View source for North Carolina

{{about|the State of North Carolina|the British colony that existed from 1712 to 1776|Province of North Carolina|other uses}}
{{redirect|The Old North State|the song of the same name|The Old North State (song)}}
{{pp-move-indef}}
{{short description|State of the United States of America}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Infobox U.S. state
| official_name = State of North Carolina
| image_flag = Flag of North Carolina.svg
| name = North Carolina
| image_seal = Seal of North Carolina.svg
| flag_link = Flag of North Carolina
| nickname = Old North State; {{nowrap|[[Tar Heel]] State}}
| motto = ''[[Esse quam videri]]'':<ref name="ReferenceB">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.</ref> {{nowrap|"To be, rather than to seem"}}
| anthem = [[The Old North State (song)|The Old North State]]
| image_map = North Carolina in United States.svg
| OfficialLang = English<ref>{{cite web|page=§ 145–12|title=State language|quotation=(a)Purpose. English is the most common language 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>
| 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>
* English 90.70%
* Spanish 6.93%
* Other 2.73%
| population_demonym = North Carolinian (official);<br>[[Tar Heel]] (colloquial)
| LargestCity = [[Charlotte, North Carolina|Charlotte]]
| seat = [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]]
| LargestMetro = [[Charlotte metropolitan area|Greater Charlotte]]
| area_rank = 28th
| area_total_sq_mi = 53,819
| area_total_km2 = 139,390
| width_mi = 184
| width_km = 296
| 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>
| length_km = 804
| area_water_percent = 9.5
| Latitude = 33° 50′ N to 36° 35′ N
| Longitude = 75° 28′ W to 84° 19′ W
| population_rank = 9th
| population_as_of = 2020
| 2010Pop = 10,453,948
| 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>
| 2000DensityUS = 214.6
| 2000Density = 82.9
| population_density_rank = 15th
| IncomeRank = 39th
| 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><ref>Elevation adjusted to [[North American Vertical Datum of 1988]].</ref>
| elevation_max_ft = 6,684
| elevation_max_m = 2037
| elevation_ft = 700
| elevation_m = 210
| elevation_min_point = Atlantic Ocean<ref name=USGS />
| elevation_min_m = 0
| elevation_min_ft = 0
| Former = Province of North-Carolina
| AdmittanceDate = November 21, 1789
| AdmittanceOrder = 12th
| Governor = {{nowrap|[[Roy Cooper]] ([[North Carolina Democratic Party|D]])}}
| Lieutenant Governor = {{nowrap|[[Mark Robinson (American politician)|Mark Robinson]] ([[North Carolina Republican Party|R]])}}
| Upperhouse = [[North Carolina Senate|Senate]]<br>'''[[President pro tempore of the North Carolina Senate|President pro tempore]]:''' [[Philip E. Berger]] ([[North Carolina Republican Party|R]])
| Lowerhouse = [[North Carolina House of Representatives|House of Representatives]]<br>'''[[Speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives|Speaker]]:''' [[Tim Moore (North Carolina politician)|Tim Moore]] ([[North Carolina Republican Party|R]])
| Judiciary = [[North Carolina Supreme Court]] <br>'''Chief Justice:''' [[Paul Martin Newby]] ([[North Carolina Republican Party|R]])
| Senators = {{nowrap|[[Richard Burr]] ([[North Carolina Republican Party|R]])}}<br>{{nowrap|[[Thom Tillis]] ([[North Carolina Republican Party|R]])}}
| Representative = {{plainlist|
* 8 Republicans
* 5 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://www.nc.gov/
| LargestCounty = [[Wake County, North Carolina|Wake]]
| Old Capital = [[New Bern 1766, Hillsborogh NC, 1754]]
| area_land_sq_mi = 48,711
| area_land_km2 = 126,161
| area_water_km2 = 5,108
| ElectoralVotes = 15
| Capital = Raleigh
| Representatives = 
}}
{{Infobox U.S. state symbols
|Name = North Carolina
|Flag = Flag of North Carolina.svg
|Seal = Seal of North Carolina.svg
|Bird = [[Cardinal (bird)|Cardinal]]
|Butterfly = [[Papilio glaucus|Eastern tiger swallowtail]]
|Fish = [[Red drum]]
|Flower = [[Flowering dogwood]]
|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|Shag]]
|Food = [[Scuppernong]] grape and [[sweet potato]]
|Fossil = [[Megalodon]] teeth
|Gemstone = [[Emerald]]
|Mineral = [[Gold]]
|Motto = ''[[Esse quam videri]]''<br>("To be, rather than to seem")<ref name="ReferenceB"/>
|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 = Frog: [[Pine Barrens tree frog]]
|Route Marker = NC 24.svg
|Quarter = 2001 NC Proof.png
|QuarterReleaseDate = 2001
}}

'''North Carolina''' ({{IPAc-en|audio=en-us-North Carolina.ogg|ˌ|k|ær|ə|ˈ|l|aɪ|n|ə}}) is a [[U.S. state|state]] in the [[Southeastern United States|Southeastern]] region of the United States. North Carolina 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|50 United States]]. It is bordered by [[Virginia]] to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] and [[South Carolina]] to the south, and [[Tennessee]] to the west. [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]] is the state's [[List of capitals in the United States|capital]] and [[Charlotte, North Carolina|Charlotte]] is its largest city. The [[Charlotte metropolitan area]], with an estimated population of 2,569,213 in 2018, is the most-populous [[Metropolitan statistical area|metropolitan area]] in North Carolina, the [[List of metropolitan statistical areas|23rd-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|Raleigh-Durham-Cary combined statistical area]] is the second-largest metropolitan area in the state, with an estimated population of 2,079,687 in 2019, and is home to the largest research park in the United States, [[Research Triangle Park]].

