North Carolina

Education

English colonists, sent by Sir Walter Raleigh, unsuccessfully attempted to settle Roanoke Island in 1585 and 1587. Virginia Dare, born there in 1587, was the first child of English parentage born in America.

In 1653 the first permanent settlements were established by English colonists from Virginia near the Roanoke and Chowan rivers. The region was established as an English proprietary colony in 1663-65 and in its early history was the scene of Culpepper's Rebellion (1677), the Quaker-led Cary Rebellion of 1708, the Tuscarora Indian War in 1711-13, and many pirate raids.

During the American Revolution, there was relatively little fighting within the state, but many North Carolinians saw action elsewhere. Despite considerable pro-Union, anti-slavery sentiment, North Carolina joined the Confederacy during the Civil War.

North Carolina is the nation's largest furniture, tobacco, brick, and textile producer. It holds second place in the Southeast in population and first place in the value of its industrial and agricultural production. This production is highly diversified, with metalworking, chemicals, and paper constituting enormous industries. Tobacco, corn, cotton, hay, peanuts, and vegetable crops are of major importance. It is the country's leading producer of mica and lithium.

Tourism is also important, with travelers and vacationers spending more than $1 billion annually in North Carolina. Sports include year-round golfing, skiing at mountain resorts, both fresh- and salt-water fishing, and hunting.

Among the major attractions are the Great Smoky Mountains, the Blue Ridge National Parkway, the Cape Hatteras and Cape Lookout National Seashores, 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.

Nickname: Tar Heel State

Origin of name: In honor of Charles I of England

10 largest cities (1999 est.): Charlotte, 520,829; Raleigh, 261,205; Greensboro, 199,562; Durham, 179,212; Winston-Salem, 168,086; Fayetteville, 106,970; Cary, 91,213; High Point, 76,955; Jacksonville, 68,554; Asheville, 65,974

Land area: 48,718 sq mi. (126,180 sq km)

Geographic center: In Chatham Co., 10 mi. NW of Sanford

Number of counties: 100

Largest county by population and area: Mecklenburg, 648,400 (1999 est.); Robeson, 949 sq mi.

State forests: 1

State parks: 30 (125,000 ac.)

Residents: North Carolinian

1999 resident population est.: 7,650,789

1990 resident census population (rank): 6,628,637 (10). Male: 3,214,290; Female: 3,414,347. White: 5,008,491 (75.6%); Black: 1,456,323 (22.0%); American Indian: 80,155 (1.2%); Asian: 52,166 (0.8%); Other race: 31,502 (0.5%); Hispanic: 76,726 (1.2%). 1990 percent population under 18: 24.2; 65 and over: 12.1; median age: 33.0.