North Carolina received this nickname because people believe that North Carolina stuck in war because they had tar on their heels. The tar came from the state’s forests.

Did you know North Carolina comprises of beaches and mountains, is nicknamed The Tar Heel State, and is located in the southeast region? North Carolina is a magnificent state because of its topography, nicknames, and history.

The Grey Squirrel is commonly found in North Carolina’s mountains.

Grandfather Mountain is the oldest mountain in the world and is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

North Carolina is a state of varied landscapes and climate. On some summer days, the temperature can top 100°F and on some winter days the temperature may drop to below zero!! The temperature is naturally higher on the coast. Mt. Mitchell, the state’s highest point, is as cold as southern Canada! North Carolina receives 102-103 cm of precipitation a year and the town of Cashiers is the wettest place in the eastern United States.

This wonderful state is divvyed into four sections, Atlantic Coastal Plain, Outer Banks, Piedmont, and Mountains. The Atlantic Coastal Plain is the largest region and is 25,000 square miles. This fantabulous region is mostly flat and swampy. Dismal Swamp is a large swamp in this zone and covers 600 square miles; beyond the swamp it is flat for the next 100 miles. The Outer Banks is a string of islands that run along the coast; these are called barrier islands because they protect the mainland from hurricanes. One of these islands looks like a long foot and stretches 300 miles into the ocean. It kicks into the ocean at three points, Cape Hatteras, Cape Lookout, and Cape Fear. Hurricanes and fierce storms hit Cape Hatteras and ships sink in its surrounding waters. This explains Cape Hatteras’ nickname, Graveyard of the Atlantic.

The Piedmont is the central part of the state, is basically the foothills, and it rises gently upward from the Coastal Plain. . An imaginary border called the fall line divides the two regions and the land west from the fall line is higher, causing more waterfalls because of the elevation. More people live in the Piedmont and most of the major cities and manufacturing is here.

The Mountain zone is similar to Colorado’s mountains, but much smaller. Two important mountain chains, the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains, make up North Carolina’s major mountains. These mountains are connected by smaller mountain chains such as the Black Mountains. Dark evergreen mountains give the Black Mountains their name. Mountains in the western part of the state begin where the Piedmont ends. These mountains are the southern part of the Appalachian Mountains. The trail is almost as long as the United States is wide and stretches 2,100 miles from Georgia to Maine.

Many lakes and rivers make up the land of North Carolina; some lakes are formed by dammed rivers while others are formed naturally. In the Coastal Plain, east of the fall line are natural lakes; the largest is Mattamuskeet, the state’s largest natural lake. Its 15 miles long and 6 miles wide! Other lakes in shallow, sunken areas are known as Carolina Bays. Some believe a meteor fell and landed so hard it created holes; over time water filled up these holes. Many rivers, like Colorado’s rivers, start in the mountains but in the Coastal Plains, the rivers slow down. The state’s major rivers are the Roanoke, Neuse, Tar-Pamiclo, and Cape Fear rivers. Roanoke River is the longest and flows through Albemarle Sound, in the north-eastern part of the state. Neuse and Tar-Pamiclo Rivers are in the central part of the state and flow into the Atlantic Ocean, although Cape Fear is the only river that flows directly into the ocean.

. Hiwasee, Little Tennessee, and Watuga rivers flow westward from the mountains. The Blue Ridge Mountain chain receives more than 40 inches of rainwater a year. This water fills creeks, runs into rivers, picks up speed and flows over slopes, roars over waterfalls, and turns into whitewater rapids. Whitewater Falls is one of the largest waterfalls in the United States and is about as tall as the Empire State Building. Most lakes in the western area are built by man and the largest is Lake Norman on the Catawba River. Other examples are High Rock Lake on the Yadkin River and Roanoke Rapids Lake on the Roanoke River.

In the Outer Banks lies Cape Hatteras National Seashore.Cape Hatteras National Seashore includes hiking trails, Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, and Blackbeard’s hideout.