North Carolina was established as a [[Crown colony|royal colony]] in 1729 and is one of the original [[Thirteen Colonies]]. North Carolina is named in honor of King [[Charles&nbsp;I of England]] who first formed the English colony, ''Carolus'' being Latin for "Charles". The [[Halifax Resolves]] resolution adopted by North Carolina on April 12, 1776, was the first formal call for independence from Great Britain 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]. ''National Park Service''. Retrieved May 2, 2021.</ref> 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 declared its [[Secession in the United States|secession]] from the [[Union (American Civil War)|Union]] on May 20, 1861, becoming the 10th of eleven states to join the [[Confederate States of America|Confederate States]]. Following the Civil War, the state was restored to the Union on July 4, 1868.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The A to Z of the Civil War and Reconstruction|last=Richter, William L. (William Lee), 1942-|date=2009|publisher=Scarecrow Press|others=Richter, William L. (William Lee), 1942-|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 [[Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina|Kill Devil Hills]] in North Carolina's [[Outer Banks]]. North Carolina 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 6,684 feet (2,037{{nbs}}m) is the highest-point in North America east of the [[Mississippi River]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ncparks.gov/Visit/parks/momi/history.php|title=Mount Mitchell State Park|access-date=November 7, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101120185237/http://www.ncparks.gov/Visit/parks/momi/history.php|archive-date=November 20, 2010|url-status=live}}</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]].

== 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.]]
[[File:Our Savage Manteo - Stierch.jpg|thumb|right|A plaque to commemorate the first indigenous person who was converted to Christianity, [[Manteo (Croatan)|Manteo]], at the Roanoke Colony]]

North Carolina was inhabited for at least ten thousand years by succeeding [[prehistoric]] [[indigenous peoples|indigenous]] cultures. The [[Hardaway Site]] saw major periods of occupation dating to 10,000 years BP. Before 200 AD, the people were building [[Earthworks (archaeology)|earthwork]] [[platform mounds]], which were used 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 (as noted below), in what became known as the western Carolinas, northeastern Georgia and southeastern Tennessee, most of the larger towns had only one central platform mound. The smaller settlements had none but developed close to the 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 large, complex 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. 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". As described by anthropologist Robbie Ethridge, the Mississippian shatter zone was an area of great instability, in what is now the American South, caused by the instability of Mississippian chiefdoms, high mortality from new Eurasian diseases, construction of a global capitalistic economy based on trading of Native American slaves, 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|others=Woolford, Andrew John, 1971-, Benvenuto, Jeff, 1984-, Hinton, Alexander Laban.|date=October 31, 2014|isbn=978-0-8223-5763-6|location=Durham|oclc=873985135}}</ref>

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

In the late 16th century, the first Spanish [[explorer]]s traveling inland recorded meeting  [[Mississippian culture]] people at [[Joara]], a regional [[chiefdom]] near what later developed as [[Morganton, North Carolina|Morganton]]. 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. Pardo made a winter base at Joara, which he renamed ''Cuenca''. His expedition built [[Fort San Juan (Joara)|Fort San Juan]] and left a contingent of 30 men there, while Pardo traveled further. 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 Spanish soldiers and burned the six forts in the interior, including the one at Fort San Juan. 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=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author1=Patrick Gibbs |url=http://antiquity.ac.uk/ProjGall/moore/index.html |first2=David G. |last2=Moore |first3=Robin A. |last3=Beck Jr. |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>
[[File:Croatoan.jpg|thumb|right|[[John White (colonist and artist)|John White]] returns to find the colony abandoned]]

===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]]).<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 which the English attempted to colonize. Raleigh established two colonies on the coast in the late 1580s, but both failed. The fate of the "[[Roanoke Colony|Lost Colony]]" of [[Roanoke Island]] remains one of the most widely debated mysteries of American history. [[Virginia Dare]], the first English child to be born in North America, was born on Roanoke Island on August 18, 1587; [[Dare County, North Carolina|Dare County]] is named for her.
[[File:The Carte of all the Coast of Virginia by Theodor de Bry 1585 1586.jpg|thumb|left|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]]]]

As early as 1650, settlers from the Virginia colony had moved into the area of [[Albemarle Sound]]. 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{{nbs}}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. In 1710, owing to disputes over governance, the Carolina colony began to split into North Carolina and [[South Carolina]]. The latter became a crown colony in 1729.

Later in the 1700s, a series of [[smallpox]] epidemics swept the South, causing 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#v=onepage |date=January 8, 2016 }}'', University of Oklahoma Press. p.79. {{ISBN|0-8061-2220-X}}</ref>

=== Colonial period and Revolutionary War ===

{{Main|Province of Carolina|Province of North-Carolina|French and Indian War|Treaty of Paris (1763)|Indian Reserve (1763)|American Revolutionary War|Southern theater of the American Revolutionary War|Lee Resolution|United States Declaration of Independence|Articles of Confederation#Ratification|Treaty of Paris (1783)}}
[[File:Tryon Palace.JPG|thumb|Reconstructed royal governor's mansion [[Governor's Palace, New Bern|Tryon Palace]], in [[New Bern, North Carolina|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]]. The latter 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{{nbs}}II gave the province to the [[Lords Proprietors]], a group of noblemen who had helped restore him to the throne in 1660. The new [[Province of Carolina]] was named in honor and memory of his father, Charles{{nbs}}I (Latin: ''Carolus''). A large revolt happened in the state in 1711, known as [[Cary's Rebellion]]. In 1712, North Carolina became a separate colony. Except for the [[John Carteret, 2nd Earl Granville|Earl Granville]] holdings, it became a royal colony seventeen years later.<ref name="autogenerated1">Lefler and Newsome, (1973).</ref>

In June 1718, the pirate [[Blackbeard]] ran his flagship, the ''[[Queen Anne's Revenge]]'', 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 English [[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 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 the pirates had been captured and killed. 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 a small number of [[Loyalist (American Revolution)|Loyalists]]. Loyalists in North Carolina were smaller in number than in some other colonies such as Georgia, South Carolina, Delaware, and New York.

