North Carolina

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State of North Carolina
Flag of North Carolina State seal of North Carolina
Flag of North Carolina Seal of North Carolina
Nickname(s): Tar Heel State; Old North State;
Cackalacky or North Cackalacky;
The Goodliest Land; The Rip Van Winkle State
Motto(s): Esse quam videri
Map of the United States with North Carolina highlighted
Official language(s) English
Capital Raleigh
Largest city Charlotte
Area  Ranked 28th
 - Total 53,865 sq mi
(139,509 km²)
 - Width 150 miles (240 km)
 - Length 560[1] miles (901 km)
 - % water 9.5
 - Latitude 34°N to 36°21'N
 - Longitude 75°30'W to 84°15'W
Population  Ranked 11th
 - Total (2000) 8,049,313
 - Density 165.24/sq mi 
63.80/km² (17th)
Elevation  
 - Highest point Mt. Mitchell[2]
6,684 ft  (2,038 m)
 - Mean 705 ft  (215 m)
 - Lowest point Atlantic Ocean[2]
0 ft  (0 m)
Admission to Union  November 21, 1789 (12th)
Governor Mike Easley (D)
U.S. Senators Elizabeth Dole (R)
Richard Burr (R)
Time zone Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Abbreviations NC US-NC
Web site www.nc.gov

North Carolina is a state located in the Southeastern United States along its Atlantic Seaboard. It was one of the original Thirteen Colonies, and the home of the first English colony in the Americas. It was also the location of the first successful powered heavier-than-air flight by the Wright brothers at Kill Devil Hills near Kitty Hawk in 1903. Today, it is a fast-growing state with an increasingly diverse economy and population. As of 2005, the population estimate is 8,683,242 - a 7.9% increase since April 1, 2000.

Due to its wide range of elevation, from sea level on the coast to over 6,000 feet in the mountains, North Carolina has the most variation in climate of all the Southeastern states. Its climate can be considered warm or mild in certain places. While the coastal plains, especially the tidewater areas, are strongly influenced by the Atlantic Ocean, the western, mountainous part of the state is more than 300 miles from the coast, and there is considerably less maritime influence there. As such, the climate of the state ranges from a warm, humid subtropical climate near the coast to one which is humid climate in the mountains. Most of the state falls in the humid subtropical zone.

Contents

[edit] Geography

North Carolina is bordered by South Carolina on the south; Georgia on the southwest; Tennessee on the west; Virginia on the north; and the Atlantic Ocean on the east. The United States Census Bureau classifies North Carolina as a Southern state in the subcategory of being one of the South Atlantic States.

North Carolina topographic map
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North Carolina topographic map

North Carolina consists of three main geographic sections: the coastal plain, which occupies the eastern 45% of the state; the Piedmont region, which contains the middle 35%; and the Appalachian Mountains and foothills, which take up the remaining 20% of the state in the west.

The coastal plain begins in the east as a chain of narrow, sandy barrier islands known as the "Outer Banks". The Outer Banks encompass two sounds — Albemarle Sound in the north and Pamlico Sound in the south; they are the two largest landlocked sounds in the United States. Inland the coastal plain is relatively flat, with rich soils which grow tobacco, soybeans, and cotton. The major rivers of this section, the Neuse River, Tar River, Pamlico River, Cape Fear River, and Roanoke River, tend to be slow-moving and wide.

Bodie Island Lighthouse, one of the Outer Banks attractions.
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Bodie Island Lighthouse, one of the Outer Banks attractions.

The coastal plain turns into 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 isolated mountain ridges. Many small, deeply eroded mountain ranges and peaks are located in the Piedmont, including the Saura Mountains, Pilot Mountain, the Uwharrie Mountains, Crowder's Mountain, King's Pinnacle, the Brushy Mountains, and the South Mountains. The Piedmont ranges from about 300–400 feet (90–120 m) elevation in the east to over 1,000 feet (300 m) in the west. The major rivers of the Piedmont, such as the Yadkin and Catawba, tend to be fast-flowing, shallow, and narrow.

The western section of the state is part of the Appalachian Mountain range. Among the subranges of the Appalachians located in the state are the Great Smoky Mountains, Blue Ridge Mountains, Balsams, Pisgahs, and the Black Mountains. The Black Mountains are the highest mountains in the Eastern United States, and culminate in Mount Mitchell at 6,684 feet (2,037 m)[2]. It is the highest point east of the Mississippi River. 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 northern state than a southern one.

