in-north-carolina-spanish/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Hudson |first=Charles |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NyAD-F3Q85kC&pg=PA1537 |title=The Juan Pardo Expeditions: Exploration of the Carolinas and Tennessee, 1566-1568 |date=2005-07-24 |publisher=University of Alabama Press |isbn=978-0-8173-5190-8 |language=en}}</ref> His expedition built [[Fort San Juan (Joara)|Fort San Juan]] and left a contingent of 30 Spaniards there, while Pardo traveled further.<ref name=":3" /> His forces built and garrisoned five other forts. He returned by a different route to [[Mission Santa Elena|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 Spaniards and burned the six forts in the interior, including Fort San Juan.<ref>{{Cite book |url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctvx073wb |title=Fort San Juan and the Limits of Empire: Colonialism and Household Practice at the Berry Site |date=2016-01-26 |publisher=University Press of Florida |isbn=978-0-8130-5567-1 |editor-last=Beck |editor-first=Robin A. |doi=10.2307/j.ctvx073wb |jstor=j.ctvx073wb |editor-last2=Rodning |editor-first2=Christopher B. |editor-last3=Moore |editor-first3=David G. |access-date=April 27, 2024 |archive-date=March 24, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240324044051/https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctvx073wb |url-status=live }}</ref> 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.<ref name=richards>{{cite web |url=http://www.warren-wilson.edu/~arch/berrysitepress/amerarchspring2008.pdf |author=Richards, Constance E. |title=Contact and Conflict |website=American Archaeology |date=Spring 2008 |page=14 |access-date=June 26, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090624110618/http://www.warren-wilson.edu/~arch/berrysitepress/amerarchspring2008.pdf |archive-date=June 24, 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author1=Patrick Gibbs |url=http://antiquity.ac.uk/ProjGall/moore/index.html |first2=David G. |last2=Moore |first3=Robin A. Jr. |last3=Beck |first4=Christopher B. |last4=Rodning |title=Joara and Fort San Juan: culture contact at the edge of the world |volume=78 |issue=229 |publisher=Antiquity.ac.uk |date=March 2004 |access-date=July 24, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724171011/http://antiquity.ac.uk/ProjGall/moore/index.html |archive-date=July 24, 2011 }}</ref>
+===Anglo-European settlement===
+[[File:Sir Walter Raleigh oval portrait by Nicholas Hilliard.jpg|upright|thumb|[[Walter Raleigh|Sir Walter Raleigh]], namesake of the state capital of North Carolina, [[Raleigh, 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]]).<ref>{{cite book
+|last=Randinelli
+|first=Tracey
+|title=Tanglewood Park
+|year=2002
+|publisher=Harcourt
+|location=Orlando, Florida
+|page=16
+|isbn=978-0-15-333476-4 }}</ref> It was the second American territory that the English attempted to colonize. Raleigh established two colonies on the coast in the late 1580s, but both failed. The colony established in 1587 saw 118 colonists 'disappear' when [[John White (colonist and artist)|John White]] was unable to return from a supply run during battles with the [[Spanish Armada]]. The fate of the "[[Roanoke Colony|Lost Colony]]" of [[Roanoke Island]] remains one of the most widely debated mysteries of American history. Two native Chieftains, [[Manteo (Native American leader)|Manteo]] and [[Wanchese (Native American leader)|Wanchese]], of which the former helped the colonists and the latter was distrustful, had involvement in the colony and even accompanied Raleigh to England on a previous voyage in 1585. Manteo was also the first Indigenous North American to be baptized by English settlers. Upon White's return in 1590, neither native nor Englishman were to be found. Popular theory holds that the colonists either traveled away with or assimilated into local native culture.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Anonymous |date=May 12, 2022 |title=Our roots go back to Roanoke: Investigating the Link between the Lost Colony and the Lumbee People of North Carolina |url=https://dsi.appstate.edu/projects/lumbee/sing001 |access-date=March 23, 2023 |website=Digital Scholarship and Initiatives |language=en |archive-date=March 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230323161527/https://dsi.appstate.edu/projects/lumbee/sing001 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Virginia Dare]], the first English person to be born in North America, was born on Roanoke Island on August 18, 1587; the surrounding [[Dare County, North Carolina|Dare County]] is named for her.
+As early as 1650, settlers from the [[Colony of Virginia|Virginia colony]] had moved into the [[Albemarle Sound]] region. By 1663, King [[Charles&nbsp;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 of England|Charles{{spaces}}I]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://statelibrary.dcr.state.nc.us/NC/HISTORY/HISTORY.HTM |title=North Carolina State Library—North Carolina History |publisher=Statelibrary.dcr.state.nc.us |access-date=July 24, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090205021230/http://statelibrary.dcr.state.nc.us/NC/HISTORY/HISTORY.HTM |archive-date=February 5, 2009 }}</ref> By 1665, a second charter was issued to attempt to resolve territorial questions. This charter rewarded the [[Lord proprietor|Lords Proprietors]], eight Englishmen to whom King Charles II granted joint ownership of a tract of land in the state. All of these men either had remained loyal to the Crown or aided Charles's restoration to the English throne after [[Oliver Cromwell|Cromwell]]. In 1712, owing to disputes over governance, the Carolina colony split into North Carolina and [[South Carolina]]. North Carolina became a crown colony in 1729.<ref>{{Cite web |title=North Carolina Became a Royal Colony |url=https://www.ncdcr.gov/blog/2016/07/25/north-carolina-became-royal-colony |access-date=September 22, 2022 |website=www.ncdcr.gov |date=July 25, 2016 |language=en |archive-date=January 25, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230125194827/https://www.ncdcr.gov/blog/2016/07/25/north-carolina-became-royal-colony |url-status=live }}</ref>
+[[History of slavery in North Carolina|Most of the English colonists]] had arrived as [[indentured servant]]s, 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 [[slave]]s or laborers was fluid. Some Africans were allowed to earn their freedom before slavery became a lifelong status. Most of the [[free people of color|free colored]] families formed in North Carolina before the Revolution were descended from unions or marriages between free whites and enslaved or free Africans or African-Americans. If the mothers were free, their children were born free. Many had migrated or were descendants of migrants from colonial Virginia.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.freeafricanamericans.com/ |title=Paul Heinegg, ''Free African Americans in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland and Delaware'' |publisher=Freeafricanamericans.com |access-date=July 24, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100807191511/http://www.freeafricanamericans.com/ |archive-date=August 7, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> As the flow of indentured laborers to the colony decreased with improving economic conditions in [[Kingdom of Great Britain|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. Conditions for both slaves and workers worsened as the ranks of the former eclipsed the latter and expansion of farming operations into former Indigenous territories lowered prices. Unable to establish deep water ports such as at Charles Town and Norfolk, the economy's growth and prosperity was thus based on cheap labor and slave plantation systems, devoted primarily to the production of tobacco, then later cotton and textiles.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources |date=March 23, 2023 |title=Birth of a Colony: North Carolina |url=https://www.ncdcr.gov/media/737/download |access-date=March 23, 2023 |archive-date=July 28, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220728121900/https://www.ncdcr.gov/media/737/download |url-status=live }}</ref>
+In [[1738–1739 North Carolina smallpox epidemic|1738–1739]], smallpox caused high fatalities among the Native Americans, who had no [[immunity (medical)|immunity]] to the new disease (it had become [[endemic]] over centuries in Europe).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.uncpress.unc.edu/nc_encyclopedia/cherokee.html |title=Cherokee Indians |publisher=Uncpress.unc.edu |date=November 16, 1919 |access-date=July 24, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726163819/http://www.uncpress.unc.edu/nc_encyclopedia/cherokee.html |archive-date=July 26, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> 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."<ref>Russell Thornton (1990) ''[https://archive.org/details/americanindianho00thor_0 American Indian Holocaust and Survival: A Population History since 1492] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160108232606/https://books.google.com/books?id=9iQYSQ9y60MC |date=January 8, 2016 }}'', University of Oklahoma Press. p.79. {{ISBN|0-8061-2220-X}}</ref>
+===Colonial period===
+{{Main|Province of Carolina|Province of North-Carolina|French and Indian War|Treaty of Paris (1763)|American Revolutionary War||United States Declaration of Independence|Articles of Confederation#Ratification}}
+<gallery widths="220" heights="165" class="center" style="line-height:130%">
+File:Croatoan.jpg|[[John White (colonist and artist)|John White]] returns to find the colony abandoned
+File: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 (colonist and artist)|John White]] of the [[Roanoke Colony]]
+File:Tryon Palace.JPG|Reconstructed royal governor's mansion [[Governor's Palace, New Bern|Tryon Palace]] in [[New Bern, North Carolina|New Bern]]
+</gallery>
+After the Spanish in the 16th century, the first permanent European settlers of North Carolina were English colonists who migrated south from [[Virginia]]. Virginia 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.<ref>Fenn and Wood, ''Natives and Newcomers'', pp. 24–25.</ref> By 1663, this northeastern area of the [[Province of Carolina]], known as the [[Albemarle Settlements]], was undergoing full-scale English settlement.<ref>Powell, ''North Carolina Through Four Centuries'', p. 105.</ref> During the same period, the English monarch Charles{{spaces}}II gave provincial land grants to the [[Lords Proprietors]], the group of noblemen who had helped restore him to the throne in 1660. These grants were predicated on an agreement that the Lords would use their influence to bring in colonists and establish ports of trade. This new [[Province of Carolina]] was named in honor and memory of his father, Charles{{spaces}}I (Latin: ''Carolus'').
+Lacking a viable coastal port city due to geography, towns grew at a slower pace and remained small. By the late 17th century, Carolina was essentially two colonies, one centered in the Albemarle region in the north and the other located in the south around Charleston.<ref name=":2" /> In 1705 South Carolinian [[John Lawson (explorer)|John Lawson]] purchased land on the Pamlico River and laid out Bath, North Carolina's first town. After returning to England, he published the book A New Voyage to Carolina, which became a travelogue and a marketing piece to encourage new colonists to Carolina. Lawson encouraged Baron Christoph Von Graffenried, the leader of a group of Swiss and German Protestants, to immigrate to Carolina. Von Graffenried purchased land between the Neuse and the Trent Rivers and established the town of [[New Bern, North Carolina|New Bern]]. After an attack on New Bern in which hundreds were killed or injured, Lawson was caught then executed by [[Tuscarora Indians]]. A large revolt happened in the state in 1711, known as [[Cary's Rebellion]]. In 1712, North Carolina became a separate colony, and in 1729 it became a royal colony, with the exception of the [[John Carteret, 2nd Earl Granville|Earl Granville]] holdings.<ref name="autogenerated1">Lefler and Newsome, (1973).</ref>
+In June 1718, ''[[Queen Anne's Revenge]]'', the flagship of pirate [[Blackbeard]], ran aground at Beaufort Inlet, North Carolina, in present-day [[Carteret County, North Carolina|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.<ref>{{cite web|title=Blackbeard killed off North Carolina|url=http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/blackbeard-killed-off-north-carolina|website=History.com|date=February 9, 2010|access-date=April 30, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150401125703/http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/blackbeard-killed-off-north-carolina|archive-date=April 1, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> 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]].<ref>D. Moore. (1997) "A General History of Blackbeard the Pirate, the Queen Anne's Revenge and the Adventure". In Tributaries, Volume VII, 1997. pp. 31–35. (North Carolina Maritime History Council).</ref>
+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. [[Piracy|Pirates]] menaced the coastal settlements, but by 1718 piracy in the Carolinas was on the decline. Growth was strong in the middle of the 18th century, as the economy attracted [[Scotch-Irish American|Scots-Irish]], [[Quaker]], [[English American|English]] and [[German American|German]] immigrants. A majority of the North Carolina colonists generally supported the [[American Revolution]], although there were some [[Loyalist (American Revolution)|Loyalists]]. Loyalists in North Carolina were fewer in number than in some other colonies such as Georgia, South Carolina, Delaware, and New York.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The American Revolution in North Carolina – The Loyalists and Their Militias |url=https://www.carolana.com/NC/Revolution/revolution_loyalists_militia_nc.html |access-date=September 22, 2022 |website=www.carolana.com |archive-date=September 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922233252/https://www.carolana.com/NC/Revolution/revolution_loyalists_militia_nc.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author=North Carolina History Project |title=Tories |url=https://northcarolinahistory.org/encyclopedia/tories/ |access-date=September 22, 2022 |website=North Carolina History Project |date=March 7, 2016 |publisher=John Locke Foundation |language=en-US |archive-date=September 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922233251/https://northcarolinahistory.org/encyclopedia/tories/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=North Carolina in the US Revolution |url=https://www.ncpedia.org/history/usrevolution/overview |access-date=September 22, 2022 |website=NCpedia |archive-date=April 1, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401070056/https://www.ncpedia.org/history/usrevolution/overview |url-status=live }}</ref>
+During colonial times, [[Edenton, North Carolina|Edenton]] served as the state capital beginning in 1722, followed by [[New Bern, North Carolina|New Bern]] becoming the capital in 1766. Construction of [[Governor's Palace, New Bern|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, North Carolina|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 Colony|Roanoke]], the "lost colony" on [[Roanoke Island]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nchistoricsites.org/capitol/stat_cap/ |title=Capitol History |access-date=May 16, 2013 |author=North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029200430/http://www.nchistoricsites.org/capitol/stat_cap/ |archive-date=October 29, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> 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.<ref>Wiki Article Historical Demography of the United States.</ref>
+North Carolina did not have any printer or print shops until 1749, when the North Carolina Assembly commissioned [[James Davis (printer)|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 kept in a largely disorganized manner, prompting the hiring of Davis. Davis settled in New Bern, 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 a contract to carry mail between [[Wilmington, North Carolina]] and [[Suffolk, Virginia]]. He was also active in North Carolina 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.<ref name=powell34-35>[[#powell2000|Powell, 2000]], pp. 34–35</ref><ref>[[#lee1923|Lee, 1923]], p. 53</ref>
+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 (United States)|Piedmont]] upcountry and western mountain region of North Carolina was settled chiefly by [[Ulster Scots people|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.<ref>{{cite web |author= Bethune, Lawrence E |title= Scots to Colonial North Carolina Before 1775 |website= Lawrence E. Bethune's M.U.S.I.C.s Project |url= http://www.dalhousielodge.org/Thesis/scotstonc.htm |access-date= October 26, 2011 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120219045151/http://www.dalhousielodge.org/Thesis/scotstonc.htm |archive-date= February 19, 2012 |url-status= dead }}</ref><ref name="census.gov">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/censusdata/files/pc80-s1-10/tab03a.pdf|title=Ancestry of the Population by State: 1980—Table 3a—Persons Who Reported a Single Ancestry Group for Regions, Divisions and States|access-date=May 11, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190830234458/https://www.census.gov/population/www/censusdata/files/pc80-s1-10/tab03a.pdf|archive-date=August 30, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/censusdata/files/pc80-s1-10/tab01.pdf |title=Table 1. ''Type of Ancestry Response for Regions, Divisions and States: 1980'' |access-date=May 11, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190708160626/https://www.census.gov/population/www/censusdata/files/pc80-s1-10/tab01.pdf |archive-date=July 8, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.geocities.com/nai_cilh/servitude.html |title=Indentured Servitude in Colonial America |publisher=Webcitation.org |access-date=May 11, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091022161033/http://geocities.com/nai_cilh/servitude.html |archive-date=October 22, 2009 }}</ref>
+===Revolutionary War===
+[[File:Halifax Resolves plaque - North Carolina State Capitol - DSC05912.JPG|thumb|upright|[[Halifax Resolves]] plaque inside the [[North Carolina State Capitol]]]]
+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. British loyalists dubbed the [[Mecklenburg County, North Carolina|Mecklenburg County]] area to be 'a hornet's nest' of radicals, birthing the name of the future Charlotte NBA team. 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 [[Flag of North Carolina|state flag]] and [[Seal of North Carolina|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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Today in History – April 12 |url=https://www.loc.gov/item/today-in-history/april-12/ |access-date=September 22, 2022 |website=Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA |archive-date=September 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922233252/https://www.loc.gov/item/today-in-history/april-12/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Halifax Resolves – April 12, 1776 |url=https://www.revolutionary-war-and-beyond.com/halifax-resolves-april-12-1776.html |access-date=September 22, 2022 |website=Revolutionary War and Beyond |archive-date=September 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922233252/https://www.revolutionary-war-and-beyond.com/halifax-resolves-april-12-1776.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
+North Carolina had around 7,800 [[Patriot (American Revolution)|Patriots]] 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]].<ref>Milton Ready, ''The Tar Heel State: A History of North Carolina'' (U. of South Carolina Press, 2005), pp. 116, 120.</ref> There was some military action, especially in 1780–81. Many Carolinian frontiersmen had moved west over the mountains, into the [[Washington District, North Carolina|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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Six Western Counties Ceded |url=https://www.ncdcr.gov/blog/2017/02/08/six-western-counties-ceded |access-date=September 22, 2022 |website=www.ncdcr.gov |date=December 22, 2016 |language=en |archive-date=September 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922233251/https://www.ncdcr.gov/blog/2017/02/08/six-western-counties-ceded |url-status=live }}</ref>
+[[Battle of Kings Mountain|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 Patriots 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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kings Mountain |url=https://www.battlefields.org/learn/revolutionary-war/battles/kings-mountain |access-date=September 22, 2022 |website=American Battlefield Trust |language=en-US}}</ref>
+[[File:Battle of Guiliford Courthouse 15 March 1781.jpg|thumb|left|1st Maryland Regiment holding the line at the [[Battle of Guilford Court House]], 1781]]
+The road to [[Yorktown, Virginia|Yorktown]] and America's independence from [[Kingdom of Great Britain|Great Britain]] led through North Carolina. As the [[British Army]] moved north from victories in [[Charleston, South Carolina|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".<ref name="autogenerated1" />
+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.<ref>Stonestreet, Ottis C. IV, ''The Battle of Cowan's Ford: General Davidson's Stand on the Catawba River and its place in North Carolina History'' (CreateSpace Publishing 2012) {{ISBN|978-1-4680-7730-8}} p. 2, 3, 4.</ref> 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, North Carolina|Greensboro]] on March 15, 1781. Although the [[Kingdom of Great Britain|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===
+{{Main|Constitutional Convention (United States)|Admission to the Union|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 [[plantations in the American South|plantation]] system and [[slavery|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.<ref name=census>{{cite web|title=Historical Census Browser:Census Data for Year 1860 |date=2004 |access-date=June 26, 2014 |website=University of Virginia Library |url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu/php/start.php?year=V1860 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141011024040/http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu/php/start.php?year=V1860 |archive-date=October 11, 2014 }}</ref> 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.<ref name=census /> 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.<ref>[http://freeafricanamericans.com/ Paul Heinegg, ''Free African Americans in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland and Delaware''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120919165518/http://www.freeafricanamericans.com/ |date=September 19, 2012 }}, 2005.</ref>[[File:Map North Carolina roads and railroads 1854.jpg|thumb|Map of the roads and railroads of North Carolina, 1854]]
+After the American Revolution, [[Religious Society of Friends|Quakers]] and [[Mennonite]]s 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.<ref>John Hope Franklin, ''Free Negroes of North Carolina, 1789–1860'', Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1941, reprint, 1991.</ref> 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 Americans|European]] descent, especially [[Scotch-Irish Americans|Scotch-Irish]], who operated small subsistence farms. In the early national period, the state became a center of [[Jeffersonian democracy|Jeffersonian]] and [[Jacksonian democracy]], with a strong [[Whig Party (United States)|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 {{convert|129|mi|adj=on|abbr=on}} wooden plank road, known as a "farmer's railroad", from [[Fayetteville, North Carolina|Fayetteville]] in the east to [[Bethania, North Carolina|Bethania]] (northwest of [[Winston-Salem, North Carolina|Winston-Salem]]).<ref name="autogenerated1" /> On October 25, 1836, construction began on the [[Wilmington and Raleigh Railroad]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.historync.org/railroads.htm |title=NC Business History—Railroads |publisher=Historync.org |access-date=July 24, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726152211/http://historync.org/railroads.htm |archive-date=July 26, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> to connect the port city of [[Wilmington, North Carolina|Wilmington]] with the state capital of [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]]. In 1840, the [[North Carolina State Capitol|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, North Carolina|Greensboro]], [[High Point, North Carolina|High Point]], and [[Charlotte, North Carolina|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]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=State Agency Finding Aid: North Carolina Railroad Company, 1849–1965 |url=https://digital.ncdcr.gov/digital/collection/p16062coll15/id/1382 |access-date=September 22, 2022 |website=digital.ncdcr.gov |language=en |archive-date=September 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922233252/https://digital.ncdcr.gov/digital/collection/p16062coll15/id/1382 |url-status=live }}</ref>
+===American Civil War===
+{{Main|Ordinance of Secession|Confederate States of America|North Carolina in the American Civil War}}
+{{Further|American Civil War}}
+[[File:Battle of Fort Fisher.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|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 [[Confederate States of America|Confederacy]] until President [[Abraham Lincoln]] called on it to invade its sister state,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Historic Sites: The Road to Secession|url=https://historicsites.nc.gov/resources/north-carolina-civil-war/road-secession|access-date=January 25, 2021|website=historicsites.nc.gov|archive-date=January 29, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210129121230/https://historicsites.nc.gov/resources/north-carolina-civil-war/road-secession|url-status=live}}</ref> [[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,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.civiced.org/index.php?page=timeline_lincoln |title=Center for Civic Education—Lincoln Bicentennial with Supplemental Lesson: Timeline |publisher=Civiced.org |access-date=July 24, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719031654/http://www.civiced.org/index.php?page=timeline_lincoln |archive-date=July 19, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://docsouth.unc.edu/highlights/secession.html |title=Highlights: Secession |publisher=Docsouth.unc.edu |access-date=July 24, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110916195201/http://docsouth.unc.edu/highlights/secession.html |archive-date=September 16, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> the Tennessee legislature did not formally vote to secede until June 8, 1861.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/jun08.html |title=Today in History: June 8 |publisher=Memory.loc.gov |date=April 9, 1959 |access-date=July 24, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514034825/http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/jun08.html |archive-date=May 14, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref>
+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 [[List of North Carolina Union Civil War units|Union Army regiments]], including those who left the state to join Union regiments elsewhere.<ref>[https://www.ncmuseumofhistory.org/faqs-about-north-carolina-and-civil-war FAQs about North Carolina and the Civil War] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624215638/https://www.ncmuseumofhistory.org/faqs-about-north-carolina-and-civil-war |date=June 24, 2021 }}. ''North Carolina Museum of History''. Retrieved December 20, 2020.</ref> Over 30,000 North Carolina troops died from combat or disease during the war.<ref>[https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/civil-war-casualties Civil War Casualties | American Battlefield Trust] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210205222144/https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/civil-war-casualties |date=February 5, 2021 }}. Retrieved December 22, 2020.</ref> Elected in 1862, Governor [[Zebulon Baird Vance]] tried to maintain state autonomy against Confederate President [[Jefferson Davis]] in [[Richmond, Virginia|Richmond]]. The state government was reluctant to support the demands of the national government in [[Richmond, Virginia|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.<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 23, 2018 |title=Bennett Place Surrender |url=https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/bennett-place-surrender |access-date=September 22, 2022 |website=American Battlefield Trust |language=en-US |archive-date=September 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922233251/https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/bennett-place-surrender |url-status=live }}</ref>
+[[File:2008-08-16 Bennett Place historic site.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|[[Bennett Place]] historic site in [[Durham, North Carolina|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 [[Battle of Bentonville|Bentonville]], which was a futile attempt by Confederate General [[Joseph E. Johnston|Joseph Johnston]] to slow Union General [[William Tecumseh Sherman]]'s advance through the Carolinas in the spring of 1865.<ref name="autogenerated1" /> In April 1865, after losing the [[Battle of Morrisville]], Johnston surrendered to Sherman at [[Bennett Place]], in what is today [[Durham, North Carolina|Durham]]. North Carolina's port city of [[Wilmington, North Carolina|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's Charge|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 National Historical Park|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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=First at Bethel, Farthest to the Front at Gettysburg and Chickamauga, and Last at Appomattox |url=https://www.ncpedia.org/first-bethel-farthest-front-gettysb#:~:text=%27%22First%20at%20Bethel,%20Farthest,use%20as%20early%20as%201901. |access-date=September 22, 2022 |website=NCpedia |archive-date=September 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922233301/https://www.ncpedia.org/first-bethel-farthest-front-gettysb#:~:text=%27%22First%20at%20Bethel,%20Farthest,use%20as%20early%20as%201901. |url-status=live }}</ref>
+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 (American Civil War)|Union]] cause during the conflict.<ref>Bochna, Allie. (2017). [https://civilwar.vt.edu/the-secret-societies-of-the-south-southern-unionist-societies-during-the-civil-war/ The Secret Societies of the South: Southern Unionist Societies During the Civil War] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210412005114/https://civilwar.vt.edu/the-secret-societies-of-the-south-southern-unionist-societies-during-the-civil-war/ |date=April 12, 2021 }}. ''Virginia Center for Civil War Studies''. Retrieved April 11, 2021.</ref> Approximately [[List of North Carolina Union Civil War units|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.