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>

Differences in the settlement patterns of eastern and western North Carolina, or the [[Tidewater (region)|Tidewater]] and uplands, affected the political, economic, and social life of the state from the 18th until the 20th century. The Tidewater in eastern North Carolina was settled chiefly by immigrants from rural England and the [[Scottish Highlands]]. The upcountry of western North Carolina was settled chiefly by [[Ulster Scots people|Scots-Irish]], English, and [[Germans|German]] Protestants, the so-called "[[cohee]]". Arriving during the mid- to late 18th century, the Scots-Irish 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= live }}</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> During the [[American Revolutionary War]], the English and Highland Scots of eastern North Carolina tended to remain loyal to the British Crown, because of longstanding business and personal connections with Great Britain. The English, Welsh, Scots-Irish, and German settlers of western North Carolina tended to favor American independence from Britain.

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 white women and enslaved or free African or African-American men. Because 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. The economy's growth and prosperity was based on slave labor, devoted primarily to the production of tobacco.

On April 12, 1776, the colony became the first to instruct its delegates to the [[Continental Congress]] to vote for independence from the British Crown, through the [[Halifax Resolves]] passed by the [[North Carolina Provincial Congress]]. The 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.

During the [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]], North Carolina had around 7,800 men 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.

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 mountain men 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 Kings Mountain gave the advantage to colonists who favored American independence, and it prevented the British Army from recruiting new soldiers from the Tories.
[[File:Battle of Guiliford Courthouse 15 March 1781.jpg|thumb|left|1st Maryland Regiment holding the line at the [[Battle of Guilford Court House]]]]

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. 3.</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 [[United States Constitution|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 [[Tidewater (geographic term)|Tidewater]] region, developed a slave society based on a [[plantations in the American South|plantation]] system and [[slavery|slave]] labor. Besides slaves, there were a number of [[free people of color]] in the state. 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> After the [[American Revolutionary War|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 were dominated by white families, especially Scots-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. Southern slave codes criminalized willful killing of a slave in most cases.<ref>{{cite book |last=Morris |first=Thomas D. |title=''Southern Slavery and the Law, 1619–1860'' |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VmPWCKh0hZAC&pg=PA172 |publisher=University of North Carolina Press |year=1999 |page=172 |isbn=978-0-8078-6430-2 |access-date=October 17, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151025050702/https://books.google.com/books?id=VmPWCKh0hZAC&pg=PA172 |archive-date=October 25, 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref>

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. 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.
[[File:Map North Carolina roads and railroads 1854.jpg|thumb|[[Map]] of the roads and railroads of North Carolina, 1854]]
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]].

While slaveholding was slightly less concentrated compared to 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 eastern [[Tidewater (geographic term)|Tidewater]] region 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. The decades of tensions over issues of slavery would be the main cause of the Civil War.

=== 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|Union troops capture [[Fort Fisher]], 1865]]

In 1860, North Carolina was a slave state, in which one-third of the states total population was enslaved. 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}}</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]], along with many other men leaving 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]. ''North Carolina Museum of History''. Retrieved December 20, 2020.</ref> Over 30,000 North Carolina troops died from disease, battlefield wounds, or starvation.<ref>[https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/civil-war-casualties Civil War Casualties | American Battlefield Trust]. 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 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.
[[File:Silent Sam.jpg|thumb|left|[[Confederate States of America|Confederate]] soldier monument [[Silent Sam]], [[University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill]] (now removed), by [[John A. Wilson (sculptor)|John Wilson]]]]

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]. ''Virginia Center for Civil War Studies''. Retrieved April 11, 2021.</ref> 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.

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.
[[File:2008-08-16 Bennett Place historic site.jpg|thumb|right|[[Bennett Place]] historic site in [[Durham, North Carolina|Durham]]]]

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 the Northern 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. For many years, some North Carolinians proudly boasted that they had been "First at Bethel, Farthest at Gettysburg and Chickamauga, and Last at Appomattox".

=== Reconstruction era through late 19th century ===

{{Main|Reconstruction era}}Following the collapse of the Confederacy in 1865, North Carolina, along with the rest of the former Confederate States, 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]]. In order 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 on 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.

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.

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.{{citation needed|date=February 2019}}

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 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]], more than 1,500 white men attacked the black newspaper and neighborhood, killed numerous men, and ran off the white Republican mayor and aldermen. They installed their own people and elected [[Alfred M. Waddell]] as mayor, in the only [[coup d'état]] in 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:Drinking fountain on the county courthouse lawn, Halifax, North Carolina.jpg|thumb|right|Segregated drinking fountain during the [[Jim Crow]] era, [[Halifax, North Carolina|Halifax]], 1938]]
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. 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. 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. Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill form the [[Research Triangle]], a major area of universities and advanced scientific and technical research.

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. The [[Greensboro sit-ins|Greensboro Sit-ins]] played a crucial role in the Civil Rights Movement to bring full equality to American blacks.

=== 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 areas located within the [[Piedmont Crescent]], in places such as Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and Durham.<ref>[https://www.thinkcurrituck.com/blog/north-carolina-population North Carolina Population Growth: More People, Bigger Economy]. ''Currituck Economic Development''. Retrieved December 22, 2020.</ref> The Charlotte metro 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]. ''S&P Global Market Intelligence''. Retrieved December 22, 2020.</ref> North Carolina State, Duke University, and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, have helped the Raleigh region ([[Research Triangle]]) 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]. ''Wake County Economic Development''. Retrieved December 22, 2020.</ref>

By the 1990s, Charlotte had become a major regional and national banking center.

Tourism has also been a boom for the North Carolina economy, as people flock to the Outer Banks coastal areas and the Appalachian Mountains anchored by [[Asheville, North Carolina|Asheville]].