[edit] Climate

Agriculture still thrives in Cary
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Agriculture still thrives in Cary

The three geographical divisions of North Carolina are also useful when discussing the climate of the state. The coastal plain, as mentioned above, is influenced by the Atlantic Ocean, and it helps keep the temperatures down in the summer and up in the winter. Daytime high temperatures on the coast average less than 90oF during the summer. In the winter, the coast has the mildest temperatures in the state. The coast typically has around one or two winter storms (snow/ice) every year and receives around 1 inch of snow annually. The Piedmont has hotter summers with daytime highs averaging over 90oF in many locations. While it is not common for temperatures to reach over 100oF 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. In the winter, the Piedmont is much less mild than the coast, with temperatures which can reach 20oF or below, and around 8–10 inches of annual snowfall. 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 inches a year. The Appalachian Mountains are the coolest area of the state, with temperatures frequently falling into the teens or lower in the winter, and relatively cool summers which rarely rise above 80 F. Snowfall in the mountains is usually 14–20 inches per year, but can be much higher in the higher elevations.

Severe weather is not a rare event in North Carolina. On average the state receives a direct hit from a hurricane once a decade, although in some years several hurricanes or tropical storms can either directly hit the state, or brush across its coastal areas. Only Florida and Louisiana are hit by the storms more often. On average, North Carolina has 50 days of thunderstorm activity per year, with some storms becoming severe enough to produce hail and strong, damaging winds. North Carolina averages less than 20 tornadoes per year, and some of these are produced by hurricanes or tropical storms along the coast. Nonetheless, tornadoes from thunderstorms are a risk, especially in the Piedmont region of central North Carolina. [3]

[edit] History

Main article: History of North Carolina

[edit] Native Americans and Lost Colony

Sir Walter Raleigh and his son
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Sir Walter Raleigh and his son

North Carolina was originally inhabited by many different native peoples, including the Cherokee, Tuscarora, Cheraw, Pamlico, Meherrin, Coree, Machapunga, Cape Fear Indians, Waxhaw, Saponi, Tutelo, Waccamaw, Coharie, and Catawba. North Carolina was the second American territory the British attempted to colonize. Sir Walter Raleigh, for whom the state capital is named, chartered two colonies on the North Carolina (then Virginia) coast in the late 1580s, both ending in failure. The demise of one, the "Lost Colony" of Roanoke Island, remains one of the great mysteries of American history. Virginia Dare, the first English child to be born in North America, was born in North Carolina. Dare County is named for her.

[edit] Colonial period and Revolutionary War

The first permanent European settlers of North Carolina were British colonists who migrated south from Virginia, following a rapid growth of the colony and the subsequent shortage of available farmland. Nathaniel Batts was documented as one of the first of these Virginian immigrants. He settled south of the Chowan River and east of the Great Dismal Swamp in 1655.[4] By 1663, this northeastern area of the Province of Carolina, known as the Albemarle Settlements, was experiencing full-scale British settlement.[5]

During the same period, the English monarch Charles II gave the province to the Lords Proprietors, a group of noblemen who had helped restore Charles to the throne in 1670. The new province of "Carolina" was named in honor and memory of King Charles I (Latin: Carolus). In 1712, North Carolina became a separate colony. With the exception of the Earl Granville's holdings, it became a royal colony seventeen years later.[6] On May 20, 1775 Mecklenburg County became the first North Carolina county to publicly declare its independence from Great Britain. It did so by issuing the Mecklenburg Declaration. (Because of its similarity to the more well-known United States Declaration of Independence, which would appear 18 months later, the document is thought by some to be spurious.) [6] 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. The dates of both of these independence-related events are memorialized on the state flag and state seal.[7] The road to Yorktown and America's independence from England led through North Carolina. As the British army moved north from victories in Charleston and Camden, South Carolina, the Southern Division of the Continental Army and local militia prepared to meet them. Following General Daniel Morgan's victory over the British Cavalry Commander Banastre Tarleton at the Battle of Cowpens on January 17, 1781, Southern Commander Nathanael Greene led British Lord Charles Cornwallis across the heartland of North Carolina, and away from Cornwallis's base of supply in Charleston, South Carolina. This campaign is known as "The Race to the Dan" or "The Race for the River Crossings."

Generals Greene and Cornwallis finally met at the Battle of Guilford Courthouse in present-day Greensboro on March 15, 1781. Although the British troops held the field at the end of the battle, their casualties at the hands of the numerically superior American Army were crippling. Following this "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, a victory which guaranteed American independence.

