United States Tourism

North Carolina

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Population:	8,049,313 (11th in country)
Size:	52,669 square miles (28th in country)
Nickname:	Tar Heel State -- the origin is clothed in mystery, but it probably evolved from the fact that during the Colonial period, the colony’s chief exports were tar, pitch and turpentine.
Origin of Name:	North Carolina is named in honor of King Charles I of England, from the Latin “Carolus.”
Song:	“The Old North State” by Judge William Gaston
Rock:	Granite
Vegetable:	Sweet Potato

Climate
From Manteo in the east to Murphy in the west, North Carolina is 560 miles long, making it the longest state east of the Mississippi. Bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the east, Tennessee on the west, Virginia to the north, and South Carolina and Georgia to the south, North Carolina is divided into three distinct geographic areas: the Mountains in the west; Piedmont, often called the Piedmont, in the center; and the Coast in the east. Each has its own distinct features.The Appalachian mountain chain runs through the western part of the state. The highest peak, Mount Mitchell, in Yancey County, is 6,684 feet high, making it the tallest along the eastern coast of the U.S. The Great Smoky Mountains make this area one of the country’s top scenic attractions. Visitors can enjoy grand vistas of magnificent beauty driving through the mountain ranges on the world-famous, 250-mile Blue Ridge Parkway.

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Places to see in North Carolina