== Geography ==

{{Main|Geography of North Carolina}}
[[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>

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 [[Tidewater (geographic term)|tidewater]] region, 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.<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}}</ref>

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}} in elevation in the east to about {{convert|1500|ft}} in the west.

The [[Western North Carolina|western section]] of the state is part of the [[Appalachian Mountain]] range. Among the subranges of the [[Appalachian Mountains]] located in the state are the [[Great Smoky Mountains]], [[Blue Ridge Mountains]], and [[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. 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>

=== Flora and fauna ===

{{Further|Wildlife 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 autumn]]Elevation above sea level is most responsible for temperature change across the state, with the mountain area 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 the average daily maximum is still below {{convert|90|°F|0}} in most locations.<ref name="NC_Climate" />

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{{nbs}}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>

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>

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.

{| 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:#000; height:17px;"| City
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Jan
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Feb
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Mar
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Apr
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| May
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Jun
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Jul
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Aug
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Sep
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Oct
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Nov
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Dec
|-
! 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
  |title = NowData—NOAA Online Weather Data
  |publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]
  |access-date = December 16, 2011
}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 47/27
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 51/30
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 59/35
| 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:#000; height:16px;"| Boone<ref>{{cite web
  | url = https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=rnk
  | title = NOWData—NOAA Online Weather Data
  | access-date = December 4, 2012
| publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]
  }}</ref>
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 42/21
| style="text-align:right; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 45/23
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 52/29
| 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:#000; height:16px;"| Cape Hatteras<ref>{{cite web
|url = https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=mhx
|title = NOWData—NOAA Online Weather Data
|publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]
|access-date = April 14, 2012
}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 52/39
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 54/40
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 59/45
| 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:#000; height:16px;"| Charlotte<ref name="NOAA Asheville/Charlotte" />
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 51/30
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 55/33
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 63/39
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 72/47
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 79/56
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 86/64
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 89/68
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 88/67
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 81/60
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 72/49
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 62/39
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 53/32
|-
! style="background:#f8f3ca; color:#000; height:16px;"| Fayetteville<ref name="NOAA Raleigh" />
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 54/33
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 59/35
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 66/42
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 75/50
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 82/59
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 89/68
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 91/72
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 90/70
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 84/64
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 75/52
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 67/43
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 56/35
|-
! style="background:#c5dfe1; color:#000; height:16px;"| Greensboro<ref name="NOAA Raleigh">{{cite web
  |url = https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=rah
  |title = Climate Data—NWS Raleigh North Carolina
  |publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]
  |access-date = September 6, 2019
}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 48/30
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 53/32
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;"| 61/39
| 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" />
| 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
}}</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 = {{cite web|url= http://www.usa.com/north-carolina-state-weather.htm|title=North Carolina Climate Data according USA.com}} (averages)
| source 2 = {{cite web|url= http://climate.ncsu.edu/nc_extremes|title= North Carolina 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}} (extremes)
}}

== Demographics ==

{{Main|Demographics of North Carolina}}
{{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
|estimate= 
|estyear=
|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 U.S. census]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=O'Neil|first=Bill|date=2021-04-27|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=2021-04-27|website=WXII|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-04-26|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=2021-04-27|website=myfox8.com|language=en-US}}</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 |url-status=dead |archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20121218192200/http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml |archive-date=December 18, 2012 |access-date=May 29, 2012 }}</ref>

=== Race and ethnicity ===
{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible"
|+ '''North Carolina Racial Breakdown of Population'''
|-
! 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|title=Population of North Carolina: Census 2010 and 2000 Interactive Map, Demographics, Statistics, Quick Facts}}{{Dead link|date=January 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</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}}</ref>
|-
| [[White American|White]] || 75.6% || 72.1% || 68.5%
|-
| [[African American|Black]] || 22.0% || 21.6% || 21.4%
|-
| [[Asian American|Asian]] || 0.8% || 1.4% || 2.2%
|-
| [[Native Americans in the United States|Native]] || 1.2% || 1.2% || 1.3%
|-
| [[Native Hawaiian]] and<br>[[Pacific Islander|other Pacific Islander]] || – || 0.1% || 0.1%
|-
| [[Race and ethnicity in the United States Census|Other race]] || 0.5% || 2.3% || 4.3%
|-
| [[Multiracial American|Two or more races]] || – || 1.3% || 2.3%
|}

At the 2010 U.S. 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=US Census|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%. At the 2019 [[American Community Survey]], the racial and ethnic makeup of North Carolina was 62.6% non-Hispanic white, 22.2% Black and African American, 1.6% American Indian or Alaska Native, 3.2% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander, 2.3% two or more races, and 9.8% Hispanic or Latin American of any race.<ref>{{Cite web|title=U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: North Carolina in 2019|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/NC/PST120219|url-status=live|access-date=2021-04-27|website=www.census.gov|language=en}}</ref>

=== Languages ===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin-left:1em; float:center"
|+ '''Top 15 Non-English Languages Spoken in North Carolina'''
|-
! Language !! Percentage of population<br><small>(as of 2010)</small><ref name="MLA Data" />
|-
| Spanish || 6.93%
|-
| French || 0.32%
|-
| German || 0.27%
|-
| Chinese (including [[Standard Chinese|Mandarin]]) || 0.27%
|-
| Vietnamese || 0.24%
|-
| Arabic || 0.17%
|-
| Korean || 0.16%
|-
| [[Tagalog language|Tagalog]] || 0.13%
|-
| [[Hindi language|Hindi]] || 0.12%
|-
| [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]], Russian, and [[Hmong language|Hmong]] (tied) || 0.11%
|-
| Italian and Japanese (tied)|| 0.08%
|-
| [[Cherokee language|Cherokee]] || 0.01%<ref>{{cite web
| title = Cherokee
| website = Ethnologue
| access-date = April 11, 2014
| url = http://www.ethnologue.com/language/chr
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150730231052/http://www.ethnologue.com/language/chr
| archive-date = July 30, 2015
| url-status = live
}}</ref>
|}

As of 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> North Carolina is also home to a spectrum of different dialects of [[Southern American English]] and [[Appalachian English]].