+===Reconstruction era through late 19th century===
+{{Main|Reconstruction era}}
+[[File:NCG-WilliamHolden.jpg|thumb|left|150px|[[William Woods Holden]], a Unionist who served as the 38th and 40th [[List of governors of North Carolina|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 [[Constitution of North Carolina|constitutional government]] and representation within the [[United States Congress]] in what is now referred to as the [[Reconstruction era]]. To earn back its rights, the state had to make concessions to Washington, one of which was ratifying the [[Thirteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution|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 to the United States Constitution|Fifteenth Amendment]] was also adopted that same year, it remained [[Jim Crow laws|in most cases]] ineffective for almost a century, not to mention paramilitary groups and their [[lynching in the United States|lynching]] with impunity.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Reconstruction in North Carolina |url=https://www.ncpedia.org/anchor/reconstruction-north |access-date=September 22, 2022 |website=NCpedia |archive-date=September 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922233253/https://www.ncpedia.org/anchor/reconstruction-north |url-status=live }}</ref>
+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 (United States)|Republican Party]] coalition of black freedmen, northern [[carpetbagger]]s and local [[scalawag]]s 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 (Southern United States)|Red Shirts]], a paramilitary organization that arose in 1874 and was allied with the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]], helped suppress black voting. More than 150 black Americans were murdered in electoral violence in 1876.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Documenting Reconstruction Violence |url=https://eji.org/report/reconstruction-in-america/documenting-reconstruction-violence/ |access-date=September 22, 2022 |newspaper=Equal Justice Initiative Reports |language=en-US |archive-date=September 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922233252/https://eji.org/report/reconstruction-in-america/documenting-reconstruction-violence/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Beeby |first=James M. |date=2008 |title=Red Shirt Violence, Election Fraud, and the Demise of the Populist Party in North Carolina's Third Congressional District, 1900 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/23523367 |journal=The North Carolina Historical Review |volume=85 |issue=1 |pages=1–28 |jstor=23523367 |issn=0029-2494 |access-date=September 22, 2022 |archive-date=September 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922233252/https://www.jstor.org/stable/23523367 |url-status=live }}</ref>
+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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Changes in Agriculture |url=https://www.ncpedia.org/anchor/changes-agriculture |access-date=September 22, 2022 |website=NCpedia |archive-date=September 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922233252/https://www.ncpedia.org/anchor/changes-agriculture |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Primary Source: The Evils of the Crop Lien System |url=https://www.ncpedia.org/anchor/evils-crop-lien-system |access-date=September 22, 2022 |website=NCpedia |archive-date=September 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922233332/https://www.ncpedia.org/anchor/evils-crop-lien-system |url-status=live }}</ref>[[File:Drinking fountain on the county courthouse lawn, Halifax, North Carolina.jpg|thumb|right|Segregated drinking fountain during the [[Jim Crow]] era in [[Halifax, North Carolina|Halifax]], 1938]]
+Democrats were elected to the legislature and governor's office, but the [[People's Party (United States)|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 [[North Carolina's 2nd congressional district|2nd congressional district]] elected a total of four African-American [[United States Congress|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, North Carolina|Wilmington]] government if their candidates were not elected. In the [[Wilmington Insurrection of 1898]], white Democrats led around 2,000 of their supporters that 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 [[List of coups and coup attempts by country#United States|United States history]].<ref>[http://www.history.ncdcr.gov/1898-wrrc/report/Chapter5.pdf "Chapter 5"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090321002041/http://www.history.ncdcr.gov/1898-wrrc/report/Chapter5.pdf |date=March 21, 2009 }}, ''1898 Wilmington Race Riot Commission Report'', North Carolina Dept. of Cultural Resources.</ref>
+In 1899, the state legislature passed a new constitution, with requirements for [[poll tax]]es and [[literacy test]]s for voter registration which [[Disenfranchisement after the Reconstruction Era|disenfranchised]] most black Americans in the state.<ref>[https://ssrn.com/abstract=224731 Richard H. Pildes, "Democracy, Anti-Democracy, and the Canon", ''Constitutional Commentary'', Vol.17, 2000, p. 27] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181121211213/https://ssrn.com/abstract=224731 |date=November 21, 2018 }}. Retrieved March 10, 2008.</ref> 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.<ref>Pildes (2000), "Democracy, Anti-Democracy, and the Canon", pp. 12–13.</ref> 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===
+[[File:Wright First Flight 1903Dec17 (full restore 115).jpg|thumb|left|First successful flight of the ''[[Wright Flyer]]'', near [[Kitty Hawk, North Carolina|Kitty Hawk]], 1903]]
+After the reconstruction era, North Carolina had become a one-party state, dominated by the [[Democratic Party (United States)|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 [[Atlantic Seaboard fall line|fall line]]. Railroads were built to connect the new industrializing cities.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Economy |url=https://www.ncpedia.org/economy/colonial-to-2004 |access-date=September 22, 2022 |website=NCpedia |archive-date=September 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922233322/https://www.ncpedia.org/economy/colonial-to-2004 |url-status=live }}</ref>
+The state was the site of [[Wright Flyer|the first successful controlled, powered and sustained heavier-than-air flight]], by the [[Wright brothers]], near [[Kitty Hawk, North Carolina|Kitty Hawk]] on December 17, 1903.
+[[File:Research-triangle-north-carolina.png|thumb|right|Map of [[Research Triangle]], with points representing [[North Carolina State University|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 (African American)|Great Migration]]. Their departure changed the demographic characteristics of many areas.
+North Carolina was hard hit by the [[Great Depression in the United States|Great Depression]], but the [[New Deal]] programs of [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] for cotton and tobacco significantly helped the farmers. After [[World War&nbsp;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 [[Science park|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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Twentieth-Century North Carolina Timeline {{!}} North Carolina Museum of History |url=https://www.ncmuseumofhistory.org/learn/in-the-classroom/timelines/twentieth-century-north-carolina |access-date=September 22, 2022 |website=www.ncmuseumofhistory.org |archive-date=July 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230709194543/https://www.ncmuseumofhistory.org/learn/in-the-classroom/timelines/twentieth-century-north-carolina |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Twentieth Century |url=https://www.ncpedia.org/history/20th-Century/overview |access-date=September 22, 2022 |website=NCpedia |archive-date=September 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922233312/https://www.ncpedia.org/history/20th-Century/overview |url-status=live }}</ref>
+===Late 20th century to present===
+[[File:North-Carolina-Museum-of-History-20080321.jpeg|thumb|right|[[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 area]]s located within the [[Piedmont Crescent]], in places such as Charlotte, Concord, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Durham and Raleigh.<ref>[https://www.thinkcurrituck.com/blog/north-carolina-population North Carolina Population Growth: More People, Bigger Economy] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210203191025/https://www.thinkcurrituck.com/blog/north-carolina-population |date=February 3, 2021 }}. ''Currituck Economic Development''. Retrieved December 22, 2020.</ref> The Charlotte metropolitan area has experienced large growth mainly due to its finance, banking, and tech industries.<ref>Duren, Carolyn & Khawaja, Armughan. (May 16, 2019). [https://www.spglobal.com/marketintelligence/en/news-insights/trending/kdZchEwDkYSXozJJ7Z8gQA2 Charlotte, NC, outpacing nationwide growth in banking, set for further expansion] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201116215730/https://www.spglobal.com/marketintelligence/en/news-insights/trending/kdZchEwDkYSXozJJ7Z8gQA2 |date=November 16, 2020 }}. ''S&P Global Market Intelligence''. Retrieved December 22, 2020.</ref>
+By the 1990s, Charlotte had become a major regional and national banking center. Towards Raleigh, [[North Carolina State University|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.<ref>[https://raleigh-wake.org/news-and-media/news-and-rankings/job-growth-study-raleigh-no-2-in-tech-no-1-in-stem Job growth study: Raleigh No. 2 in tech, No. 1 in STEM] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201130072926/https://raleigh-wake.org/news-and-media/news-and-rankings/job-growth-study-raleigh-no-2-in-tech-no-1-in-stem |date=November 30, 2020 }}. ''Wake County Economic Development''. Retrieved December 22, 2020.</ref>
+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".<ref>[https://www.wbtv.com/story/38577831/wbtv-speak-out-editorial-a-hornets-nest-of-rebellion/ WBTV Speak Out Editorial: A Hornet's Nest of Rebellion] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220110025929/https://www.wbtv.com/story/38577831/wbtv-speak-out-editorial-a-hornets-nest-of-rebellion/ |date=January 10, 2022 }}. ''wbtv.com''. Retrieved January 28, 2022.</ref> 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, North Carolina|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, [[Pharmaceutical industry|pharmaceuticals]], banking, [[food processing]], [[automotive industry|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 [[Cultivation of tobacco|tobacco]], [[Textile manufacturing|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.<ref>Smith, Rick. (September 17, 2021). [https://wraltechwire.com/2021/09/17/mike-walden-five-factors-that-made-nc-economy/ Mike Walden: The five factors that made North Carolina's economy] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220114235046/https://wraltechwire.com/2021/09/17/mike-walden-five-factors-that-made-nc-economy/ |date=January 14, 2022 }}. ''WRAL TechWire''. Retrieved January 28, 2022.</ref>
 ==Geography==
-{{see also|Geography of the United States|East Coast of the United States|Geography of North Carolina|List of counties in North Carolina}}
+{{Main|Geography of North Carolina}}
+{{maplink|frame=yes|zoom=5|id=Q1454|type=shape-inverse|text=Interactive map of North Carolina}}
-[[Image:National-atlas-north-carolina.png|thumb|300px|right|Map of North Carolina, showing major cities and roads]]
+[[File:NC Topo.png|thumb|3D Topographical Map of North Carolina]]
-[[Image:Blowing Rock.jpg|thumb|right|200px|thumb|The [[Blue Ridge Mountains]] in the foreground with [[Grandfather Mountain]] in the extreme background as seen from [[Blowing Rock, North Carolina|Blowing Rock, NC]].]]
+[[File:Enodeer.jpg|thumb|Deer in the [[Eno River]] as it flows through the Piedmont region of North Carolina]]
+[[File:North Carolina Köppen.svg|thumb|Köppen climate types of North Carolina]]North Carolina is bordered by [[South Carolina]] on the south, [[Georgia (U.S. state)|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 States|South Atlantic]] division of the [[Southern United States|southern]] region.<ref name="Census_Regions">{{cite web |url=http://www2.census.gov/geo/pdfs/maps-data/maps/reference/us_regdiv.pdf |title=Census Regions and Divisions of the United States |publisher=United States Census Bureau, Geography Division |access-date=December 15, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171219134403/https://www2.census.gov/geo/pdfs/maps-data/maps/reference/us_regdiv.pdf |archive-date=December 19, 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref> It has a total area of {{convert|53,819.16|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|48,617.91|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|5,201.25|sqmi}} (9.66%) is water.<ref name="2010TotalArea">{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/2010/cph-2/cph-2-1.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/cph-2-1.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live|title=United States Summary: 2010, Population and Housing Unit Counts, 2010 Census of Population and Housing|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|pages=V&ndash;2, 1 & 41 (Tables 1 & 18)|date=September 2012|access-date=February 7, 2014}}</ref>
+North Carolina consists of three main geographic regions: the [[Atlantic coastal plain]], occupying the eastern portion of the state; the central [[Piedmont (United States)|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 island]]s 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.
-[[Image:HighlandsSkyline.JPG|right|200px|thumb|The [[Western North Carolina]] [[mountains]] as seen from Sunset Rock in [[Highlands, North Carolina]].]]
-[[Image:Bodie island lighthouse.jpg|thumb|right|[[Bodie Island Lighthouse]], one of the [[Outer Banks]] attractions.]]
+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.<ref>{{cite web| title=Blackbeard's Queen Anne's Revenge Coming Back to Beaufort| website=Beach Carolina Magazine| date=March 30, 2011| url=http://beachcarolina.com/2011/03/30/blackbeards-queen-annes-revenge-coming-back-to-beaufort/| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130221030139/http://beachcarolina.com/2011/03/30/blackbeards-queen-annes-revenge-coming-back-to-beaufort/| archive-date=February 21, 2013| df=mdy-all| access-date=February 17, 2013}}</ref>
-North Carolina is bordered by [[South Carolina]] on the south, [[Georgia (U.S. state)|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 United States|southern]] state in the subcategory of being one of the [[South Atlantic States]].
-[[Image:North carolina topographic.jpg|left|thumb|North Carolina topographic map]]
-North Carolina consists of three main geographic sections: the [[Atlantic Coastal Plain|coastal plain]], which occupies the eastern 45% of the state; the [[Piedmont (United States)|Piedmont]] region, which contains the middle 35%; and the [[Appalachian Mountains]] and [[Foothills (North Carolina)|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&mdash;[[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 (North Carolina)|Pilot Mountain]], the [[Uwharrie Mountains]], [[Crowder's Mountain]], [[King's Pinnacle]], the [[Brushy Mountains (North Carolina)|Brushy Mountains]], and the [[South Mountains (North Carolina)|South Mountains]]. The Piedmont ranges from about 300&ndash;400&nbsp;[[foot (unit of length)|feet]] (90&ndash;120&nbsp;[[metre|m]]) elevation in the east to over 1,000 feet (300&nbsp;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 River|Yadkin]] and [[Catawba River|Catawba]], tend to be fast-flowing, shallow, and narrow.
+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.<ref>{{cite web |title=People of North Carolina |url=http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/curriculum/socialstudies/elementary/studentsampler/19people#populations |publisher=North Carolina State Board of Education |access-date=August 7, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160808052451/http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/curriculum/socialstudies/elementary/studentsampler/19people#populations |archive-date=August 8, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> 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 (North Carolina)|Pilot Mountain]], the [[Uwharrie Mountains]], [[Crowder's Mountain]], [[King's Pinnacle]], the [[Brushy Mountains (North Carolina)|Brushy Mountains]], and the [[South Mountains (North Carolina)|South Mountains]]. The Piedmont ranges from about {{convert|300|ft|-2}} in elevation in the east to about {{convert|1500|ft|-2}} in the west.
-The [[Western North Carolina|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]], [[Mount Pisgah (North Carolina)|Pisgah]] Mountains, and the [[Black Mountains (North Carolina)|Black Mountains]]. The Black Mountains are the highest in the Eastern United States, and culminate in [[Mount Mitchell (North Carolina)|Mount Mitchell]] at 6,684 feet (2,037&nbsp;m).<ref name=usgs/> 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.
+The [[Western North Carolina|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 (North Carolina)|Black Mountains]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://traveltips.usatoday.com/north-carolina-mountains-4957.html |title=Facts About North Carolina Mountains |website=[[USA Today]] |access-date=August 7, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160819105327/http://traveltips.usatoday.com/north-carolina-mountains-4957.html |archive-date=August 19, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=visitnc>{{cite web |title=Facts for North Carolina's Mountain Region |url=https://media.visitnc.com/news/facts-for-north-carolina-s-mountain-region |date=January 21, 2011 |access-date=August 8, 2016 |publisher=Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160812103826/https://media.visitnc.com/news/facts-for-north-carolina-s-mountain-region |archive-date=August 12, 2016 }}</ref> The Black Mountains are the highest in the eastern United States, and culminate in [[Mount Mitchell (North Carolina)|Mount Mitchell]] at {{convert|6684|ft}}, the highest point east of the [[Mississippi River]].<ref name=visitnc /><ref name="usgs">{{cite web
+ |date=April 29, 2005
+|url=http://erg.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html#Highest
+ |title=Elevations and Distances in the United States
+ |publisher=U.S. Geological Survey
+ |access-date=November 6, 2006
+|url-status=dead
+|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080116113632/http://erg.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html
+ |archive-date=January 16, 2008
+}}</ref>
+[[File:cullasaja.jpg|thumb|upright|left|[[Cullasaja Falls]] in [[Macon County, North Carolina|Macon County]]]]
-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.<ref>{{cite web| title = Watersheds| publisher = NC Office of Environmental Education| date = 2007-02-16| url = http://www.eenorthcarolina.org/public/ecoaddress/riverbasins/riverbasinmapinteractive.htm| accessdate =  }}</ref>
+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.<ref name="Rivers">{{cite web |url=http://www.ncwildlife.org/Conserving/Habitats/North-Carolina-River-Basins |title=North Carolina River Basins |publisher=North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission |access-date=August 7, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160929024414/http://www.ncwildlife.org/Conserving/Habitats/North-Carolina-River-Basins |archive-date=September 29, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref> 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 River|Cape Fear]], the [[Neuse River|Neuse]], the [[White Oak River|White Oak]], and the [[Tar River|Tar]]–[[Pamlico Sound|Pamlico]] basin.<ref>{{cite web |title=River Basin Interactive Map |publisher=NC Office of Environmental Education |access-date=June 10, 2014 |url=http://www.eenorthcarolina.org/riverbasins-interactive.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140411134751/http://www.eenorthcarolina.org/riverbasins-interactive.html |archive-date=April 11, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
-===Climate===
+===Flora and fauna===
-{{mainarticle|Climate of North Carolina}}
+{{Further|Wildlife of North Carolina}}
-The geographical divisions of North Carolina are useful when discussing the [[climate]] of the state.
+===Major rivers===
-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&nbsp;°F (31.6&nbsp;°C) during the summer. In the winter, the coast has the mildest temperatures in the state, with daytime temperatures rarely dropping below 40&nbsp;°F (4.4&nbsp;°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&nbsp;cm) of [[snow]] and/or ice annually, and in some years there may be no snow or ice at all.
+{{Further|List of rivers of North Carolina}}
+===Climate===
+{{Main|Climate of North Carolina}}
+{{See also|Climate change in North Carolina}}
+[[File:Graveyard Fields 3.jpg|thumb|[[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 {{convert|1|in|cm|1}} of snow or ice annually, and in many years, there may be no snow or ice at all.<ref name="NC_Climate">{{cite web |url=http://climate.ncsu.edu/climate/ncclimate.html |title=Overview |publisher=State Climate Office of North Carolina |access-date=August 7, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160731164921/http://climate.ncsu.edu/climate/ncclimate.html |archive-date=July 31, 2016 }}</ref>
+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 winters are still mild.<ref name="NC_Climate" />
-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&nbsp;°F (32.2&nbsp;°C) in the summer. While it is not common for temperatures to reach over 100&nbsp;°F (37.8&nbsp;°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, North Carolina|Fayetteville]]. Additionally, the weaker influence of the Atlantic Ocean means that temperatures in the Piedmont often fluctuate more widely than the coast.
+North Carolina experiences severe weather both in summer and in winter, with summer bringing threat of [[tropical storm|hurricanes]], [[tropical cyclone#tropical storm|tropical storms]], heavy rain, and flooding.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ncdot.gov/travel/severeweather/summer.html |title=Severe Weather—Summer Storms |publisher=[[North Carolina Department of Transportation]] |access-date=August 7, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160815123033/https://www.ncdot.gov/travel/severeweather/summer.html |archive-date=August 15, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> 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 [[Saffir–Simpson scale|Category{{spaces}}4]] in 1954. [[Hurricane Isabel]] ranks as the most destructive of the 21st century.{{Atlantic hurricane best track}}<ref>{{cite book |author=John Hairr |title=The Great Hurricanes of North Carolina |year=2008 |pages=139–150}}</ref>
-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&nbsp;in (102&nbsp;cm) per year.
+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.<ref>{{cite web|title=NOAA National Climatic Data Center|url=http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/img/climate/research/tornado/small/avgt5304.gif|access-date=October 24, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111016174155/http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/img/climate/research/tornado/small/avgt5304.gif|archive-date=October 16, 2011|url-status=live}}</ref>
-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 (&minus;9&nbsp;°C) or lower in winter nights.  Relatively cool summers have temperatures rarely rising above 80&nbsp;°F (26.7&nbsp;°C). Snowfall in the mountains is usually 14&ndash;20&nbsp;in (36&ndash;51&nbsp;cm) per year, but it is often greater in the higher elevations. For example, during the [[Blizzard of 1993]] more than {{convert|50|in|cm}} of snow fell on [[Mount Mitchell]].
+In April 2011, [[Tornado outbreak of April 14–16, 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www4.ncsu.edu/~nwsfo/storage/cases/20110416/ |title=April 16, 2011 North Carolina Tornado Outbreak |publisher=National Weather Service |date=February 3, 2012 |access-date=August 7, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160807011402/http://www4.ncsu.edu/~nwsfo/storage/cases/20110416/ |archive-date=August 7, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ustornadoes.com/2013/04/16/north-carolinas-largest-tornado-outbreak-april-16th-2011/ |title=North Carolina's largest tornado outbreak—April 16, 2011 |access-date=August 7, 2016 |date=April 16, 2013 |publisher=US Tornadoes |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160808222947/http://www.ustornadoes.com/2013/04/16/north-carolinas-largest-tornado-outbreak-april-16th-2011/ |archive-date=August 8, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref> In September 2019 [[Hurricane Dorian]] hit the area.
-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&nbsp;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&nbsp;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.<ref name= "Annual average number of tornadoes">{{cite web| title = NOAA National Climatic Data Center| url = http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/img/climate/research/tornado/small/avgt5304.gif| accessdate = 2006-10-24}}</ref>
-{| class="wikitable" "text-align:center;font-size:90%;"|
+{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;font-size:90%;margin:1em auto"
 | colspan="13" style="text-align:center;font-size:120%;background:#E8EAFA;"|Monthly normal high and low temperatures ([[Fahrenheit]]) for various North Carolina cities.
