State of North Carolina Flag of North Carolina Seal of North Carolina Nickname(s): Tar Heel State; Old North State Motto(s): Esse quam videri Official language(s) English Capital Raleigh Largest city Charlotte Area  Ranked 28th  - Total 53,865 sq mi (139,509 km²)  - Width 560 miles (901 km)  - Length 150 miles (240 km)  - % water 9.5  - Latitude 34°N to 36°21'N  - Longitude 75°30'W to 84°15'W Population  Ranked 11th  - Total (2000) 8,049,313  - Density 165.24/sq mi  63.80/km² (17th) Elevation    - Highest point Mt. Mitchell 6,684 ft  (2,038 m)  - Mean 705 ft  (215 m)  - Lowest point sea level—0 ft  (0 m) Admission to Union  November 21, 1789 (12th) Governor Mike Easley (D) U.S. Senators Elizabeth Dole (R) Richard Burr (R) Time zone Eastern: UTC-5/-4 Abbreviations NC US-NC Web site www.nc.gov North Carolina is a state in the Southeastern United States. It was one of the original Thirteen Colonies, and the home of the first English colony in the Americas. It was also the location of the first successful powered heavier than air flight by the Wright brothers at Kill Devil Hills near Kitty Hawk in 1903. Today, it is a fast-growing state with an increasingly diverse economy and population. As of 2005, the population estimate is 8,683,242 - a 7.9% increase since April 1, 2000. Contents 1 Geography 2 History 2.1 Native Americans and Lost Colony 2.2 Colonial period and Revolutionary War 2.3 Civil War 3 Demographics 3.1 African-Americans 3.2 European-Americans 3.3 Native Americans 3.4 Asian-Americans 3.5 Religion 4 Economy 5 Transportation 5.1 Airports 5.2 Major highways 6 Law and government 6.1 State constitution 7 Important cities and towns 8 Education 8.1 Elementary and secondary education 8.2 Colleges and universities 9 Professional sports teams 9.1 Other sports teams 10 Miscellaneous topics 10.1 State symbols 10.2 Armed Forces Installations 10.3 Interesting city names 10.4 Nicknames 11 See also 12 Notes 13 References 13.1 Surveys 14 External links 14.1 Government and education 14.2 Other links Geography North Carolina is bordered by South Carolina on the south; Georgia on the southwest; Tennessee on the west; Virginia on the north; and the Atlantic Ocean on the east. The United States Census Bureau classifies North Carolina as a Southern state in the subcategory of being one of the South Atlantic States. North Carolina topographic map North Carolina consists of three main geographic sections: the coastal plain, which occupies the eastern 45% of the state; the Piedmont region, which contains the middle 35%; and the Appalachian Mountains and foothills, which take up the remaining 20% of the state in the west. The coastal plain begins in the east as a chain of narrow, sandy barrier islands known as the "Outer Banks". The Outer Banks encompass two sounds — Albemarle Sound in the north and Pamlico Sound in the south; they are the two largest landlocked sounds in the United States. Inland the coastal plain is relatively flat, with rich soils which grow tobacco, soybeans, and cotton. The major rivers of this section, the Neuse River, Tar River, Pamlico River, Cape Fear River, and Roanoke River, tend to be slow-moving and wide. Bodie Island Lighthouse, one of the Outer Banks attractions. The coastal plain turns into the Piedmont region along the "fall line," a line which marks the elevation at which waterfalls first appear on streams and rivers. The Piedmont region of central North Carolina is the state's most urbanized and densely-populated section - all five of the state's largest cities are located in the Piedmont. It consists of gently rolling countryside frequently broken by hills or low isolated mountain ridges. Many small, deeply eroded mountain ranges and peaks are located in the Piedmont, including the Saura Mountains, Pilot Mountain, the Uwharrie Mountains, Crowder's Mountain, King's Pinnacle, the Brushy Mountains, and the South Mountains. The Piedmont ranges from about 300-400 feet (90-120 m) elevation in the east to over 1,000 feet (300 m) in the west. The major rivers of the Piedmont, such as the Yadkin and Catawba, tend to be fast-flowing, shallow, and narrow. The western section of the state is part of the Appalachian Mountain range. Among the subranges of the Appalachians located in the state are the Great Smoky Mountains, Blue Ridge Mountains, Balsams, Pisgahs, and the Black Mountains. The Black Mountains are the highest mountains in the Eastern United States, and culminate in Mount Mitchell at 6,684 feet (2,037 m). It is the highest point east of the Mississippi River. Due to the higher altitude in the mountains, the climate often differs starkly from the rest of the state. Winters in western NC typically feature significant snowfall and subfreezing temperatures more akin to a northern state than a southern one. Areas under the management of the National Park Service include: The Blue Ridge Mountains of the Shining Rock Wilderness Area Appalachian National Scenic Trail Blue Ridge Parkway Cape Hatteras National Seashore Cape Lookout National Seashore Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site at Flat Rock Croatan National Park in Eastern North Carolina Fort Raleigh National Historic Site at Manteo Great Smoky Mountains National Park Guilford Courthouse National Military Park in Greensboro Moores Creek National Battlefield near Currie Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail Trail of Tears National Historic Trail Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina Uwharrie National Forest History Main article: History of North Carolina North Carolina state insignia Common to nearly all states Motto Esse quam videri (Latin, "To be rather than to seem") Slogan A Better Place To Be Bird Cardinal Animal Sciurus carolinensis Fish Red Drum Insect Honey bee Flower Dogwood Tree Pine Song "The Old North State" Quarter March 12, 2001 Less common Reptile Terrapene carolina carolina Wildflower Carolina Lily Beverage Milk Colors Red and Blue             Dance Clogging, the shag Gemstone Emerald Rock Granite Ship Shad boat Plant Venus