North Carolina
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| Abbreviation | NC Source: United States Postal Service – Abbreviations |
|---|---|
| Capital | Raleigh |
| Population | 9,535,483 Source: Resident Population Data – 2010 Census |
| Governor | Pat McCrory (Republican, to January 2017) |
| Entered the Union | November 21, 1789 as the 12th state |
| Motto | Esse quam videri (To be rather than to seem) |
| Nickname | The Tar Heel State |
| Flower | Dogwood |
| Bird | Cardinal |
| Song | The Old North state |
| Professional Sports Teams | Charlotte Bobcats (Men’s Basketball); Carolina Hurricanes (Hockey); Carolina Panthers (Football) (sports listing policy) |
| Origin of Name | In honor of Charles I of England |
| Historical Sites | The Wright Brothers National Memorial at Kitty Hawk, Guilford Courthouse and Moores Creek National Military Parks, Carl Sandburg’s home near Hendersonville, and the Old Salem Restoration in Winston-Salem |
| Points of Interest | The Great Smoky Mountains, the Blue Ridge National Parkway, and the Cape Hatteras and Cape Lookout National Seashores |
| Bordering States | North Carolina borders Virginia, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Georgia. |
| Flag |  |
Follow these links to read articles about North Carolina from Encyclopedias and Almanacs:
Official State Links
- NC@Your Service: the Official Website for the State of North Carolina
http://www.ncgov.com/
This is the official website for the State of North Carolina. - State Library of North Carolina
http://statelibrary.dcr.state.nc.us/
Here is the homepage for the North Carolina State Library. - North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office
http://www.hpo.dcr.state.nc.us/
Here is the homepage for the North Carolina State Historical Society. - North Carolina Museum of History
http://ncmuseumofhistory.org/
Here is the homepage for the North Carolina State Museum. - North Carolina Office of Archives and History
http://www.ah.dcr.state.nc.us/
Here is the homepage for the North Carolina State Archives. - North Carolina State Parks
http://www.ncparks.gov/Visit/main.php
Here is the homepage for North Carolina State Parks. - Tourism: a Service of the North Carolina Department of Commerce
http://www.nccommerce.com/en/TourismServices/
Here is the official state tourism website for North Carolina. - Visit North Carolina
http://www.visitnc.com/
Here is the official state travel website for North Carolina. - North Carolina Just For Kids
http://www.ncgov.com/1225,1225,Kids_Page,Kids_Page.html
Here is the official page for kids from the North Carolina state government website.
Other State Links
- 50states.com: North Carolina
http://www.50states.com/ncarolin.htm
The site provides a wealth of information about North Carolina. It includes everything from the highest point to county profile to climate. - Things To Do in North Carolina
http://www.thingstodo.com/states/NC/index.htm
ThingsToDo.com is an online guide to information about North Carolina’s entertainment, recreation, and travel, and includes the state’s interesting facts, famous people, and special events. - Roadside America: North Carolina Attractions
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/map/nc.html
Roadside America describes itself as an online guide to offbeat attractions. This site offers reviews of “weird sites along the highway” in North Carolina. - The North Carolina Encyclopedia
http://statelibrary.dcr.state.nc.us/nc/cover.htm
The encyclopedia is an overview of North Carolina’s people, history, government, and resources, organized into broad categories for easier searching. - FedStats: MapStat: United States: North Carolina
http://www.fedstats.gov/qf/states/37000.html
Fast access to statistics from more than 100 federal agencies on “economic and population trends, crime, education, health care, aviation safety, energy use, farm production and more” in North Carolina.
- Students at a Wilson County school petitioned the North Carolina General Assembly for the establishment of the sweet potato as the Official State Vegetable. Their assignment led to the creation of the newest state symbol. North Carolina is the largest producer of sweet potatoes in the nation harvesting over 4 billion pounds of the vegetable in 1989. The sweet potato is high in vitamins A and C and low in fat and was grown in North Carolina before the European colonization of North America.
- Coastal North Carolina was the scene of the first attempt to colonize America by English-speaking people. Two colonies were begun in the 1580’s under a charter granted by Queen Elizabeth to Sir Walter Raleigh. The first colony, established in 1585 under the leadership of Ralph Lane, ended in failure.
- North Carolina has had two permanent capitals, New Bern and Raleigh, and there have been three capitol buildings. Tryon Palace in New Bern was constructed in the period 1767-1770, and the main building was destroyed by fire February 27, 1798. The first capitol in Raleigh was completed in 1794 and was destroyed by fire on June 21, 1831. The present capitol building was completed in 1840.
- In 1903 the Wright Brothers made the first successful powered flight by man at Kill Devil Hill near Kitty Hawk. The Wright Memorial at Kitty Hawks now commemorates their acheivement.
Some Famous People from this State
- Virginia Dare was the first child born to English-speaking parents in the new world. She was born in Roanoke Island in 1587.
- Hiram Rhoades Revels, born in Fayetteville in 1822, was the first African-American member of the United States Congress. He was a veteran of the Civil War and a minister who tended Black congregations in several states.
- Thomas Wolfe, author, was born in Asheville in 1900. He shared scenes of his Asheville, North Carolina home in Look Homeward, Angel and You Can’t Go Home Again, novels which have been acclaimed as modern classics.
- Presidents from North Carolina with links to ipl’s POTUS (Presidents of the United States) page:
- Andrew Jackson, seventh President of the United States, was born in the Waxsaws area on the border of North and South Carolina.
- Andrew Johnson, started his career as a tailor’s apprentice in Raleigh, North Carolina and rose to lead in the reuniting of the nation as the seventeenth President of the United States.
- James K. Polk, born in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, was the eleventh President of the United States.
- Arnold Palmer, recognized as the player whose aggressive play and winning personality raised golf to national attention, honed his skills on the championship golf team of Wake Forest University.