=== Religion ===

{{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|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|[[Jewish]]|green|1}}
{{bar percent|Other faith|grey|1}}
}}

North Carolina residents since the colonial era have historically been overwhelmingly [[Protestant]] first Anglican, then Baptist and Methodist. 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#v=onepage&q&f=false|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>

While Baptists have maintained the majority Protestant denomination in this part of the country (known as the [[Bible Belt]]), a wide variety of faiths are practiced by other residents in the state, including: [[Judaism]], [[Islam]], [[Baháʼí Faith|Baháʼí]], [[Buddhism]], and [[Hinduism]]. As of 2010, the [[Southern Baptist Convention]] was the largest 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 [[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>

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]].

Currently, 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 [[Judaism|Jews]] in the state has increased, along with general religious diversity as a whole. The second-largest Protestant denomination in North Carolina, after Baptist traditions, is [[Methodism]]. This tends to be strong in the northern Piedmont, especially in populous [[Guilford County, North Carolina|Guilford County]]. 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}}
* [[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]] (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]].

=== Most populous counties ===

{{See also|List of counties in North Carolina}}

In 2020, the U.S. Census Bureau released its annual population estimate counts for North Carolina's counties. [[Wake County, North Carolina|Wake County]] has the largest population, while [[Mecklenburg County, North Carolina|Mecklenburg County]] has the second largest population in North Carolina.<ref>Robertson, D. Gary. (March 26, 2020). [https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/north-carolina/articles/2020-03-26/census-wake-passes-meck-as-n-carolinas-largest-county Census: Wake County Is Now North Carolina's Largest County]. ''U.S. News & World Report''. Retrieved December 30, 2020.</ref>

=== Major cities ===

{{See also|List of municipalities in North Carolina}}

In 2018, the U.S. Census Bureau released 2018 population estimate counts for North Carolina's cities with populations above 70,000. [[Charlotte, North Carolina|Charlotte]] has the largest population in the state, while [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]] has the highest population density of North Carolina's largest cities.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.biggestuscities.com/nc|title=Biggest US Cities By Population—North Carolina 2018 Populations|publisher=biggestuscities.com|access-date=February 19, 2020}}</ref>
{{Largest cities
| name = Largest cities
| country = North Carolina
| stat_ref = Source:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.biggestuscities.com/nc|title=Biggest US Cities By Population—North Carolina 2018 Populations|date=July 1, 2018|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=February 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190117070126/https://www.biggestuscities.com/nc|archive-date=January 17, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>
| list_by_pop =
| class = nav
| div_name =
| div_link = Counties of North Carolina{{!}}County
| city_1 = Charlotte, North Carolina{{!}}Charlotte
| div_1 = Mecklenburg County, North Carolina{{!}}Mecklenburg
| pop_1 = 872,498
| img_1 = Villa Heights, Charlotte, NC 28205, USA - panoramio.jpg
| city_2 = Raleigh, North Carolina{{!}}Raleigh
| div_2 = Wake County, North Carolina{{!}}Wake
| pop_2 = 469,298
| img_2 = Downtown-Raleigh-from-Western-Boulevard-Overpass-20081012.jpeg
| city_3 = Greensboro, North Carolina{{!}}Greensboro
| div_3 = Guilford County, North Carolina{{!}}Guilford
| pop_3 = 294,722
| img_3 = Greensboro Skyline.jpg
| city_4 = Durham, North Carolina{{!}}Durham
| div_4 = Durham County, North Carolina{{!}}Durham
| pop_4 = 274,291
| img_4 = Skyline from American Tobacco Campus, Durham, NC (49160944458).jpg
| city_5 = Winston-Salem, North Carolina{{!}}Winston-Salem
| div_5 = Forsyth County, North Carolina{{!}}Forsyth
| pop_5 = 246,328
| img_5 =
| city_6 = Fayetteville, North Carolina{{!}}Fayetteville
| div_6 = Cumberland County, North Carolina{{!}}Cumberland
| pop_6 = 209,468
| img_6 =
| city_7 = Cary, North Carolina{{!}}Cary
| div_7 = Wake County, North Carolina{{!}}Wake
| pop_7 = 168,160
| img_7 =
| city_8 = Wilmington, North Carolina{{!}}Wilmington
| div_8 = New Hanover County, North Carolina{{!}}New Hanover
| pop_8 = 122,607
| img_8 =
| city_9 = High Point, North Carolina{{!}}High Point
| div_9 = Guilford County, North Carolina{{!}}Guilford
| pop_9 = 112,316
| img_9 =
| city_10 = Concord, North Carolina{{!}}Concord
| div_10 = Cabarrus County, North Carolina{{!}}Cabarrus
| pop_10 = 94,130
| img_10 =
}}

=== Largest combined statistical areas ===

[[File:Charlotte Skyline 2011 - Ricky W.jpg|thumb|[[Charlotte, North Carolina|Charlotte]] skyline]]

North Carolina has three major [[Combined Statistical Areas]] with populations of more than 1.6{{nbs}}million ([[U.S. Census Bureau]] 2018 estimates):<ref name="U.S. Census Bureau">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2010s-total-metro-and-micro-statistical-areas.html|title=Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas Population Totals: 2010–2018|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|date=February 19, 2020|access-date=February 19, 2020}}</ref>
* '''[[Charlotte metropolitan area|Charlotte Metro]]''': ''Charlotte–Concord–Gastonia, North Carolina–South Carolina'' population 2,728,933<ref name="U.S. Census Bureau" />
* '''[[Research Triangle]]''': ''Raleigh–Durham–Chapel Hill, North Carolina'' population 2,238,315<ref name="U.S. Census Bureau" />
* '''[[Piedmont Triad]]''': ''Greensboro–Winston-Salem–High Point, North Carolina'' population 1,677,551<ref name="U.S. Census Bureau" />