On November 21, 1789, North Carolina ratified the Constitution to become the twelfth state in the Union. The North Carolina delegation's reluctance to sign the Constitution was instrumental in creating the United States Bill of Rights. The state refused to ratify the constitution until some sort of declaration of the people's rights was added. The North Carolina Government received a letter from Continental Army General George Washington stating that this was a wonderful idea. Thus, the Bill of Rights was added to the United States Constitution. North Carolina worked to establish its state and local governments. In 1840, it completed the state capitol building in Raleigh, still standing today. In mid-century, the state's rural and commercial areas were connected by construction of a 129 mile (208 km) wooden plank road, known as a "farmer's railroad," from Fayetteville in the east to Bethania (northwest of Winston-Salem).

[edit] Civil War

In 1860, North Carolina was a slave state. However, it refused to join the Confederacy until President Abraham Lincoln called on it to invade its sister-state, South Carolina. The state was the site of few battles, but in the Civil War it provided at least 125,000 troops to the Confederacy— more than any other Confederate state. Approximately 40,000 of those troops never returned home, dead of battlefield wounds, disease and privation. Governor Zebulon Baird Vance, elected in 1862, tried to maintain state autonomy against Confederate President Jefferson Davis in Richmond. Even after secession, some North Carolinians refused to support the Confederacy; this was particularly true of non-slaveowning farmers in the state's mountains and western Piedmont region. Some of these farmers remained neutral during the war, while others covertly supported the Union cause during the conflict. Even so, Confederate troops from North Carolina served in virtually all the major battles of the Army of Northern Virginia, the Confederacy's largest and 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. In March 1865, Sherman was able to capture his chief North Carolina objective when he took Goldsboro; at the time it was the main railroad junction in North Carolina. Johnston surrendered one of the largest Confederate armies at Bennett Place, a farm house in what is now Durham, in late April 1865, weeks after General Robert E. Lee's surrender at Appomattox. A small, integrated guerrilla force of white and Cherokee Confederates under William Holland Thomas continued fighting in the mountains until May 10. This unit, called the "Thomas Legion," was North Carolina's sole legion and was never actually defeated by Union troops. On May 6, 1865, Thomas' Legion fired "The Last Shot" of the Civil War east of the Mississippi River in White Sulphur Springs, North Carolina. It had the distinction of capturing a city (Waynesville) then voluntarily ceasing from hostilities. North Carolina's port city of Wilmington was the last Confederate port to fall to the Union. It fell in the spring of 1865 after the nearby Second Battle of Fort Fisher. The first Confederate soldier to be killed in the Civil War was a North Carolinian, Private Henry Wyatt, at the Battle of Big Bethel in 1861. At the Battle of Gettysburg in July 1863, the 26th North Carolina Regiment participated in Pickett/Pettigrew's Charge and advanced the farthest into the Northern lines of any Confederate regiment. At Appomattox Court House in Virginia in April 1865, the 75th North Carolina Regiment, a cavalry unit, fired the last shots of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the Civil War. For many years, North Carolinians proudly boasted that they had been "First at Bethel, Farthest at Gettysburg, and Last at Appomattox."

[edit] Demographics

Historical populations
Census Pop. %±
1790 393,751 -
1800 478,103 21.4%
1810 556,526 16.4%
1820 638,829 14.8%
1830 737,987 15.5%
1840 753,419 2.1%
1850 869,039 15.3%
1860 992,622 14.2%
1870 1,071,361 7.9%
1880 1,399,750 30.7%
1890 1,617,949 15.6%
1900 1,893,810 17.1%
1910 2,206,287 16.5%
1920 2,559,123 16.0%
1930 3,170,276 23.9%
1940 3,571,623 12.7%
1950 4,061,929 13.7%
1960 4,556,155 12.2%
1970 5,082,059 11.5%
1980 5,881,766 15.7%
1990 6,628,637 12.7%
2000 8,049,313 21.4%
2005 (est.) 8,683,242

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2005, North Carolina has an estimated population of 8,683,242, which is an increase of 142,774, or 1.7%, from the prior year and an increase of 636,751, or 7.9%, 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 248,097 people (that is 627,309 births minus 379,212 deaths) and an increase due to net migration of 390,672 people into the state. Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 158,224 people, and migration within the country produced a net increase of 232,448 people. North Carolina has historically been a rural state, with most of the population living on farms and in small towns. However, over the last 25 years the state has undergone rapid urbanization, and today the residents of North Carolina live primarily in urban areas, as is the case in most of the United States. In particular, the cities of Charlotte and Raleigh have become major urban centers, with a large, diverse, and rapidly-growing population. Most of this growth in diversity has been fueled by immigrants from Latin America, especially Mexico. The state has also witnessed a large increase in the number of immigrants from Asia, especially India and countries in Southeast Asia, such as Vietnam.