Flytrap Berry Strawberry (red berry) Blueberry (blue berry) Fruit Scuppernong grape Vegetable Sweet potato Shell Scotch Bonnet Trout Southern Appalachian Brook Trout Christmas tree Fraser Fir Dog Plott Hound Native Americans and Lost Colony North Carolina was originally inhabited by many different native peoples, including the Cherokee, Tuscarora, Cheraw, Pamlico, Meherrin, Coree, Machapunga, Cape Fear Indians, Waxhaw, Saponi, Tutelo, Waccamaw,Coharie, and Catawba. North Carolina was the second American territory the British attempted to colonize. Sir Walter Raleigh, for whom the state capital is named, chartered two colonies on the North Carolina (then Virginia) coast in the late 1580s, both ending in failure. The demise of one, the "Lost Colony" of Roanoke Island, remains one of the great mysteries of American history. Virginia Dare, the first English child to be born in North America, was born in North Carolina. Dare County is named for her. Colonial period and Revolutionary War The first permanent European settlers of North Carolina were British colonists who migrated south from Virginia, following a rapid growth of the colony and the subsequent shortage of available farmland. Nathaniel Batts was documented as one of the first of these Virginian immigrants. He settled south of the Chowan River and east of the Great Dismal Swamp in 1655.[1] By 1663, this northeastern area of the Province of Carolina was experiencing full-scale British settlement.[2] During the same period, the English monarch Charles II gave the province to the Lords Proprietors, a group of noblemen who had helped restore Charles to the throne in 1670. The new province of "Carolina" was named in honor and memory of King Charles I (Latin: Carolus). In 1712, North Carolina became a separate colony. With the exception of the Earl Granville's holdings, it became a royal colony seventeen years later.[3] 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. The dates of both of these independence-related events are memorialized on the state flag and state seal.[4] On May 20, 1775, Mecklenburg County became the first North Carolina county to declare its independence from Great Britain with the issuance of the Mecklenberg Declaration. (Because of its similarity to the more well-known United States Declaration of Independence which would appear eighteen months later, the document is generally thought to be spurious.[3]) The road to Yorktown and America's independence from England led through North Carolina. As the British army moved north from victories in 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 Banastre Tarleton at Cowpens on January 17, 1781, Southern Commander Nathanael Greene led British Lord Charles Cornwallis across the heartland of North Carolina, and away from Cornwallis' base of supply in Charleston, a campaign known as "The Race to the Dan" or "The Race for the River Crossings." Greene and Cornwallis finally met at the Battle of Guilford Courthouse in present Greensboro on March 15, 1781. Although the British troops held the field, their casualties at the hands of the superior 4,400 American force were crippling. On November 21, 1789, North Carolina ratified the Constitution to become the twelfth state in the Union. The North Carolina delegation's reluctance to sign the Constitution was instrumental in creating the United States Bill of Rights. The state refused to ratify the constitution until some sort of declaration of the peoples rights was added. The North Carolina Government received a letter from Continental Army General George Washington stating that this was a wonderful idea. Thus, the Bill of Rights was added to the United States Constitution. North Carolina worked to establish its state and local governments. In 1840, it completed the state capitol building in Raleigh, still standing today. In mid-century the state's rural and commercial areas were connected by construction of a 129 mile (208 km) wooden plank road, known as a "farmer's railroad," from Fayetteville in the east to Bethania (northwest of Winston-Salem). Civil War In 1860, North Carolina was a slave state. However, it refused to join the Confederacy until President Abraham Lincoln called on it to invade its sister-state, South Carolina. The state was the site of few battles, but in the Civil War it provided at least 125,000 troops to the Confederacy— more than any other Confederate state. Approximately 40,000 of those troops never returned home, dead of battlefield wounds, disease and privation. Governor Zebulon Baird Vance, elected in 1862, tried to maintain state autonomy against Confederate President Jefferson Davis in Richmond. Even after secession some North Carolinians refused to support the Confederacy; this was particularly true of non-slaveowning farmers in the state's mountains and western Piedmont region. Some of these farmers remained neutral during the war, while others covertly supported the Union cause during the conflict. Even so, Confederate troops from North Carolina served in virtually all the major battles of the Army of Northern Virginia, the Confederacy's largest and most famous army. The largest battle fought in North Carolina was at Bentonville, which was a futile attempt by Confederate General Joseph Johnston to slow Union General William Tecumseh Sherman's advance through the Carolinas in the spring of 1865. In March of 1865, Sherman was able to capture his chief North Carolina objective when he took Goldsboro; at the time it was the main railroad junction in North Carolina. Johnston surrendered one of the largest Confederate armies at Bennett Place, a farm house in what is now Durham, in late April 1865, weeks after General Robert E. Lee's surrender at Appomattox. A small, integrated guerrilla force of white and Cherokee Confederates under William Holland Thomas continued fighting in the mountains until May 10. This unit, called the "Thomas Legion," was North Carolina's sole legion and was never actually defeated by Union troops. On May 6, 1865, Thomas' Legion fired "The Last Shot" of the Civil War east of the Mississippi River in White Sulphur Springs, North Carolina. It had the distinction of capturing a city (Waynesville) then voluntarily ceasing from hostilities. North Carolina's port city of Wilmington was the last Confederate port to fall to the Union. It fell in the spring of 1865 after the nearby Second Battle of Fort Fisher. The first Confederate soldier to be killed in the Civil War was a North Carolinian, Private Henry Wyatt, at the Battle of Big Bethel in 1861. At the Battle of Gettysburg in July 1863, the 26th North Carolina Regiment participated in Pickett's Charge and advanced the farthest into the Northern lines of any Confederate regiment. At 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 North Carolinians proudly boasted that they had been "First at Bethel, Farthest at Gettysburg, and Last at Apomattox."