State Abbreviation - NC
State Capital - Raleigh
Largest City - Charlotte
Area - 53,821 square miles [North Carolina is the 28th biggest state in the USA]
Population - 8,049,313 (as of 2000) [North Carolina is the 11th most populous state in the USA]
Name for Residents - North Carolinians
Major Industries - farming (tobacco, poultry), textiles, furniture
Presidential Birthplaces
James Knox Polk was born in Mecklenburg County on November 2, 1795 (he was the 11th US President, serving from 1845 to 1849).
Andrew Johnson was born in Raleigh on December 29, 1808 (he was the 17th US President, serving from 1865 to 1869).
Major Rivers - Neuse River, Roanoke River, Yadkin River
Major Lakes - Lake Mattamuskeet, Lake Phelps, Lake Waccamaw
Highest Point - Mt. Mitchell - 6,684 feet (2,037 m) above sea level
Bordering States - Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia
Origin of the Name North Carolina - North Carolina was named to honor King Charles I (Carolus is Latin for Charles). State Nickname - Tar Heel State
State Motto - "Esse Quam Videri" (To Be Rather Than to Seem)
State Song - The Old North State |