The center of population of North Carolina is located in Randolph County, in the town of Seagrove.[8]

6.7% of North Carolina's population were reported as under 5 years old, 24.4% under 18, and 12.0% were 65 or older. Females made up approximately 51% of the population.


Demographics of North Carolina (csv)
By race White Black AIAN Asian NHPI
AIAN is American Indian or Alaskan Native   -   NHPI is Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
2000 (total population) 75.27% 22.20% 1.65% 1.70% 0.11%
2000 (Hispanic only) 4.28% 0.33% 0.10% 0.05% 0.03%
2005 (total population) 74.95% 22.29% 1.65% 2.06% 0.12%
2005 (Hispanic only) 5.89% 0.37% 0.12% 0.05% 0.03%
Growth 2000-2005 (total population) 7.41% 8.31% 7.51% 30.62% 17.92%
Growth 2000-2005 (non-Hispanic only) 4.93% 8.13% 6.31% 30.71% 16.84%
Growth 2000-2005 (Hispanic only) 48.62% 20.36% 25.79% 27.15% 21.63%

North Carolina has 3 Metropolitan Combined Statistical Areas with a population over 1 million:

  • The Metrolina: Charlotte/Gastonia/Rock Hill, NC-SC - population 2,124,013
  • The Triangle: Raleigh/Durham/Cary (official - known colloquially as Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill) - population of 1,509,560
  • The Piedmont Triad: Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point - population of 1,490,886
North Carolina Population Density Map
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North Carolina Population Density Map

The five largest ancestry groups in North Carolina are: African American (21.6%), Scots & Scots-Irish (13.9%), English (9.5%), German (9.5%), Irish (7.4%). North Carolina has one of the largest Native American populations in the United States. North Carolina has the second largest Laotian American population in the country.

[edit] Most populated counties, 2010 Projected

County Seat Projected Population Gains since 2000
Mecklenberg Charlotte 895,290 + 199,836
Wake Raleigh 869,704 + 241,858
Guilford Greensboro 465,990 + 44,492
Forsyth Winston-Salem 345,867 + 39,800
Cumberland Fayetteville 306,077 + 3,114
Durham Durham 261,850 + 38,536
Buncombe Asheville 231,422 + 25,092
Union Monroe 202,181 +78,505
Gaston Gastonia 201,909 +11,544
New Hanover Wilmington 199,303 +38,996
Pitt Greenville 198,410 + 64,612

[edit] African Americans

African Americans are concentrated in the state's eastern Coastal Plain and in parts of the Piedmont Plateau where plantation agriculture was most dominant. Until the mid 1860s, North Carolina had more small farms and fewer plantations than adjacent South Carolina and Virginia. These "yeoman" farmers were non-slave holding, private land owners of tracts of approximately 500 acres (2 km²).

[edit] European Americans

North Carolinians of Scots-Irish, Scottish and English ancestry are concentrated in the western mountains, coastal areas, and rural areas of the central Piedmont. In the Winston-Salem area, there is a substantial population of German ancestry from the migration of members of the Moravian faith during the 18th century. Also, in Charlotte, there is a large group of Croatians, led by the Radovanic clan and James Michael Ivey.

[edit] Native Americans

Estimated population figures for Native American in North Carolina as of 2004 is 110,198, or 1.3% of the total North Carolina population. Only five states (California, Arizona, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Texas) have a larger Native American population than North Carolina.[citation needed] The total Native American and Alaska Native population in the United States is 2,824,751, or 0.95% of total U.S. population.

To date, North Carolina recognizes eight Native American tribal nations within its state borders:

  • The Lumbee are the largest Native American tribe east of the Mississippi River and the ninth largest tribal nation in the U.S. The Lumbee comprise roughly one-half the state of North Carolina's indigenous population of 84,000 with a population of 52,614, and live in Robeson, Hoke, Scotland, and Cumberland counties. The Lumbee received state recognition in 1885, and have maintained a relationship with the federal government since 1888, but federal recognition is still pending.
  • The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians were federally recognized in 1868 and received state recognition in 1889. The Eastern Cherokee live in western Swain County, as well as Graham and Jackson counties, and have roughly 13,400 enrolled members, most of whom live on a reservation properly called the Qualla Boundary. The Reservation is slightly more than 56,000 acres, 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 and Warren counties.
  • The almost 2,000 members of the Waccamaw Siouan Indian Tribe are located in the southeastern North Carolina counties of Bladen and Columbus and received state recognition in 1971.
  • The Coharie Tribe of Native Americans are located in Sampson and Harnett counties, and have a population of 1,781 enrolled members. The Coharie received state recognition in 1911. North Carolina rescinded recognition in 1913 but reinstated it in 1971.
  • The Sappony Indians of Person County received state recognition in 1911 and have 850 enrolled members.
  • The Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation have a population of 800 members who reside in Orange and Alamance counties and received state recognition in 2002.
  • The Meherrin are an Iroquoian-descent Native American tribe located primarily in rural northeastern Hertford, Bertie, and Gates counties, with a population of 557 enrolled members.

[edit] Asian Americans

The state has one of the fastest growing Asian American, specifically Indians and Vietnamese, populations in the country; the populations have nearly quintupled and tripled respectively between 1990 and 2002. Most 2006 estimates claim Asians to be at least 3.2% of North Carolina's population.

[edit] Religion

North Carolina, like other Southern states, has traditionally been overwhelmingly Protestant, with the largest Protestant denomination being the Baptists. However, the rapid influx of Northerners and immigrants from Latin America is steadily increasing the number of Roman Catholics and Jews in the state, and the numerical dominance of the Baptist Church is beginning to decline. This is especially evident in the urban areas of the state, where the population is more culturally diverse than the rural and small-town population. The fastest growing non-Judeo-Christian religion is Hinduism largely due to the rapidly increasing Indian and Sri Lankan populations. The current religious affiliations of the people of North Carolina are shown below:

[edit] Economy

According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the state's 2004 total gross state product was $336 billion.[9] Its 2005 per capita personal income was $31,029, 36th in the nation.[10] North Carolina's agricultural outputs include poultry and eggs, tobacco, hogs, milk, nursery stock, cattle, sweet potatoes, and soybeans. However, North Carolina is the state most affected by outsourcing; one in five North Carolina manufacturing jobs has been lost to overseas competition.[11]

[edit] Agriculture and Manufacturing

Over the past century, North Carolina has grown to become a national leader in agriculture, financial services, and industry. The state's industrial output—mainly textiles, chemicals, electrical equipment, paper and pulp/paper products—ranked eighth in the nation in the early 1990s. The textile industry, which was once a mainstay of the state's economy, has been steadily losing jobs to markets in Latin America and Asia for the past 25 years. 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 or leave farming altogether.

[edit] Technology, Research and Finance

The information and biotechnology industries have been steadily on the rise

since the creation of the Research Triangle Park in the 1950's. Located between Raleigh and Durham, its proximity to local research universities has no doubt helped to fuel growth. Meanwhile, beginning in the 1980's, Charlotte's banking industry began a period of rapid growth, creating what is now the second largest banking center in the United States (after New York).

[edit] Film and the Arts

North Carolina is the third largest film production state behind California and New York. Film studios are located in Shelby, Raleigh, Durham, Charlotte, Asheville, and Wilmington.

Some of the better-known films and television shows filmed in North Carolina include: All the Real Girls, Being There, Blue Velvet, Bull Durham, Cabin Fever, Cape Fear, The Crow, Dawson's Creek, Dirty Dancing, Firestarter, The Fugitive, George Washington, Last of the Mohicans, Loggerheads, One Tree Hill, Shallow Hal, and Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.

The television show most associated with North Carolina is The Andy Griffith Show, which aired on CBS-TV from 1960 to 1968. The series is set in the fictional small town of Mayberry, North Carolina and was based on the real-life town of Mount Airy, North Carolina, although it was filmed in California. Mount Airy is the hometown of actor Andy Griffith. The show is still popular in reruns and is frequently shown in syndication around the nation.

[edit] Revenue

North Carolina personal income tax is divided into 4 brackets, ranging from 6.0% to 8.25%. The state sales tax is 4.5%. 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 7%. Mecklenburg County has an additional 0.5% local tax for public transportation, bringing sales taxes there to a total 7.5%. Effective January 1, 2006, the total local rate of tax in Dare County increased to 3.5%, producing a combined state and local rate there of 8%. The property tax in North Carolina is a locally assessed tax, collected by the counties. The three main elements of the property tax system in North Carolina are real property, motor vehicles and personal property (inventories and household personal property are exempt).