... Demographics Historical populations Census year Population 1790 393,751 1800 478,103 1810 556,526 1820 638,829 1830 737,987 1840 753,419 1850 869,039 1860 992,622 1870 1,071,361 1880 1,399,750 1890 1,617,949 1900 1,893,810 1910 2,206,287 1920 2,559,123 1930 3,170,276 1940 3,571,623 1950 4,061,929 1960 4,556,155 1970 5,082,059 1980 5,881,766 1990 6,628,637 2000 8,049,313 2005 8,683,242 Est According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2005, North Carolina has an estimated population of 8,683,242, which is an increase of 142,774, or 1.7%, from the prior year and an increase of 636,751, or 7.9%, since the year 2000. This exceeds the rate of growth for the United States as a whole. The growth comprises a natural increase since the last census of 248,097 people (that is 627,309 births minus 379,212 deaths) and an increase due to net migration of 390,672 people into the state. Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 158,224 people, and migration within the country produced a net increase of 232,448 people. North Carolina has historically been a rural state, with most of the population living on farms and in small towns. However, over the last 25 years the state has undergone rapid urbanization, and today the residents of North Carolina live primarily in urban areas, as is the case in most of the United States. In particular, the cities of Charlotte and Raleigh have become major urban centers, with a large, diverse, and rapidly-growing population. Most of this growth in diversity has been fueled by immigrants from Latin America, especially Mexico. The state has also witnessed a large increase in the number of immigrants from Asia, especially India and countries in Southeast Asia, such as Vietnam. 6.7% of North Carolina's population were reported as under 5, 24.4% under 18, and 12.0% were 65 or older. Females made up approximately 51% of the population. Demographics of North Carolina (csv) By race White Black AIAN Asian NHPI AIAN is American Indian or Alaskan Native   -   NHPI is Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 2000 (total population) 75.27% 22.20% 1.65% 1.70% 0.11% 2000 (hispanic only) 4.28% 0.33% 0.10% 0.05% 0.03% 2005 (total population) 74.95% 22.29% 1.65% 2.06% 0.12% 2005 (hispanic only) 5.89% 0.37% 0.12% 0.05% 0.03% Growth 2000-2005 (total population) 7.41% 8.31% 7.51% 30.62% 17.92% Growth 2000-2005 (non-hispanic only) 4.93% 8.13% 6.31% 30.71% 16.84% Growth 2000-2005 (hispanic only) 48.62% 20.36% 25.79% 27.15% 21.63% North Carolina has 4 Metropolitan Combined Statistical Areas with a population over 1 million: The Metrolina: Charlotte/Gastonia/Rock Hill, NC-SC - population 2,067,810 The Piedmont Triad: Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point - population of 1,473,679 The Triangle: Raleigh/Durham/Cary (official - known colloquially as Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill) - population of 1,467,434 North Carolina Population Density Map The five largest ancestry groups in North Carolina are: African American (21.6%), Scots & Scots-Irish (13.9%), English (9.5%), German (9.5%), Irish (7.4%). North Carolina has one of the largest Native American populations in the United States. North Carolina has the second largest Laotian American population in the country. African-Americans African Americans are concentrated in the state's eastern Coastal Plain and in parts of the Piedmont Plateau where plantation agriculture was most dominant. Until the mid 1860s, North Carolina had more small farms and fewer plantations than adjacent South Carolina and Virginia. These "yeoman" farmers were non-slave holding, private land owners of tracts of approximately 500 acres (2 km²). European-Americans North Carolinians of Scots-Irish, Scottish and English ancestry are concentrated in the western mountains, coastal areas, and rural areas of the central Piedmont. Descendents of German ancestry, often of subsequent migration from Pennsylvania, can also be found in smaller numbers throughout the Piedmont. In the Winston-Salem area, there is a substantial population of Czech ancestry from the migration of Moravians during the 18th century. Native Americans Estimated population figures for Native American in North Carolina as of 2004 is 110,198, or 1.3% of the total North Carolina population. Only five states (California, Arizona, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Texas) have a larger Native American population than North Carolina. The total Native American and Alaska Native population in the United States is 2,824,751, or 0.95% of total U.S. population. To date, North Carolina recognizes eight Native American tribal nations within its state borders: The Lumbee are the largest Native American tribe east of the Mississippi River and the ninth largest tribal nation in the U.S. The Lumbee comprise roughly one-half the state of North Carolina's indigenous population of 84,000 with a population of 52,614, and live in Robeson, Hoke, Scotland, and Cumberland counties. The Lumbee received state recognition in 1885, and have maintained a relationship with the federal government since 1888, but federal recognition is still pending. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians were federally recognized in 1868 and received state recognition in 1889. The Eastern Cherokee live in western Swain County, as well as Graham and Jackson counties, and have roughly 13,400 enrolled members, most of whom live on a reservation properly called the Qualla Boundary. The Reservation is slightly more than 56,000 acres, and is held in trust by the federal government specifically for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. The Haliwa-Saponi Tribe of Native Americans received state recognition in 1965. The tribe is comprised of a little more than 3,800 enrolled members who reside in northeastern North Carolina's Halifax and Warren counties. The almost 2,000 members of the Waccamaw Siouan Indian Tribe are located in the southeastern North Carolina counties of Bladen and Columbus and received state recognition in 1971. The Coharie Tribe of Native Americans are located in Sampson and Harnett counties, and have a population of 1,781 enrolled members. The Coharie received state recognition in 1911. North Carolina rescinded recognition in 1913 but reinstated it in 1971. The Sappony Indians of Person County received state recognition in 1911 and have 850 enrolled members. The Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation have a population of 800 members who reside in Orange and Alamance counties and received state recognition in 2002. The Meherrin are an Iroquoian-descent Native American tribe located primarily in rural northeastern Hertford, Bertie, and Gates counties, with a population of 557 enrolled members. Asian-Americans The state has one of the fastest growing Asian American, specifically Indians and Vietnamese, populations in the country; the populations have nearly quintupled and tripled respectively between 1990 and 2002. Most 2006 estimates claim Asians to be at least 3.2%. Religion North Carolina, like other Southern states, has traditionally been overwhelmingly Protestant, with the largest Protestant denomination being the Baptists. However, the rapid influx of Northerners and immigrants from Latin America is steadily increasing the number of Roman Catholics in the state, and the numerical dominance of the Baptist Church is beginning to decline.This is especially evident in the urban areas of the state, where the population is more culturally diverse than the rural and small-town population. The fastest growing non-Christian religion is Hinduism, mainly because of steady migration from Guyana, but more so from the rapidly increasing Indian and Sri Lankan populations. The current religious affiliations of the people of North Carolina are shown below: Christian – 88% Protestant – 77% Baptist – 40% Methodist – 10% Presbyterian – 3% Other Protestant or general Protestant – 24% Roman Catholic – 10% Other Christian – 1% (such as Eastern Orthodox or Mormon) Non-Religious – 11% (atheists, agnostics, and others) Other Religions – 1% (Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism) Economy According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the state's 2004 total gross state product was $336 billion.[5] Its 2003 per capita personal income was $28,071, 38th in the nation.citation needed] North Carolina's agricultural outputs include poultry and eggs, tobacco, hogs, milk, nursery stock, cattle, sweet potatoes, and soybeans. However, North Carolina is the state most affected by outsourcing; one in five North Carolina manufacturing jobs has been lost to overseas competition.[6] Over the past century, North Carolina has grown to become a national leader in agriculture, financial services, and industry. The state's industrial output—mainly textiles, chemicals, electrical equipment, paper and pulp/paper products—ranked eighth in the nation in the early 1990s. The textile industry, which was once a mainstay of the state's economy, has been steadily losing jobs to markets in Latin America and Asia for the past 25 years. Over the past few years another important Carolina industry, furniture production, has also been hard-hit by jobs moving to Asia (especially China). Tobacco, one of North Carolina's earliest sources of revenue, remains vital to the local economy, although concerns about whether the federal government will continue to support subsidies for tobacco farmers has led some growers to switch to other crops or leave farming altogether. Recently, technology, research, and banking have been on the rise, especially with the creation of the Research Triangle Park between Raleigh and Durham in the 1950's, along with Charlotte's newfound status as the second largest banking center in the United States (with New York City being the largest). The state is also a center of American motorsports, with many NASCAR racing teams and related industries located near Charlotte. NASCAR recently announced that the NASCAR Hall of Fame will be built in Charlotte. North Carolina is the third largest film production state behind California and New York. Movie studios are located in Shelby, Raleigh, Durham, Charlotte, Asheville, and Wilmington. Some of the films and television shows filmed in North Carolina include: Dawson's Creek, One Tree Hill, Last of the Mohicans, Bull Durham, The Fugitive, Cape Fear, Dirty Dancing, Firestarter, Being There, The Crow, Cabin Fever, Shallow Hal, and Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. The television show most associated with North Carolina is The Andy Griffith Show, which aired on CBS-TV from 1960 to 1968. The series is set in the fictional small town of Mayberry, North Carolina and was based on the real-life town of Mount Airy, North Carolina, although it was filmed in California. Mount Airy is the hometown of actor Andy Griffith. The show is still popular in reruns and is frequently shown in syndication around the nation. North Carolina personal income tax is divided into 4 brackets, ranging from 6.0 percent to 8.25 percent. The state sales tax is 4.5 percent. Most taxable sales or purchases are subject to the state tax as well as the 2.5 