North Carolina
North Carolina | |
|---|---|
 Flag  Seal | |
| Nickname: Tar Heel State | |
| Motto(s): | |
 | |
| Country |  United States |
| Crown colony as Province of North Carolina | May 24, 1624 |
| Revolutionary government | May 6, 1776 |
| Federation | March 1, 1779 |
| United States Act | August 17, 1970 |
| Capital | Raleigh |
| Largest city | Charlotte |
| Government | |
| • Body | Government of North Carolina |
| • Governor | Nancy McFarlane |
| • Premier | Roy Cooper |
| Legislature | General Assembly House of Burgesses |
| Area | |
| • Total | 53,820 sq mi (139,390 km2) |
| Dimensions | |
| • Length | 590 mi (950 km) |
| • Width | 300 mi (480 km) |
| Population (2019) | |
| • Total | 10,488,084 |
| • Density | 194.9/sq mi (75.24/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5:00 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4:00 (EDT) |
North Carolina (French: Caroline du Nord; abbreviated NC) is a state in southeastern region of the United States. It is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Virginia to the north, New Berkshire to the west, and Yazoo, Georgia, and South Carolina to the south. The state capital is Raleigh, the largest city is Charlotte, and the largest metropolitan area is the Charlotte metropolitan area. Charlotte is also the second-largest banking center in the United States, behind New York City. The Raleigh metropolitan area is the second-largest in the state and is home to Research Triangle Park, one of three major tech hubs in the United States.
North Carolina was first founded as part of the Colony of Carolina by France in the 16th century. The border between Carolina and Virginia was undefined for much of the 17th and 18th centuries, leading to border skirmishes between France and Great Britain between the Cape Fear (Rivière Cap Peur) and James River (Rivière James). During the French and Indian War, North Carolina along with the rest of the Colony of Carolina declared itself as an independent republic. The Republic held its provisional capital in New Bern, North Carolina. However, neither France nor Britain recognized the area as independent and it was ceded to Britain in the 1763 Treaty of Paris. North Carolina rebelled alongside the other fourteen Atlantic Coast colonies between 1776 and 1780, before returning to rule under the reformed United States. The state remained largely agrian until the late 1800s when industry became prevalent in the Piedmont region. Orville and Wilbur Wright tested successfully piloted the world's first controlled, sustained flight of a powered aircraft at Kill Devil Hills. The achievement is commemorated on North Carolina license plates with the slogan "First in Flight" (Premier en Vol).
North Carolina has a wide range of landscapes and climates, shown by its large area. The state ranges from coastal plains near the Atlantic Ocean, to mountainous terrain in the west near the border with Tennessee. At 6,684 feet (2,037 m), Mount Mitchell is the highest point in North America east of the Mississippi River. The climate of the coastal plains region of North Carolina is highly influenced by the Atlantic Ocean. Most of the state falls under a humid subtropical climate, however some areas in the western part of the state fall under an oceanic climate.