== Economy ==

{{Main|Economy of North Carolina}}
{{See also|North Carolina locations by per capita income}}

North Carolina's 2018 total [[gross state product]] was $496{{nbs}}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%. 13% of families 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>

The state has a very diverse economy because of its great availability of hydroelectric power,{{citation needed|date=September 2016}} 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{{citation needed|date=September 2016}} and agriculture.{{citation needed|date=September 2016}} 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> textiles, and furniture.{{citation needed|date=September 2016}} 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, placing Raleigh-Cary at No.{{nbs}}5 among the 51 largest metro areas in the country where technology is booming.{{citation needed|date=June 2018}} In 2010, North Carolina's total gross state product was $424.9{{nbs}}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://www.webcitation.org/65BTm6Yzy?url=http://greyhill.com/gross-state-product|archive-date=February 3, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> while the state debt in November 2012, according to one source, totalled $2.4{{nbs}}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{{nbs}}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{{nbs}}million with employment near 4.1{{nbs}}million.

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 [[turkey (bird)|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>

North Carolina has 15 metropolitan areas,<ref>[http://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.nc.htm Economy at a Glance] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811040611/http://www.bls.gov/EAG/eag.nc.htm |date=August 11, 2011 }}. For North Carolina. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 2011.</ref> 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 |work=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>

==Arts and culture==

{{Main|Culture of North Carolina}}

North Carolina has traditions in art, music, and cuisine. The nonprofit arts and culture industry generates $1.2{{nbs}}billion in direct economic activity in North Carolina, supporting more than 43,600 full-time equivalent jobs and generating $119{{nbs}}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> Also see this [[list of museums in 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.

=== Music ===

{{Main|Music of North Carolina}}

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]]).
[[File:Fiddlin' Bill Hensley, mountain fiddler, Asheville, North Carolina (LOC).jpg|thumb|Fiddlin' Bill Hensley, mountain fiddler, [[Asheville, North Carolina|Asheville]], 1937]]

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]].

[[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]].

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 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=live }}</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]], [[Shirley Caesar]], [[Roberta Flack]], [[Clyde McPhatter]], [[Nnenna Freelon]], [[Warren Haynes]], [[Jimmy Herring]], [[Michael Houser]], [[Eric Church]], [[Future Islands]], [[Randy Travis]], [[Ryan Adams]], [[Ronnie Milsap]], [[Anthony Hamilton (musician)|Anthony Hamilton]], [[The Avett Brothers]] and [[Luke Combs]].

[[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.

EDM producer [[Porter Robinson]] hails from [[Chapel Hill, North Carolina|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 (singer)|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.

Hip-hop artists [[DaBaby]] and [[J. Cole]] hail from North Carolina.

Also, see the [[North Carolina Music Hall of Fame]].

=== Shopping ===

North Carolina has a variety of shopping choices. [[SouthPark Mall (Charlotte, North Carolina)|SouthPark Mall]] in [[Charlotte, North Carolina|Charlotte]] is currently the largest in the Carolinas, with almost two million square feet. 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]] and [[Northgate Mall (Durham)|Northgate Mall]] 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 ===

[[File:Lexington Barbecue Festival - Rides.jpg|thumb|2008 [[Lexington Barbecue Festival]]]]

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 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=PswNCQWI9RsC&q=north+carolina+barbecue | publisher=John F. Blair, Publisher | year = 2007 | isbn = 978-0-89587-254-8}}</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.

[[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 of 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, 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.

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.{{citation needed|date=August 2019}}

[[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{{nbs}}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>

=== Ships named for the state ===

{{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 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>

=== State parks ===

{{Main|List of North Carolina state parks}}

The state maintains a group of [[protected area]]s 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 Environment and Natural Resources]] (NCDENR).

=== State symbols ===

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{{Main|List of 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 (song)|The Old North State]]" (1927)
* '''[[List of U.S. state flowers|State flower]]''': [[Cornus florida|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]] (''Pinus'') (1963)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ncleg.net/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_145/GS_145-3.html|title=General Assembly of North Carolina|access-date=November 8, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160525150302/http://www.ncleg.net/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_145/GS_145-3.html|archive-date=May 25, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>
* '''[[List of U.S. state shells|State shell]]''': [[Scotch bonnet (shell)|Scotch bonnet]] (1965)
* '''[[List of U.S. state mammals|State mammal]]''': [[Eastern gray 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)
* '''[[List of U.S. state ships|State historical boat]]''': [[Shad boat]] (1987)
* '''State language''': English (1987)
* '''State dog''': [[Plott Hound]] (1989)
* '''State military academy''': [[Oak Ridge Military Academy]] (1991)
* '''[[List of U.S. state tartans|State tartan]]''': [[Carolina tartan]] (1991)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.secretary.state.nc.us/images/Carolina_Tartan.jpg |title=Secretary of State of North Carolina |access-date=July 24, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718201908/http://www.secretary.state.nc.us/images/Carolina_Tartan.jpg |archive-date=July 18, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* '''[[List of U.S. state foods|State vegetable]]''': [[Sweet potato]] (1995)
* '''[[List of U.S. state foods|State red berry]]''': [[Garden strawberry|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]] (2005)
* '''State birthplace of traditional pottery''': [[Seagrove (NC)|The Seagrove area]] (2005)
* '''State sport''': [[NASCAR]] (2011)<ref>{{cite web|title=NASCAR made North Carolina's official state sport|url=http://aol.sportingnews.com/nascar/story/2011-06-21/nascar-made-north-carolinas-official-state-sport|website=SportingNews.com|access-date=January 26, 2012|date=June 21, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120514020028/http://aol.sportingnews.com/nascar/story/2011-06-21/nascar-made-north-carolinas-official-state-sport|archive-date=May 14, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Armed forces installations ===

[[File:Flickr - The U.S. Army - Marksmanship training (1).jpg|thumb|Troopers of the 82nd Airborne Division training on [[Fort Bragg]], March 2011]]

[[Fort Bragg]], 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 Bragg 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]].