percent local tax rate levied by all counties, for a combined 7 percent. Mecklenburg County has an additional 0.5 percent local tax for public transportation, bringing sales taxes there to a total 7.5 percent. Effective January 1, 2006, the total local rate of tax in Dare County increased to 3.5 percent, producing a combined state and local rate there of 8 percent. The property tax in North Carolina is a locally assessed tax, collected by the counties. The three main elements of the property tax system in North Carolina are real property, motor vehicles and personal property (inventories and household personal property are exempt). Transportation Airports Asheville Regional Airport Charlotte/Douglas International Airport Craven Regional Airport (New Bern) Fayetteville Regional Airport (Grannis Field) Foothills Regional Airport (Morganton / Lenoir) Goldsboro Wayne County Airport Hickory Regional Airport Kinston Regional Jetport Lake Norman Regional Airport Moore County Airport (Pinehurst/Southern Pines) Piedmont Triad International Airport (Greensboro / Winston-Salem / High Point) Pitt-Greenville Airport Raleigh-Durham International Airport Rocky Mount-Wilson Regional Airport (Rocky Mount / Wilson / Elm City) Rutherford County-Marchman Field Rutherfordton, NC Smith Reynolds Airport (Winston-Salem) Statesville Regional Airport Wilmington International Airport Major highways Main article: North Carolina Highway System The North Carolina Highway System is comprised of a vast network of Interstate highways, U.S. routes, and state routes. North Carolina has the second largest state maintained highway network in the United States. Interstate 26 Interstate 40 Interstate 73 Interstate 74 Interstate 77 Interstate 85 Interstate 95 Interstate 240 Interstate 277 Interstate 440 Interstate 485 Interstate 540 Interstate 785 U.S. Route 1 U.S. Route 13 U.S. Highway 15 U.S. Highway 17 U.S. Highway 19 U.S. Highway 25 U.S. Highway 29 U.S. Highway 52 U.S. Highway 64 U.S. Highway 70 U.S. Highway 74 U.S. Highway 76 U.S. Highway 117 U.S. Highway 158 U.S. Highway 178 U.S. Highway 220 U.S. Highway 221 U.S. Highway 321 U.S. Highway 421 U.S. Highway 501 Law and government The state capitol in Raleigh The governor, lieutenant governor, and eight elected executive department heads form the Council of State. Ten other executive department heads appointed by the governor form the North Carolina Cabinet. The state's current governor is Democrat Mike Easley. The North Carolina General Assembly, or Legislature, consists of two houses: a 50-member Senate and a 120-member House of Representatives. For the 2005–2006 session, the current President Pro Tempore of the Senate is Democrat Marc Basnight (the Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina is the President of the Senate); The House Speaker is Democrat James B. Black. The prior legislature's power sharing two-speaker arrangement is no longer in effect, as the House Democrats won a decided victory and majority of the seats in the 2004 election. In 2005, the state Legislature voted to implement a state lottery, nullifying North Carolina's reputation as the "anti-lottery" state, where owning a lottery ticket from another state was once a felony. By 2005, every state surrounding North Carolina had a lottery in operation. The North Carolina lottery began selling tickets March 31, 2006. North Carolina remains a control state, although beer and wine can be sold by retailers. The Supreme Court of North Carolina is the state's highest appellate court; it numbers seven justices. The North Carolina Court of Appeals is the only intermediate appellate court in the state; it consists of fifteen judges who rule in rotating panels of three. Together, the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals constitute the appellate division of the court system. The trial division includes the Superior Court and the District Court. All felony criminal cases, civil cases involving more than $10,000 and misdemeanor and infraction appeals from District Court are tried in Superior Court. A jury of 12 hears the criminal cases. Civil cases—such as divorce, custody, child support and cases involving less than $10,000—are heard in District Court, along with criminal cases involving misdemeanors and infractions. The trial of a criminal case in District Court is always without a jury. The District Court also hears juvenile cases involving children under the age of 16 who are delinquent and children under the age of 18 who are undisciplined, dependent, neglected or abused. Magistrates accept guilty pleas for minor misdemeanors, accept guilty pleas for traffic violations, and accept waivers of trial for worthless-check cases among other things. In civil cases, the magistrate is authorized to try small claims involving up to $4,000 including landlord eviction cases. Magistrates also perform civil marriages. Federal Apportionments North Carolina currently has 13 congressional districts, which, when combined with its two U.S. Senate seats, gives the state 15 electoral votes. State constitution Main article: North Carolina Constitution North Carolina has had three constitutions: 1776: ratified December 18, 1776, as the first constitution of the independent state. The Declaration of Rights was ratified the preceding day. 1868: framed in accordance with the Reconstruction Acts after North Carolina was readmitted into the Union. It was a major reorganization and modification of the original into fourteen articles. It also introduced townships which each county was required to create, the only southern state to do so. 1971: minor consolidation of the 1868 constitution and subsequent amendments. Important cities and towns Asheboro Asheville Bath Burlington Cary Chapel Hill Charlotte (largest city) Concord Durham Elizabeth City Fayetteville Gastonia Goldsboro Greensboro Greenville Hickory High Point Hendersonville Huntersville Jacksonville Kannapolis Kinston Laurinburg Lexington Lumberton Mount Airy (inspiration for Mayberry) Monroe New Bern (first state capital) Pinehurst Raleigh (state capital) Reidsville Roanoke Rapids Rockingham Rocky Mount Roxboro Salisbury Sanford Shelby Southern Pines Statesville Thomasville Wake Forest Wilmington Wilson Winston-Salem Education Elementary and secondary education Elementary and secondary public schools are overseen by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, which is headed by a Superintendent. Most legal authority for making public education policy is vested in the North Carolina State Board of Education, of which the Superintendent is a member and secretary.