 |-
-! style="background: #E5AFAA; color: #000000" height="17" | City
+! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000; height:17px;"| City
-! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Jan
+! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Jan
-! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Feb
+! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Feb
-! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Mar
+! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Mar
-! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Apr
+! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Apr
-! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | May
+! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| May
-! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Jun
+! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Jun
-! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Jul
+! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Jul
-! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Aug
+! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Aug
-! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Sep
+! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Sep
-! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Oct
+! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Oct
-! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Nov
+! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Nov
-! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Dec
+! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Dec
 |-
-! style="background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" height="16;" | Asheville
+! style="background:#f8f3ca; color:#000; height:16px;"| Asheville<ref name="NOAA Asheville/Charlotte">{{cite web
+  |url = https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=gsp
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 46/26
+  |title = NowData—NOAA Online Weather Data
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 50/28
+  |publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 58/35
+  |access-date = December 16, 2011
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 66/42
+  |archive-date = June 28, 2015
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 74/51
+  |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150628163725/http://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=gsp
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 80/58
+  |url-status = live
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 83/63
+  }}</ref>
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 82/62
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 76/55
+| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 47/27
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 67/43
+| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 51/30
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 57/35
+| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 59/35
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 49/29
+| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 68/43
+| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 75/51
+| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 81/60
+| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 84/64
+| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 83/63
+| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 77/56
+| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 68/45
+| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 59/36
+| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 49/29
 |-
-! style="background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" height="16;" | Cape Hatteras
+! style="background:#c5dfe1; color:#000; height:16px;"| Boone<ref>{{cite web
+  | url = https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=rnk
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 54/39
+  | title = NOWData—NOAA Online Weather Data
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 55/39
+  | access-date = December 4, 2012
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 60/44
+  | publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 68/52
+  | archive-date = July 22, 2015
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 75/60
+  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150722235732/http://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=rnk
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 82/68
+  | url-status = live
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 85/73
+  }}</ref>
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 85/72
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 81/68
+| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 42/21
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 73/59
+| style="text-align:right; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 45/23
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 65/50
+| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 52/29
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 57/43
+| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 61/37
+| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 69/46
+| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 76/54
+| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 79/58
+| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 78/57
+| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 72/50
+| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 63/39
+| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 54/31
+| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 45/24
 |-
-! style="background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" height="16;" | Charlotte
+! style="background:#f8f3ca; color:#000; height:16px;"| Cape Hatteras<ref>{{cite web
+  |url = https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=mhx
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 51/32
+  |title = NOWData—NOAA Online Weather Data
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 56/34
+  |publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 64/42
+  |access-date = April 14, 2012
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 73/49
+  |archive-date = September 5, 2015
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 80/58
+  |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150905075057/http://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=mhx
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 87/66
+  |url-status = live
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 90/71
+  }}</ref>
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 88/69
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 82/63
+| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 52/39
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 73/51
+| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 54/40
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 63/42
+| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 59/45
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 54/35
+| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 66/53
+| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 74/61
+| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 81/69
+| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 85/74
+| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 84/73
+| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 80/69
+| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 72/60
+| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 64/51
+| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 56/43
 |-
-! style="background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" height="16;" | Greensboro
+! style="background:#c5dfe1; color:#000; height:16px;"| Charlotte<ref name="NOAA Asheville/Charlotte" />
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 47/28
+| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 51/30
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 52/31
+| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 55/33
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 60/38
+| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 63/39
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 70/46
+| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 72/47
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 77/55
+| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 79/56
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 84/64
+| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 86/64
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 88/68
+| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 89/68
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 86/67
+| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 88/67
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 79/60
+| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 81/60
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 70/48
+| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 72/49
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 60/39
+| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 62/39
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 51/31
+| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 53/32
 |-
-! style="background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" height="16;" | Raleigh
+! style="background:#f8f3ca; color:#000; height:16px;"| Fayetteville<ref name="NOAA Raleigh" />
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 50/30
+| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 54/33
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 54/32
+| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 59/35
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 62/39
+| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 66/42
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 72/46
+| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 75/50
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 79/55
+| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 82/59
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 86/64
+| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 89/68
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 89/68
+| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 91/72
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 87/67
+| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 90/70
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 81/61
+| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 84/64
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 72/48
+| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 75/52
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 62/40
+| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 67/43
-| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 53/33
+| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 56/35
 |-
-! style="background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" height="16;" | Wilmington
+! style="background:#c5dfe1; color:#000; height:16px;"| Greensboro<ref name="NOAA Raleigh">{{cite web
+  |url = https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=rah
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 56/36
+  |title = Climate Data—NWS Raleigh North Carolina
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 60/38
+  |publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 66/44
+  |access-date = September 6, 2019
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 74/51
+  |archive-date = November 16, 2018
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 81/60
+  |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181116060604/http://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=rah
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 86/68
+  |url-status = live
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 90/72
+  }}</ref>
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 88/71
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 84/66
+| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 48/30
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 76/54
+| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 53/32
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 68/45
+| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 61/39
-| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 60/38
+| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 70/47
+| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 78/56
+| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 85/65
+| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 88/69
+| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 86/68
+| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 80/61
+| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 70/49
+| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 61/40
+| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 51/32
 |-
+! style="background:#f8f3ca; color:#000; height:16px;"| Raleigh<ref name="NOAA Raleigh" />
-| colspan="13" style="text-align:center;font-size:90%;background:#E8EAFA;"|''[http://www.ustravelweather.com/weather-north-carolina/]''
+| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 51/31
+| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 55/34
+| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 63/40
+| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 72/48
+| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 80/57
+| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 87/66
+| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 90/70
+| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 88/69
+| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 82/62
+| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 73/50
+| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 64/41
+| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 54/33
+|-
+! style="background:#c5dfe1; color:#000; height:16px;"| Wilmington<ref>{{cite web
+  |url = https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=ilm
+  |title = NowData—NOAA Online Weather Data
+  |publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]
+  |access-date = February 26, 2012
+  |archive-date = September 5, 2015
+  |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150905111421/http://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=ilm
+  |url-status = live
+  }}</ref>
+| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 56/36
+| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 60/38
+| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 66/44
+| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 74/52
+| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 81/60
+| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 87/69
+| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 90/73
+| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 88/71
+| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 84/66
+| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 76/55
+| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 68/45
+| style="text-align:center; background:#b5dfe1; color:#000;"| 59/38
 |}
+{{Weather box
+| single line = y
+| location = North Carolina
+| Jan record high F = 86
+| Feb record high F = 90
+| Mar record high F = 100
+| Apr record high F = 102
+| May record high F = 107
+| Jun record high F = 108
+| Jul record high F = 109
+| Aug record high F = 110
+| Sep record high F = 109
+| Oct record high F = 102
+| Nov record high F = 90
+| Dec record high F = 87
+| Jan high F = 49.9
+| Feb high F = 53.7
+| Mar high F = 61.8
+| Apr high F = 71.0
+| May high F = 78.1
+| Jun high F = 85.2
+| Jul high F = 88.1
+| Aug high F = 86.8
+| Sep high F = 80.8
+| Oct high F = 71.6
+| Nov high F = 62.5
+| Dec high F = 52.5
+| Jan mean F = 39.2
+| Feb mean F = 42.3
+| Mar mean F = 49.5
+| Apr mean F = 58.1
+| May mean F = 66.1
+| Jun mean F = 74.1
+| Jul mean F = 77.5
+| Aug mean F = 76.3
+| Sep mean F = 69.9
+| Oct mean F = 59.4
+| Nov mean F = 50.4
+| Dec mean F = 41.7
+| Jan low F = 28.4
+| Feb low F = 30.9
+| Mar low F = 37.2
+| Apr low F = 45.2
+| May low F = 54.0
+| Jun low F = 63.0
+| Jul low F = 66.8
+| Aug low F = 65.8
+| Sep low F = 58.9
+| Oct low F = 47.2
+| Nov low F = 38.3
+| Dec low F = 30.8
+| Jan record low F = −34
+| Feb record low F = −31
+| Mar record low F = −29
+| Apr record low F = 0
+| May record low F = 13
+| Jun record low F = 22
+| Jul record low F = 30
+| Aug record low F = 29
+| Sep record low F = 23
+| Oct record low F = 5
+| Nov record low F = −22
+| Dec record low F = −33
+| precipitation colour = green
+| Jan precipitation inch = 3.7
+| Feb precipitation inch = 3.5
+| Mar precipitation inch = 4.2
+| Apr precipitation inch = 3.5
+| May precipitation inch = 3.8
+| Jun precipitation inch = 4.3
+| Jul precipitation inch = 4.8
+| Aug precipitation inch = 4.7
+| Sep precipitation inch = 4.3
+| Oct precipitation inch = 3.3
+| Nov precipitation inch = 3.3
+| Dec precipitation inch = 3.5
+| Jan snow inch = 2.0
+| Feb snow inch = 1.4
+| Mar snow inch = 0.6
+| Apr snow inch = 0.1
+| May snow inch = 0.0
+| Jun snow inch = 0.0
+| Jul snow inch = 0.0
+| Aug snow inch = 0.0
+| Sep snow inch = 0.0
+| Oct snow inch = 0.0
+| Nov snow inch = 0.1
+| Dec snow inch = 0.8
+| source = USA.com (averages)<ref>{{cite web
+  |url= http://www.usa.com/north-carolina-state-weather.htm
+  |title= North Carolina Weather
+  |website= USA.com
+  |access-date= May 28, 2017
+  |archive-date= June 27, 2017
+  |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170627174512/http://www.usa.com/north-carolina-state-weather.htm
+  |url-status= live
+  }}</ref>
+| source 2 = North Carolina State Climate Office (extremes)<ref>{{cite web
+  |url= http://climate.ncsu.edu/nc_extremes
+  |title= Weather Extremes
+  |publisher= North Carolina State Climate Office
+  |access-date= December 27, 2019
+  |archive-date= December 31, 2020
+  |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20201231123528/http://climate.ncsu.edu/nc_extremes
+  |url-status= dead
+  }}</ref>
+}}
+===Parks and recreation===
-== History ==
+[[File:Blue Ridge NC.jpg|thumb|The [[Blue Ridge Mountains]] of the [[Shining Rock Wilderness|Shining Rock Wilderness Area]]]]
-{{main|History of North Carolina}}
+North Carolina provides a large range of recreational activities, from swimming at the beach to [[skiing]] in the mountains. North Carolina offers [[Autumn leaf color|fall colors]], freshwater and saltwater fishing, hunting, [[birdwatching]], [[agritourism]], [[All-terrain vehicle|ATV]] trails, [[Hot air ballooning|ballooning]], [[rock climbing]], [[biking]], hiking, [[skiing]], [[boating]] and sailing, [[camping]], [[canoeing]], [[caving]] (spelunking), gardens, and [[arboretum]]s. North Carolina has [[theme park]]s, [[public aquarium|aquariums]], museums, [[historic site]]s, [[lighthouse]]s, elegant theaters, [[concert hall]]s, and [[fine dining]].<ref name="NC_Beach">{{cite web |url=http://www.igovacation.com/search_rentals/stateinfo.asp?State=nc|title= North Carolina Vacation Rentals |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080111225659/http://www.igovacation.com/search_rentals/stateinfo.asp?State=nc |archive-date=January 11, 2008 |website=iGOvacation | access-date=July 12, 2013}}</ref><ref name="NC_Visit">{{cite web|url=http://www.visitnc.com/what_to_do.asp|title=What To Do Across North Carolina|publisher=VisitNC.com|year=2006|access-date=December 18, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061201050938/http://www.visitnc.com/what_to_do.asp<!-- Bot retrieved archive -->|archive-date=December 1, 2006|url-status=dead}}</ref>
-===Native Americans, The Lost Colony and Permanent Settlement===
-[[Image:WalterRaleighandson.jpg|thumb|right|[[Sir Walter Raleigh]] and his son]]
-{{main|Native Americans in the United States|Roanoke Island}}
-North Carolina was originally inhabited by many different native peoples, including the [[Cherokee]], [[Tuscarora (tribe)|Tuscarora]], [[Cheraw (tribe)|Cheraw]], [[Pamlico]], [[Meherrin]], [[Coree]], [[Machapunga]], [[Cape Fear Indians]], [[Waxhaws|Waxhaw]], [[Saponi]], [[Tutelo]], [[Waccamaw Siouan|Waccamaw]], [[Coharie]], and [[Catawba (tribe)|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]]).<ref>{{cite book
-  | last = Randinelli
-  | first = Tracey
-  | authorlink =
-  | coauthors =
-  | title = Tanglewood Park
-  | publisher = Harcourt
-  | date =
-  | location = Orlando, Florida
-  | pages = 16
-  | url =
-  | doi =
-  | id =
-  | isbn = 0-15-333476-2 }}</ref>  Raleigh established two colonies on the coast in the late 1580s, both ending in failure. It was the second American territory the [[United Kingdom|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 people|English]] child to be born in North America, was born in North Carolina. [[Dare County, NC|Dare County]] is named for her.
+North Carolinians enjoy outdoor recreation using numerous local bike paths, 34 [[List of North Carolina state parks|state parks]], and 14 [[National Park Service|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, Henderson County, North Carolina|Flat Rock]], [[Fort Raleigh National Historic Site]] at [[Manteo, North Carolina|Manteo]], [[Great Smoky Mountains National Park]], [[Great Smoky Mountains Railroad]], [[Guilford Courthouse National Military Park]] in [[Greensboro, North Carolina|Greensboro]], [[Moores Creek National Battlefield]] near [[Currie, North Carolina|Currie]] in [[Pender County, North Carolina|Pender County]], the [[Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail]], [[Old Salem]] National Historic Site in [[Winston-Salem, North Carolina|Winston-Salem]], the [[Trail of Tears National Historic Trail]], and [[Wright Brothers National Memorial]] in [[Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina|Kill Devil Hills]].
-{{main|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]].  <ref>http://statelibrary.dcr.state.nc.us/NC/HISTORY/HISTORY.HTM North Carolina State Library - North Carolina History</ref>  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.
+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.
-===Colonial Period and Revolutionary War===
-{{main|American Revolutionary War}}
-The first permanent European settlers of North Carolina were [[British people|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.<ref>Fenn and Wood, ''Natives and Newcomers'', pp. 24-25</ref> By 1663, this northeastern area of the [[Province of Carolina]], known as the [[Albemarle Settlements]], was undergoing full-scale British settlement.<ref>Powell, ''North Carolina Through Four Centuries'', p. 105</ref>  During the same period, the English monarch [[Charles II of England|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 of England|Charles I]] (Latin: ''Carolus'').  In 1712, North Carolina became a separate colony.  With the exception of the [[John Carteret, 2nd Earl Granville|Earl Granville]] holdings, it became a royal colony seventeen years later.<ref>Lefler and Newsome, (1973)</ref> Differences in the settlement patterns of eastern and western North Carolina, or the Low country and uplands, would affect the political, economic, and social life of the state from the eighteenth until the twentieth century. The Tidewater in Eastern North Carolina was settled largely by immigrants from [[England]] and the [[Highland Scots]]. The upcountry of western North Carolina was settled largely by [[Scots-Irish]] and [[Germans|German]] [[Protestants]], the so-called "[[cohee]]". 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 connections with Great Britain. The Scots-Irish and German settlers of western North Carolina tended to favor American independence from Britain.
+===Major cities===
-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 [[Flag of North Carolina|state flag]] and [[Seal of North Carolina|state seal]].<ref name="NCSeal">{{cite web| last=| first=| title=The Great Seal of North Carolina| work=| publisher=NETSTATE| date=| url=http://www.netstate.com/states/syMbit/seals/nc_seal.htm| accessdate=2006-09-12}}</ref>  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.
+{{See also|List of municipalities in North Carolina}}
+In 2023, the U.S. Census Bureau released the 2022 population estimates for municipalities in North Carolina. [[Charlotte, North Carolina|Charlotte]] has the largest population, while [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]] has the second-largest population in North Carolina.<ref name="CensusListCount">{{Cite web |date=July 1, 2022 |title=USA: North Carolina |url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/usa/cities/northcarolina/?admid=440 |access-date=September 7, 2023 |website=City Population |archive-date=September 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230907222455/https://www.citypopulation.de/en/usa/cities/northcarolina/?admid=440 |url-status=live }}</ref>
+{{Largest cities
+| country = North Carolina
+| stat_ref = (2022 [[Population Estimates Program|census estimate]])<ref name="CensusListCount"/><ref>{{Cite web |title=North Carolina Cities by Population |url=https://www.northcarolina-demographics.com/cities_by_population |access-date=October 28, 2023 |website=www.northcarolina-demographics.com |archive-date=October 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231028150136/https://www.northcarolina-demographics.com/cities_by_population |url-status=live }}</ref>
+| div_link = Counties of North Carolina{{!}}County
+| city_1 = Charlotte, North Carolina{{!}}Charlotte
+| div_1 = Mecklenburg County, North Carolina{{!}}Mecklenburg
+| pop_1 = 897,720
+| img_1 = Uptown Charlotte 2018 taking by DJI Phantom 4 pro.jpg
+| city_2 = Raleigh, North Carolina{{!}}Raleigh
+| div_2 = Wake County, North Carolina{{!}}Wake
+| pop_2 = 476,587
+| img_2 = Raleigh Skyline.jpg
+| city_3 = Greensboro, North Carolina{{!}}Greensboro
+| div_3 = Guilford County, North Carolina{{!}}Guilford
+| pop_3 = 301,115
+| img_3 = Greensboro Skyline.jpg
+| city_4 = Durham, North Carolina{{!}}Durham
+| div_4 = Durham County, North Carolina{{!}}Durham
+| pop_4 = 291,928
+| img_4 = SKYL038 Durham Overcast Skyline DiscoverDurham.jpg
+| city_5 = Winston-Salem, North Carolina{{!}}Winston-Salem
+| div_5 = Forsyth County, North Carolina{{!}}Forsyth
+| pop_5 = 251,350
+| city_6 = Fayetteville, North Carolina{{!}}Fayetteville
+| div_6 = Cumberland County, North Carolina{{!}}Cumberland
+| pop_6 = 208,873
+| city_7 = Cary, North Carolina{{!}}Cary
+| div_7 = Wake County, North Carolina{{!}}Wake
+| pop_7 = 180,388
+| city_8 = Wilmington, North Carolina{{!}}Wilmington
+| div_8 = New Hanover County, North Carolina{{!}}New Hanover
+| pop_8 = 120,324
+| city_9 = High Point, North Carolina{{!}}High Point
+| div_9 = Guilford County, North Carolina{{!}}Guilford
+| pop_9 = 115,067
+| city_10 = Concord, North Carolina{{!}}Concord
+| div_10 = Cabarrus County, North Carolina{{!}}Cabarrus
+| pop_10 = 109,896
+| city_11 = Asheville, North Carolina{{!}}Asheville
+| div_11 = Buncombe County, North Carolina{{!}}Buncombe
+| pop_11 = 93,776
+| city_12 = Greenville, North Carolina{{!}}Greenville
+| div_12 = Pitt County, North Carolina{{!}}Pitt
+| pop_12 = 89,233
+| city_13 = Gastonia, North Carolina{{!}}Gastonia
+| div_13 = Gaston County, North Carolina{{!}}Gaston
+| pop_13 = 82,653
+| city_14 = Apex, North Carolina{{!}}Apex
+| div_14 = Wake County, North Carolina{{!}}Wake
+| pop_14 = 71,065
+| city_15 = Jacksonville, North Carolina{{!}}Jacksonville
+| div_15 = Onslow County, North Carolina{{!}}Onslow
+| pop_15 = 70,420
+| city_16 = Huntersville, North Carolina{{!}}Huntersville
+| div_16 = Mecklenburg County, North Carolina{{!}}Mecklenburg
+| pop_16 = 63,035
+| city_17 = Chapel Hill, North Carolina{{!}}Chapel Hill
+| div_17 = Orange County, North Carolina{{!}}Orange
+| pop_17 = 62,098
+| city_18 = Burlington, North Carolina{{!}}Burlington
+| div_18 = Alamance County, North Carolina{{!}}Alamance
+| pop_18 = 59,287
+| city_19 = Kannapolis, North Carolina{{!}}Kannapolis
+| div_19 = Cabarrus County, North Carolina{{!}}Cabarrus
+| pop_19 = 55,448
+| city_20 = Rocky Mount, North Carolina{{!}}Rocky Mount
+| div_20 = Nash County, North Carolina{{!}}Nash
+| pop_20 = 54,013
+}}
+===Most populous counties===
-The road to [[Yorktown, Virginia|Yorktown]] and America's independence from England led through North Carolina.  As the [[British Army]] moved north from victories in [[Charleston, South Carolina|Charleston]] and [[Camden, South Carolina|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."<ref>Lefler and Newsome, (1973)</ref>
+{{See also|List of counties in North Carolina}}
+After the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], [[Wake County, North Carolina|Wake County]], with a population of 1,129,410, became the most populous county in the state, overtaking [[Mecklenburg County, North Carolina|Mecklenburg County]], with a population of 1,115,482, by a margin of about 14,000. Both counties are still the only to have populations over one million in North Carolina and the Carolinas region.<ref name="2020CensusQuickFacts3">{{cite web |title=QuickFacts: Wake County, North Carolina |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/wakecountynorthcarolina |access-date=March 20, 2024 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |archive-date=February 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240226071935/https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/wakecountynorthcarolina |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="2020CensusQuickFacts2">{{cite web |title=QuickFacts: Mecklenburg County, North Carolina |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/mecklenburgcountynorthcarolina |access-date=March 20, 2024 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref>
+===Statistical areas===
-Generals Greene and Cornwallis finally met at the [[Battle of Guilford Courthouse]] in present-day [[Greensboro, North Carolina|Greensboro]] on [[March 15]], [[1781]].  Although the [[Kingdom of Great Britain|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.
+{{Main|North Carolina statistical areas|List of metropolitan areas of North Carolina}}
+North Carolina has four major [[combined statistical area]]s (CSA) with a population over 1&nbsp;million (as of 2023):<ref name="2023OMB">{{Cite web |date=July 21, 2023 |title=OMB Bulletin No. 23-01: Revised Delineations of Metropolitan Statistical Areas, Micropolitan Statistical Areas, and Combined Statistical Areas, and Guidance on Uses of the Delineations of These Areas |url=https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/OMB-Bulletin-23-01.pdf |access-date=August 10, 2023 |website=[[United States Office of Management and Budget]] |archive-date=July 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230721214234/https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/OMB-Bulletin-23-01.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="PopEstCBSA">{{cite web |date=March 14, 2024 |title=Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas Population Totals: 2020-2023 |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-metro-and-micro-statistical-areas.html#v2023 |access-date=March 15, 2024 |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]], Population Division |archive-date=June 29, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220629175327/https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-metro-and-micro-statistical-areas.html#v2023 |url-status=live }}</ref>
+* [[Charlotte metropolitan area|Charlotte Metro]]: ''Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC''; population 3,387,115
+* [[Research Triangle]]: ''Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC''; population: 2,368,947
+* [[Hampton Roads]]: ''Virginia Beach-Chesapeake, VA-NC''; population: 1,866,723
+* [[Piedmont Triad]]: ''Greensboro–Winston-Salem–High Point, NC''; population: 1,736,099
+==Demographics==
-===Antebellum Period===
+{{Main|Demographics of North Carolina}}
-On [[November 21]], [[1789]], North Carolina became the twelfth state to ratify the Constitution. In 1840, it completed the [[North Carolina State Capitol|state capitol]] building in [[Raleigh, North Carolina|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&ndash;mile (208&nbsp;km) wooden plank road, known as a "farmer' railroad," from [[Fayetteville, North Carolina|Fayetteville]] in the east to [[Bethania, North Carolina|Bethania]] (northwest of [[Winston-Salem, North Carolina|Winston-Salem]]).<ref>Lefler and Newsome, (1973)</ref>
+{{US Census population
+| 1790 = 393751
+| 1800 = 478103
+| 1810 = 556526
+| 1820 = 638829
+| 1830 = 737987
+| 1840 = 753419
+| 1850 = 869039
+| 1860 = 992622
+| 1870 = 1071361
+| 1880 = 1399750
+| 1890 = 1617949
+| 1900 = 1893810
+| 1910 = 2206287
+| 1920 = 2559123
+| 1930 = 3170276
+| 1940 = 3571623
+| 1950 = 4061929
+| 1960 = 4556155
+| 1970 = 5082059
+| 1980 = 5881766
+| 1990 = 6628637
+| 2000 = 8049313
+| 2010 = 9535483
+| 2020 = 10439388
+| estyear = 2023
+| estimate = 10835491
+| estref =<ref name="2020CensusQuickFacts">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/NC|title=QuickFacts: North Carolina|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=March 7, 2024|archive-date=March 30, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240330185313/https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/NC|url-status=live}}</ref>
+| align-fn = center
+| footnote = Source: 1910–2020<ref>{{cite web |title=Historical Population Change Data (1910–2020) |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/dec/popchange-data-text.html |website=Census.gov |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=May 1, 2021 |archive-date=April 29, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210429012609/https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/dec/popchange-data-text.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>
+}}
+The [[United States Census Bureau]] determined the population of North Carolina was 10,439,388 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Data |url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data.html |access-date=December 22, 2022 |website=Census.gov |publisher=United States Census Bureau |archive-date=October 6, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221006035730/http://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=O'Neil|first=Bill|date=April 27, 2021|title=North Carolina gains additional seat in Congress after 2020 census results released|url=https://www.wxii12.com/article/north-carolina-census-results-additional-congress-seat/36255789|access-date=April 27, 2021|website=WXII|archive-date=April 27, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210427025052/https://www.wxii12.com/article/north-carolina-census-results-additional-congress-seat/36255789|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=April 26, 2021|title=North Carolina among 6 states gaining House seats after 2020 Census|url=https://myfox8.com/news/north-carolina-among-6-states-gaining-house-seats-after-2020-census/|access-date=April 27, 2021|newspaper=Fox8 WGHP|archive-date=April 27, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210427025044/https://myfox8.com/news/north-carolina-among-6-states-gaining-house-seats-after-2020-census/|url-status=live}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml? |title=American FactFinder—Results |author=Data Access and Dissemination Systems (DADS) |website=census.gov |access-date=May 29, 2012 |archive-date=March 28, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150328102018/http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml |url-status=live }}</ref>
-On October 25, 1836 construction began on the [[Wilmington and Raleigh Railroad]] <ref>[http://www.historync.org/railroads.htm NC Business History]</ref> to connect the port city of [[Wilmington, North Carolina|Wilmington]] with the state capital of [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]]. In 1849 the North Carolina Railroad was created by act of the legislature to extend that railroad west to [[Greensboro, North Carolina|Greensboro]], [[High Point, North Carolina|High Point]], and [[Charlotte, North Carolina|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]].
+According to [[United States Department of Housing and Urban Development|HUD]]'s 2022 [[Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress|Annual Homeless Assessment Report]], there were an estimated 9,382 [[Homelessness|homeless]] people in North Carolina.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2007–2022 PIT Counts by State |url=https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.huduser.gov%2Fportal%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fxls%2F2007-2022-PIT-Counts-by-State.xlsx&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK |access-date=March 13, 2023 |archive-date=March 14, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230314020239/https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.huduser.gov%2Fportal%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fxls%2F2007-2022-PIT-Counts-by-State.xlsx&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/2022-AHAR-Part-1.pdf|title=The 2022 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress|access-date=March 13, 2023|archive-date=March 11, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230311234217/https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/2022-AHAR-Part-1.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>
-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, North Carolina|Wilmington]], had a population of more than 10,000. [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]], the state capital, had barely more than 5,000 residents.
+The top countries of origin for North Carolina's immigrants were [[Mexico]], [[India]], [[Honduras]], [[China]] and [[El Salvador]], {{As of|2018|lc=y}}.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/sites/default/files/research/immigrants_in_north_carolina.pdf|title=Immigrants in North Carolina}}</ref>
-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.
-===Civil War===
+===Race and ethnicity===
+{{See also|African Americans in North Carolina}}
-{{main|American Civil War}}
+[[File:Ethnic Origins in North Carolina.png|thumb|361x361px|Ethnic origins in North Carolina]]
-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 [[Confederate States of America|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&mdash; 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, Virginia|Richmond]].
+{| class="wikitable sortable"; text-align:right; font-size:80%;"
+|+ style="font-size:90%" |Ethnic composition as of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]]
+|-
+! Race and Ethnicity<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/interactive/race-and-ethnicity-in-the-united-state-2010-and-2020-census.html |title=Race and Ethnicity in the United States: 2010 Census and 2020 Census |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=August 12, 2021 |website=census.gov |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=September 26, 2021 |archive-date=August 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815165418/https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/interactive/race-and-ethnicity-in-the-united-state-2010-and-2020-census.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
+! colspan="2" data-sort-type=number |Alone
+! colspan="2" data-sort-type=number |Total
+|-
+| [[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White (non-Hispanic)]]
+|align=right| {{bartable|60.5|%|2||background:gray}}
+|align=right| {{bartable|63.9|%|2||background:gray}}
+|-
+| [[African Americans|African American (non-Hispanic)]]
+|align=right| {{bartable|20.2|%|2||background:mediumblue}}
+|align=right| {{bartable|21.8|%|2||background:mediumblue}}
+|-
+| [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]]{{efn|Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin are not distinguished between total and partial ancestry.}}
+|align=right| {{bartable}}
+|align=right| {{bartable|10.7|%|2||background:green}}
+|-
+| [[Asian Americans|Asian]]
+|align=right| {{bartable|3.3|%|2||background:purple}}
+|align=right| {{bartable|4.0|%|2||background:purple}}
+|-
+| Native American
+|align=right| {{bartable|1.0|%|2||background:gold}}
+|align=right| {{bartable|2.5|%|2||background:gold}}
+|-
+| [[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]]
+|align=right| {{bartable|0.1|%|2||background:pink}}
+|align=right| {{bartable|0.2|%|2||background:pink}}
+|-
+| Other
+|align=right| {{bartable|0.4|%|2||background:brown}}
+|align=right| {{bartable|1.1|%|2||background:brown}}
+|}
+{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible"
+|+ '''Historical racial demographics'''
+|-
+! Racial composition !! 1990<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0056/twps0056.html |title=Historical Census Statistics on Population Totals By Race, 1790 to 1990, and By Hispanic Origin, 1970 to 1990, For The United States, Regions, Divisions, and States |author=Population Division, Laura K. Yax |access-date=January 5, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080725044857/http://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0056/twps0056.html |archive-date=July 25, 2008 }}</ref>!! 2000<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://censusviewer.com/city/NC|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231204024632/https://censusviewer.com/city/NC|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 4, 2023|title=Population of North Carolina: Census 2010 and 2000 Interactive Map, Demographics, Statistics, Quick Facts|website=Censusviewer.com|access-date=July 26, 2022}}</ref>!! 2010<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/decade.2010.html|title=2010 Census Data|author=Center for New Media and Promotions (C2PO)|access-date=January 5, 2015|archive-date=May 22, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170522200920/https://census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/decade.2010.html|url-status=live}}</ref>!! 2020<ref name="2020DP1">{{Cite web |url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALDP2020.DP1?g=040XX00US37 |title=Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2020 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): North Carolina |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=April 17, 2024 |archive-date=April 18, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240418010649/https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALDP2020.DP1?g=040XX00US37 |url-status=live }}</ref>
+|-
+| [[White American|White]] || 75.6% || 72.1% || 68.5% || 62.2%
+|-
+| [[African American|Black]] || 22.0% || 21.6% || 21.4% || 20.5%
+|-
+| [[Asian American|Asian]] || 0.8% || 1.4% || 2.2% || 3.3%
+|-
+| [[Native Americans in the United States|Native]] || 1.2% || 1.2% || 1.3% || 1.2%
+|-
+| [[Native Hawaiian]] and<br />[[Pacific Islander|other Pacific Islander]] || – || 0.1% || 0.1% || 0.1%
+|-
+| [[Race and ethnicity in the United States Census|Other race]] || 0.5% || 2.3% || 4.3% || 5.9%
+|-
+| [[Multiracial American|Two or more races]] || – || 1.3% || 2.3% || 6.8%
+|}
+[[File:North Carolina Counties by race (2020 census).svg|thumb|Map of counties in North Carolina by racial plurality, per the 2020 U.S. census{{Collapsible list
+| title = Legend|{{col-begin}}{{col-3}}
+'''Non-Hispanic White'''
-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 [[American Civil War|war]], while some covertly supported the [[Union (American Civil War)|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 [[Battle of Bentonville|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.<ref>Lefler and Newsome, (1973)</ref> 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, North Carolina|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]].