[edit] Transportation

[edit] International/Major regional airports

Main article: List of airports in North Carolina

[edit] Mass transit

North Carolina Rail train passing through Elon
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North Carolina Rail train passing through Elon

Several cities are served by mass transit systems. The Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) operates historical trolleys, express shuttles and bus service serving Charlotte and its immediate suburbs. In 2007 it is expected to open a light rail line connecting Charlotte with suburban Pineville. The Fayetteville Area System of Transit (FAST) serves the city with ten bus routes and two shuttle routes. Within Raleigh, the Capital Area Transit system operates 27 bus routes. The Triangle Transit Authority operates buses that serve the region and connect to municipal bus systems in Durham and Chapel Hill; efforts for the city of Raleigh to build a light rail from the downtown areas of Raleigh to the downtown area of Durham failed as TTA's projected ridership did not meet Federal Standards. The Durham Area Transit Authority (DATA) bus system run 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 bus service, Chapel Hill Transit. Piedmont Area Regional Transport (PART) provides limited bus service in and around Winston-Salem, Greensboro, and High Point. There is also a commuter rail network extending across the state.

[edit] Major highways

Main article: North Carolina Highway System

The North Carolina Highway System is comprised of a vast network of Interstate highways, U.S. routes, and state routes. North Carolina has the second largest state maintained highway network in the United States.[12]

[edit] Law and government

The state capitol in Raleigh
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The state capitol in Raleigh

The governor, lieutenant governor, and eight elected executive department heads form the Council of State. Ten other executive department heads appointed by the governor form the North Carolina Cabinet. The state's current governor is Democrat Mike Easley.

The North Carolina General Assembly, or Legislature, consists of two houses: a 50-member Senate and a 120-member House of Representatives. For the 2005–2006 session, the current President Pro Tempore of the Senate is Democrat Marc Basnight (the Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina is the President of the Senate); The House Speaker is Democrat James B. Black. The prior legislature's power sharing two-speaker arrangement is no longer in effect, as the House Democrats won a decided victory and majority of the seats in the 2004 election.

In 2005, the state Legislature voted to implement a state lottery, nullifying 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 lottery began selling tickets March 31, 2006. North Carolina remains a control state, although beer and wine can be sold by retailers.

The Supreme Court of North Carolina is the state's highest appellate court; it numbers seven justices. The North Carolina Court of Appeals is the only intermediate appellate court in the state; it consists of fifteen judges who rule in rotating panels of three. Together, the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals constitute the appellate division of the court system.

The trial division includes the Superior Court and the District Court. All felony criminal cases, civil cases involving more than $10,000 and misdemeanor and infraction appeals from District Court are tried in Superior Court. A jury of 12 hears the criminal cases.

Civil cases—such as divorce, custody, child support and cases involving less than $10,000—are heard in District Court, along with criminal cases involving misdemeanors and infractions. The trial of a criminal case in District Court is always without a jury. The District Court also hears juvenile cases involving children under the age of 16 who are delinquent and children under the age of 18 who are undisciplined, dependent, neglected or abused. Magistrates accept guilty pleas for minor misdemeanors, accept guilty pleas for traffic violations, and accept waivers of trial for worthless-check cases among other things. In civil cases, the magistrate is authorized to try small claims involving up to $4,000 including landlord eviction cases. Magistrates also perform civil marriages.

[edit] Federal Apportionments

North Carolina currently has 13 congressional districts, which, when combined with its two U.S. Senate seats, gives the state 15 electoral votes. In the 109th Congress, the state was represented by 6 Democratic members of congress, seven Republican members of congress, and two Republican Senators. The Democrats picked up one seat (District 11) in the 110th Congress.

[edit] Politics

North Carolina, like most other American states, is politically dominated by the Democratic and Republican political parties. Historically, North Carolina has been politically divided between the eastern and western parts of the state. Before the Civil War, the eastern half of North Carolina supported the Democratic Party, primarily because the region contained most of the state's slaveowners and large cash crops. The western half of the state tended to support the Whig party, which was generally seen as being more moderate on the issue of slavery and which was more supportive of business interests. Following the Civil War, the Republicans, backed by the victorious U.S. Army, controlled the state government. In the 1870s, the federal troops left, and the Democratic Party quickly gained control of the state government.