[7] North Carolina has 116 public school systems, each of which is overseen by a local school board. A county may have one or more systems within it. The state has also established charter schools, which fall outside the ordinary structure. Colleges and universities |valign="top"| School of Communication Arts Barber-Scotia College Barton College Belmont Abbey College Bennett College Brevard College Campbell University Catawba College Chowan University Davidson College Duke University East Carolina University Elon University Gardner-Webb University Greensboro College Guilford College High Point University John Wesley College Johnson C. Smith University Lees-McRae College Lenoir-Rhyne College Livingstone College Louisburg College Mars Hill College Meredith College Methodist College Montreat College Mount Olive College North Carolina Community College System: Alamance Community College Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College Beaufort County Community College Bladen Community College Blue Ridge Community College Brunswick Community College Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute Cape Fear Community College Carteret Community College Catawba Valley Community College Central Carolina Community College Central Piedmont Community College Cleveland Community College College of the Albemarle Coastal Carolina Community College Craven Community College Davidson County Community College Durham Technical Community College Edgecombe Community College Fayetteville Technical Community College Forsyth Technical Community College Gaston College Guilford Technical Community College Halifax Community College Haywood Community College Isothermal Community College James Sprunt Community College Johnston Community College Lenoir Community College Martin Community College Mayland Community College McDowell Technical Community College Mitchell Community College Montgomery Community College Nash Community College Pamlico Community College Piedmont Community College Pitt Community College Randolph Community College Richmond Community College Roanoke-Chowan Community College Robeson Community College Rockingham Community College Rowan-Cabarrus Community College Sandhills Community College Sampson Community College South Piedmont Community College Southeastern Community College Southwestern Community College Stanly Community College Surry Community College Tri-County Community College Vance-Granville Community College Wake Technical Community College Wayne Community College Western Piedmont Community College Wilkes Community College Wilson Technical Community College |valign="top"| North Carolina Wesleyan College Peace College Pfeiffer University Piedmont Baptist College Queen's University Roanoke Bible College St. Andrews Presbyterian College St. Augustine's College Salem College Shaw University Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary University of North Carolina system : Appalachian State University East Carolina University Elizabeth City State University Fayetteville State University North Carolina A&T State University North Carolina Central University North Carolina School of the Arts North Carolina State University University of North Carolina at Asheville University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University of North Carolina at Charlotte University of North Carolina at Greensboro University of North Carolina at Pembroke University of North Carolina at Wilmington Western Carolina University Winston-Salem State University Wake Forest University Warren Wilson College Wingate University |} Professional sports teams Despite having over eight million people, the disbursement of North Carolina's population over three major metropolitan areas left the state unable to attract any major professional sports league teams until recently. North Carolina remains without a Major League Baseball team despite numerous efforts to attract a team to the state (including a current push to relocate the Florida Marlins to Charlotte). Although more populous New Jersey also does not have an MLB team, North Carolina is the most populous state without a team from each of the major leagues either within or very close to the state's borders. On June 19, 2006 the Carolina Hurricanes, a National Hockey League (NHL) franchise based in Raleigh, won the Stanley Cup. The Hurricanes are the first professional sports team from North Carolina to win their sport's highest championship. For amateurs, the state holds the State Games of North Carolina each year. Club Sport League Carolina Panthers Football National Football League Carolina Hurricanes Ice hockey National Hockey League Charlotte Checkers Ice hockey Minor League Hockey; East Coast Hockey League Fayetteville FireAntz Ice hockey Minor League Hockey; Southern Professional Hockey League Charlotte Bobcats Basketball National Basketball Association Raleigh Cougars Basketball United States Basketball Association Charlotte Sting Basketball Women's National Basketball Association Fayetteville Patriots Basketball NBA Development League Asheville Tourists Baseball Minor League Baseball (A); South Atlantic League Burlington Indians Baseball Minor League Baseball (R); Appalachian League Carolina Mudcats Baseball Minor League Baseball (AA); Southern League Charlotte Knights Baseball Minor League Baseball (AAA); International League Durham Bulls Baseball Minor League Baseball (AAA); International League Greensboro Grasshoppers Baseball Minor League Baseball (A); South Atlantic League Hickory Crawdads Baseball Minor League Baseball (A); South Atlantic League Kannapolis Intimidators Baseball Minor League Baseball (A); South Atlantic League Kinston Indians Baseball Minor League Baseball (A); Carolina League Winston-Salem Warthogs Baseball Minor League Baseball (A); Carolina League Carolina Railhawks Soccer USL First Division; 2007 expansion Charlotte Eagles Soccer USL Second Division Wilmington Hammerheads Soccer USL Second Division Carolina Dynamo Soccer USL Premier Development League Raleigh CASL Elite Soccer USL Premier Development League Carolina Lady Dynamo Soccer W-League Charlotte Lady Eagles Soccer W-League Other sports teams Club Sport League Asheville RFC Rugby union Cape Fear RFC Rugby union Charlotte Royals Rugby union Charlotte RFC Rugby union Rugby Super League Eno River RFC Rugby union Gastonia RFC Rugby union Raleigh RFC Rugby union Triad RFC Rugby union Miscellaneous topics The USS North Carolina, a World War II battleship, was named in honor of the state. Now decommissioned, it is part of the USS North Carolina Battleship Memorial in Wilmington. The ship served in several battles against the forces of Imperial Japan in the Pacific theater of World War Two. Another USS North Carolina, a nuclear attack submarine, is to be commissioned in 2007. Haw River, NC is the location of the untimely death of blood plasma pioneer Dr. Charles Drew, on April 1st, 1950. He was driving a group of his colleagues to a medical conference in Alabama when he apparently dozed off at the wheel, resulting in a crash and the mortal wounds that were the cause of his death. An urban myth developed that he had been denied treatment and allowed to bleed to death, because of his being black, but eyewitnesses, including one of his fellow doctors who was at the hospital, have testified that nothing of the sort happened, as detailed in this article from the Raleigh News and Observer.[8] State symbols Main Article :North Carolina state symbols Armed Forces Installations Fort Bragg, near Fayetteville; it is the largest and most comprehensive military base in the United States and is the headquarters of the XVIII Airborne Corps, 82nd Airborne Division, and the U.S. Army Special Operations Command. Pope Air Force Base in Fayetteville, NC. Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune which, when combined with nearby Marine bases MCAS Cherry Point, Camp Geiger, Camp Johnson, Stone Bay and Courthouse Bay, makes up the largest concentration of Marines and sailors in the world. MCAS Cherry Point in Cherry Point, NC is home of the MC Harrier, USN F/A-18 Hornet, and USN F/A-18E/F Super Hornet squadrons Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro, NC Coast Guard (Part of District 5) Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City Marine Safety Unit Wilmington Special Mission Training Center at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base CG Base Fort Macon CG Station Hobuken CG Station Oregon Inlet CG Station Emerald Isle CG Station Hatteras Isle CG Station Oak Island CG Station Wrightsville Beach CG Station Ocracoke Interesting city names Towns/areas with interesting names: Bat Cave (in Henderson County, near Asheville) Bear Grass (in Martin County) Big Lick (in Stanly County) Booger Mountain (near Jefferson in Ashe County) Buies Creek (in Harnett County, near Raleigh) Bug Hill (in Columbus County) Cary (in Wake County), often humorously referred to as a false acronym for "Concentrated Area of Relocated Yankees" Chinquapin (in Duplin County) Climax (in Guilford County, near Greensboro) Erect, North Carolina (in Robeson County) Frog Level (in Pitt County) Frog Pond (in Stanly County) Frying Pan Landing (in Tyrrell County) Fuquay-Varina (in Wake County) Half-Hell Swamp (Brunswick County) Horneytown (in Forsyth County, near High Point) Kill Devil Hills (in Dare County) Leatherman, (in Macon County) Level Cross, home of NASCAR racing legend Richard Petty Lizard Lick (in Wake County, near Raleigh) Mount Airy (in Surry County, was the inspiration for Mayberry in the popular TV program The Andy Griffith Show, and is Griffith's birthplace) Nags Head (in Dare County) Pilot Mountain, near both its namesake and Mount Airy, referenced on The Andy Griffith Show as "Mount Pilot". Pinnacle, also near Pilot Mountain Poor Town, near Ahoskie in Hertford County, ironically located near Rich Square Red Bug, a "suburb" of Shallotte (Brunswick County) Rich Square (in Northampton County) Rockfish (in Hoke County) Roxboro (in Person County) Sandy Mush (in Rutherford County) Shine (west of Snow Hill, NC) Soul City (in Warren County) Tickbite (in Pitt County) Toast (in Surry County, near Mount Airy) Welcome (in Davidson County) Whynot (near Seagrove) Cities/towns/villages with names of major U.S. cities: Arlington, North Carolina (Arlington, Virginia) Aurora, North Carolina (Aurora, Colorado) Dallas, North Carolina (Dallas, Texas) Denver, North Carolina (Denver, Colorado) Jackson, North Carolina (Jackson, Mississippi) Jacksonville, North Carolina (Jacksonville, Florida) Jamestown, North Carolina (Jamestown, Virginia or Jamestown, New York) Nashville, North Carolina (Nashville, Tennessee) Plymouth, North Carolina (Plymouth, Massachusetts) Waco, North Carolina (Waco, Texas) Washington, North Carolina (Washington, D.C.) Nicknames The Tar Heel State Cackalacky or North Cackalacky Old North State The Goodliest Land The Rip Van Winkle State See also Wildlife of North Carolina List of topics related to North Carolina List of North Carolina Governors Order of the Long Leaf Pine North Carolina state symbols North Carolina Award List of individuals executed in North Carolina List of television stations in North Carolina List of radio stations in North Carolina List of people from North Carolina List of North Carolina county seats List of counties in North Carolina List of cities, towns, and villages in North Carolina List of unincorporated communities in North Carolina Scouting in North Carolina Pulled pork Appalachia Notes ^ Fenn and