+{{legend|#e6b8af|30–40%}}
-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's Charge|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."
+{{legend|#dd7e6b|40–50%}}
-== Demographics ==
-{{see also|Demographics of the United States}}
+{{legend|#cc4125|50–60%}}
-{{USCensusPop
-|1790 = 393751
+{{legend|#a61c00|60–70%}}
-|1800 = 478103
-|1810 = 556526
+{{legend|#85200c|70–80%}}
-|1820 = 638829
-|1830 = 737987
+{{legend|#5b0f00|80–90%}}
-|1840 = 753419
-|1850 = 869039
+{{legend|#410b00|90%+}}
-|1860 = 992622
-|1870 = 1071361
+{{col-3}}
-|1880 = 1399750
-|1890 = 1617949
+'''Black or African American'''
-|1900 = 1893810
-|1910 = 2206287
+{{legend|#ffe599|40–50%}}
-|1920 = 2559123
-|1930 = 3170276
+{{legend|#ffd966|50–60%}}
-|1940 = 3571623
-|1950 = 4061929
+{{legend|#f1c232|60–70%}}
-|1960 = 4556155
-|1970 = 5082059
+{{col-3}}
-|1980 = 5881766
-|1990 = 6628637
+'''Native American'''
-|2000 = 8049313
-|estyear = 2007
+{{legend|#b6d7a8|40–50%}}
-|estimate = 9061032
-}}
-{{US Demographics}}
+{{col-end}}
+}}|303x303px]]
-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 (North Carolina)|The Triangle]]''': ''Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC''- population of  1,565,223
-*'''The [[Piedmont Triad]]''': ''Greensboro--Winston-Salem--High Point, NC'' - population of 1,513,576
+At the [[2010 United States census|2010 census]],<ref>{{cite web|title=2010 Census|url=http://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/dc10_thematic/2010_Profile/2010_Profile_Map_North_Carolina.pdf|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=August 21, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110911083610/http://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/dc10_thematic/2010_Profile/2010_Profile_Map_North_Carolina.pdf|archive-date=September 11, 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> the racial composition of North Carolina was: [[White American|White]]: 68.5% (65.3% [[non-Hispanic white]], 3.2% [[White Hispanic]]), [[black people|Black]] or African American: 21.5%, [[Latin American|Latin]] and [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic American]] of any race: 8.4%, [[race in the United States|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%.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=North Carolina: 2020 Census|url=https://www.census.gov/library/stories/state-by-state/north-carolina-population-change-between-census-decade.html|access-date=September 19, 2021|website=United States Census Bureau|language=EN-US|archive-date=September 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210920213308/https://www.census.gov/library/stories/state-by-state/north-carolina-population-change-between-census-decade.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
-[[Image:North Carolina population map.png|thumb|250px|right|North Carolina Population Density Map]]
-[[Image:piedmont map.jpg|thumb|250px|right|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.]]
+[[Atlantic slave trade|Enslaved Africans]] were brought to North Carolina to be sold into [[Slavery in the United States|slavery]]. A majority of the black population is now concentrated in the urban areas and northeastern part of the state.<ref>{{cite web |last=Tippett |first=Rebecca |date=February 27, 2015 |title=NC in Focus: Black Population |url=https://carolinademography.cpc.unc.edu/2015/02/27/nc-in-focus-black-population/ |access-date=October 8, 2023 |website=Carolina Demography |publisher=University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |archive-date=October 15, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231015040523/https://carolinademography.cpc.unc.edu/2015/02/27/nc-in-focus-black-population/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
-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 to the United States|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.<ref>[http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2006/statepopest_table1.xls Table 1: Estimates of Population Change for the United States and States, and for Puerto Rico and State Rankings: July 1, 2005 to July 1, 2006]. United States Census Bureau.  December 22, 2006.  Last accessed December 22, 2006.</ref>
+North Carolina's Hispanic population has grown rapidly. The Hispanic population more than doubled in size between 1990 and 2000. Many of North Carolina's Hispanic residents are of [[Mexican Americans|Mexican]] heritage. Many of North Carolina's newer Latino residents came from Mexico largely to work in agriculture, manufacturing, or on one of North Carolina's military installations.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/North-Carolina-state/Climate|title=North Carolina - Humid, Temperate, Coastal &#124; Britannica|website=www.britannica.com|access-date=November 19, 2023|archive-date=November 19, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231119150845/https://www.britannica.com/place/North-Carolina-state/Climate|url-status=live}}</ref>
-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 [[suburb]]an areas, as is the case in most of the United States. In particular, the cities of [[Charlotte]] and [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]] have become major urban centers, with large, diverse, mainly affluent and rapidly growing populations. Most of this growth in [[Multiculturalism|diversity]] has been fueled by [[immigrants]] from [[Latin America]],[http://www.prcdc.org/summaries/frey.html] [[India]], and [[Southeast Asia]].[http://www.ncmuseumofhistory.org/collateral/articles/S95.Contemp.Migration.pdf]
+The most common ancestries in North Carolina are African-American, American, German, English, and Irish.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tippett |first=Rebecca |date=March 17, 2014 |title=One in 11 North Carolinians Claim Irish Ancestry |url=https://carolinademography.cpc.unc.edu/2014/03/17/one-in-11-north-carolinians-claim-irish-ancestry/ |access-date=December 12, 2023 |website=Carolina Demography |publisher=University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |archive-date=December 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231212094426/https://carolinademography.cpc.unc.edu/2014/03/17/one-in-11-north-carolinians-claim-irish-ancestry/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
-The [[center of population]] of North Carolina is located in [[Randolph County, North Carolina|Randolph County]], in the town of [[Seagrove, North Carolina|Seagrove]].<ref>{{cite web| title = State Centers| url = http://www.census.gov/geo/www/cenpop/statecenters.txt}}</ref>
+North Carolina has the eighth-largest Native American population in the country.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Richardson |first=Gregory A. |year=2005 |title=American Indian Tribes in North Carolina |url=https://www.ncpedia.org/tribes |access-date=December 12, 2023 |website=NCpedia |publisher=Tar Heel Junior Historian Association |archive-date=December 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231212094922/https://www.ncpedia.org/tribes |url-status=live }}</ref> The state is home to eight Native American tribes and four urban Native American organizations.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About NC Native Communities |url=https://americanindiancenter.unc.edu/resources/about-nc-native-communities/ |access-date=December 12, 2023 |website=American Indian Center |archive-date=December 13, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231213185728/https://americanindiancenter.unc.edu/resources/about-nc-native-communities/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
-.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.
-==Ancestry Group==
+===Languages===
+{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin-left:1em; float:center"
-The largest [[Maps of American ancestries|ancestry groups]] in North Carolina are:
+|+ '''Most common languages other than English spoken in North Carolina'''
-{|class="wikitable sortable"
-|+
-|-bgcolor="#EFEFEF"
-!Ancestry||Percentage||Main article:
 |-
+! Language !! Percentage of population<br /><small>(in 2010)</small><ref name="MLA Data" />
-|[[Africa]]n
-!(21.6%) Of Total)
-|''See [[African American]]''
 |-
+| Spanish || 6.93%
-|[[USA|American]]
-!(13.9%)
-|''See [[British American]]''
 |-
+| French || 0.32%
-|[[England|English]]
-!(9.5%)
-|''See [[English American]]''
 |-
-|[[Germany|German]]
+| German || 0.27%
-!(9.5%)
-|''See [[German American]]''
 |-
+| Chinese (including [[Standard Chinese|Mandarin]]) || 0.27%
-|[[Ireland|Irish]]
-!(7.4%)
-|''See [[Irish American]]''
 |-
+| Vietnamese || 0.24%
-|[[Ulster|Scots-Irish]]
-!(3.2%)
-|''See [[Scots-Irish American]]''
 |-
+| Arabic || 0.17%
-|[[Italy|Italian]]
-!(2.3%)
-|''See [[Italian American]]''
 |-
+| Korean || 0.16%
-|[[Scotland|Scottish]]
-!(2.2%)
-|''See [[Scottish American]]''
 |-
+| [[Tagalog language|Tagalog]] || 0.13%
-|
-|}
-===Most populated counties===
-[http://demog.state.nc.us/demog/grow1020.html]
-{| class="wikitable"
-! County !! Seat !! 2010 Projection
 |-
+| [[Hindi language|Hindi]] || 0.12%
-| [[Mecklenburg County, North Carolina|Mecklenburg]] || [[Charlotte, NC|Charlotte]] || 1,259,084
 |-
+| [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]], Russian, and [[Hmong language|Hmong]] (tied) || 0.11%
-| [[Wake County, North Carolina|Wake]] || [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]] || 1,154,072
 |-
+| Italian and Japanese (tied)|| 0.08%
-| [[Guilford County, North Carolina|Guilford]] || [[Greensboro, North Carolina|Greensboro]] || 529,605
 |-
+| [[Cherokee language|Cherokee]] || 0.01%<ref>{{cite web
-| [[Forsyth County, North Carolina|Forsyth]] || [[Winston-Salem, North Carolina|Winston-Salem]] || 350,784
+| title = Cherokee
-|-
+| website = Ethnologue
-| [[Cumberland County, North Carolina|Cumberland]] || [[Fayetteville, North Carolina|Fayetteville]] || 311,777
+| access-date = April 11, 2014
-|-
+| url = http://www.ethnologue.com/language/chr
-| [[Durham County, North Carolina|Durham]] || [[Durham, North Carolina|Durham]] || 262,256
+| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150730231052/http://www.ethnologue.com/language/chr
-|-
+| archive-date = July 30, 2015
-| [[Buncombe County, North Carolina|Buncombe]] || [[Asheville, North Carolina|Asheville]] || 234,697
+| url-status = live
-|-
+}}</ref>
-| [[Gaston County, North Carolina|Gaston]] || [[Gastonia, North Carolina|Gastonia]] || 205,489
-|-
-| [[Union County, North Carolina|Union]] || [[Monroe, North Carolina|Monroe]] || 203,527
-|-
-| [[New Hanover County, North Carolina|New Hanover]] || [[Wilmington, North Carolina|Wilmington]] || 200,401
 |}
-<br clear="right"/>
+North Carolina is home to a spectrum of different dialects of [[Southern American English]] and [[Appalachian English]].
-===African Americans===
-[[African American]]s 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.
+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 [[Standard Chinese|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.<ref name="MLA Data">{{cite web|url=http://www.mla.org/map_data|title=North Carolina|publisher=[[Modern Language Association]]|access-date=August 16, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071201170638/http://www.mla.org/map_data|archive-date=December 1, 2007|url-status=live}}</ref> 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]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Languages spoken at home in 2019|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=North%20Carolina%20languages&tid=ACSST1Y2019.S1601|access-date=June 21, 2021|website=data.census.gov|archive-date=June 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624204119/https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=North%20Carolina%20languages&tid=ACSST1Y2019.S1601|url-status=live}}</ref>
-Until the mid 1860s, North Carolina had more small farms and fewer plantations than adjacent South Carolina and Virginia.  These "[[yeoman farmer|yeoman]]" farmers were non-slave-holding (or owning few slaves), private land owners of tracts of approximately 500 acres (2&nbsp;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.
+===Religion===
-North Carolina was the site of the famous [[Greensboro Four|Greensboro sit-ins]] of 1960, important events in the moral education of America in [[American Civil Rights Movement (1955-1968)|Civil Rights Movement]].
+{{bar box
+|title = Religion in North Carolina (2014)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/state/north-carolina/|title=Religion in America: U.S. Religious Data, Demographics and Statistics—Pew Research Center|access-date=December 9, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171210015631/http://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/state/north-carolina/|archive-date=December 10, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>
+|titlebar=#ddd |left1=Religion |right1=Percent |float=right
+|bars =
+{{bar percent|[[Evangelicalism|Evangelical Protestant]]|Indigo|35}}
+{{bar percent|[[Irreligion in the United States|Unaffiliated]]|Grey|20}}
+{{bar percent|[[Mainline Protestant]]|Blue|19}}
+{{bar percent|[[Black Church (African American)|Historically Black Protestant]]|Violet|12}}
+{{bar percent|[[Catholic]]|DarkOrchid|9}}
+{{bar percent|[[Mormon]]|blue|1}}
+{{bar percent|[[Eastern Orthodox]]|pink|1}}
+{{bar percent|[[Jehovah's Witness]]|yellow|1}}
+{{bar percent|[[American Jews|Jewish]]|green|1}}
+{{bar percent|Other faith|grey|1}}
+}}
+North Carolina residents since the colonial era have historically been overwhelmingly [[Protestant]]—first [[Anglicanism|Anglican]], then [[Baptism|Baptist]] and [[Methodism|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 [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholic Church]], with 428,000 members in 190 [[Parish (Catholic Church)|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.<ref>{{cite web |title=North Carolina: Religious Traditions |date=2010 |access-date=June 10, 2014 |website=State Membership Report |url=http://www.thearda.com/rcms2010/r/s/37/rcms2010_37_state_adh_2010.asp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131217003206/http://www.thearda.com/rcms2010/r/s/37/rcms2010_37_state_adh_2010.asp |archive-date=December 17, 2013 |url-status=dead |publisher=Association of Religious Data Archives }}</ref> In 2020, the Southern Baptists remained the largest with 1,324,747 adherents, though Methodists and others were collectively overtaken by non/interdenominational Protestants numbering 1,053,564.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Maps and data files for 2020 {{!}} U.S. Religion Census {{!}} Religious Statistics & Demographics |url=https://www.usreligioncensus.org/index.php/node/1639 |access-date=February 2, 2023 |website=www.usreligioncensus.org |archive-date=January 15, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230115001940/https://www.usreligioncensus.org/index.php/node/1639 |url-status=live }}</ref>
-===European Americans===
-<!--Note to Wikipedians:  The Moravians of Winston-Salem are not of Czech ancestry.  They are of German ancestry, and members of the Moravian Church in America, a denomination that takes its name from a spiritual movement that began in 15th century Moravia.!-->
-North Carolinians of [[Scots-Irish American|Scots-Irish]], [[Scottish American|Scottish]] and [[English American|English]] ancestry are spread across the state.  In the [[Winston-Salem, NC|Winston-Salem]] area, there is a substantial population of [[German American|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, North Carolina|New Bern]] in the late 18th century.  A small group of [[Ukraine|Ukrainians]] settled in [[Pender County, NC|Pender County]] during the early 20th century.<ref>Amanda Greene, "Small Group Fights to Save Historic Orthodox Church," ''Greensboro News and Record'', 17 December 2007</ref>
+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.<ref name="brooks">{{cite journal|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FEKdAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA11|title=The Evolution of the Negro Baptist Church|last=Brooks|first=Walter Henderson (1851–1945)|journal=Journal of Negro History|volume=7|number=1|date=January 1922|pages=11–22|access-date=May 19, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190830234438/https://books.google.com/books?id=FEKdAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA11|archive-date=August 30, 2019|url-status=live|doi=10.2307/2713578|jstor=2713578|s2cid=149662445}}</ref><ref name="raboteau" /><ref>Wilson Fallin Jr., ''Uplifting the People: Three Centuries of Black Baptists in Alabama'' (2007) pp. 52–53</ref> Black Baptists developed their own state and national associations, such as the [[National Baptist Convention USA, Inc.|National Baptist Convention]].<ref name="raboteau">Albert J. Raboteau, ''Slave Religion: The "Invisible Institution" in the Antebellum South'', New York: Oxford University Press, 1979</ref> 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]].
-===Native Americans===
-Estimated population figures for [[Native Americans in the United States|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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.census.gov/statab/ranks/rank13.html|title=State Rankings -- Statistical Abstract of the United States|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|date=2004-07|accessdate=2006-12-17}}</ref> The total Native American and Alaska Native population in the [[United States]] is 2,824,751, or 0.95% of the total.
+[[Methodism|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, North Carolina|Guilford County]]. Other prominent Protestant groups in North Carolina as of the [[Pew Research Center]]'s 2014 study were [[Nondenominational Christianity|non/interdenominational Protestants]] and [[Pentecostalism]]. The [[Assemblies of God USA|Assemblies of God]] and [[Church of God in Christ]] are the largest Pentecostal denominations operating in the state, while notable minorities include [[Oneness Pentecostalism|Oneness Pentecostals]] primarily affiliated with the [[United Pentecostal Church International]].
-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 County, North Carolina|Graham]]  and [[Jackson County, North Carolina|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 is comprised of a little more than 3,800 enrolled members who reside in northeastern North Carolina's [[Halifax County, North Carolina|Halifax]]  and [[Warren County, North Carolina|Warren]] counties.
-*The almost 2,000 members of the [[Waccamaw Siouan]] Indian Tribe are located in the mid-atlantic North Carolina counties of [[Bladen County, North Carolina|Bladen]], and [[Columbus County, North Carolina|Columbus]] and received state recognition in 1971.
-*The [[Coharie]] Tribe of Native Americans are located in [[Sampson County, North Carolina|Sampson]]  and [[Harnett County, North Carolina|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 County, North Carolina|Orange]] and [[Alamance County, North Carolina|Alamance]] counties and received state recognition in 2002.
-*The [[Meherrin]] are an [[Iroquois|Iroquoian]]-descent Native American tribe located primarily in rural northeastern [[Hertford County, North Carolina|Hertford]], [[Bertie County, North Carolina|Bertie]], and [[Gates County, North Carolina|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 amount of descendants in the state, mainly concentrated in the Southeastern portions of the state in Robeson, Scotland, Cumberland and nearby counties.
+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, North Carolina|Winston-Salem]] area in the 18th and 19th centuries. [[Presbyterians|Historically Scots-Irish]] have had a strong presence in [[Charlotte, North Carolina|Charlotte]] and in [[Scotland County, North Carolina|Scotland County]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Presbyterian Church |url=https://www.ncpedia.org/presbyterian-church |access-date=September 22, 2022 |website=NCpedia |archive-date=September 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922233302/https://www.ncpedia.org/presbyterian-church |url-status=live }}</ref>
-===Hispanics/Latinos ===
-Since 1990 the state has seen a boom in the number of [[Hispanics in the United States|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 the United States|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.<ref name=critical>{{cite web|title=Immigration Hits ‘Critical Mass’ in NC|url=http://www.carolinajournal.com/exclusives/display_exclusive.html?id=2983|publisher=Carolina Journal|last=Martinez|first=Rick|date=2005-12-12|accessdate=2007-01-04}}</ref> The population has grown from 77,726 in 1990 to 517,617 in 2005, an average increase of 13.5% per year.<ref name=critical/>
+A wide variety of non-Christian faiths are practiced by other residents in the state, including: [[Judaism]], [[Islam]], [[Baháʼí Faith|Baháʼí]], [[Buddhism]], and [[Hinduism]]. The rapid influx of [[Northern United States|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:<ref>{{cite web |first1=Robin |last1=Whitsell |title=Religiously-Affiliated North Carolina Colleges |date=February 26, 2008 |access-date=June 10, 2014 |website=Carolina Parent |url=http://www.carolinaparent.com/articlemain.php?Religiously-Affiliated-North-Carolina-Colleges-552 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029192246/http://www.carolinaparent.com/articlemain.php?Religiously-Affiliated-North-Carolina-Colleges-552 |archive-date=October 29, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref>{{colbegin}}
-===Asian Americans===
+* [[Barton College]] (Disciples of Christ)
-The state has one of the most rapid growing [[Asian American]], specifically [[Indian American|Indian]] and [[Vietnamese American|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 American]]s were hired as agricultural workers. The famous Chinese-Malay American Siamese twins - [[Eng and Chang Bunker]] - settled in [[Wilkesboro, North Carolina]] in 1839. [[Japanese American]]s, [[Filipino American]]s, 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 people|Hmong]] population in North Carolina has grown by 12,000 since the 1980s.<ref>See a report on immigration by The Center for New North Carolinians of the [[University of North Carolina, Greensboro]], entitled [http://cnnc.uncg.edu/immigrants/groups.htm Ethnic Groups in North Carolina]. Retrieved July 29, 2007.</ref>
+* [[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]] (Historically 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)
+* [[St. Augustine's University|Saint Augustine's College]] (Episcopal)
+* [[Salem College]] ([[Moravian Church in North America|Moravian Church]])
+* [[Shaw University]] (Baptist)
+* [[Wake Forest University]] (Historically Baptist)
+* [[Warren Wilson College]] (Historically Presbyterian)
+* [[Wingate University]] (Historically Baptist)
+{{colend}}
+The state also has several major seminaries, including the [[Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary]] in [[Wake Forest, North Carolina|Wake Forest]], and the [[Hood Theological Seminary]] (AME Zion) in [[Salisbury, North Carolina|Salisbury]].
-===Religion===
-North Carolina, like other [[Southern United States|Southern]] states, has traditionally been overwhelmingly [[Protestant]], with the largest Protestant denomination being the [[Southern Baptists]]. However, the rapid influx of [[Northern United States|northerners]] and immigrants from Latin America is steadily increasing the number of [[Roman Catholics]] and [[Judaism|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. The current religious affiliations of the people of North Carolina are shown below:
-*[[Christianity|Christian]] &ndash; 88%
-**[[Protestantism|Protestant]] &ndash; 77%
-***[[Baptist]] &ndash; 40%
-***[[Methodism|Methodist]] &ndash; 10%
-***[[Presbyterianism|Presbyterian]] &ndash; 3%
-***[[Episcopalian|Episcopal]] &ndash; 3%
-**[[Roman Catholicism in the United States|Roman Catholic]] &ndash; 10%
-**Other Christian &ndash; 1% such as [[Mormon]] or [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Eastern Orthodox]].
-*Non-Religious &ndash; 11% ([[atheism|atheists]], [[agnostics]], and others)
-*Other Religions &ndash; 1% ([[Judaism]], [[Islam]], [[Hinduism]], [[Buddhism]])
 == Economy ==
-{{see also|Economy of the United States|Economic history of the United States}}
+{{Main|Economy of North Carolina}}
-[[Image:North Carolina quarter, reverse side, 2001.jpg|left|50px]]
-According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the state's 2006 total gross state product was $375 billion.<ref name="NCGSP">{{cite web| last=| first=| title=Gross State Product| work=| publisher=U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis| date=2006-06-23| url=http://www.bea.gov/bea/newsrel/gspnewsrelease.htm| accessdate=2006-09-12}}</ref> Its 2005 per capita personal income was $31,029, 36<sup>th</sup> in the nation.<ref name="PerCapitaIncome">{{cite web| last=| first=| title=Per Capita Personal Income| work=| publisher=U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis| date=September 2006| url=http://bea.gov/bea/regional/spi/drill.cfm?satable=SA30&lc=110&years=2005&rformat=display| accessdate=2006-10-23}}</ref>  North Carolina's agricultural outputs include [[poultry]] and [[Egg (food)|eggs]], [[tobacco]], [[Hog (swine)|hogs]], [[milk]], [[Nursery (horticulture)|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.<ref>Fishman, ''China, Inc.:  How the Rise of the Next Superpower Challenges America and the World'', p. 179</ref> There has been a distinct difference in the economic growth of North Carolina's urban and rural areas. While large cities such as [[Charlotte, North Carolina|Charlotte]], [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]], [[Cary, North Carolina|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.