In 1894, the Republican and Populist parties formed an alliance, generally called the fusion, which gained control of the state legislature and governorship. However, in 1898 the state Democratic party, in a blatantly racist campaign, regained control of the state government. Using the slogan "White Supremacy", and backed by influential newspapers such as the Raleigh News and Observer under publisher Josephus Daniels, the Democrats ousted the Populist-Republican majority. With some notable exceptions, North Carolina then became a part of the "Solid Democratic South." Some areas of the western Piedmont and 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, whose father, Charles A. Jonas, had served one term in Congress (1929-1931) after Herbert Hoover carried the state in 1928. Republicans slowly made gains in the 1960s, and in 1972, aided by the landslide re-election of Richard Nixon, the Republicans elected their first governor and U.S. Senator of the twentieth century. The Senator, Jesse Helms, played a major role in reviving the Republicans and turning North Carolina into a two-party state. Under his banner many conservative Democrats in the middle and eastern parts of North Carolina left the Democrats and began to vote increasingly Republican. In part this was due to these Democrats' dissatisfaction with the national party's stance on the issues of civil rights and racial integration, and later to the national Democratic Party's leftward tilt on social issues such as prayer in school, gun rights, abortion rights, and gay rights. From 1968–2004 (with the sole exception of Jimmy Carter's election in 1976), North Carolina has voted Republican in every presidential election. At a state level, however, the state is roughly evenly balanced between the parties, and state and local elections are now highly competitive. The Republicans hold both U.S. Senate seats, but the Democrats retain the governorship, majorities in both houses of the state legislature, and a majority of U.S. House seats as of January 2007. Modern North Carolina politics center less around the old east-west geographical split, and more on a growing urban-suburban-rural divide. Many of the state's rural and small-town areas are now heavily Republican, while growing urban centers such as Charlotte, Raleigh, and Greensboro are increasingly Democratic. The suburban areas around the cities usually hold the balance of power, and vote both ways.

Third parties have had difficulty making inroads in state politics, including the Green Party and Libertarian Party which have run candidates for office. Neither party has ever successfully elected a candidate to a state office, and the Libertarian party is currently engaged in a lawsuit with the state over ballot access. [13]

[edit] State constitution

Main article: North Carolina Constitution

North Carolina has had three constitutions:

  • 1776: ratified December 18, 1776, as the first constitution of the independent state. The Declaration of Rights was ratified the preceding day.
  • 1868: framed in accordance with the Reconstruction Acts after North Carolina was readmitted into the Union. It was a major reorganization and modification of the original into fourteen articles. It also introduced townships which each county was required to create, the only southern state to do so.
  • 1971: minor consolidation of the 1868 constitution and subsequent amendments.

[edit] Education

[edit] Elementary and secondary education

Elementary and secondary public schools are overseen by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, which is headed by a Superintendent. Most legal authority for making public education policy is vested in the North Carolina State Board of Education, of which the Superintendent is a member and secretary.[14]

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 biggest school systems in North Carolina are the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and the Wake County Public School System. The state has also established charter schools, which fall outside the ordinary structure.

See also: List of school districts in North Carolina

[edit] Colleges and universities

Main article: List of colleges and universities in North Carolina

North Carolina is home to 41 private and 74 public colleges and universities, including such well-know schools as Wake Forest University, Duke University, North Carolina State University, and the University of North Carolina.

[edit] See also

[edit] Sports and recreation

Main article: Sports in North Carolina

[edit] Professional sports

RBC Center
Enlarge
RBC Center

Despite having over eight million people, the disbursement of North Carolina's population over three major metropolitan areas has precluded attracting any major professional sports league teams until recently. 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). Although more populous New Jersey also does not have an MLB team, New Jersey residents are often fans of the nearby Philadelphia Phillies, the New York Mets, or the New York Yankees. North Carolina lacks its own team as well as any nearby teams.

On June 19, 2006 the Carolina Hurricanes, a National Hockey League (NHL) 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 RBC Center, which was named by the Royal Bank of Canada.

The National Football League is represented by the Carolina Panthers, who play home games in the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. The National Basketball Association is represented by the Charlotte Bobcats; home games are played in the Charlotte Bobcats Arena in Charlotte, which is also home court to the Women's National Basketball Association team, the Charlotte Sting.

The Carolina Railhawks are a men's professional soccer team in the United Soccer Leagues, due to compete in their first season in 2007. Home field is the SAS Stadium in Cary

The state is also a center of American motorsports, with many NASCAR racing teams and related industries located near Charlotte. NASCAR recently announced that the NASCAR Hall of Fame will be built in Charlotte.

