Higher Education  

North Carolina has nearly forty colleges and universities, as well as over sixty community colleges. Founded in 1795, the University of North Carolina is the oldest state university in America; its six campuses are at Chapel Hill, Greensboro, Charlotte, Asheville, Pembroke and Wilmington. Other state institutions include Appalachian State University, Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina State University, and Winston-Salem State University. The state's most prestigious private institutions are Duke University in Durham, Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, and Davidson College in Davidson. Other colleges and universities include Barber-Scotia College in Concord; Belmont Abbey College in Belmont; Campbell University in Buies Creek; Catawba College in Salisbury; Greensboro College in Greensboro; Meredith College, St. Augustine's College, and Shaw University, all in Raleigh; Queens College in Charlotte; and Wingate College in Wingate.

Geography

Covering an area of 136,413 square kilometers, North Carolina ranks twenty-eighth among the fifty states in terms of size. The state has three major land regions: the Eastern Flatland, the Piedmont, and the Mountain region. Part of the Atlantic coastal plain, the Eastern Flatland is a fertile area that covers two-fifths of the state. Extending through the center of the state is the Piedmont, a gently rolling plateau composed largely of red clay. The Mountain Region, which is part of the larger Appalachian mountain system, is a rugged area that includes the Blue Ridge, Great Smoky, and other mountains regions. North Carolina's coastline on the Atlantic Ocean is 484 km in length. Some of North Carolina s important rivers are the Cape Fear, Roanoke, Neuse, Tar-Pamlico, Catawba, Broad, and Little Tennessee. Major cities are Charlotte, Raleigh (capital), Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Durham, and Fayetteville. North Carolina has over 7.4 million residents.

Climate

North Carolina s plains, hills, and mountains give the state a range of climates. On the coastal plain, the city of Wilmington has average temperatures of 8° C in January and 21° C in July. Charlotte, a city in the Piedmont, experiences average temperatures of 6° C in January and 26° C in July. In Asheville, a city in the Mountain Region, temperatures average 2° C in January and 22° C in July. Average annual precipitation (both rain and snow) is 127 cm on the Coastal Plain, 119 cm on the Piedmont, and 152 cm in the Mountain Region.

Cultural Profile

Bluegrass, folk, country, and gospel music are all popular in North Carolina. Classical music also has many supporters in the state: there are symphony orchestras in Raleigh, Greensboro, Charlotte, and Winston-Salem. Opera companies perform in Raleigh, Greensboro, and Charlotte. Several historical pageants are staged at various locations in the state each summer.

Among the state s museums are the North Carolina Museum of Art and the North Carolina Museum of History, both in Raleigh; the Mint Museum of Art and the Charlotte Nature Museum, both in Charlotte; the North Carolina Maritime Museum, in Beaufort; and the Greensboro Historical Museum, in Greensboro.

Recreation

North Carolina has more than sixty state parks, forests, and historic sites. National parklands in the state include the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Cape Lookout National Seashsore, The state s four national forests are Croatan, Uwharrie, Pigsah, and Nantahala. Some other interesting places to visit are Biltmore Estate, near Asheville; North Carolina Botanical Garden, in Chapel Hill; and North Carolina Zoological Park, near Asheboro. Popular outdoor activities include fishing, water sports, hunting, hiking, golf, and tennis.

Interesting Facts

Residents of North Carolina are known as Tar Heels. In 1903, Wilbur and Orville Wright made the first successful powered airplane flight at Kitty Hawk. Famous people from North Carolina include David Brinkley (television journalist), John Coltrane (jazz musician), Roberta Flack (singer), Billy Graham (evangelist), Andy Griffith (actor), Andrew Johnson (seventeenth president of the US), Charles Kuralt (television journalist), "Sugar Ray" Leonard (boxer), Dolley Madison (wife of President James Madison), Edward R. Murrow (journalist), James Polk (eleventh president of the US), William Sydney Porter (writer; his penname was O. Henry), Earl Scruggs (bluegrass musician), and Thomas Clayton Wolfe (writer).