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>

==Tourism==

Charlotte is the most-visited city in the state, attracting 28.3{{nbs}}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=Archived copy |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=live }}</ref> Area attractions include [[Carolina Panthers]] NFL football team and [[Charlotte Hornets]] basketball team, [[Carowinds]] amusement park, [[Charlotte Motor Speedway]], [[U.S. National Whitewater Center]], [[Discovery Place]], [[Great Wolf Lodge]], Sea Life Aquarium, [[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]].
[[File:Biltmore Estate 14.jpg|left| thumb|The [[Biltmore Estate]], [[Asheville, North Carolina|Asheville]]]]

Every year the [[Appalachian Mountains]] attract several million tourists to the western part of the state, 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{{nbs}}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}}</ref>

In [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]], many tourists visit the Capital, [[African American Cultural Complex]], [[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, North Carolina|Conover]]–[[Hickory, North Carolina|Hickory]] area, [[Hickory Motor Speedway]], RockBarn Golf and Spa, home of the [[Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn]]; [[Catawba County]] Firefighters Museum, and SALT Block attract many tourists to Conover. Hickory which has [[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 five miles 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.

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

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 regions historic sites are connected by the [[Historic Albemarle Tour]].

== Recreation ==

[[File:Blue Ridge NC.jpg|thumb|The [[Blue Ridge Mountains]] of the Shining Rock Wilderness Area]]
[[File:Cape Hatteras National Seashore.jpg|thumb|Cape Hatteras National Seashore near [[Avon, 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}}</ref>

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]]. [[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]], [[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]]. National Forests include [[Uwharrie Mountains|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.

==Education==
=== 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 [[primary 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=www.dpi.nc.gov}}</ref> North Carolina Schools were segregated until the ''[[Brown v. Board of Education]]'' trial and the release of the [[Pearsall Plan]].

=== Colleges and universities ===

{{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}}</ref> More than 200 years later, the [[University of North Carolina system]] encompasses 17 [[public university|public universities]] including [[North Carolina State University]], [[North Carolina A&T State University]], [[North Carolina Central University]], the [[University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill]], the [[University of North Carolina at Greensboro]], [[East Carolina University]], [[Western Carolina University]], [[Winston-Salem State University]], the [[University of North Carolina at Asheville]], the [[University of North Carolina at Charlotte]], the [[University of North Carolina at Pembroke]], [[UNC Wilmington]], [[Elizabeth City State University]], [[Appalachian State University]], [[Fayetteville State University]], and [[UNC School of the Arts]], and .<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>

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North Carolina is also home to many well-known private colleges and universities, including [[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|publisher=Duke University|access-date=April 21, 2020}}</ref> [[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}}</ref> [[Pfeiffer University]], [[Lees-McRae College]], [[Davidson College]], [[Barton College]], [[North Carolina Wesleyan College]], [[Elon University]], [[Guilford College]], Livingstone College, [[Salem College]], [[Shaw University]] (the first [[HBCU|historically black college or university]] in the South), [[Laurel University]], [[William Peace University]], [[Meredith College]], [[Methodist University]], [[Belmont Abbey College]] (the only Catholic college in the Carolinas), [[Campbell University]], [[University of Mount Olive]], [[Montreat College]], [[High Point University]], [[Lenoir-Rhyne University]] (the only Lutheran university in North Carolina) and [[Wingate University]].
{{wide image|Tree Map of Universities in North Carolina.png|1100px|Tree map depicting post-secondary education institutions in North Carolina. Each is sized by its relative share of degrees awarded. The colors noted in the key below refer to the type of institution. From left to right, these are 1) Public, 4+ year, 2) Public, 2 year 3) Private, not-for-profit 4+ year 4) Private, for-profit 4+ year, 5) Private, for-profit, 2 year 6) Private, for-profit, <2 year 7) Private, non-profit, 2 year 8) Private, non-profit, <2 year.}}

== Health ==

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 4.0 years, identical to the female national average of a 4.0 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}}</ref>

Using 2016–2018 data, the [[Robert Wood Johnson Foundation]] calculated that life expectancy for North Carolina counties, ranging from 73.2 years in [[Robeson County]] to 82.1 years in [[Orange County, North Carolina|Orange County]]. Life expectancy for both sexes in the state was 78.0 years, compared to 78.7 years for the U.S. as a whole.<ref name="Robert Wood Johnson">{{cite web |title=North Carolina: Life Expectancy, Download: "2020 North Carolina Data, Additional Measure Data" |url=https://www.countyhealthrankings.org/app/north-carolina/2020/downloads |website=Robert Wood Johnson Foundation |access-date=December 28, 2020}}</ref>

== Transportation ==

{{Main|Transportation in North Carolina}}
[[File:1981 North Carolina license plate Balloonduck.png|thumb|A North Carolina license plate]]

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.<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 2013 [[Charlotte Douglas International Airport]], which serves as the second busiest hub for [[American Airlines]], ranked as the 23rd busiest airport in the world.<ref>[[World's busiest airports by passenger traffic#2013 statistics]]</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 the Lynx.