+North Carolina's 2018 total [[gross state product]] was $496 billion.<ref name="NCGDP">{{cite web|url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/188097/gdp-of-the-us-federal-state-of-north-carolina-since-1997/|title=Real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the federal state of North Carolina from 1997 to 2018 (in billion U.S. dollars)|website=Statista|access-date=September 9, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191027084004/https://www.statista.com/statistics/188097/gdp-of-the-us-federal-state-of-north-carolina-since-1997/|archive-date=October 27, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.usa.com/rank/us--population-in-poverty-percentage--state-rank.htm?hl=SC&hlst=SC&wist=&yr=9000&dis=&sb=ASC&plow=&phigh=&ps= |title=U.S. Population in Poverty Percentage State Rank Based on ACS 2010–2014 data |website=Usa.com |access-date=July 14, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170911080636/http://www.usa.com/rank/us--population-in-poverty-percentage--state-rank.htm?hl=SC&hlst=SC&wist=&yr=9000&dis=&sb=ASC&plow=&phigh=&ps= |archive-date=September 11, 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref>
-===Agriculture and manufacturing===
+[[File:BofA Corp Center.jpg|thumb|Charlotte is home to the corporate headquarters of [[Bank of America]] (foreground) and [[Truist Financial|Truist]] (background), two of the [[List of largest banks in the United States|largest banks in the United States]]. Bank of America is the largest company headquartered in North Carolina.]]
-Over the past century, North Carolina has grown to become a national leader in [[agriculture]], [[Banking|financial services]], and [[manufacturing]]. The state's industrial output&mdash;mainly [[textiles]], [[Chemical industry|chemicals]], [[electrical equipment]], [[paper]] and [[Wood pulp|pulp/paper products]]&mdash;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.<ref>http://www.soc.duke.edu/NC_GlobalEconomy/textiles/overview.php</ref> 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.<ref>[http://www.nccommerce.com/en/TourismServices/NurtureWineAndGrapeIndustry  NC Department of Commerce Wine and Grape Industry web site.]</ref> North Carolina is the leading producer of tobacco in the country.<ref>{{cite book | author = |title = Time for tobacco burning out in N.C. | publisher = Associated Press | year = April 29, 2007}}</ref>
+The state has a very diverse economy because of its great availability of hydroelectric power,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wunc.org/environment/2015-09-16/hydropower-does-ncs-original-renewable-have-a-place-in-its-future|title=Hydropower: Does NC's Original Renewable Have A Place In Its Future?|date=September 16, 2015|website=WUNC|access-date=October 21, 2021|archive-date=October 21, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211021015501/https://www.wunc.org/environment/2015-09-16/hydropower-does-ncs-original-renewable-have-a-place-in-its-future|url-status=live}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web|title=North Carolina Economics|url=https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/north-carolina|website=U.S. News & World Report|access-date=December 30, 2020|archive-date=January 29, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210129141418/https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/north-carolina|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=The number of farms in North Carolina is declining |publisher= UNC Charlotte Urban Institute |url=https://ui.uncc.edu/story/number-farms-north-carolina-declining|access-date=June 21, 2021 |archive-date=June 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624204029/https://ui.uncc.edu/story/number-farms-north-carolina-declining|url-status=live}}</ref> North Carolina leads the nation in the production of tobacco.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ipmdata.ipmcenters.org/documents/cropprofiles/NCtobacco2015.pdf|title=Crop Profile for Tobacco in North Carolina|date=December 2015|website=Regional IPM Centers|access-date=January 17, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190119121641/https://ipmdata.ipmcenters.org/documents/cropprofiles/NCtobacco2015.pdf|archive-date=January 19, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>
-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.
+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.<ref>{{Cite web|date=November 10, 2020|title=Raleigh ranks as No. 3 'Tech Town' in new study; average pay hits $94,000 |publisher= WRAL TechWire |url=https://www.wraltechwire.com/2020/11/10/raleigh-ranks-as-no-3-tech-town-in-new-study-average-pay-hits-94000/|access-date=June 21, 2021|language=en-US|archive-date=August 13, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210813164246/https://www.wraltechwire.com/2020/11/10/raleigh-ranks-as-no-3-tech-town-in-new-study-average-pay-hits-94000/|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2010, North Carolina's total gross state product was $424.9 billion,<ref>{{cite web|title=GDP by State|url=http://greyhill.com/gdp-by-state|publisher=Greyhill Advisors|access-date=September 7, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120216110805/http://greyhill.com/gross-state-product/|archive-date=February 16, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> while the state debt in November 2012, according to one source, totaled $2.4 billion,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/11/23/2500740/no-easy-solutions-for-states-24.html |title=Local & North Carolina state news from Raleigh, NC—NewsObserver.com |access-date=January 5, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140308225922/http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/11/23/2500740/no-easy-solutions-for-states-24.html |archive-date=March 8, 2014 }}</ref> while according to another, was in 2012 $57.8 billion.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.statedatalab.org/library/doclib/NC-2012-1.pdf|title=The 19th worst state|website=Truth in Accounting|access-date=February 27, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140305090727/http://www.statedatalab.org/library/doclib/NC-2012-1.pdf|archive-date=March 5, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2011, the civilian labor force was at around 4.5 million with employment near 4.1 million.
-===Finance, Technology and Research===
-[[Image:charlotteskyline.jpg|thumb|right|[[Charlotte|Charlotte's]] growing skyline]]
-[[Charlotte, North Carolina|Charlotte]], North Carolina's largest city, continues to experience rapid growth, in large part due to the banking & finance industry. Charlotte is now the second largest banking center in the [[United States]] (after [[New York City|New York]]), and is home to [[Bank of America]] and [[Wachovia]]. The [[Charlotte metropolitan area|Charlotte metro area]] is also home to 5 other Fortune 500 companies.
+North Carolina is the leading U.S. state in production of [[flue-cured tobacco]] and [[sweet potato]]es, and comes second in the farming of pigs and hogs, [[trout]], and turkeys.<ref name=ncgov>{{cite web |url=http://www.nc.gov/about |title=About NC |access-date=August 7, 2016 |publisher=State of North Carolina |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160817220340/http://www.nc.gov/about |archive-date=August 17, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://statelibrary.ncdcr.gov/ghl/themes/may.html |title=North Carolina Agriculture |publisher=State Library of North Carolina |access-date=August 7, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160811214635/http://statelibrary.ncdcr.gov/ghl/themes/may.html |archive-date=August 11, 2016 }}</ref> In the three most recent [[USDA]] surveys (2002, 2007, 2012), North Carolina also ranked second in the production of [[Christmas tree]]s.<ref name=ncgov /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://christmastree.org/dnn/Portals/22/Files/STATES%20BY%20TREES%20HARVESTED.pdf |title=States by Total Trees Harvested |publisher=National Christmas Tree Association |access-date=August 7, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161018044640/http://christmastree.org/dnn/Portals/22/Files/STATES%20BY%20TREES%20HARVESTED.pdf |archive-date=October 18, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.agcensus.usda.gov/About_the_Census/ |title=About the Census |publisher=United States Department of Agriculture |access-date=August 7, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160819123819/https://www.agcensus.usda.gov/About_the_Census/ |archive-date=August 19, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref>
-The [[information technology|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, North Carolina|Raleigh]] and [[Durham, North Carolina|Durham]] (mostly in Durham County), its proximity to local research universities has no doubt helped to fuel growth.  Meanwhile, beginning in the 1980s,
+North Carolina has 15 metropolitan areas,<ref name="2023OMB"/> 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.<ref>{{cite web|title=Site Selection Rankings|url=http://greyhill.com/site-selection-rankings/|publisher=Greyhill Advisors|access-date=October 17, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111106074019/http://greyhill.com/site-selection-rankings/|archive-date=November 6, 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> 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.<ref name="Urban_">{{cite news |url=http://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article107009877.html |title=NC economy a mixed bag |publisher=Raleigh News & Observer |date=October 8, 2016 |author1=Doran, Will |author2=Raynor, David |access-date=September 3, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170602024452/http://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article107009877.html |archive-date=June 2, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>
-The [[North Carolina Research Campus]] underway in [[Kannapolis, North Carolina|Kannapolis]] (approx. {{convert|30|mi|km}} northeast of Charlotte) promises to enrich and bolster the Charlotte area in the same way that RTP changed the Raleigh-Durham region.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ncresearchcampus.net/theplan.html|title=North Carolina Research Campus|accessdate=2006-12-17}}</ref> Encompassing {{convert|5800000|sqft|sqm}}, 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, North Carolina|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 [http://www.gatewayurp.com/fact.html 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.
-===Film and the arts===
+==Arts and culture==
+{{Main|Culture of North Carolina|List of museums in North Carolina}}
+North Carolina has traditions in art, music, and cuisine. The nonprofit arts and culture industry generates $1.2{{spaces}}billion in direct economic activity in North Carolina, supporting more than 43,600 full-time equivalent jobs and generating $119{{spaces}}million in revenue for local governments and the state of North Carolina.<ref>{{cite web|title=North Carolina Arts Council|url=http://www.ncarts.org/|website=Ncarts.org|access-date=July 14, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170716122140/http://ncarts.org/|archive-date=July 16, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> 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<ref>{{cite web|title=North Carolina Museum of Art Museum Backgrounder|url=http://www.ncartmuseum.org/images/uploads/MuseumBackgrounder.pdf|website=Ncartmuseum.org|access-date=July 14, 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121019013914/http://ncartmuseum.org/images/uploads/MuseumBackgrounder.pdf|archive-date=October 19, 2012}}</ref> and continues to bring millions into the NC economy.<ref>{{cite web|title=N.C. Museum of Art: Rembrandt Exhibit Pumped $13 Million Into Wake County Economy|url=http://sgrtoday.com/categories/local-government/1767-nc-museum-of-art-rembrandt-exhibit-pumped-13-million-into-wake-county-economy-.html|website=SGR Today|access-date=November 11, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121018110626/http://sgrtoday.com/categories/local-government/1767-nc-museum-of-art-rembrandt-exhibit-pumped-13-million-into-wake-county-economy-.html|archive-date=October 18, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref>
-Film studios are located in [[Shelby, North Carolina|Shelby]], Raleigh, Durham, Charlotte, [[Asheville, North Carolina|Asheville]], [[Wilmington, North Carolina|Wilmington]], and [[Winston-Salem, North Carolina|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 (film)|The Color Purple]]'', ''[[Cabin Fever (film)|Cabin Fever]]'', ''[[Cape Fear (1991 film)|Cape Fear]]'', ''[[The Crow (film)|The Crow]]'', ''[[Dawson's Creek]]'', ''[[Dirty Dancing]]'', ''[[Evil Dead 2]]'', ''[[The Fugitive (1993 film)|The Fugitive]]'', ''[[The Green Mile (film)|The Green Mile]]'', ''[[Hannibal (film)|Hannibal]]'', ''[[The Last of the Mohicans (1992 film)|The Last of the Mohicans]]'', ''[[Nell]]'', ''[[One Tree Hill (TV series)|One Tree Hill]]'', ''[[Patch Adams (film)]]'', ''[[Shallow Hal]]'', ''[[Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby]]'', and ''[[28 Days (film)|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 [[Broadcast syndication|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]].
+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.
-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 Award|Tony]], [[Academy Awards|Oscar]], [[Emmy Award|Emmy]], [[Grammy Award|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.
-===Tax revenue===
+===TV and film===
+{{Further|Category:Films shot in North Carolina|Category:Television shows filmed in North Carolina|Films and television shows produced in Wilmington, North Carolina}}
-{{See also|Taxation in the United States|State tax levels}}
-North Carolina personal [[income tax]] is slightly [[progressive tax|progressive]], with four incremental brackets ranging from 6.0% to 8.25%. The state [[sales tax]] is 4.25%.<ref>{{cite web| title = Sales and Use Tax| publisher = North Carolina Department of Revenue| date = 10/18/06| url = http://www.dornc.com/taxes/sales/salesanduse.html| accessdate = 2006-12-13}}</ref> 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%.<ref>http://www.dornc.com/taxes/sales/dare_county_rate.html</ref>  In addition, there is a 29.9¢ tax per gallon of [[Gasoline|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 vehicle]]s 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%.<ref name="taxfoundation">{{cite web|url=http://www.taxfoundation.org/research/topic/47.html|title=The Facts on North Carolina’s Tax Climate|publisher=[[Tax Foundation]]|accessdate=2006-12-18}}</ref>  North Carolina ranks 40th in the [[Tax Foundation]]'s State Business Tax Climate Index with neighboring states ranked as follows: [[Tennessee]] (18th), [[Georgia (U.S.)|Georgia]] (19th), [[South Carolina]] (26th) and [[Virginia]] (13th).<ref name="taxfoundation"/>
+===Music===
-== Transportation ==
+{{Main|Music of North Carolina|North Carolina Music Hall of Fame}}
-===International/Major regional airports===
-{{main|List of airports in North Carolina}}
-*[[Charlotte/Douglas International Airport]] ([[Charlotte, North Carolina|Charlotte]])
-*[[Asheville Regional Airport]] ([[Asheville, North Carolina|Asheville]])
-*[[Fayetteville Regional Airport]] ([[Fayetteville, North Carolina|Fayetteville]])
-*[[Piedmont Triad International Airport]] ([[Greensboro, North Carolina|Greensboro]]/[[Winston-Salem, North Carolina|Winston-Salem]]/[[High Point, North Carolina|High Point]])
-*[[Pitt-Greenville Airport]] ([[Greenville, North Carolina|Greenville]])
-*[[Moore County Airport (North Carolina)|Moore County Airport]] ([[Pinehurst, North Carolina|Pinehurst]]/[[Southern Pines, North Carolina|Southern Pines]])
-*[[Raleigh-Durham International Airport]] ([[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]]/[[Durham, North Carolina|Durham]])
-*[[Craven County Regional Airport]] ([[New Bern, North Carolina|New Bern]])
-*[[Wilmington International Airport]] ([[Wilmington, North Carolina|Wilmington]])
+North Carolina boasts a large number of noteworthy [[list of jazz musicians|jazz musicians]], some among the most important in the history of the genre. These include: [[John Coltrane]], ([[Hamlet, North Carolina|Hamlet]], [[High Point, North Carolina|High Point]]); [[Thelonious Monk]] ([[Rocky Mount, North Carolina|Rocky Mount]]); [[Billy Taylor]] ([[Greenville, North Carolina|Greenville]]); [[Woody Shaw]] ([[Laurinburg, North Carolina|Laurinburg]]); [[Lou Donaldson]] ([[Durham, North Carolina|Durham]]); [[Max Roach]] ([[Newland, North Carolina|Newland]]); [[Tal Farlow]] ([[Greensboro, North Carolina|Greensboro]]); [[Albert Heath|Albert]], [[Jimmy Heath|Jimmy]] and [[Percy Heath]] ([[Wilmington, North Carolina|Wilmington]]); [[Nina Simone]] ([[Tryon, North Carolina|Tryon]]); and [[Billy Strayhorn]] ([[Hillsborough, North Carolina|Hillsborough]]).
-===Mass transit===
+[[File:Fiddlin' Bill Hensley, mountain fiddler, Asheville, North Carolina (LOC).jpg|thumb|Fiddlin' Bill Hensley, mountain fiddler, [[Asheville, North Carolina|Asheville]], 1937]]
-[[Image:LYNX Car 104 at TremontStation.jpg|thumb|200px|LYNX light rail car in Charlotte]]
-Several cities are served by [[public transport|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 Rapid Transit Services|LYNX]] light rail line connecting [[Charlotte, North Carolina|Charlotte]] with suburban [[Pineville, North Carolina|Pineville]].
+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 music|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]].
-The [[Fayetteville Area System of Transit]] (FAST) serves the city with ten bus routes and two shuttle routes.
+[[Ben Folds Five]] originated in [[Winston-Salem, North Carolina|Winston-Salem]], and [[Ben Folds]] still records and resides in [[Chapel Hill, North Carolina|Chapel Hill]].
-Within Raleigh, the [[Capital Area Transit (Raleigh)|Capital Area Transit]] system operates 27 bus routes.  The [[Triangle Transit Authority]] operates buses that serve the [[The Triangle (North Carolina)|region]] and connect to municipal bus systems in [[Durham, North Carolina|Durham]] and [[Chapel Hill, North Carolina|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.
+The British band [[Pink Floyd]] is named, in part, after Chapel Hill bluesman [[Floyd Council]].
-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.
+The [[Research Triangle]] area has long been a well-known center for [[Folk music|folk]], rock, [[Heavy metal music|metal]], jazz and [[punk rock|punk]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Unterberger|first=Richie|title=Music USA: The Rough Guide|publisher=The Rough Guides|year=1999|isbn=978-1-85828-421-7|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/musicusaroughgui0000unte}}</ref> [[James Taylor]] grew up around Chapel Hill, and his 1968 song "[[Carolina in My Mind]]" has been called an unofficial anthem for the state.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=XuYGAAAAIBAJ&pg=3430,2859475&dq=carolina-in-my-mind+anthem | title=Hey, James Taylor—You've got a ... bridge? | work=[[Rome News-Tribune]] | date=May 21, 2002 | access-date=June 28, 2009 | archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20110131041936/http%3A//news%2Egoogle%2Ecom/newspapers | archive-date=January 31, 2011 | url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.newsobserver.com/161/story/493529.html | title=You must forgive him if he's ... | author=Hoppenjans, Lisa | work=[[The News & Observer]] | date=October 2, 2006 | access-date=June 28, 2009}}{{dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/music/2008-10-17-2062938384_x.htm | title=James Taylor to play 5 free NC concerts for Obama | author=Waggoner, Martha | agency=[[Associated Press]] | work=USA Today | date=October 17, 2008 | access-date=June 28, 2009 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100524155646/http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/2008-10-17-2062938384_x.htm | archive-date=May 24, 2010 | url-status=live }}</ref> 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 (musician)|Anthony Hamilton]], [[The Avett Brothers]], [[Charlie Daniels]], and [[Luke Combs]].
-Winston-Salem Transit Authority (WSTA) operates 30 bus routes around the city of [[Winston-Salem, North Carolina|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.
+[[Heavy metal music|Metal]] and [[Punk rock|punk]] acts such as [[Corrosion of Conformity]], [[Between the Buried and Me]], and Nightmare Sonata are native to North Carolina.
-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.
+EDM producer [[Porter Robinson]] hails from [[Chapel Hill, North Carolina|Chapel Hill]].
-Wilmington's Wave Transit operates six bus lines within the city as well as five shuttles to nearby areas and a downtown trolley.
+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 (singer)|Caleb Johnson]] (season thirteen). North Carolina also has the most ''American Idol'' winners with Barrino, McCreery, and Johnson.
-===Major highways===
-{{main|North Carolina Highway System}}
-The North Carolina Highway System is comprised of a vast network of [[Interstate highway]]s, [[U.S. route]]s, and [[state route]]s. North Carolina has the second largest state-maintained highway network in the United States.<ref name="NCHighwaySystem">{{cite web| last=| first=| title=NCDOT Quick Facts| work=| publisher=North Carolina Department of Transportation| date=July 2005| url=http://www.ncdot.org/download/?pdf=www.ncdot.org~download~about~ncdot~quickFacts.pdf| accessdate=2006-11-30}}</ref> Major highways include:
+In the mountains, the [[Brevard Music Center]] hosts choral, operatic, orchestral, and solo performances during its annual summer schedule.
-{|width="100%"|
-|- valign=top
-|width="33%"|
-*[[Image:I-26.svg|30px]] [[Interstate 26]]
-*[[Image:I-40.svg|30px]] [[Interstate 40 in North Carolina|Interstate 40]]
-*[[Image:I-73.svg|30px]] [[Interstate 73]]
-*[[Image:I-74.svg|30px]] [[Interstate 74]]
-|width="33%"|
-*[[Image:I-77.svg|30px]] [[Interstate 77]]
-*[[Image:I-85.svg|30px]] [[Interstate 85 in North Carolina|Interstate 85]]
-*[[Image:I-95.svg|30px]] [[Interstate 95 in North Carolina|Interstate 95]]
-*[[Image:US 1.svg|30px]] [[U.S. Highway 1]]
-|width="33%"|
-*[[Image:US 17.svg|29px]] [[U.S. Highway 17]]
-*[[Image:US 64.svg|30px]] [[U.S. Highway 64]]
-*[[Image:US 74.svg|30px]] [[U.S. Highway 74]]
-*[[Image:US 52.svg|30px]] [[U.S. Highway 52]]
-*[[Image:US 421.svg|29px]] [[U.S. Highway 421]]
-|}
-*[[Image:US 401.svg|30px]] [[U.S. Highway 401]]
-<!--Removed list of highways.  These are readily available in highway article.  No need to clutter up this article with the list. -->
+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.
-{| width="100%"|
+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]].
-==Politics and government==
+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.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Site |first=DPAC Official |title=DPAC Official Site |url=https://www.dpacnc.com/ |access-date=September 22, 2022 |website=www.dpacnc.com |language=en |archive-date=September 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922233251/https://www.dpacnc.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts |url=https://www.dukeenergycenterraleigh.com/ |access-date=September 22, 2022 |website=Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts |language=en |archive-date=September 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922233252/https://www.dukeenergycenterraleigh.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Arts |first=Blumenthal Performing |title=Blumenthal Performing Arts |url=https://www.blumenthalarts.org/ |access-date=September 22, 2022 |website=www.blumenthalarts.org |language=en |archive-date=September 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922233251/https://www.blumenthalarts.org/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
-The [[governor]], [[lieutenant governor]], and eight elected executive department heads form the [[North Carolina Council of State#Council of State|Council of State]]. Ten other executive department heads appointed by the governor form the [[North Carolina Cabinet]]. The state's current [[Governor of North Carolina|governor]] is [[United States Democratic Party|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 [[North Carolina General Assembly of 2007-2008|2007&ndash;2008 session]], the current [[President Pro Tempore of the North Carolina Senate|President Pro Tempore of the Senate]] is [[United States Democratic Party|Democrat]] [[Marc Basnight]] (the [[Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina]] is the President of the Senate); The [[Speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives|House Speaker]] is [[United States Democratic Party|Democrat]] [[Joe Hackney]].
+=== Shopping ===
-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&mdash;such as [[divorce]], [[Child custody|custody]], [[child support]], and cases involving less than $10,000&mdash;are heard in District Court, along with criminal cases involving [[misdemeanor]]s 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 [[Cheque|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.
+North Carolina has a variety of shopping choices. [[SouthPark Mall (Charlotte, North Carolina)|SouthPark Mall]] in [[Charlotte, North Carolina|Charlotte]] is the largest and most upscale mall in the Carolinas, featuring multiple luxury tenants with their sole location in the state. Other major malls in Charlotte include [[Northlake Mall (Charlotte)|Northlake Mall]] and [[Carolina Place Mall]] in nearby suburb [[Pineville, North Carolina|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 (Raleigh)|North Hills Mall]], and [[Triangle Town Center]] in [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]]; [[Friendly Center]] and [[Four Seasons Town Centre]] in [[Greensboro, North Carolina|Greensboro]]; [[Oak Hollow Mall]] in [[High Point, North Carolina|High Point]]; [[Concord Mills]] in [[Concord, North Carolina|Concord]]; [[Valley Hills Mall]] in [[Hickory, North Carolina|Hickory]]; [[Cross Creek Mall]] in [[Fayetteville, North Carolina|Fayetteville]]; and [[The Streets at Southpoint]] in [[Durham, North Carolina|Durham]] and [[Independence Mall (North Carolina)|Independence Mall]] in Wilmington, North Carolina, and Tanger Outlets in Charlotte, Nags Head, Blowing Rock, and Mebane, North Carolina.
+=== Cuisine and agriculture ===
-===State constitution===
+[[File:Lexington Barbecue Festival - Rides.jpg|thumb|2008 [[Lexington Barbecue Festival]]]]
-{{main|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 government of the United States|federal]] [[judicial review]]. Any provision of the state constitution can be nullified if it conflicts with [[federal law]] and the [[United States Constitution]].
+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, North Carolina|Lexington]], home of the [[Lexington Barbecue Festival]], which attracts more than 100,000 visitors each October.<ref>{{cite book | title = Bob Garner's Guide to North Carolina Barbecue | last = Garner | first = Bob | publisher = John F. Blair, publisher | year = 2007 | isbn = 9780895872548 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = What is North Carolina-Style BBQ? | url = http://ncbbq.com/Modules/Articles/article.aspx?id=20 | last = Craig | first = H. Kent | year = 2006 | publisher = ncbbq.com | access-date = February 15, 2010 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100413145552/http://www.ncbbq.com/Modules/Articles/article.aspx?id=20 | archive-date = April 13, 2010 | url-status = live }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Eastern North Carolina Barbecue |url=https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/eastern-north-carolina-barbecue-recipe-2125693 |access-date=22 September 2022 |publisher=Food Network |archive-date=September 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922233252/https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/eastern-north-carolina-barbecue-recipe-2125693 |url-status=live }}</ref>
-North Carolina has had three [[constitution]]s:
-*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 [[Township (United States)|township]]s which each county was required to create, the only southern state to do so.
-*1971: Minor consolidation of the 1868 constitution and subsequent amendments.
+[[Krispy Kreme]], an international chain of doughnut stores, was started in North Carolina; the company's headquarters are in [[Winston-Salem, North Carolina|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, North Carolina|Rocky Mount]]. Another fast-food chain, [[Bojangles']], was started in [[Charlotte, North Carolina|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, North Carolina|Fayetteville]], with headquarters located in [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]]. Popular [[Pickled cucumber|pickle]] brand [[Mount Olive Pickle Company]] was founded in [[Mount Olive, North Carolina|Mount Olive]] in 1926. Fast casual burger chain [[Hwy 55 Burgers, Shakes & Fries]] also makes its home in [[Mount Olive, North Carolina|Mount Olive]]. [[Cook Out (restaurant)|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 North Carolina. In 2013 ''Southern Living'' named Durham–Chapel Hill the South's "Tastiest City".
