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North Carolina is a state in the SE United States. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean (E), South Carolina and Georgia (S), Tennessee (W), and Virginia (N).
Area, 52,586 sq mi (136,198 sq km).
Pop. (2000) 8,049,313, a 21.4% increase since the 1990 census.
Capital, Raleigh.
Largest city, Charlotte.
Motto, Esse Quam Videri [To Be Rather than to Seem].
State bird, cardinal.
State flower, dogwood.
State tree, pine. 
North Carolina, in the warm temperate zone, has a generally mild climate, with abundant and well distributed rainfall. The state's congenial climate, its many miles of beaches, and its beautiful mountains attract large numbers of visitors and vacationers each year. Chief among the tourist attractions are the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, the Cape Lookout National Seashore, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and the Great Smoky Mts. National Park. Wildlife abounds in national forests (the state has four) and in the Dismal Swamp. Places of historic interest include Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, on Roanoke Island; the Wright Brothers National Memorial, at Kitty Hawk; Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site, at Flatrock; and Guilford Courthouse and Moores Creek national military parks.
 North Carolina leads the nation in the production of tobacco and is a major producer of textiles and furniture. It grows 40% of all U.S. tobacco, but the continuing trend is toward diversification. Broilers, hogs, turkeys, greenhouse products, sweet potatoes, corn, soybeans, peanuts, and eggs are important. Plentiful forests supply the thriving furniture and lumber industries. The state has long been a major textile manufacturer, producing cotton, synthetic, and silk goods as well as various kinds of knit items. Other leading manufactures are electrical machinery, computers, and chemicals; the Research Triangle complex near Chapel Hill has spurred high-tech manufacturing, as well as bringing federal jobs into the state. The state also has mineral resources: It leads the nation in the production of feldspar, mica, and lithium materials and produces substantial quantities of olivine, crushed granite, talc, clays, and phosphate rock. There are valuable coastal fisheries, with shrimp, menhaden, and crabs the principal catches. Charlotte developed in the 1980s into a major U.S. banking center, and related businesses have flourished in the area.
The Triangle
The Triangle area is rated as one of the top places in the country to live. Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill make up the three points in the Triangle, a local term used to represent these cities that surround Research Triangle Park. This complex is headquarters to many international prestigious companies. It draws a wide variety of people in numerous professions and offers this area a diverse and thriving population. The Triangle is also the home to three major research universities: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina State University and Duke University. This area thrives on its culture, history, education, medical centers and athletics. Let's take a closer look at the wonderful communities that make up the Triangle.
Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill and the University of North Carolina go hand in hand. Located in downtown Chapel Hill, the university is the hub of this small city. Franklin Street, which fronts the university, offers locals and students a wide range of shopping, restaurants, coffee shops, arts and theater. It is described as a quaint community with an easy pace. Older, historic homes surround the campus.
Established neighborhoods, subdivisions and older farm homes are found outside of downtown and as you head out of town towards Durham, Hillsborough and Pittsboro. Chapel Hill is a great town for professionals, singles and families. With access to Research Triangle Park, Durham and Raleigh, Chapel Hill is a wonderful place to live with excellent professional opportunities as well. Chapel Hill is also home to the Ackland Art Museum and the Paul Green Theater (both are on campus at the university), many great restaurants and the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and the world famous Carolina Basketball team.
Go Heels!
Chapel Hill and its neighbor Carrboro are unique to the area in that it has a local school board. Chapel Hill and Carrboro are located in Orange County. There is a school board for the county schools as well. All other surrounding counties have county-wide school boards.
Chapel Hill is a great sports town for kids. The big sports are soccer, swimming, baseball, basketball, gymnastics, ice skating and ice hockey. Of course, you can find just about anything your child is interested in.
Carrboro
This small community appears to be a part of Chapel Hill as it has adjoining streets. While it has the same quaint and easy lifestyle as Chapel Hill, it is also know for its arts and music. There are many well-known artists, musicians and writers that hail in this small town and its neighbor, Chapel Hill. It's a rare day that the outdoor market places, restaurants and parks aren't filled with people enjoying this community. Carrboro was started in 1882 when the Durham-Greensboro Southern Railway line was extended to link university students with neighboring communities.
Carrboro is named after Julian Carr, who owned the Durham Hosiery Mill and ran several mills in Carrboro. Carrboro's railroad depot, first textile mill (now Carr Mill Mall), and a former grist mill are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. There are approximately 150 buildings in Carrboro's current city limits that were erected prior to 1930. Since 1973, Carrboro has one of the most extensive on-road and off-road bikeway systems in this area thanks to a community bicycling plan. In 1993, Carrboro was named a "Tree City USA" by the National Arbor Day Foundation and has continued for 10 years to receive this recognition. The ArtsCenter, located in Carrboro, is a full-fledged community arts center and offers classes and performances to promote the visual, literary and performing arts.
Carrboro also is home to a fantastic farmers market that is open Wednesday nights and Saturday mornings in the spring and summer. The farmers market has local organic produce, fresh cut flowers, locally produced goat cheese and arts and crafts.
