North Carolina, one of the original 13 colonies, was the first state to direct delegates to vote for independence from the British crown during the Continental Congress.
After the Revolutionary War, North Carolina developed an extensive slave plantation system and became a major exporter of cotton and tobacco, although the slave population remained relatively small compared to that of other Southern states.
In 1861, North Carolina became one of 11 states to secede from the United States, beginning the American Civil War. Despite no major battles being fought in the state, North Carolina sent more recruits to fight for the Confederacy than any other rebel state.
In 1903, the state became the site of the first manned self-propelled airplane flight when the Wright brothers took off from a bluff near Kitty Hawk.
Geography
North Carolina is a diverse state located in the southeastern United States. It is bordered by South Carolina to the south, Georgia to the southwest, Tennessee to the west, Virginia to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. It covers a total area of 53,819 square miles and has a population of 10.4 million people.
The geography of North Carolina is divided into three distinct regions: the coastal plain, Piedmont Plateau, and Appalachian Mountains. The coastal plain makes up almost half of the state’s land area and is located along its eastern border with the Atlantic Ocean. This region features flat terrain with gently rolling hills and numerous rivers, lakes, wetlands and estuaries that make up part of North Carolina’s rich biodiversity. The coastal plain also includes many barrier islands off its coast that provide habitat for wildlife such as sea turtles and birds.
The Piedmont Plateau stretches from western North Carolina into central South Carolina and covers much of central North Carolina. This region features rolling hills covered in forests as well as numerous rivers that flow through it including the Catawba River which forms part of Lake Norman near Charlotte.
The Appalachian Mountains are located in western North Carolina near Tennessee and feature some of the most rugged terrain in the state with steep mountainsides covered in thick forests rising above valleys filled with small towns and farms. This region also contains some of North Carolina’s highest peaks including Mount Mitchell which stands at 6,684 feet above sea level – making it one of America’s highest peaks east of Mississippi River!
North Carolina has a humid subtropical climate with hot summers and mild winters that bring plenty of rain throughout much year due to its location near both warm waters from Gulf Stream off its coast as well as cold air masses from Canada in winter months. The climate varies slightly depending on elevation but overall remains relatively consistent across most parts state due its generally flat landscape without many mountain ranges or large bodies water which could disrupt weather patterns significantly during certain seasons like hurricane season (June-November).
Overall, North Carolina’s geography is incredibly varied featuring everything from vast plains along its coastlines to steep mountain ranges further inland – making it an ideal destination for anyone wanting explore all that nature has offer.
Cities in North Carolina
Below are the top 15 cities by population in North Carolina. For all cities and towns in the state, please see North Carolina cities list.
| Rank | City | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charlotte | 864,871 |
| 2 | Raleigh | 462,219 |
| 3 | Greensboro | 295,483 |
| 4 | Durham | 279,106 |
| 5 | Winston-Salem | 247,917 |
| 6 | Fayetteville | 208,497 |
| 7 | Cary | 171,603 |
| 8 | Wilmington | 115,976 |
| 9 | High Point | 113,148 |
| 10 | Concord | 102,566 |
| 11 | Asheville | 93,272 |
| 12 | Greenville | 87,815 |
| 13 | Gastonia | 79,483 |
| 14 | Jacksonville | 73,224 |
| 15 | Chapel Hill | 60,920 |
Counties in North Carolina
The State of North Carolina consists of 100 counties. They are:
- Alamance County, North Carolina
- Alexander County, North Carolina
- Alleghany County, North Carolina
- Anson County, North Carolina
- Ashe County, North Carolina
- Avery County, North Carolina
- Beaufort County, North Carolina
- Bertie County, North Carolina
- Bladen County, North Carolina
- Brunswick County, North Carolina
- Buncombe County, North Carolina
- Burke County, North Carolina
- Cabarrus County, North Carolina
- Caldwell County, North Carolina
- Camden County, North Carolina
- Carteret County, North Carolina
- Caswell County, North Carolina
- Catawba County, North Carolina
- Chatham County, North Carolina
- Cherokee County, North Carolina
- Chowan County, North Carolina
- Clay County, North Carolina
- Cleveland County, North Carolina
- Columbus County, North Carolina
- Craven County, North Carolina
- Cumberland County, North Carolina
- Currituck County, North Carolina
- Dare County, North Carolina
- Davidson County, North Carolina
- Davie County, North Carolina
- Duplin County, North Carolina
- Durham County, North Carolina
- Edgecombe County, North Carolina
- Forsyth County, North Carolina
- Franklin County, North Carolina
- Gaston County, North Carolina
- Gates County, North Carolina
- Graham County, North Carolina
- Granville County, North Carolina
- Greene County, North Carolina
- Guilford County, North Carolina
- Halifax County, North Carolina
- Harnett County, North Carolina
- Haywood County, North Carolina
- Henderson County, North Carolina
- Hertford County, North Carolina
- Hoke County, North Carolina
- Hyde County, North Carolina
- Iredell County, North Carolina
- Jackson County, North Carolina
- Johnston County, North Carolina
- Jones County, North Carolina
- Lee County, North Carolina
- Lenoir County, North Carolina
- Lincoln County, North Carolina
- Macon County, North Carolina
- Madison County, North Carolina
- Martin County, North Carolina
- McDowell County, North Carolina
- Mecklenburg County, North Carolina
- Mitchell County, North Carolina
- Montgomery County, North Carolina
- Moore County, North Carolina
- Nash County, North Carolina
- New Hanover County, North Carolina
- Northampton County, North Carolina
- Onslow County, North Carolina
- Orange County, North Carolina
- Pamlico County, North Carolina
- Pasquotank County, North Carolina
- Pender County, North Carolina
- Perquimans County, North Carolina
- Person County, North Carolina
- Pitt County, North Carolina
- Polk County, North Carolina
- Randolph County, North Carolina
- Richmond County, North Carolina
- Robeson County, North Carolina
- Rockingham County, North Carolina
- Rowan County, North Carolina
- Rutherford County, North Carolina
- Sampson County, North Carolina
- Scotland County, North Carolina
- Stanly County, North Carolina
- Stokes County, North Carolina
- Surry County, North Carolina
- Swain County, North Carolina
- Transylvania County, North Carolina
- Tyrrell County, North Carolina
- Union County, North Carolina
- Vance County, North Carolina
- Wake County, North Carolina
- Warren County, North Carolina
- Washington County, North Carolina
- Watauga County, North Carolina
- Wayne County, North Carolina
- Wilkes County, North Carolina
- Wilson County, North Carolina
- Yadkin County, North Carolina
- Yancey County, North Carolina