Wood, Natives and Newcomers, pp. 24-25 ^ Powell, North Carolina Through Four Centuries, p. 105 ^ a b Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence. Farlex, Inc. Retrieved on 2006-09-12. ^ The Great Seal of North Carolina. NETSTATE. Retrieved on 2006-09-12. ^ Gross State Product. U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (2006-06-23). Retrieved on 2006-09-12. ^ Fishman, China, Inc.: How the Rise of the Next Superpower Challenges America and the World, p. 179 ^ North Carolina Department of Public Instruction ^ Doctor wants to put end to story hospital refused to treat black physician. The News and Observer Publishing Company. Retrieved on 2006-09-12. References Surveys James Clay and Douglas Orr, eds., North Carolina Atlas: Portrait of a Changing Southern State (University of North Carolina Press, 1971). Crow; Jeffrey J. and Larry E. Tise; Writing North Carolina History University of North Carolina Press, 1979 Fleer; Jack D. North Carolina Government & Politics University of Nebraska Press, 1994 Hawks; Francis L. History of North Carolina 2 vol 1857 Marianne M. Kersey and Ran Coble, eds., North Carolina Focus: An Anthology on State Government, Politics, and Policy, 2d ed., (Raleigh: North Carolina Center for Public Policy Research, 1989). Lefler; Hugh Talmage. A Guide to the Study and Reading of North Carolina History University of North Carolina Press, 1963) Hugh Talmage Lefler and Albert Ray Newsome, North Carolina: The History of a Southern State University of North Carolina Press (1954, 1963, 1973) Paul Luebke, Tar Heel Politics: Myths and Realities (University of North Carolina Press, 1990). William S. Powell, North Carolina through Four Centuries University of North Carolina Press (1989). External links Find more information on North Carolina by searching Wikipedia's sister projects: Dictionary definitions from Wiktionary Textbooks from Wikibooks Quotations from Wikiquote Source texts from Wikisource Images and media from Commons News stories from Wikinews Government and education North Carolina state government North Carolina state library North Carolina facts from US Department of Agriculture ERS North Carolina facts from US Census Bureau North Carolina Travel and Tourism Website North Carolina Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Other links North Carolina Scuba Diving photos North Carolina County Maps Full color county maps. Old Growth Forest Wilderness Areas in Western North Carolina Old Growth Forest Wilderness Areas in Eastern North Carolina North Carolina Court System official site The Appalachian Trail Updates of statewide trends since publication of The North Carolina Atlas in 2000 North Carolina Beaches Lex Mundi's Guide to Doing Business in North Carolina (PDF) North Carolina's current delegation to the United States Congress Senators: Elizabeth Dole (R), Richard Burr (R) Representative(s): G. K. Butterfield (D), Bob Etheridge (D), Walter B. Jones (R), David E. Price (D), Virginia Foxx (R), Howard Coble (R), Mike McIntyre (D), Robin Hayes (R), Sue Wilkins Myrick (R), Patrick T. McHenry (R), Charles H. Taylor (R), Melvin L. Watt (D), Brad Miller (D) Other current delegations: AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DE FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WV WI WY •• AS DC GU PR VI State of North Carolina Topics History | Geography | North Carolinians Capital Raleigh Regions Coastal Plain | Outer Banks | Inner Banks | Sandhills | Piedmont | The Triangle | Piedmont Triad | Metro Charlotte | Land of the Sky | Blue Ridge Mountains | Smoky Mountains Cities Asheville | Burlington | Cary | Chapel Hill | Charlotte | Concord | Durham | Fayetteville | Gastonia | Goldsboro | Greensboro | Greenville | Hickory | High Point | Jacksonville | Raleigh | Rocky Mount | Wilmington | Wilson | Winston-Salem Counties Alamance | Alexander | Alleghany | Anson | Ashe | Avery | Beaufort | Bertie | Bladen | Brunswick | Buncombe | Burke | Cabarrus | Caldwell | Camden | Carteret | Caswell | Catawba | Chatham | Cherokee | Chowan | Clay | Cleveland | Columbus | Craven | Cumberland | Currituck | Dare | Davidson | Davie | Duplin | Durham | Edgecombe | Forsyth | Franklin | Gaston | Gates | Graham | Granville | Greene | Guilford | Halifax | Harnett | Haywood | Henderson | Hertford | Hoke | Hyde | Iredell | Jackson | Johnston | Jones | Lee | Lenoir | Lincoln | Macon | Madison | Martin | McDowell | Mecklenburg | Mitchell | Montgomery | Moore | Nash | New Hanover | Northampton | Onslow | Orange | Pamlico | Pasquotank | Pender | Perquimans | Person | Pitt | Polk | Randolph | Richmond | Robeson | Rockingham | Rowan | Rutherford | Sampson | Scotland | Stanly | Stokes | Surry | Swain | Transylvania | Tyrrell | Union | Vance | Wake | Warren | Washington | Watauga | Wayne | Wilkes | Wilson | Yadkin | Yancey v·d·e Political divisions of the United States States: Alabama | Alaska | Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Connecticut | Delaware | Florida | Georgia | Hawaii | Idaho | Illinois | Indiana | Iowa | Kansas | Kentucky | Louisiana | Maine | Maryland | Massachusetts | Michigan | Minnesota | Mississippi | Missouri | Montana | Nebraska | Nevada | New Hampshire | New Jersey | New Mexico | New York | North Carolina | North Dakota | Ohio | Oklahoma | Oregon | Pennsylvania | Rhode Island | South Carolina | South Dakota | Tennessee | Texas | Utah | Vermont | Virginia | Washington | West Virginia | Wisconsin | Wyoming Federal district: District of Columbia Insular areas: American Samoa | Guam | Northern Mariana Islands | Puerto Rico | Virgin Islands Minor outlying islands: Baker Island | Howland Island | Jarvis Island | Johnston Atoll | Kingman Reef | Midway Atoll | Navassa Island | Palmyra Atoll | Wake Island Search Term: "North_Carolina" Categories: Articles with unsourced statements | 1789 establishments | Former British colonies | North Carolina

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North Carolina Sen. Dole Has Her Own Seat to Defend in 2008 

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