 Durham
Durham, nicknamed the Bull City, has several important attributes. It was once the center of the tobacco industry remembered today by the tobacco warehouses of Liggett Myers Tobacco Company. These warehouses are being renovated into condominiums, offices, restaurants and shops. It is also well known for Duke University and Duke Medical Center. Durham has the well known Carolina School of Math and Science, an important institution for gifted students. It can also boast the Durham Bulls AAA baseball team and the Durham Arts Council. Downtown Durham and Duke's campus promote the American Dance Festival and a center for Off-Broadway productions. It supports jazz, dance, chamber music and the visual arts.
Durham Bulls
Before the Bull City was named for Dr. Barlett Durham in the 1800s, it housed the Eno and Occaneechi Indians. As Durham's history moved past the Civil War, cooperative northern and southern entrepreneurs discovered Brightleaf tobacco and had a successful tobacco business thanks to Washington Duke and his family. They grew one of the world's largest corporations that included American Tobacco, Liggett & Meyers, R.J. Reynolds and P. Lorillard.
Durham also had the first denim mill and was the largest hosiery maker. Durham has many schools of distinction. In 1887, Trinity College moved from Randolph County to Durham thanks to a donation made by Washington Duke and Julian Carr. In 1924, James Buchanan Duke (Washington Duke's son) made a $40 million donation so that Trinity College would be renamed Duke University. Another prestigious university is North Carolina Central University. It was founded by Dr. James E. Shepard in 1910. It was the nation's first publicly supported liberal arts college for African Americans. The NC School of Science and Math, Durham Technical Community College and Durham Public Schools also thrive in this community.
Durham, North Carolina, is often called the City of Medicine USA. It has outstanding hospitals and major national and international healthcare companies. Durham is nationally recognized for its medical teaching facilities, and nearly one in four people here are employed in a health related field. It has more than 300 medical and health-related companies and medical practices. Duke University Medical Center, Durham Regional Hospital, VA Medical Center and the North Carolina Eye and Ear Hospital are located here.
Durham also is home to a fantastic children's science museum named The Museum of Life and Science. This is an interactive science museum with a large butterfly house and a petting zoo. There are programs throughout the year and a wonderful summer camp with programs in both Durham and Chapel Hill.
Raleigh
Raleigh was established in 1792 and is North Carolina's state capital.
Raleigh stays alive with state and local politics, concerts, museums, art galleries and the state fair. "Inside the Beltline" is a term used by residents to designate the older established neighborhoods. They contain residential housing that includes bungalows, ranch homes and grand mansions. Located here are also Raleigh's six colleges, the Raleigh Little Theater, Theatre in the Park, Thompson Theater, ArtSpace, art galleries, museums, The Civic Center and older established shopping communities. Raleigh is also home to the new RBC Center that hosts the Carolina Hurricanes hockey team and many other events. Outside the beltline are established and newer neighborhoods that cater to active families. Recreational areas, parks, jogging trails, tennis courts, swimming pools, country clubs and golf courses an be found in these areas.
Raleigh has been nicknamed the "Smithsonian of the South" because it has a large variety of world-class museums. Raleigh is home to the North Carolina Museum of Art; the North Carolina Natural Science Museum (the southeast's largest natural history museum); the North Carolina Museum of History, which captures the spirit of North Carolina and its people; Playspace, an interactive child's first museum; and Exploris, an interactive museum about the world. Raleigh also is home to the North Carolina Symphony, the Opera Company of North Carolina and the Carolina Ballet.
Major Corporate and Research Parks
The Research Triangle Park is a 7,000-acre southeast Durham-based research and production district. Almost 140 major research companies are here and employee more than 45,000 people. Examples of companies in the Park are Cisco, Biogen, Nortel, Glaxo Smith Klein, the United States Environmental Protection Agency and many, many more. Treyburn is a 5,300-acre corporate park with a country club and residential area in northeast Durham. It has companies such as Organon Teknika and Becton Dikinson.
Famous People From The Triangle Area
Charles Kuralt was a UNC alumnus and former editor of The Daily Tar Heel. A North Carolina native, he was the anchor of the "CBS News Sunday Morning" and hosted "On The Road."
Lawrence Taylor was a former offensive linebacker and defensive end for the Tar Heel football team. He was recognized for many sports accomplishments, and one such honor was the all-time quarterback sack leader in the NFL. He played with the New York Giants.
Andy Griffith was a graduate of UNC's Drama Department. He has appeared in a variety of productions including "The Lost Colony" (1949-1953), the Broadway hit play "No Time for Sergeants" (1955), "Matlock" and eight years on the "Andy Griffith Show" (the highest rated program on television when the show ended in 1968).
James Taylor is a well-know singer/songwriter who grew up in Chapel Hill. Taylor is well known for "Carolina In My Mind," a song that recognizes his North Carolina upbringing.
Michael Jordan, a former guard for UNC's men's basketball team, went on to play for the NBA's Chicago Bulls. His accomplishments include National Collegiate Player of the Year, NBA Rookie of the Year, and NBA tournament MVP.
Alexander Julian, a former clothes designer, is a graduate of UNC. He received five Coty Awards for menswear and was the youngest designer to be included into the Coty Hall of Fame. Julian was named Designer of the Year in 1982 by Fashion Designers of America.
Surrounding the Triangle area, many people are enjoying smaller towns such as Zebulon, Garner, Clayton, Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina, Apex, Knightdale, Wake Forest and Pittsboro. To bring these communities together and welcome newcomers, I-40, I-85 and the Raleigh-Durham International Airport provide easy access.
*Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition, Copyright (c) 2003. |