Did you know? North Carolina

The state is divided into three distinct topographical regions: the Coastal Plain, the Piedmont Plateau, and the Appalachian Mountains.

North Carolina Regions map

The Coastal Plain affords opportunities for farming, fishing, recreation, and manufacturing. The leading crops of this area are bright-leaf tobacco, peanuts, soybeans, and sweet potatoes. Large forested areas, mostly pine, support pulp manufacturing and other forest-related industries. Commercial and sport fishing are done extensively on the coast, and thousands of tourists visit the state’s many beaches. The mainland coast is protected by a slender chain of islands known as the Outer Banks.

The Appalachian Mountains—including Mount Mitchell, the highest peak in eastern America (6,684 feet)—add to the variety that is apparent in the state’s topography. More than 200 mountains rise 5,000 feet or more. In this area, widely acclaimed for its beauty, tourism is an outstanding business. The valleys and some of the hillsides serve as small farms and apple orchards; and here and there are business enterprises, ranging from small craft shops to large paper and textile manufacturing plants.

The Piedmont Plateau, though dotted with many small rolling farms, is primarily a manufacturing area in which the chief industries are furniture, tobacco, and textiles. Here are located North Carolina’s five largest cities. In the southeastern section of the Piedmont—known as the Sandhills, where peaches grow in abundance—is a winter resort area known also for its nationally famous golf courses and stables.

From the seashore to the mountains, North Carolina offers outstanding recreational variety. Its four national parks, eight national recreational areas, and 35 state parks attract thousands of tourists annually. The state’s toll-free highway system makes accessible all sections and all attractions of the state—its historic sites, educational institutions, military installations, hunting and fishing facilities, golf courses, notable example of excellent architecture, well-known gardens, festivals and outdoor dramas, craft and hobby shops, horse shows, water sports on numerous lakes and at the coast, ski resorts, and hundreds of public campsites.

North Carolina State Capitol. Photo courtesy of N.C. Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development. North Carolina’s State Capitol was completed in 1840 at a total cost (including furnishings) of $532,682.34. This replaced the former State House, which burned June 21, 1831. North Carolina’s first railroad (with horse-drawn cars) hauled stone for the building from nearby quarries. This excellent example of Greek Revival architecture housed the entire state government until the 1880s. As government grew, however, additional buildings were needed. In 1963 the General Assembly moved to the new State Legislative Building. The Capitol is still occupied by the governor and lieutenant governor, and it remains the symbol of strength and permanence to all North Carolinians.

Visit http://www.ncstatecapitol.org/ to learn more.

Completed in 1963, the State Legislative Building was the first building in the United States devoted exclusively to the legislative branch of state government. The building, classic in character, includes the House and Senate chambers, offices for legislators, committee rooms, a library, a small chapel, and indoor and outdoor fountains and gardens.

State Legislative Building. Photo courtesy of N.C. Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development.

Visit http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/CitizenGuide/CitizenGuide.html to learn more. See how an idea becomes a law at http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/NCGAInfo/Bill-Law/bill-law.pdf.

North Carolina State Flag. Image credit: State Library of North Carolina. North Carolina’s official flag, adopted in 1885, contains two broad stripes—red over white—and a blue field containing the initials “N C” separated by a star. Two dates appear on the flag: April 12, 1776, representing the date of the adoption of the Halifax Resolves, the first formal action of a colony authorizing the delegates to the Continental Congress to vote for independence; and May 20, 1775, representing the disputed Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence.

By an act of the General Assembly of 1927, the song known as “The Old North State” was legally adopted as the official song of the State of North Carolina.

Visit http://statelibrary.dcr.state.nc.us/nc/symbols/SYMBOLS.HTM#song for additional information.