-===Federal apportionments===
-North Carolina currently has 13 [[United States Congressional Delegations from North Carolina|congressional districts]], which, when combined with its two [[U.S. Senate]] seats, gives the state 15 [[electoral votes]].  In the [[109th United States Congress|109th Congress]], the state was represented by six [[Democratic Party (U.S.)|Democratic]] and seven [[Republican Party (U.S.)|Republican]] [[United States House of Representatives|members of congress]], plus two Republican Senators.  The Democrats picked up one seat ([[North Carolina's 11th congressional district|District 11]]) in the [[United States general elections, 2006|2006 election]] for the [[110th United States Congress|110th Congress]].
+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, North Carolina|Asheville]] recently won the recognition of being named "Beer City USA". Asheville boasts the largest number of [[Brewing in North Carolina#Breweries|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.
-===Politics===
-{{see also|Politics of the United States}}
-North Carolina is politically dominated by the [[United States Democratic Party|Democratic]] and [[United States Republican Party|Republican]] political parties.  [[Third party (politics)|Third parties]] have had difficulty making inroads in state politics, including the [[Green Party (United States)|Green Party]] and [[Libertarian Party (United States)|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.<ref>{{cite web| last = Hogarth| first = Susan| title = Special LPNC Announcement: First victory in LPNC Lawsuit!!!| publisher = Libertarian Party of North Carolina| date = 2005| url = http://www.lpnc.org/announcements/2006/may5_2006.html| accessdate = 2006-12-13}}</ref>  Historically, North Carolina has been politically divided between the eastern and western parts of the state. Before the [[American Civil War|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 [[United States Whig Party|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.
+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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Where People + Ideas Converge |url=https://www.rtp.org/ |access-date=22 September 2022 |publisher=Research Triangle Park |archive-date=May 24, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130524163633/http://www.rtp.org/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
-In 1894, the Republican and [[United States Populist Party|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 [[Dixiecrat|"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.
+Tobacco was one of the first major industries to develop after the [[American Civil War|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]].<ref>Nannie M. Tilley, ''The R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company'' (2009).</ref>
-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 politics|gun rights]], [[abortion]] rights, and [[LGBT rights in the United States|gay rights]]. From 1968&ndash;2004 (excepting [[Jimmy Carter]]'s [[United States presidential election, 1976|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.
+===Ships named for the state===
-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, North Carolina|Raleigh]], [[Durham, North Carolina|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, North Carolina|Raleigh]] is a statue dedicated to the Presidents who were born in the state; Jackson is included in the statue.
+{{Further|USS North Carolina}}
+[[File:U.S.S. North Carolina.jpg|thumb|USS ''North Carolina'' on permanent display in Wilmington]]
+Several ships have been named after the state, most famously {{USS|North Carolina|BB-55|6}} in the [[Pacific Ocean theater of World War&nbsp;II]]. Now decommissioned, she is part of the USS ''North Carolina'' Battleship Memorial in Wilmington. Another {{USS|North Carolina|SSN-777|6}}, a nuclear attack [[submarine]], was commissioned in Wilmington on May 3, 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/2829981/|title=USS North Carolina 'brought to life' again|date=May 3, 2008|access-date=February 4, 2010|publisher=[[WRAL-TV]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110613222303/http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/2829981/|archive-date=June 13, 2011|url-status=live}}</ref>
-North Carolina remains a [[Alcoholic beverage control state|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 county|dry]]" (the sale of alcoholic beverages is illegal).[http://www.ncabc.com/faq/category.aspx] 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.
+===State parks===
-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. <ref>{{cite web| title = North Carolina State Legislature | url = http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/ByChapter/Chapter_90.html | work= (NC § 90‑94) / (NC § 90‑95 subs 4)}}</ref>
+The state maintains a group of [[protected area]]s known as the [[List of North Carolina state parks|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).<ref>{{Cite web |title=North Carolina State Parks |url=https://www.ncparks.gov/ |access-date=September 22, 2022 |website=www.ncparks.gov |archive-date=September 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922000906/https://www.ncparks.gov/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
+===Armed forces installations===
-In 2005, the state legislature voted to implement a [[Lotteries in the United States|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.[http://www.wwaytv3.com/node/344]
+[[File:Flickr - The U.S. Army - Marksmanship training (1).jpg|thumb|Troopers of the 82nd Airborne Division training at Fort Bragg (now [[Fort Liberty]]), March 2011]]
+[[Fort Liberty]], near [[Fayetteville, North Carolina|Fayetteville]] and [[Southern Pines, North Carolina|Southern Pines]], is a large and comprehensive military base and is the headquarters of the [[XVIII Airborne Corps]], [[U.S. 82nd Airborne Division|82nd Airborne Division]], and the [[U.S. Army Special Operations Command]]. Serving as the air wing for Fort Liberty is [[Pope Air Force Base|Pope Field]], also located near Fayetteville.
+Located in [[Jacksonville, North Carolina|Jacksonville]], [[Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune]], combined with nearby bases [[MCAS Cherry Point|Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point]], [[Marine Corps Air Station New River|MCAS New River]], [[Camp Geiger]], [[Camp Gilbert H. Johnson|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, North Carolina|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 Elizabeth City|Coast Guard Air Station]] in [[Elizabeth City, North Carolina|Elizabeth City]]. Also stationed in North Carolina is the [[Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Point]] in [[Southport, North Carolina|Southport]].
-== Education ==
-===Elementary and secondary education===
+On January 24, 1961, a B-52G [[1961 Goldsboro B-52 crash|broke up in midair and crashed]] after suffering a severe fuel loss, near [[Goldsboro, North Carolina|Goldsboro]], dropping two [[nuclear weapon|nuclear bombs]] in the process without detonation.<ref>Schneider, Barry. [https://books.google.com/books?id=dQsAAAAAMBAJ "Big Bangs from little bombs"]. ''[[Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists]]'', May 1975, p. 28.</ref> In 2013, it was revealed that three safety mechanisms on one bomb had failed, leaving just one low-voltage switch preventing detonation.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/20/usaf-atomic-bomb-north-carolina-1961 "USAF Atomic Bomb in North Carolina 1961"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161201223356/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/20/usaf-atomic-bomb-north-carolina-1961 |date=December 1, 2016 }}, ''[[The Guardian]]'', September 20, 2013</ref>
-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.<ref>{{cite web| title = North Carolina Department of Public Instruction| url = http://www.ncpublicschools.org/}}</ref>  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}}
+==Tourism==
+[[File:Biltmore Estate, 2012.jpg|thumb|[[Biltmore Estate]], [[Asheville, North Carolina|Asheville]]]]
+[[File:USCGHatteras.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Cape Hatteras Lighthouse]], located in North Carolina's [[Outer Banks]]]]
+Charlotte is the most-visited city in the state, attracting 28.3{{spaces}}million visitors in 2018.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.crva.com/news/2017-visitor-spending-hits-record-7-billion-charlotte-region-nearly-54-billion-mecklenburg |title=2017 visitor spending hits a record $7 billion in Charlotte region, nearly $5.4 billion in Mecklenburg County |access-date=November 1, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191101232635/http://www.crva.com/news/2017-visitor-spending-hits-record-7-billion-charlotte-region-nearly-54-billion-mecklenburg |archive-date=November 1, 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Area attractions include [[Carolina Panthers]] NFL football team and [[Charlotte Hornets]] basketball team, [[Carowinds]] amusement park, [[Catawba Two Kings Casino]] (in nearby [[Kings Mountain, North Carolina|Kings Mountain]]), [[Charlotte Motor Speedway]], [[U.S. National Whitewater Center]], [[Discovery Place]], [[Great Wolf Lodge]], Sea Life Aquarium,<ref>{{Cite web |title=SEA LIFE Charlotte – Concord Aquarium at Concord Mills Mall |url=https://www.visitsealife.com/charlotte-concord/ |access-date=June 22, 2022 |website=Sea Life Charlotte-Concord |language=en-US |archive-date=July 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220705150414/https://www.visitsealife.com/charlotte-concord/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[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,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tourism {{!}} Western North Carolina Vitality Index |url=http://www.wncvitalityindex.org/employment-sectors/tourism |access-date=June 22, 2022 |website=Wncvitalityindex.org |archive-date=May 18, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220518201930/http://www.wncvitalityindex.org/employment-sectors/tourism |url-status=live }}</ref> 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{{spaces}}million visitors in 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://irma.nps.gov/Stats/SSRSReports/Park%20Specific%20Reports/Monthly%20Public%20Use?Park=BLRI|title=Stats Report Viewer|website=nps.gov|access-date=January 18, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150118232859/https://irma.nps.gov/Stats/SSRSReports/Park%20Specific%20Reports/Monthly%20Public%20Use?Park=BLRI|archive-date=January 18, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> The City of [[Asheville, North Carolina|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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ashevilleguidebook.com/asheville/asheville-information/asheville.htm|title=All About Asheville|website=ashevilleguidebook.com|access-date=January 18, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150202020354/http://ashevilleguidebook.com/asheville/asheville-information/asheville.htm|archive-date=February 2, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://holykaw.alltop.com/the-united-states-happiest-places-infographic|title=The United States' happiest places [infographic]—Holy Kaw!|author=Kate Rinsema|website=Holy Kaw!|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150118233931/http://holykaw.alltop.com/the-united-states-happiest-places-infographic|archive-date=January 18, 2015|access-date=January 18, 2015}}</ref>
+In [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]], many tourists visit the capital, African American Cultural Complex,<ref>{{Cite web |title=AACC |url=https://www.aaccmuseum.com/ |access-date=June 22, 2022 |website=Aaccmuseum.com |archive-date=August 16, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220816072430/https://www.aaccmuseum.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Contemporary Art Museum of Raleigh]], [[Gregg Museum of Art & Design|Gregg Museum of Art & Design at NCSU]], [[Haywood Hall|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, North Carolina|Conover]]–[[Hickory, North Carolina|Hickory]] area, attractions include [[Hickory Motor Speedway]], RockBarn Golf and Spa,<ref>{{Cite web |title=European Day Spa at Rock Barn – Rock Barn Country Club & Spa -Conover, NC |url=https://www.rockbarn.com/Spa |access-date=June 22, 2022 |website=Rockbarn.com |archive-date=May 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220527003801/https://www.rockbarn.com/spa |url-status=live }}</ref> home of the [[Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn]]; [[Catawba County]] Firefighters Museum,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Government |first=Catawba County |title=Catawba County Government – Catawba County North Carolina |url=https://www.catawbacountync.gov/ |access-date=June 22, 2022 |website=Catawba County Government |language=en |archive-date=June 26, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220626062847/https://catawbacountync.gov/ |url-status=live }}</ref> the SALT Block,<ref>{{Cite web |title=SALT Block Foundation |url=https://www.saltblockfoundation.org/ |access-date=June 22, 2022 |website=SALT Block Foundation |language=en-us |archive-date=June 14, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220614151038/https://www.saltblockfoundation.org/ |url-status=live }}</ref> 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 spice cookies|Moravian cookies]]. The internationally acclaimed [[North Carolina Zoo]] in [[Asheboro]] attracts visitors to its animals, plants, and a 57-piece art collection along {{Convert | 5 | mi |0 | spell = in}} 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, North Carolina|Wilkesboro]] attracts more than 80,000 people to its four-day music festival; and Wet 'n Wild Emerald Pointe water park in [[Greensboro, North Carolina|Greensboro]] is another attraction.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Greensboro, North Carolina Water Park |url=https://www.emeraldpointe.com/ |access-date=June 22, 2022 |website=Emeraldpointe.com |language=en |archive-date=June 25, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220625161453/https://www.emeraldpointe.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
+The [[Outer Banks]] and surrounding beaches attract millions of people to the Atlantic beaches every year.<ref>{{Cite web |date=May 25, 2022 |title=Dare County Tourism Board Recap {{!}} May 2022 |url=https://www.outerbanksvoice.com/2022/05/25/dare-county-tourism-board-recap-may-2022/ |access-date=June 22, 2022 |website=The Outer Banks Voice |language=en-US |archive-date=May 26, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220526050930/https://www.outerbanksvoice.com/2022/05/25/dare-county-tourism-board-recap-may-2022/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
+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]].
+==Transportation==
+{{Main|Transportation in North Carolina}}
+{{See also|Vehicle registration plates of North Carolina|List of North Carolina railroads}}
+[[File:2020 North Carolina License Plate.png|thumb|Most common license plate design in the state; includes the ''[[Wright Flyer]]'' in the background]]
+[[File:LYNX Car 104 at TremontStation.jpg|thumb|[[Charlotte Area Transit System|LYNX]] light rail car in Charlotte]]
+[[File:Piedmont High Point.jpg|thumb|State-owned ''[[Piedmont (train)|Piedmont]]'' train in High Point]]
+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 of the United States|East Coast]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ncdot.gov/careers/|title=NC Department of Transportation Article: North Carolina's Future Rides on Us|publisher=NC Department of Transportation|access-date=September 22, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120920045238/http://ncdot.gov/careers/|archive-date=September 20, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref>
+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 (1993-2003)|Midway Airlines]], ranked as the 37th busiest airport in the United States.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.stratosjets.com/blog/busiest-us-airports/|title=200 Busiest US Airports List [July 2022 Update]|date=January 4, 2022|website=Stratosjets.com|access-date=July 26, 2022|archive-date=July 23, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220723032901/https://www.stratosjets.com/blog/busiest-us-airports/|url-status=live}}</ref>
+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 [[Charlotte Area Transit System|LYNX]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Rail |url=https://charlottenc.gov/cats/rail |access-date=September 22, 2022 |website=City of Charlotte Government |language=en |archive-date=May 2, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230502231455/https://www.charlottenc.gov/CATS/Rail |url-status=live }}</ref>
+===Major highways===
+{{Main|North Carolina Highway System|Interstate Highways in North Carolina|List of U.S. Highways in North Carolina|List of state highways in North Carolina}}
+====Primary Interstates====
+{{colbegin}}
+* {{Jct|state=NC|I|26}}
+* {{Jct|state=NC|I|40}}
+* {{Jct|state=NC|I-Future|42}}
+* {{Jct|state=NC|I|73}}
+* {{Jct|state=NC|I|74}}
+* {{Jct|state=NC|I|77}}
+* {{Jct|state=NC|I|85}}
+* {{Jct|state=NC|I|87}}
+* {{Jct|state=NC|I|95}}
+{{colend}}
+====Auxiliary (three-digit) Interstates====
+{{colbegin}}
+* {{Jct|state=NC|I|140}}
+* {{Jct|state=NC|I|240}}
+* {{Jct|state=NC|I-Future|274}}
+* {{Jct|state=NC|I|277}}
+* {{Jct|state=NC|I|285}}
+* {{Jct|state=NC|I|295}}
+* {{Jct|state=NC|I|440}}
+* {{Jct|state=NC|I|485}}
+* {{Jct|state=NC|I|495}}
+* {{Jct|state=NC|I|540}}
+* {{Jct|state=NC|I|587}}
+* {{Jct|state=NC|I-Future|685}}
+* {{Jct|state=NC|I|785}}
+* {{Jct|state=NC|I|795}}
+* {{Jct|state=NC|I|840}}
+* {{Jct|state=NC|I|885}}
+{{colend}}
+==Education==
+{{Main|Education in North Carolina}}
+===Primary and secondary education===
+{{See also|List of school districts in North Carolina|List of high schools in North Carolina}}
+[[File:Kituwah Academy.png|thumb|right|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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ncpublicschools.org/ |title=North Carolina Public Schools |publisher=Ncpublicschools.org |access-date=January 31, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120204102252/http://www.ncpublicschools.org/ |archive-date=February 4, 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> North Carolina has 115 public school systems, each of which is overseen by a local school board.<ref name="SchoolQF">{{cite web |url=http://www.ncpublicschools.org/quickfacts/facts/ |title=NC Public School Facts |publisher=Ncpublicschools.org |access-date=July 24, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706091440/http://www.ncpublicschools.org/quickfacts/facts/ |archive-date=July 6, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="Dpi">{{cite web |url=http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/curriculum/ |title=K-12 Standards, Curriculum, and Instruction |publisher=North Carolina State Board of Education |access-date=August 7, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160816172125/http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/curriculum/ |archive-date=August 16, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref> 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]].<ref>[http://proximityone.com/sd_nc.htm North Carolina School District Demographics] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130425152315/http://proximityone.com/sd_nc.htm |date=April 25, 2013 }}. Proximityone.com. Retrieved July 12, 2013.</ref> In total there are 2,425 public schools in the state, including over 200 [[Charter school (North Carolina)|charter schools]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dpi.nc.gov/students-families/innovative-school-options/charter-schools/schools|title=NC DPI: Schools|website=Dpi.nc.gov|access-date=July 7, 2020|archive-date=December 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201229033622/https://www.dpi.nc.gov/students-families/innovative-school-options/charter-schools/schools|url-status=dead}}</ref> 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 (test)|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.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Hui|first1=T. Keung|url=https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/education/article235402092.html|title=See the 2019 SAT scores for every high school in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and NC|newspaper=[[The News & Observer]]|date=September 24, 2019|access-date=July 1, 2021|archive-date=July 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709182930/https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/education/article235402092.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
 ===Colleges and universities===
-:''For more details on this topic, see [[List of colleges and universities in North Carolina]]''
+{{Further|List of colleges and universities in North Carolina|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]]).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.unc.edu/about/history-and-traditions/|title=History and Traditions|website=unc.edu|publisher=University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill|access-date=April 21, 2020|archive-date=April 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200427130634/https://www.unc.edu/about/history-and-traditions/|url-status=live}}</ref> More than 200 years later, the [[University of North Carolina System]] encompasses 16 [[public university|public universities]], which are [[Appalachian State University]], [[East Carolina University]], [[Elizabeth City State University]], [[Fayetteville State University]], [[North Carolina A&T State University]], [[North Carolina Central University]], [[North Carolina State University]], the [[University of North Carolina at Asheville]], the [[University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill]], the [[University of North Carolina at Charlotte]], the [[University of North Carolina at Greensboro]], the [[University of North Carolina at Pembroke]], the [[University of North Carolina School of the Arts]], the [[University of North Carolina at Wilmington]], [[Western Carolina University]], and [[Winston-Salem State University]], and one public, boarding high school, the [[North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Our 17 Institutions |url=http://www.northcarolina.edu/campus_profiles/index.php |access-date=January 5, 2012 |author=The University of North Carolina |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120107134507/http://www.northcarolina.edu/campus_profiles/index.php |archive-date=January 7, 2012 }}</ref> Along with its public universities, North Carolina has 58 public [[community college]]s in its [[North Carolina Community College System|community college system]]. The largest university in North Carolina is currently [[North Carolina State University]], with more than 34,000 students.<ref>{{cite web|title=About NC State:Discovery begins at NC State|url=http://www.ncsu.edu/about-nc-state/index.php|access-date=January 5, 2012|author=NC State University|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120103175737/http://www.ncsu.edu/about-nc-state/index.php|archive-date=January 3, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref>
+{{multiple image
-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 college]]s in its [[North Carolina Community College System|community college system]].
+| align = center
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+| header =
+| header_align = left/right/center
+| header_background =
+| footer =
+| footer_align = left/right/center
+| footer_background =
+| width =
+| image1 = 2008-07-11 UNC-CH Old Well in the sun.jpg
+| width1 = 145
+| caption1 = [[Old Well]] at UNC-Chapel Hill
+| alt1 =
+| image2 = Duke Chapel snow.JPG|thumb|right
+| width2 = 159
+| caption2 = [[Duke Chapel]] at Duke University
+| alt2 =
+| image3 = NCSU Belltower.png
+| width3 = 99
+| caption3 = [[North Carolina State University Memorial Belltower|Memorial Belltower]] at NC State|alt3
+| image4 = wait.chapel.png
+| width4 = 207
+| caption4 = [[Wait Chapel]] at Wake Forest University|alt4
+}}
+{{multiple image
+| align = center
+| direction = horizontal
+| header =
+| header_align = left/right/center
+| header_background =
+| footer =
+| footer_align = left/right/center
+| footer_background =
+| width =
+| image5 = Joyner Library.jpg
+| width5 = 159
+| caption5 = The Joyner Library clock tower at [[East Carolina University]]
+| alt5 =
+| image6 = UNCCNewQuad.jpg
+| width6 = 139
+| caption6 = The New Quad at [[University of North Carolina at Charlotte|UNC Charlotte]]
+| alt6 =
+}}
+North Carolina is also home to many well-known private colleges and universities, including [[Barton College]], [[Belmont Abbey College]] (the only Catholic college in the Carolinas), [[Campbell University]], [[Davidson College]], [[Duke University]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://library.duke.edu/rubenstein/uarchives/history/articles/narrative-history|title=Duke University: A brief narrative History|website=library.duke.edu|date=July 11, 2013|publisher=Duke University|access-date=April 21, 2020|archive-date=April 6, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180406170029/https://library.duke.edu/rubenstein/uarchives/history/articles/narrative-history|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Elon University]], [[Guilford College]], [[High Point University]], [[Laurel University]], [[Lees-McRae College]], [[Lenoir-Rhyne University]] (the only Lutheran university in North Carolina), [[Livingstone College]], [[Meredith College]], [[Methodist University]], [[Montreat College]], [[North Carolina Wesleyan College]], [[Pfeiffer University]], [[Salem College]], [[Shaw University]] (the first [[HBCU|historically black college or university]] in the South), [[University of Mount Olive]], [[Wake Forest University]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://about.wfu.edu/history/|title=History|website=about.wfu.edu|publisher=Wake Forest University|access-date=April 21, 2020|archive-date=August 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200808090217/https://about.wfu.edu/history/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[William Peace University]], and [[Wingate University]].
-North Carolina's [[private university|private universities]] and colleges include  Mount Olive College, [[Davidson College]], [[Warren Wilson College]], [[Duke University]], [[High Point University]], [[Elon University]],[[Gardner-Webb University]], [[Wake Forest University]], and [[Campbell University]].
+North Carolina is also home to the oldest and largest [[Folk high school|folk school]] in the United States, the [[John C. Campbell Folk School]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Eiben |first=Vicky |date=2015 |title=A brief history of folk schools |url=https://folkschoolalliance.org/a-brief-history-of-folk-schools |work=Folk Education Association of America |publisher=Folk School Alliance |quote=The John C. Campbell Folk School founded in 1925 in Brasstown, North Carolina is the largest folk school in the U.S. today. |access-date=March 6, 2024 |archive-date=February 24, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240224032329/https://folkschoolalliance.org/a-brief-history-of-folk-schools |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=region: Brasstown, Hayesville |url=https://www.visitsmokies.org/regions/brasstown-hayesville/ |work=Great Smoky Mountains North Carolina |quote=Nation’s oldest folk school founded in 1925. |access-date=March 6, 2024 |archive-date=December 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231207205641/https://www.visitsmokies.org/regions/brasstown-hayesville/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
-==Sports and recreation==
-{{main|Sports in North Carolina}}
-===Professional sports===
-[[Image:BobcatsArena.jpg|thumb|left|200px|[[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 league]] teams until the late 1980s. The first franchise from a major professional sports league to be created in North Carolina were the [[National Basketball Association|NBA's ]] [[Charlotte Hornets]], which began play in the 1987-1988 NBA season. North Carolina remains without a [[Major League Baseball]] team despite numerous efforts to attract a team to the state (including the 2006 push to relocate the [[Florida Marlins]] to Charlotte).  North Carolina lacks its own team, and only one neighboring state (equally sized Georgia) has a team, the [[Atlanta Braves]].
+==Health==
-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 FC|Carolina Railhawks]] are a men's professional soccer team in the [[USL First Division|United Soccer Leagues]], due to compete in their first season in 2007.  Home field is the [[SAS Stadium]] in [[Cary, North Carolina|Cary]]. North Carolina was home to the now defunct [[Arena Football League|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 residents of North Carolina [[List of U.S. states and territories by life expectancy|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 than the female national average of a 3.9-year increase.<ref>{{cite web |title=US Health Map |url=https://vizhub.healthdata.org/subnational/usa |website=Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation |publisher=University of Washington |access-date=December 27, 2020 |archive-date=December 23, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201223175609/https://vizhub.healthdata.org/subnational/usa |url-status=live }}</ref>
+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, North Carolina|Orange County]]. Life expectancy for the state was 78.1 years.<ref name="Robert Wood Johnson">{{cite web |title=North Carolina: Life Expectancy |url=https://www.countyhealthrankings.org/app/north-carolina/2021/measure/outcomes/147/data |website=Robert Wood Johnson Foundation |access-date=December 28, 2020 |archive-date=June 28, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210628114834/https://www.countyhealthrankings.org/app/north-carolina/2021/measure/outcomes/147/data |url-status=live }}</ref> The Foundation estimated that life expectancy for the United States as a whole in 2021 was 79.2 years.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Square |first=Samuel Stebbins, 24/7 Wall St via The Center |title=Here's How Life Expectancy in North Carolina Compares to the Nation |url=https://www.thecentersquare.com/north_carolina/here-s-how-life-expectancy-in-north-carolina-compares-to-the-nation/article_e7559bd2-19be-559f-8dd8-a847a12b607c.html |access-date=September 22, 2022 |website=The Center Square |date=December 28, 2021 |language=en |archive-date=September 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922233252/https://www.thecentersquare.com/north_carolina/here-s-how-life-expectancy-in-north-carolina-compares-to-the-nation/article_e7559bd2-19be-559f-8dd8-a847a12b607c.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
-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.
+==Media==
-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]], [[Hardy Boyz|Matt and Jeff Hardy]] and [[Stan Lane]].