== Media ==
{{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}}</ref>

== Government and politics ==

{{Main|Government of North Carolina|Politics of North Carolina|Political party strength in North Carolina}}
[[File:NC Legislature.JPG|thumb|[[North Carolina State Legislative Building]]]]
{| class=wikitable style="float:right; margin-left:1em"
! colspan = 6 | North Carolina registered voters {{as of|2020|December|26|lc=y|df=US}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://vt.ncsbe.gov/RegStat/Stats?Date=12/26/2020&CountyName=Totals|title=Voter Registration Statistics|publisher=[[North Carolina State Board of Elections]]}}</ref>
|-
! colspan = 2 | Party
! Number of Voters
! Percentage
|-
{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}
| [[North Carolina Democratic Party|Democratic]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 2,620,162
| style="text-align:center;"| 35.51%
|-
{{party color|Independent Party (United States)}}
| [[Independent politician (United States)|Unaffiliated]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 2,456,768
| style="text-align:center;"| 33.29%
|-
{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}}
| [[North Carolina Republican Party|Republican]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 2,246,540
| style="text-align:center;"| 30.44%
|-
{{party color|Libertarian Party (United States)}}
| [[Libertarian Party of North Carolina|Libertarian]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 47,142
| style="text-align:center;"| 0.64%
|-
{{party color|Constitution Party (United States)}}
| [[Constitution Party (North Carolina)|Constitution]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 4,928
| style="text-align:center;"| 0.07%
|-
{{party color|Green Party (United States)}}
| [[Green Party of North Carolina|Green]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 3,833
| style="text-align:center;"| >0.01%
|-
! colspan = 2 | Total
! style="text-align:center;"| 7,379,363
! style="text-align:center;"| 100%
|}

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. North Carolina has 13 seats in the [[U.S. House of Representatives]] and two seats in the [[U.S. Senate]].

North Carolina's party loyalties have undergone a series of important shifts in the last few years: While the 2010 midterms saw [[Tar Heel]] 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 the early 2000s, Republican [[George W. Bush]] easily won the state by more than 12 points.

By 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 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 mid-term elections, Republican [[David Rouzer]] won the state's [[North Carolina's 7th congressional district|seventh congressional district]] seat, increasing the congressional delegation party split to 10–3 in favor of the GOP.

North Carolina Republicans won 10 of the 13 seats in 2016, when Democrats got 47 percent of the statewide vote. In 2018 Republicans took nine, with one seat undecided, even though Democrats got 48 percent of the overall vote.<ref name="stohr" /> The undecided election in [[North Carolina's 9th congressional district]] was because the bipartisan State Election Board refused in February 2019 to certify the results, after an investigation found evidence of widespread ballot fraud committed by Republican operatives.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article226581269.html|title=Mark Harris calls for new election in 9th district|website=newsobserver|language=en|access-date=February 21, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190517155732/https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article226581269.html|archive-date=May 17, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Gerrymandering ===

Because of gerrymandering in redistricting after the 2010 census, Democrats have been underrepresented in the state and Congressional delegations since 2012, although they have sometimes represented more than half the state's population.<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> The state was sued for [[gerrymandering|racially gerrymandering]] the districts, which resulted in minority voting power being diluted in some areas, resulting in skewed representation. The federal court ordered redistricting in 2015.<ref name="stohr" /> Two suits 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 United States Supreme Court in March 2019, which also heard a related partisan gerrymandering case from Maryland.<ref name="stohr" />

== Sports ==

{{Main|Sports in 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 in less prominent sports—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)|AAA]]-affiliated [[Charlotte Knights]] and [[Durham Bulls]]. Additionally, North Carolina has minor league teams in other team sports including [[Association football|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 [[Monster Energy 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]], [[Richard Petty Motorsports]], [[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|language=en|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}}
* [[Index of North Carolina&ndash;related articles]]
* [[Outline of North Carolina]]
{{Clear}}

== References ==

{{Reflist}}

=== Bibliography ===

* 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]. 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''.
* Christensen, Rob (2008). ''The Paradox of Tar Heel Politics''. Chapel Hill: [[University of North Carolina Press]].
* Cooper, Christopher A.; Knotts, H. Gibbs, eds. (2008). ''The New Politics of North Carolina''. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press.
* Crow; Jeffrey J.; Tise, Larry E. (1979). ''Writing North Carolina History''. [https://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=59237933 Online.]
* 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.
* Fleer, Jack D. (1994). ''North Carolina Government & Politics''. [https://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=98712979 Online political science 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.
* 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.]
* Lefler, Hugh Talmage; Newsome, Albert Ray (1954, 1963, 1973). ''North Carolina: The History of a Southern State''. Standard textbook.
* 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''.
* 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''.
* 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 Tar Heel 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}}

=== General ===

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20130615011035/http://northcarolinawineries.org/ Wineries, Restaurants and Tourism in the state]
* {{curlie|Regional/North_America/United_States/North_Carolina}}

=== History ===

* [https://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/states/northcarolina/ North Carolina State Guide, from the Library of Congress]
* [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/20/usaf-atomic-bomb-north-carolina-1961 The Guardian: "U.S. nearly detonated atomic bomb over North Carolina—secret document"]

=== Government and education ===

* [http://www.nc.gov/ North Carolina state government]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090205023136/http://statelibrary.dcr.state.nc.us/ North Carolina state library]
* [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.usgs.gov/state/state.asp?State=NC USGS real-time, geographic, and other scientific resources of North Carolina]
* [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]
* [http://www.nccourts.org/Courts/Default.asp North Carolina Court System official site]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20140119192023/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/37000.html North Carolina facts from U.S. Census Bureau]
* [http://www.ncecho.org/ NC ECHO—North Carolina Exploring Cultural Heritage Online]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080226181127/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
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160204215609/http://www.ah.dcr.state.nc.us/ NC Office of Archives and History]
* [http://docsouth.unc.edu/commland/ Commemorative Landscapes of North Carolina]
* [http://docsouth.unc.edu/blueridgeparkway/ Driving Through Time: The Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina]
* [http://library.divinity.duke.edu/ncreligion/ The Religion in North Carolina Digital Collection]

=== Other ===

* {{OSM relation|224045}}

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