There are also many motorcross and off-road races in North Carolina, the North Carolina Hare scramble Association hosts 16 races each year throughout North Carolina. Also the GNCC Racing series makes 2 stops in North Carolina, in Morganton and Yadkinville, the only other state to host 2 GNCCs is Ohio.

[edit] Amateur sports and recreation

The Blue Ridge Mountains of the Shining Rock Wilderness Area
Enlarge
The Blue Ridge Mountains of the Shining Rock Wilderness Area

For amateurs, the state holds the State Games of North Carolina each year.

North Carolinians enjoy outdoor recreation utilizing numerous local bike paths, 34 state parks, and 14 national parks, including:

[edit] Miscellaneous topics

The 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, a nuclear attack submarine, is to be commissioned in 2007.

Haw River is the location of the untimely death of blood plasma pioneer Dr. Charles Drew, on April 1, 1950. He was driving a group of his colleagues to a medical conference in Alabama when he apparently dozed off at the wheel, resulting in a crash and the mortal wounds that were the cause of his death. An urban myth developed that he had been denied treatment and allowed to bleed to death, because of his being black, but eyewitnesses, including one of his fellow doctors who was at the hospital, have testified that nothing of the sort happened, as detailed in this article from the Raleigh News and Observer.[15]

[edit] State symbols

Strawberry
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Strawberry

Main Article :North Carolina state symbols

[edit] Armed Forces Installations


[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ North Carolina Climate and Geography. NC Kids Page. North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State (May 8, 2006). Retrieved on 2006-11-07.
  2. ^ a b c Elevations and Distances in the United States. U.S Geological Survey (29 April 2005). Retrieved on 2006-11-06.
  3. ^ NOAA National Climatic Data Center. Retrieved on 2006-10-24.
  4. ^ Fenn and Wood, Natives and Newcomers, pp. 24-25
  5. ^ Powell, North Carolina Through Four Centuries, p. 105
  6. ^ a b Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence. Farlex, Inc. Retrieved on 2006-09-12.
  7. ^ The Great Seal of North Carolina. NETSTATE. Retrieved on 2006-09-12.
  8. ^ State Centers.
  9. ^ Gross State Product. U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (2006-06-23). Retrieved on 2006-09-12.
  10. ^ Per Capita Personal Income. U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (September 2006). Retrieved on 2006-10-23.
  11. ^ Fishman, China, Inc.: How the Rise of the Next Superpower Challenges America and the World, p. 179
  12. ^ NCDOT Quick Facts. North Carolina Department of Transportation (July 2005). Retrieved on 2006-11-30.
  13. ^ Hogarth, Susan (2005). Special LPNC Announcement: First victory in LPNC Lawsuit!!!. Libertarian Party of North Carolina. Retrieved on 2006-12-13.
  14. ^ North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.
  15. ^ Doctor wants to put end to story hospital refused to treat black physician. The News and Observer Publishing Company. Retrieved on 2006-09-12.

[edit] Surveys

  • William S. Powell and Jay Mazzocchi, "Encyclopedia of North Carolina" (The University of North Carolina Press (October 25, 2006)) ISBN: 0807830712
  • James Clay and Douglas Orr, eds., North Carolina Atlas: Portrait of a Changing Southern State (University of North Carolina Press, 1971).
  • Crow; Jeffrey J. and Larry E. Tise; Writing North Carolina History University of North Carolina Press, 1979
  • Fleer; Jack D. North Carolina Government & Politics University of Nebraska Press, 1994
  • Hawks; Francis L. History of North Carolina 2 vol 1857
  • 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).
  • Lefler; Hugh Talmage. A Guide to the Study and Reading of North Carolina History University of North Carolina Press, 1963)
  • Hugh Talmage Lefler and Albert Ray Newsome, North Carolina: The History of a Southern State University of North Carolina Press (1954, 1963, 1973)
  • Paul Luebke, Tar Heel Politics: Myths and Realities (University of North Carolina Press, 1990).
  • William S. Powell, North Carolina through Four Centuries University of North Carolina Press (1989).

[edit] External links

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[edit] Government and education

[edit] Other links


North Carolina's current delegation to the United States Congress
Senators: Elizabeth Dole (R), Richard Burr (R)

Representative(s): G. K. Butterfield (D), Bob Etheridge (D), Walter B. Jones (R), David E. Price (D), Virginia Foxx (R), Howard Coble (R), Mike McIntyre (D), Robin Hayes (R), Sue Wilkins Myrick (R), Patrick T. McHenry (R), Charles H. Taylor (R), Melvin L. Watt (D), Brad Miller (D)

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