+{{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|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.<ref name="LOC1">{{cite web|url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/search/titles/results/?city=&rows=50&terms=&language=&lccn=&material_type=&year1=2020&year2=2020&labor=&county=&state=North+Carolina&frequency=&ethnicity=&page=1&sort=date|title=Search of Library of Congress for North Carolina newspapers currently in publiication|website=Library of Congress|access-date=January 7, 2020|archive-date=February 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210220145601/https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/search/titles/results/?city=&rows=50&terms=&language=&lccn=&material_type=&year1=2020&year2=2020&labor=&county=&state=North+Carolina&frequency=&ethnicity=&page=1&sort=date|url-status=live}}</ref>
+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.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 16, 2022 |title=Charlotte Observer becomes fourth McClatchy-owned newspaper to unionize in Carolinas |url=https://www.cislm.org/charlotte-observer-becomes-fourth-mcclatchy-owned-newspaper-to-unionize-in-carolinas/ |access-date=June 22, 2022 |language=en-US |archive-date=May 16, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220516191749/https://www.cislm.org/charlotte-observer-becomes-fourth-mcclatchy-owned-newspaper-to-unionize-in-carolinas/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
-North Carolina has become a hot bed for professional [[bull riding]] [[Professional Bull Riders, Inc.|PBR]]. It is the home of the 1995 [[Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association|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]].
+==Government and politics==
-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, North Carolina|Morganton]] and [[Yadkinville, North Carolina|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.
+{{Main|Government of North Carolina|Politics of North Carolina|Political party strength in North Carolina}}
+{| class="wikitable floatright"
+! colspan = 4 | North Carolina registered voters {{As of|2024|June|15|lc=y|df=US}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://vt.ncsbe.gov/RegStat/|title=Voter Registration Statistics|publisher=[[North Carolina State Board of Elections]]|access-date=May 25, 2023|archive-date=September 11, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220911021330/https://vt.ncsbe.gov/RegStat/|url-status=live}}</ref>
+|-
+! colspan = 2 | Party
+! Number of Voters
+! Percentage
+|-
+| {{party color cell|Independent Party (United States)}}
+| [[Independent politician (United States)|Unaffiliated]]
+| style="text-align:center;"| 2,806,349
+| style="text-align:center;"| 37.25%
+|-
+| {{party color cell|Democratic Party (United States)}}
+| [[North Carolina Democratic Party|Democratic]]
+| style="text-align:center;"| 2,404,010
+| style="text-align:center;"| 31.90%
+|-
+| {{party color cell|Republican Party (United States)}}
+| [[North Carolina Republican Party|Republican]]
+| style="text-align:center;"| 2,258,580
+| style="text-align:center;"| 29.98%
+|-
+| {{party color cell|Libertarian Party (United States)}}
+| [[Libertarian Party of North Carolina|Libertarian]]
+| style="text-align:center;"| 49,872
+| style="text-align:center;"| 0.66%
+|-
+| {{party color cell|No Labels}}
+| [[No Labels]]
+| style="text-align:center;"| 12,996
+| style="text-align:center;"| 0.17%
+|-
+| {{party color cell|Green Party (United States)}}
+| [[Green Party of North Carolina|Green]]
+| style="text-align:center;"| 2,425
+| style="text-align:center;"| 0.03%
+|-
+! colspan = 2 | Total
+! style="text-align:center;"| 7,534,232
+! style="text-align:center;"| 100.00%
+|}
+[[File:NC Legislature.JPG|thumb|[[North Carolina State Legislative Building]], Raleigh]]
+The government of North Carolina is divided into three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. These consist of the [[North Carolina Council of State|Council of State]] (led by the [[Governor of North Carolina|Governor]]), the [[bicameral]] legislature (called the [[North Carolina General Assembly|General Assembly]]), and the state court system (headed by the [[North Carolina Supreme Court]]). The [[Constitution of North Carolina|state constitution]] delineates the structure and function of the state government. Most municipalities in North Carolina operate under [[council-manager government]]s.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.ncpedia.org/towns-and-cities| title = Towns and Cities| last = Stick| first = David| date = 2006| website = NCPedia| publisher = North Carolina Government & Heritage Library| access-date = August 4, 2022| archive-date = August 4, 2022| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220804045543/https://www.ncpedia.org/towns-and-cities| url-status = live}}</ref>
-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 League Baseball|minor leagues]], including the triple-A [[International League]] teams in Charlotte and Durham. There is a number of indoor [[American football|football]], indoor [[football (soccer)|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 Resort|Pinehurst]], and the community of [[Southern Pines, North Carolina|Southern Pines]] of [[Moore County, North Carolina|Moore County]] which is home to over 50 golf courses.
+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 [[North Carolina Republican Party|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 [[1976 United States presidential election in North Carolina|in 1976]], the state had consistently leaned Republican in presidential elections until Democrat [[Barack Obama]] narrowly won the state [[2008 United States presidential election in North Carolina|in 2008]]. In the 1990s, Democrat [[Bill Clinton]] came within a point of winning the state [[1992 United States presidential election in North Carolina|in 1992]] and also only narrowly lost the state [[1996 United States presidential election in North Carolina|in 1996]]. In [[2000 United States presidential election in North Carolina|2000]], Republican [[George W. Bush]] easily won the state by more than 13 points.
-===Recreation===
-[[Image:Blue Ridge NC.jpg|thumb|200px|The [[Blue Ridge Mountains]] of the Shining Rock Wilderness Area]]
-Due to geography, rich history, and growing industry, North Carolina provides a large range of recreational activities from [[swimming]] at the [[beach]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.igovacation.com/search_rentals/stateinfo.asp?State=nc | title=Best of North Carolina Beaches|}}</ref> to [[skiing]] in the [[mountain]]s. North Carolina offers [[Autumn leaf color|fall colors]], freshwater and saltwater [[fishing]], [[hunting]], [[birdwatching]], [[agritourism]], [[All-terrain vehicle|ATV]] trails, [[ballooning]], [[rock climbing]], [[biking]], [[hiking]], [[skiing]], [[boating]] and [[sailing]], [[camping]], [[canoeing]], [[caving]] (spelunking), [[garden]]s, and [[arboretum]]s.  North Carolina has [[theme park]]s, [[aquarium]]s, [[zoo]]s, [[museum]]s, [[historic site]]s, [[lighthouse]]s, elegant [[theater]]s, [[concert hall]]s, and [[fine dining]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.visitnc.com/what_to_do.asp| title=What To Do Across North Carolina| publisher=VisitNC.com| date=2006| accessdate=2006-12-18}}</ref>
+By [[2008 United States presidential election in North Carolina|2008]], demographic shifts, population growth, and increased liberalization in densely populated areas such as the [[Research Triangle]], [[Charlotte, North Carolina|Charlotte]], [[Greensboro, North Carolina|Greensboro]], [[Winston-Salem, North Carolina|Winston-Salem]], [[Fayetteville, North Carolina|Fayetteville]], and [[Asheville, North Carolina|Asheville]], propelled Barack Obama to victory in North Carolina, the first Democrat to win the state since 1976. In [[2012 United States presidential election in North Carolina|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 [[2012 United States presidential election in Indiana|Indiana]]) to flip from Obama in 2008 to the GOP in 2012. Furthermore, Republican Donald Trump carried the state in [[2016 United States presidential election in North Carolina|2016]] and [[2020 United States presidential election in North Carolina|2020]].
-North Carolinians enjoy outdoor recreation utilizing numerous local bike paths, 34 [[List of North Carolina state parks|state parks]], and 14 [[National Park Service|national parks]], including:
+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 United States House of Representatives elections in North Carolina|2014 midterm]] elections, Republican [[David Rouzer]] won the state's [[North Carolina's 7th congressional district|7th congressional district]] seat, increasing the congressional delegation party split to 10–3 in favor of the GOP, a split they retained in subsequent elections until 2020, when it narrowed to 8-5 in favor of the GOP.
-*[[Appalachian National Scenic Trail]]
-*[[Blue Ridge Parkway]]
-*[[Cape Hatteras National Seashore]]
-*[[Cape Lookout National Seashore]]
-*[[Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site]] at [[Flat Rock, Henderson County, North Carolina|Flat Rock]]
-*[[Croatan National Forest]] in [[Eastern North Carolina]]
-*[[Fort Raleigh National Historic Site]] at [[Manteo, North Carolina|Manteo]]
-*[[Great Smoky Mountains National Park]]
-*[[Guilford Courthouse National Military Park]] in [[Greensboro, North Carolina|Greensboro]]
-*[[Moores Creek National Battlefield]] near [[Currie, North Carolina|Currie]]
-*[[Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail]]
-*[[Trail of Tears National Historic Trail]]
-*[[Wright Brothers National Memorial]] in [[Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina]]
-*[[Uwharrie Mountains|Uwharrie National Forest]]
+As a result of the 2020 census, North Carolina gained another seat in the [[118th United States Congress]], for a total of 14.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Murphy |first1=Brian |last2=Stradling |first2=Richard |url=https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article250944864.html |access-date=February 10, 2022 |work=Raleigh News & Observer |issue=August 13, 2021 |title=Census data gives North Carolina a new seat in US Congress &#124; Raleigh News & Observer |archive-date=August 18, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210818143846/https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article250944864.html |url-status=live }}</ref> After the 2022 elections, the partisan split was an even 7–7.
-== Other information ==
-===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, North Carolina|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]].
+In a 2020 study, North Carolina was ranked as the 23rd easiest state for citizens to vote in.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=J. Pomante II |first1=Michael |last2=Li |first2=Quan |title=Cost of Voting in the American States: 2020 |journal=Election Law Journal: Rules, Politics, and Policy |date=December 15, 2020 |volume=19 |issue=4 |pages=503–509 |doi=10.1089/elj.2020.0666 |s2cid=225139517 |doi-access=free }}</ref>
-===Ships named for the state===
-The [[USS North Carolina (BB-55)|USS ''North Carolina'']], a World War II battleship, was named in honor of the state. 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 (SSN-777)|USS North Carolina]], a nuclear attack submarine, is to be commissioned in 2007<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/ships/submarines/north_carolina/naming.txt|title=NAVY NAMES FOURTH VIRGINIA CLASS SUBMARINE| accessdate=2007-12-22|quote=North Carolina (SSN 777) will be built by General Dynamics Electric Boat Division}}</ref>.
-===State symbols===
+===Gerrymandering===
+{{See also|Gerrymandering in the United States|North Carolina's congressional districts}}
-[[Image:StrawberryWatercolor.jpg|thumb|right|[[Strawberry]], North Carolina state red berry]]
+The state has been sued for [[gerrymandering|racially gerrymandering]] the districts, which resulted in minority voting power being diluted in some areas, resulting in skewed representation. In 2000, the [[U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina]] ruled that the [[North Carolina's 12th congressional district|12th congressional district]] was an illegal racial gerrymander.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/FSupp2/133/407/2292720/|title = Cromartie v. Hunt, 133 F. Supp. 2d 407 (E.D.N.C. 2000)}}</ref> This was again appealed, now as ''[[Easley v. Cromartie]]''. The [[U.S. Supreme Court]] reversed the Eastern District of North Carolina in 2001 and ruled that the 12th district boundaries were not racially based but was a [[gerrymandering|partisan gerrymander]]. They said this was a political question that the courts should not rule upon.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/532/234/|title=Easley v. Cromartie, 532 U.S. 234 (2001)|website=Justia Law|language=en|access-date=March 5, 2019|archive-date=April 10, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190410124931/https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/532/234/|url-status=live}}</ref>
-{{main|North Carolina state symbols}}
-* '''[[List of U.S. state mottoes|State motto]]''':  ''[[Esse quam videri]]'' ("To be, rather than to seem") (1893)
-* '''[[List of U.S. state songs|State song]]''': "[[The Old North State]]" (1927)
-* '''[[List of U.S. state flowers|State flower]]''': [[Dogwood]] (1941)
-* '''[[List of U.S. state birds|State bird]]''': [[Northern Cardinal|Cardinal]] (1943)
-* '''[[List of U.S. state colors|State colors]]''': the red and blue of the [[Flag of North Carolina|N.C.]] and [[Flag of the United States|U.S.]] flags (1945)
-* '''State toast''': ''[[North Carolina State Toast|The Tar Heel Toast]]'' (1957)
-* '''[[List of U.S. state trees|State tree]]''': [[Pine]] (1963)
-* '''[[List of U.S. state shells|State shell]]''': [[Scotch bonnet (shell)|Scotch bonnet]] (1965)
-* '''[[List of U.S. state mammals|State mammal]]''': [[Eastern Grey Squirrel]] (1969)
-* '''[[List of U.S. state fish|State salt water fish]]''': [[Red Drum]] (also known as the [[Channel bass]]) (1971)
-* '''[[List of U.S. state insects|State insect]]''': [[Western honey bee|European honey bee]] (1973)
-* '''[[List of U.S. state minerals, rocks, stones and gemstones|State gemstone]]''': [[Emerald]] (1973)
-* '''[[List of U.S. state reptiles|State reptile]]''': [[Eastern Box Turtle]] (1979)
-* '''[[List of U.S. state minerals, rocks, stones and gemstones|State rock]]''': [[Granite]] (1979)
-* '''[[List of U.S. state beverages|State beverage]]''': [[Milk]] (1987)
-* '''State historical boat''': [[Shad boat]] (1987)
-* '''State language''': [[English language|English]] (1987)
-* '''State dog''': [[Plott Hound]] (1989)
-* '''State military academy''': [[Oak Ridge Military Academy]] (1991)
-* '''State tartan''': Carolina tartan (1991)<ref>[http://www.secretary.state.nc.us/images/Carolina_Tartan.jpg Secretary of State of North Carolina].</ref>
-* '''[[List of U.S. state foods|State vegetable]]''': [[Sweet potato]] (1995)
-* '''[[List of U.S. state foods|State red berry]]''': [[Strawberry]] (2001)
-* '''[[List of U.S. state foods|State blue berry]]''': [[Blueberry]] (2001)
-* '''[[List of U.S. state foods|State fruit]]''': [[Scuppernong grape]] (2001)
-* '''[[List of U.S. state flowers|State wildflower]]''': [[Lilium michauxii|Carolina Lily]] (2003)
-* '''State Christmas tree''': [[Fraser Fir]] (2005)
-* '''State carnivorous plant''': [[Venus Flytrap]] (2005)
-* '''[[List of U.S. state dances|State folk dance]]''': [[Clogging]] (2005)
-* '''[[List of U.S. state dances|State popular dance]]''': [[Carolina Shag|Shag]] (2005)
-* '''State freshwater trout''': [[Brook trout|Southern Appalachian Brook Trout]] (2005)
-* '''State birthplace of traditional pottery''': [[Seagrove (NC)|the Seagrove area]] (2005)
+In 2015, federal courts again ordered redistricting.<ref name="stohr">{{cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2019-north-carolina-gerrymander-map-supreme-court/|last1=Stohr|first1=Greg|last2=McCartney|first2=Allison|title=The Supreme Court Has Never Struck Down a Partisan Voter Map. Will North Carolina's Be the First?|work=Bloomberg|date=March 22, 2019|access-date=May 19, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190517163303/https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2019-north-carolina-gerrymander-map-supreme-court/|archive-date=May 17, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> Two lawsuits 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".<ref name="stohr" /> They contend that the redistricting resulted in deliberate under-representation of a substantial portion of voters. This case reached the U.S. Supreme Court in March 2019, which also heard a related partisan gerrymandering case from Maryland.<ref name="stohr" />
-===Armed Forces installations===
+On February 4, 2022, the North Carolina Supreme Court struck down the congressional and state legislative district maps drawn by the GOP-controlled [[North Carolina General Assembly|General Assembly]] on terms of partisan gerrymandering in a 4–3 ruling.<ref>{{Cite news |date=February 5, 2022 |title=NC Supreme Court strikes down redrawn voting maps |work=[[WTVD]] |url=https://abc11.com/nc-supreme-court-decision-redistricting-voting-maps-north-carolina/11538537/ |url-status=dead |access-date=February 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220205184948/https://abc11.com/nc-supreme-court-decision-redistricting-voting-maps-north-carolina/11538537/ |archive-date=February 5, 2022 }}</ref> Later that month, a panel of three former judges chosen by the Wake County Superior Court drew and approved a remedial congressional map after the new map proposed by the General Assembly was struck down by the North Carolina Supreme Court. Though, the state legislative maps proposed by the General Assembly were allowed to be used. The General Assembly would then redraw all three maps for the [[2024 United States elections|2024 elections]] in the state.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Wilkie |first=Jordan |date=February 23, 2022 |title=All sides appeal redistricting decision to NC Supreme Court |work=Carolina Public Press |url=https://carolinapublicpress.org/51820/all-sides-appeal-redistricting-decision-to-nc-supreme-court/ |url-status=live |access-date=February 24, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220224081504/https://carolinapublicpress.org/51820/all-sides-appeal-redistricting-decision-to-nc-supreme-court/ |archive-date=February 24, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Doyle |first=Steve |date=February 23, 2022 |title=Check out new election maps: NC Supreme Court rejects appeals, approves special masters' districts |work=[[WGHP]] |url=https://myfox8.com/your-local-election-hq/today-is-the-day-for-court-to-choose-new-election-maps-in-north-carolina-how-will-it-play-out/ |url-status=live |access-date=February 24, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220224081504/https://carolinapublicpress.org/51820/all-sides-appeal-redistricting-decision-to-nc-supreme-court/ |archive-date=February 24, 2022}}</ref>
-According to Governor Easley, North Carolina is the "Most military friendly state in the nation".<ref>{{cite press release| title = GOV. EASLEY VOWS TO KEEP N.C. MOST MILITARY FRIENDLY STATE IN THE NATION| publisher = State of North Carolina - Office of the Governor | date = 2006-05-13| url = http://www.governor.state.nc.us/News_FullStory.asp?id=2048| accessdate = 2007-06-23}}</ref>  [[Fort Bragg, North Carolina|Fort Bragg]], near [[Fayetteville, North Carolina|Fayetteville]] is the largest and most comprehensive [[military base]] in the United States and is the headquarters of the [[XVIII Airborne Corps]], [[U.S. 82nd Airborne Division|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 [[MCAS Cherry Point|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 Jump Jet|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.
+On April 28, 2023, the North Carolina Supreme Court—after it [[2022 North Carolina judicial elections|flipped Republican in the 2022 elections]]—overturned the same ruling in a 5–2 decision, which cleared the way for gerrymandering in the next redistricting cycle.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Timm |first=Jane C. |date=April 28, 2023 |title=N.C.'s new GOP-controlled high court reverses itself on gerrymandering and voter ID |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/north-carolinas-supreme-court-reverses-gerrymandering-rcna81996 |access-date=October 25, 2023 |website=NBC News |language=en |archive-date=October 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231026220310/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/north-carolinas-supreme-court-reverses-gerrymandering-rcna81996 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Zach |first1=Montellaro |last2=Josh |first2=Gerstein |last3=Ally |first3=Mutnick |date=April 28, 2023 |title=North Carolina Supreme Court clears way for partisan gerrymandering |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2023/04/28/north-carolina-supreme-court-clears-way-for-partisan-gerrymandering-00094433 |access-date=October 25, 2023 |website=POLITICO |language=en |archive-date=October 25, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231025205331/https://www.politico.com/news/2023/04/28/north-carolina-supreme-court-clears-way-for-partisan-gerrymandering-00094433 |url-status=live }}</ref> New maps were approved by the General Assembly on October 25, 2023. All three new maps heavily favor the GOP, with allegations of racial bias made against the maps as well.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Robertson |first=Gary D. |date=October 25, 2023 |title=North Carolina Republicans put exclamation mark on pivotal annual session with redistricting maps |url=https://apnews.com/article/north-carolina-redistricting-congress-legislature-221ff5ae9f825687c053b248d078296f |access-date=October 26, 2023 |website=AP News |language=en |archive-date=October 25, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231025220533/https://apnews.com/article/north-carolina-redistricting-congress-legislature-221ff5ae9f825687c053b248d078296f |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Lopez |first=Ashley |date=October 25, 2023 |title=North Carolina lawmakers approve maps creating gains for the GOP in Congress |url=https://www.npr.org/2023/10/25/1208002456/north-carolina-redistricting-congressional-districts |access-date=October 26, 2023 |website=NPR |archive-date=October 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231026021123/https://www.npr.org/2023/10/25/1208002456/north-carolina-redistricting-congressional-districts |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Schouten |first1=Fredreka |last2=Gallagher |first2=Dianne |date=October 25, 2023 |title=North Carolina legislature approves map that could help Republicans gain at least 3 House seats in 2024 |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/25/politics/north-carolina-map-republicans/index.html |access-date=October 26, 2023 |website=CNN Politics |language=en |archive-date=October 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231026103121/https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/25/politics/north-carolina-map-republicans/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
-<!-- Not pertinent
-===Interesting city names===
-Towns/areas with interesting names:
-* [[Bat Cave, North Carolina|Bat Cave]] (in [[Henderson County, North Carolina|Henderson County]], near [[Asheville, North Carolina|Asheville]])
-* [[Bear Grass, North Carolina|Bear Grass]] (in [[Martin County, North Carolina|Martin County]])
-* [[Big Lick, North Carolina|Big Lick]] (in [[Stanly County]])
-* [[Blowing Rock, North Carolina|Blowing Rock]] (in [[Watauga County, North Carolina|Watauga County]] and [[Caldwell County, North Carolina|Caldwell County]] along the [[Blue Ridge Mountains]]), so named for the updrafts rising from the Johns River Gorge around a rock pinnacle at the southern edge of town.
-* [[Booger Mountain, North Carolina|Booger Mountain]] (near [[Jefferson, North Carolina|Jefferson]] in [[Ashe County, North Carolina|Ashe County]])
-* [[Buies Creek, North Carolina|Buies Creek]] (in [[Harnett County]], near [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]])
-* [[Bug Hill, North Carolina|Bug Hill]] (in [[Columbus County, North Carolina|Columbus County]])
-* [[Cary, North Carolina|Cary]] (in [[Wake County, North Carolina|Wake County]]), often humorously referred to as a false acronym for "'''C'''oncentrated '''A'''rea of '''R'''elocated [[Yankee|'''Y'''ankees]]"
-* [[Chinquapin, North Carolina|Chinquapin]] (in [[Duplin County]])
-* [[Climax, North Carolina|Climax]] (in [[Guilford County]], near [[Greensboro, North Carolina|Greensboro]])
-* [[Erect, North Carolina]] (in [[Robeson County, North Carolina|Robeson County]])
-* [[Frog Level, North Carolina|Frog Level]] (in [[Pitt County]])
-* [[Frog Pond, North Carolina|Frog Pond]] (in [[Stanly County]])
-* [[Frying Pan Landing, North Carolina|Frying Pan Landing]] (in [[Tyrrell County, North Carolina|Tyrrell County]])
-* [[Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina|Fuquay-Varina]] (in [[Wake County, North Carolina|Wake County]])
-* [[Half-Hell Swamp]] (Brunswick County)
-* [[Harkers Island]] (Carteret County)
-* [[Hookerton]] (in [[Greene County, North Carolina|Greene County]])
-* [[Horneytown, North Carolina|Horneytown]] (in [[Forsyth County, North Carolina|Forsyth County]], near [[High Point, North Carolina|High Point]])
-* [[Indian Trail]] (in [[Union County, North Carolina|Union County]])
-* [[Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina|Kill Devil Hills]] (in [[Dare County, North Carolina|Dare County]])
-* Leatherman, (in [[Macon County, North Carolina|Macon County]])
-* [[Level Cross, North Carolina|Level Cross]], home of [[NASCAR]] racing legend [[Richard Petty]]
-* [[Lizard Lick, North Carolina|Lizard Lick]] (in [[Wake County, North Carolina|Wake County]], near [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]])
-* [[Meat Camp, North Carolina|Meat Camp]] (in [[Watauga County, North Carolina|Watauga County]], off NC 194 between Boone and Blowing Rock.
-* [[Mount Airy, North Carolina|Mount Airy]] (in [[Surry County, North Carolina|Surry County]], was the inspiration for [[Mayberry]] in the popular TV program ''[[The Andy Griffith Show]]'', and is Griffith's birthplace)
-* [[Nags Head, North Carolina|Nags Head]] (in [[Dare County, North Carolina|Dare County]])
-* [[Pilot Mountain, North Carolina|Pilot Mountain]], near both its [[Pilot Mountain (North Carolina)|namesake]] and Mount Airy, referenced on ''The Andy Griffith Show'' as "Mount Pilot".
-* [[Pinnacle, North Carolina|Pinnacle]], also near Pilot Mountain
-* [[Poor Town, North Carolina|Poor Town]], near [[Ahoskie, North Carolina|Ahoskie]] in [[Hertford County]], ironically located near [[Rich Square]]
-* [[Red Bug, North Carolina|Red Bug]], a "suburb" of [[Shallotte, North Carolina|Shallotte]] (Brunswick County)
-* [[Rich Square, North Carolina|Rich Square]] (in [[Northampton County, North Carolina|Northampton County]])
-* [[Rockfish, North Carolina|Rockfish]] (in [[Hoke County, North Carolina|Hoke County]])
-* [[Roxboro, North Carolina|Roxboro]] (in [[Person County, North Carolina|Person County]])
-* [[Sandy Mush, North Carolina|Sandy Mush]] (in [[Rutherford County, North Carolina|Rutherford County]])
-* [[Shine, North Carolina|Shine]] (west of [http://www.snowhillnc.com Snow Hill, NC])
-* [[Soul City, North Carolina|Soul City]] (in [[Warren County, North Carolina|Warren County]])
-* [[Tickbite, North Carolina|Tickbite]] (in [[Pitt County]])
-* [[Toast, North Carolina|Toast]] (in [[Surry County, North Carolina|Surry County]], near Mount Airy)
-* [[Waxhaw, North Carolina|Waxhaw]] (in [[Union County, North Carolina|Union County]])
-* [[Welcome, North Carolina|Welcome]] (in [[Davidson County, North Carolina|Davidson County]])
-* [[Whynot, North Carolina|Whynot]] (near [[Seagrove, North Carolina|Seagrove]])
+In November 2023, a lawsuit was filed against the [[North Carolina Senate]] district map—specifically the [[North Carolina's 1st Senate district|1st]] and [[North Carolina's 2nd Senate district|2nd]] Senate districts—in the Eastern District of North Carolina, arguing the map violates Section 2 of the [[Voting Rights Act of 1965]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jacobs |first=Rusty |date=November 21, 2023 |title=Let the litigation begin: A federal lawsuit seeks to block new North Carolina Senate district map |url=https://www.wunc.org/politics/2023-11-21/federal-lawsuit-black-voters-north-carolina-redistricting |access-date=December 9, 2023 |website=WUNC |language=en |archive-date=December 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231209191535/https://www.wunc.org/politics/2023-11-21/federal-lawsuit-black-voters-north-carolina-redistricting |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Selzer |first=Rachel |date=November 20, 2023 |title=Black Voters Challenge North Carolina's 2023 State Senate Map in New Federal Lawsuit |url=https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/black-voters-challenge-north-carolinas-2023-state-senate-map-in-new-federal-lawsuit/ |access-date=December 9, 2023 |website=Democracy Docket |language=en-US |archive-date=December 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231209191534/https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/black-voters-challenge-north-carolinas-2023-state-senate-map-in-new-federal-lawsuit/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=November 20, 2023 |title=North Carolina State Senate Map Challenge |url=https://www.democracydocket.com/cases/north-carolina-state-senate-map-challenge/ |access-date=December 9, 2023 |website=Democracy Docket |language=en-US |archive-date=December 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231209191534/https://www.democracydocket.com/cases/north-carolina-state-senate-map-challenge/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In December 2023, two lawsuits were filed in the [[United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina|Middle District of North Carolina]], with the first challenging the [[North Carolina's 1st congressional district|1st]], [[North Carolina's 6th congressional district|6th]], [[North Carolina's 12th congressional district|12th]], and [[North Carolina's 14th congressional district|14th]] congressional districts in the map,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Robertson |first=Gary D. |date=December 4, 2023 |title=New North Carolina congressional districts challenged in federal court on racial bias claims |url=https://apnews.com/article/north-carolina-congressional-redistricting-lawsuit-ba9e21540021c792e942ef4f166f02cc |access-date=December 9, 2023 |website=AP News |language=en |archive-date=December 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231209191534/https://apnews.com/article/north-carolina-congressional-redistricting-lawsuit-ba9e21540021c792e942ef4f166f02cc |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Gallagher |first=Dianne |date=December 5, 2023 |title=Lawsuit seeks to block North Carolina congressional map, alleging it discriminates against minority voters |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/05/politics/north-carolina-congressional-map-lawsuit/index.html |access-date=December 9, 2023 |website=CNN Politics |language=en |archive-date=December 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231209191534/https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/05/politics/north-carolina-congressional-map-lawsuit/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and the second, challenging multiple specific districts in all three maps, as racial gerrymanders.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Robertson |first=Gary D. |date=December 19, 2023 |title=North Carolina's election maps for 2024 are racially biased, advocates say in lawsuit |url=https://apnews.com/article/north-carolina-redistricting-lawsuit-congressional-legislative-republicans-8a174d89870519cf23c62278bd765f5f |access-date=January 26, 2024 |website=AP News |language=en |archive-date=January 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240126223148/https://apnews.com/article/north-carolina-redistricting-lawsuit-congressional-legislative-republicans-8a174d89870519cf23c62278bd765f5f |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Selzer |first=Rachel |date=December 19, 2023 |title=Civil Rights Groups and Black Voters Sue Over New North Carolina Maps |url=https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/civil-rights-groups-and-black-voters-sue-over-new-north-carolina-congressional-and-legislative-maps/ |access-date=January 26, 2024 |website=Democracy Docket |language=en-US |archive-date=January 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240126223148/https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/civil-rights-groups-and-black-voters-sue-over-new-north-carolina-congressional-and-legislative-maps/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Bonner |first=Lynn |date=December 19, 2024 |title=Voting rights groups file sweeping lawsuit against NC redistricting plans |url=https://ncnewsline.com/2023/12/19/voting-rights-groups-file-sweeping-lawsuit-against-nc-redistricting-plans/ |access-date=January 26, 2024 |website=NC Newsline |language=en-US |archive-date=January 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240126223150/https://ncnewsline.com/2023/12/19/voting-rights-groups-file-sweeping-lawsuit-against-nc-redistricting-plans/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Both lawsuits were consolidated together in March 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 19, 2024 |title=North Carolina Congressional Redistricting Challenge (2023) |url=https://www.democracydocket.com/cases/north-carolina-congressional-redistricting-challenge-2023/ |access-date=March 28, 2024 |website=Democracy Docket |language=en-US |archive-date=March 29, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240329000013/https://www.democracydocket.com/cases/north-carolina-congressional-redistricting-challenge-2023/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=March 19, 2024 |title=North Carolina 2023 Redistricting Challenge |url=https://www.democracydocket.com/cases/north-carolina-2023-redistricting-challenge/ |access-date=March 28, 2024 |website=Democracy Docket |language=en-US |archive-date=March 29, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240329000012/https://www.democracydocket.com/cases/north-carolina-2023-redistricting-challenge/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
-Cities/towns/villages with names of '''major''' U.S. cities:
-*[[Arlington, North Carolina]] ([[Arlington, Virginia]])
+On January 26, 2024—regarding the lawsuit currently in the Eastern District of North Carolina—a preliminary injunction to block the current North Carolina Senate district map was denied, citing the [[Purcell principle|''Purcell'' principle]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Selzer |first=Rachel |date=January 26, 2024 |title=Federal Judge Declines to Block New North Carolina Senate Map for 2024 Elections |url=https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/federal-judge-declines-to-block-new-north-carolina-senate-map-for-2024-elections/ |access-date=March 28, 2024 |website=Democracy Docket |language=en-US |archive-date=March 28, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240328234011/https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/federal-judge-declines-to-block-new-north-carolina-senate-map-for-2024-elections/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The ruling was appealed to the [[United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit|U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit]], which upheld the lower court's decision on March 28, 2024. The lawsuit will continue in the district court, but no ruling will be made until after the 2024 elections.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Selzer |first=Rachel |date=March 28, 2024 |title=4th Circuit Declines to Block New North Carolina Senate Map for 2024 Elections |url=https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/4th-circuit-declines-to-block-new-north-carolina-senate-map-for-2024-elections/ |access-date=March 28, 2024 |website=Democracy Docket |language=en-US |archive-date=March 28, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240328224342/https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/4th-circuit-declines-to-block-new-north-carolina-senate-map-for-2024-elections/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
-*[[Aurora, North Carolina]] ([[Aurora, Colorado]])
-*[[Dallas, North Carolina]] ([[Dallas, Texas]])
+==Sports==
-*[[Denver, North Carolina]] ([[Denver, Colorado]])
-*[[Jackson, North Carolina]] ([[Jackson, Mississippi]])
+{{Main|Sports in North Carolina}}
-*[[Jacksonville, North Carolina]] ([[Jacksonville, Florida]])
+<gallery widths="220" heights="165" class="center" style="line-height:130%">
-*[[Jamestown, North Carolina]] ([[Jamestown, Virginia]] or [[Jamestown, New York]])
+File:Bank of America Stadium.jpg|[[Bank of America Stadium]] in [[Charlotte, North Carolina|Charlotte]], home of the [[Carolina Panthers]] and [[Charlotte FC]]
-*[[Nashville, North Carolina]] ([[Nashville, Tennessee]])
+File:RBC Center Stanley Cup Championship.jpg|[[Carolina Hurricanes]] Stanley Cup awards ceremony at the [[PNC Arena|RBC Center]] in [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]]
-*[[Plymouth, North Carolina]] ([[Plymouth, Massachusetts]])
+File:Spectrum Center 2018.jpg|The [[Spectrum Center (arena)|Spectrum Center]], home arena of the [[National Basketball Association|NBA]]'s [[Charlotte Hornets]]
-*[[Waco, North Carolina]] ([[Waco, Texas]])
+</gallery>
-*[[Washington, North Carolina]] ([[Washington, D.C.]]
-*[[Kinston, North Carolina]])-->
+North Carolina is home to four [[Major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada|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, [[2006 Stanley Cup Finals|having captured the Stanley Cup in 2006.]] North Carolina is also home to two other top-level professional teams — 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 (baseball)|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, North Carolina|Concord]] hosting two [[NASCAR Cup Series|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]], [[GMS Racing]], [[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, North Carolina|Pinehurst]] has hosted a [[PGA Championship]], [[Ryder Cup]], two [[U.S. Open (golf)|U.S. Opens]], and one [[United States Women's Open Championship (golf)|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 athletics in the United States|College sports]] are also popular in North Carolina, with 18 schools competing at the [[NCAA Division I|Division I]] level. The [[Atlantic Coast Conference]] (ACC) is headquartered in [[Greensboro, North Carolina|Greensboro]], and both the [[ACC Championship Game|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, North Carolina|Charlotte]] is home to the [[National Junior College Athletic Association|National Junior College Athletics Association]]'s (NJCAA) headquarters.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://njcaa.org/about/Staff_Bio/NJCAA_National_Staff_Directory|title=NJCAA|website=NJCAA|access-date=August 22, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190406140847/http://njcaa.org/about/Staff_Bio/NJCAA_National_Staff_Directory|archive-date=April 6, 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[College basketball]] is very popular in North Carolina, buoyed by the [[Tobacco Road (rivalry)|Tobacco Road]] rivalries between ACC members [[North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball|North Carolina]], [[Duke Blue Devils men's basketball|Duke]], [[NC State Wolfpack men's basketball|North Carolina State]], and [[Wake Forest Demon Deacons men's basketball|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 (college basketball)|Final Four]] on two occasions, in Greensboro in 1974 and in Charlotte in 1994.
 ==See also==
+{{Portal|United States|North Carolina}}
-*[[Appalachia]]
+* [[Index of North Carolina–related articles]]
-*[[List of cities, towns, and villages in North Carolina]]
-*[[List of counties in North Carolina]]
+* [[Outline of North Carolina]]
-*[[List of famous North Carolinians]]
+* [[List of people from North Carolina]]
+{{Clear}}
-*[[List of individuals executed in North Carolina]]
-*[[List of North Carolina county seats]]
+==Notes==
-*[[List of North Carolina Governors]]
+{{notelist}}
-*[[List of people from North Carolina]]
-*[[List of newspapers in North Carolina]]
-*[[List of radio stations in North Carolina]]
-*[[List of television stations in North Carolina]]
-*[[List of topics related to North Carolina]]
-*[[List of unincorporated communities in North Carolina]]
-*[[Lowry War]]
-*[[North Carolina Award]]
-*[[North Carolina census statistical areas]]
-*[[North Carolina Highway Patrol]]
-*[[Order of the Long Leaf Pine]]
-*[[Pulled pork]]
-*[[Scouting in North Carolina]]
-*[[Wildlife of North Carolina]]
-*[[State of Franklin]]
 ==References==
-{{reflist|2}}
+{{Reflist}}
+==Works cited==
+* {{cite book |last=Lee |first=James Melvin |title=History of American journalism |publisher=Boston, New York, Houghton Mifflin Company |year=1923 |url=https://archive.org/details/historyofamerica00leejuoft |ref=lee1923 }} [https://archive.org/details/historyofamerica00leej/page/n5/mode/2up (Alternative publication)]
+* {{cite book |editor-last=Powell |editor-first=William S. |title=Dictionary of North Carolina biography |volume=II |author-link= |publisher=University of North Carolina Press |year=2000 |isbn=978-0-8078-67013 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BdAGnn0SZX0C&q=%22james+davis%22 |ref=powell2000}} - [https://books.google.com/books?id=BdAGnn0SZX0C&q=%22james+davis%22 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.
+* [http://library.divinity.duke.edu/ncreligion The Religion in North Carolina Digital Collection] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200817123401/https://library.divinity.duke.edu/ncreligion/ |date=August 17, 2020 }}. 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==
+* James, Clay; Orr, Douglas, eds. (1971). ''North Carolina Atlas: Portrait of a Changing Southern State''.
-* [[William S. Powell]] and Jay Mazzocchi, eds. ''Encyclopedia of North Carolina'' (2006) 1320pp; 2000 articles by 550 experts on all topics; ISBN 0-8078-3071-2
-* James Clay and Douglas Orr, eds., ''North Carolina Atlas: Portrait of a Changing Southern State'' (University of North Carolina Press, 1971).
+* Christensen, Rob (2008). ''The Paradox of Tarheel Politics''. Chapel Hill: [[University of North Carolina Press]].
-* Crow; Jeffrey J. and Larry E. Tise; ''Writing North Carolina History'' University of North Carolina Press, [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=59237933 (1979) online]
+* Cooper, Christopher A.; Knotts, H. Gibbs, eds. (2008). ''The New Politics of North Carolina''. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press.
-* Fleer; Jack D. ''North Carolina Government & Politics'' [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=98712979 University of Nebraska Press, (1994) online] political science textbook
+* Crow; Jeffrey J.; Tise, Larry E. (1979). ''Writing North Carolina History''. [https://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=59237933 Online.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120717081929/http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=59237933 |date=July 17, 2012 }}
-* Marianne M. Kersey and Ran Coble, eds., ''North Carolina Focus: An Anthology on State Government, Politics, and Policy'', 2d ed., (Raleigh: North Carolina Center for Public Policy Research, 1989).
+* 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]].
-* Lefler; Hugh Talmage. ''A Guide to the Study and Reading of North Carolina History'' [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=65419833 University of North Carolina Press, (1963) online]
+* Fleer, Jack D. (1994). ''North Carolina Government & Politics''. [https://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=98712979 Online political science textbook.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120717081823/http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=98712979 |date=July 17, 2012 }}
-* Hugh Talmage Lefler and Albert Ray Newsome, ''North Carolina: The History of a Southern State''  University of North Carolina Press (1954, 1963, 1973), college 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.
-* Paul Luebke, ''Tar Heel Politics: Myths and Realities'' (University of North Carolina Press, 1990).
+* Lefler, Hugh Talmage (1963). ''A Guide to the Study and Reading of North Carolina History''. [https://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=65419833 Online.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120717081607/http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=65419833 |date=July 17, 2012 }}
-* [[William S. Powell]], ''North Carolina through Four Centuries'' University of North Carolina Press  (1989), college textbook.
+* Lefler, Hugh Talmage; Newsome, Albert Ray (1954, 1963, 1973). ''North Carolina: The History of a Southern State''. Standard textbook.
-* Shannon Moore, Matt and Jeff Hardy are some of the most well known wrestlers in the WWE from Cameron, North Carolina
+* 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''.
-===Primary sources===
-* Hugh Lefler, ''North Carolina History Told by Contemporaries (University of North Carolina Press, numerous editions since 1934)
+* Orr, Doug, and Alfred W. Stuart. (2000) ''The North Carolina Atlas: Portrait for a New Century'' (U of North Carolina Press, 2000) [https://uncpress.org/book/9780807825075/the-north-carolina-atlas/ online]
-* H. G. Jones, ''North Carolina Illustrated, 1524-1984'' (University of North Carolina Press, 1984)
+* 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''.
-* ''North Carolina Manual'', published biennially by the Department of the Secretary of State since 1941.
+* 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 [[Works Progress Administration|WPA]] guide to every town.
 ==External links==
+{{Sister project links|voy=North Carolina}}
-{{sisterlinks}}
+===General===
+* {{Official website|https://www.nc.gov}}
+* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090205023136/http://statelibrary.dcr.state.nc.us/ North Carolina state library]
+* [http://www.nccourts.org/Courts/Default.asp North Carolina Court System official site] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050604000354/http://www.nccourts.org/Courts/Default.asp |date=June 4, 2005 }}
+* {{curlie|Regional/North_America/United_States/North_Carolina}}
+* [https://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/states/northcarolina/ North Carolina State Guide, from the Library of Congress] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200513143221/http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/states/northcarolina/ |date=May 13, 2020 }}
 ===Government and education===
+* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110117024221/http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/state/state_energy_profiles.cfm?sid=NC Energy & Environmental Data for North Carolina]
-*[http://www.ncgov.com North Carolina state government]
+* [https://web.archive.org/web/20161209123338/https://www2.usgs.gov/state/state.asp?State=NC USGS real-time, geographic, and other scientific resources of North Carolina]
-*[http://statelibrary.dcr.state.nc.us/ North Carolina state library]
+* [http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/state-fact-sheets/state-data.aspx?StateFIPS=37&StateName=North%20Carolina North Carolina facts from U.S. Department of Agriculture ERS] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140813033015/http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/state-fact-sheets/state-data.aspx?StateFIPS=37&StateName=North%20Carolina |date=August 13, 2014 }}
-*[http://www.usgs.gov/state/state.asp?State=NC USGS real-time, geographic, and other scientific resources of North Carolina]
+* [http://www.ncecho.org/ NC ECHO—North Carolina Exploring Cultural Heritage Online] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070429195244/http://www.ncecho.org/ |date=April 29, 2007 }}
-*[http://www.ers.usda.gov/StateFacts/NC.htm North Carolina facts from US Department of Agriculture ERS]
-*[http://www.nccourts.org/Courts/Default.asp North Carolina Court System official site]
+* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080226181127/http://www.lib.unc.edu/ncc/ North Carolina Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill]
+* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160204215609/http://www.ah.dcr.state.nc.us/ NC Office of Archives and History]
-*[http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/37000.html North Carolina facts from US Census Bureau]
-*[http://www.visitnc.com North Carolina Travel and Tourism Website]
-*[http://www.ncecho.org/ NC ECHO - North Carolina Exploring Cultural Heritage Online]
-*[http://www.lib.unc.edu/ncc/ North Carolina Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill]
-*[http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/specialcollections/greenngrowing/ Green 'N' Growing: The History of Home Demonstration and 4-H Youth Development in North Carolina] - hosted by NCSU Libraries Special Collections Research Center
-*[http://www.ah.dcr.state.nc.us/ NC Office of Archives and History]
-*[http://www.ncmuseumofhistory.org/index.html NC Museum of History]
-===Other links===
+===Other===
+* {{OSM relation|224045}}
-*{{wikitravel}}
-*[http://www.primalnature.org/northcarolina/wnc.html Old Growth Forest Wilderness Areas in ''Western'' North Carolina]
-*[http://www.primalnature.org/northcarolina/enc.html Old Growth Forest Wilderness Areas in ''Eastern'' North Carolina]
-*[http://www.appalachiantrail.com The Appalachian Trail]
-*[http://www.ncatlasrevisited.org/ Updates of statewide trends since publication of ''The North Carolina Atlas'' in 2000]
-*[http://www.northcarolina.info North Carolina Information]
-*[http://the-lost-colony.blogspot.com Lost Colony Blog]
-*[http://www.mrnussbaum.com/ncflash2.htm Interactive North Carolina for Kids]
-*[http://www.roanetnhistory.org/footenorthcarolina.html ''Sketches of North Carolina''] by William Henry Foote (1846) - Full-text history book
-<br clear=all/>
-{{succession
-| preceded = [[New York]]
-| office = [[List of U.S. states by date of statehood]]
-| years = Ratified [[Constitution of the United States of America|Constitution]] on [[November 21]], [[1789]] (12th)
-| succeeded = [[Rhode Island]]
-}}
-{{North Carolina|expand}}
-{{NC-FedRep}}
-{{United States}}
-{{Confederate2}}
-{{US South}}
+{{s-start}}
-{{coor title d|35.5|N|80|W|region:US-NC_type:state}}
+{{s-bef|before=New York}}
+{{s-ttl|title=[[List of U.S. states by date of admission to the Union]]|years=Ratified [[United States Constitution|Constitution]] on November 21, 1789 (12th)}}
+{{s-aft|after=[[Rhode Island]]}}
+{{s-end}}
+{{Navboxes
-===NC Community Groups links===
+|title = <span style="font-size:11pt;">Topics related to North Carolina</span><br />''Old North State'', ''{{nowrap|[[Tar Heel]] State}}''
-* Living History Groups
+|list =
+{{North Carolina|expanded}}
+{{Protected areas of North Carolina}}
+{{Southern United States}}
+{{Thirteen Colonies}}
+{{Confederate States political divisions}}
+{{United States political divisions}}
+|state=expanded}}
+{{Authority control}}
-[[Category:North Carolina|*]]
+{{coord|36|-80|dim:300000_region:US-NC_type:adm1st|name=State of North Carolina|display=title}}
-[[Category:States of the United States]]
-[[Category:1789 establishments]]
-[[Category:Confederate states (1861-1865)]]
-[[Category:Former British colonies]]
+[[Category:North Carolina| ]]<!-- please leave the empty space as standard -->
-[[ang:Norþ Carolina]]
+[[Category:Southern United States]]
-[[ar:كارولاينا الشمالية]]
+[[Category:Spanish colonization of the Americas]]
-[[ast:Carolina del Norte]]
+[[Category:State of Franklin]]
-[[az:Şimali Karolina]]
+[[Category:States and territories established in 1789]]
-[[bn:নর্থ ক্যারোলাইনা]]
+[[Category:States of the Confederate States of America]]
-[[be:Штат Паўночная Караліна]]
+[[Category:States of the East Coast of the United States]]
-[[bs:North Carolina]]
+[[Category:States of the United States]]
-[[br:North Carolina]]
+[[Category:Contiguous United States]]
-[[bg:Северна Каролина]]
-[[ca:Carolina del Nord]]
-[[cv:Çурçĕр Каролина]]
-[[cs:Severní Karolína]]
-[[cy:Gogledd Carolina]]
-[[da:North Carolina]]
-[[de:North Carolina]]
-[[et:Põhja-Carolina]]
-[[es:Carolina del Norte]]
-[[eo:Norda Karolino]]
-[[eu:Ipar Carolina]]
-[[fa:کارولینای شمالی]]
-[[fr:Caroline-du-Nord]]
-[[ga:Carolina Thuaidh]]
-[[gd:North Carolina]]
-[[gl:Carolina do Norte]]
-[[ko:노스캐롤라이나 주]]
-[[hy:Հյուսիսային Կարոլինա]]
-[[hi:उत्तर डेकोटा]]
-[[hr:Sjeverna Karolina]]
-[[io:Nord-Karolina]]
-[[bpy:নর্থ ক্যারোলাইনা]]
-[[id:North Carolina]]
-[[ik:North Carolina]]
-[[os:Цæгат Каролинæ]]
-[[is:Norður-Karólína]]
-[[it:Carolina del Nord]]
-[[he:קרוליינה הצפונית]]
-[[ka:ჩრდილოეთი კაროლინა]]
-[[ks:नार्थ कैरोलाइना]]
-[[kw:Karolina Gledh]]
-[[sw:North Carolina]]
-[[ht:Karolin dinò]]
-[[ku:North Carolina]]
-[[la:Carolina Septentrionalis]]
-[[lv:Ziemeļkarolīna]]
-[[lij:Carolina do Nòrd]]
-[[lt:Šiaurės Karolina]]
-[[hu:Észak-Karolina]]
-[[mk:Северна Каролина]]
-[[mr:नॉर्थ कॅरोलिना]]
-[[ms:Carolina Utara]]
-[[nl:North Carolina]]
-[[ja:ノースカロライナ州]]
-[[no:Nord-Carolina]]
-[[nn:Nord-Carolina]]
-[[oc:Carolina del Nòrd]]
-[[uz:Shimoliy Karolina]]
-[[pms:Carolin-a dël Nòrd]]
-[[nds:Noord-Carolina]]
-[[pl:Karolina Północna]]
-[[pt:Carolina do Norte]]
-[[ro:North Carolina (stat SUA)]]
-[[ru:Северная Каролина]]
-[[sq:North Carolina]]
-[[scn:North Carolina]]
-[[simple:North Carolina]]
-[[sk:Severná Karolína]]
-[[sl:Severna Karolina]]
-[[sr:Северна Каролина]]
-[[fi:Pohjois-Carolina]]
-[[sv:North Carolina]]
-[[ta:வட கரோலினா]]
-[[th:มลรัฐนอร์ทแคโรไลนา]]
-[[vi:Bắc Carolina]]
-[[tr:Kuzey Karolina]]
-[[uk:Північна Кароліна]]
-[[ur:شمالی کیرولینا]]
-[[vo:North Carolina]]
-[[yi:נארט קארעליינע]]
-[[diq:North Carolina]]
-[[bat-smg:Šiauris Karolina]]
-[[zh:北卡罗来纳州]]

North Carolina
State
Flag Seal
Nickname(s): The Tarheel State, The Old North State
Motto(s): Esse quam videri^[a] "To be, rather than to seem"
Anthem: "The Old North State"^[1]
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 county or equivalent	Wake
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	Thom Tillis (R) Ted Budd (R)
U.S. House delegation	7 Republicans 7 Democrats (list)
Area
• Total	53,819.16 sq mi (139,391.0 km²)
• Land	48,617.91 sq mi (125,919.8 km²)
• Water	5,201.25 sq mi (13,471.2 km²) 9.66%
• Rank	28th
Dimensions
• Length	500^[2] mi (804 km)
• Width	184 mi (296 km)
Elevation	700 ft (210 m)
Highest elevation (Mount Mitchell^[3]^[b])	6,684 ft (2,037 m)
Lowest elevation (Atlantic Ocean^[3])	0 ft (0 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	10,439,388
• Rank	9th
• Density	214.72/sq mi (82.90/km²)
• Rank	14th
• Median household income	$52,752^[4]
• Income rank	39th
Demonym(s)	North Carolinian (official); Tarheel (colloquial)
Language
• Official language	English^[5]
• Spoken language	As of 2010^[6] English 90.70% Spanish 6.93% Other 2.73%
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00 (EDT)
USPS abbreviation	NC
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	nc.gov

Revision as of 19:43, 21 June 2024