Discovery Place, in the Piedmont, is a hands-on science museum with an aquarium, rainforest, exotic birds, waterfalls, and the biggest planetarium in the U.S!

Also in the Piedmont, Lowe’s Motor Speedway is a great place to come watch your favorite contestant speed around the track. Almost 80% of the contestants are from North Carolina!!

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, in the mountains, comprises of many attractions such as Mountain Farm Museum and Mingus Mill and Clingman’s Dome. At the museum, you can explore a log farmhouse, barn, apple house, and a working blacksmith shop. Take cornmeal home and bake some delicious muffins. At Clingman’s Dome, on a clear day, you can glimpse seven states!

He eventually died in a battle with the Royal Navy. The American Revolution became a difficult time. The Americans hoped England wouldn’t take over. In the late 1700’s, the colonists felt the English taxed them too heavily. They couldn’t represent themselves in the British Parliament and in result the American Revolution began and the Americans and the English began to dispute with each other. The war officially ended in 1783 and the colonies are now called states. They belong to a single union, The United States. North Carolina officially became a state in 1789 and was the 12th colony to enter the union.

North Carolina’s history is amazing!! Around 5,000 years ago, the first settlers, the Paleo Indians, departed from Asia on a land bridge or sailed on boats across the Pacific Ocean; no one knows for sure. They thrived in the south region because of its vital, natural resources. Many more tribes arrived, but the major ones are the Cherokee, Tuscarora, and the Croatan. Soon white settlers came to North Carolina. All of these settlers moved away, but English farmers arrived in the 1650’s. These farmers came from Virginia and after that more Europeans, like Raleigh. They settled on Native American land. In the early 1700’s pirates raided the coastal towns. The most famous pirate is Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard, the absurd pirate who detested everyone.

In 1587, Raleigh sent one hundred eighteen people to construct a colony on Roanoke Island. This is where Virginia Dare was born, the first English woman to be born on American soil. After a while the people needed more supplies so John White sailed back for more. The settlers promised that if they moved they would scratch their location on a tree trunk. White came back and spotted nothing but skeletons. After a lot of investigating he found two tree trunks with words on them. One said CRO and the other CROATAN. He asked the Croatan Indians if the settlers lived with them but they didn’t This is one of histories largest mysteries. In the 1800’s the state had large farms and plantations. The tobacco and cotton were major and important crops. Slavery helped keep the state’s economy strong. Some people felt abolitionist while others did not. Most of the state’s citizens believed in slavery and didn’t want it to end. A lot of tension occurred amongst the northern and southern states. Northern states didn’t have agricultural economies and didn’t need slavery, so they went against it and abhorred it. All of these issues started The Civil War and the nation divided.

The southern states formed the Confederacy. In 1861, North Carolina was the last state to secede from the union and join the Confederacy, they pondered long and hard about whether they should leave the union or not, and while they fought they even became a bit perplexed about which side to join. 300,000 slaves or 1 out of every 3 people lived as slaves in North Carolina. They lost nearly 20,000 people in the war and the bloodiest battle took place in Bentonville. North Carolina surrendered its army to the unionists because their scheme failed and they weren’t accomplishing much. In 1863 Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation and North Carolina joined the union again in 1868. During the period of reconstruction a lot of feuds occurred about the rights of African Americans. Laws were created for segregation of whites and blacks. Black and white children didn’t attend school together, were buried in separate places, and drank from different drinking fountains. Farming was no longer the main industry. They began to build cotton mills and furniture factories. On December 17th, 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright flew the first airplane at Kitty Hawk. This led to the flaunting off of our proud claim of first flight, but even better, it led to the development of military airplanes. They were very valuable during WW1. The Great Depression then occurred and the people suffered greatly. After WW2, the economy bounced back. Finally, blacks demanded the same rights as whites. In protest of segregation, 4 students held the first “sit in,” at Woolworth’s Lunch Counter, in Greensboro on February 1st, 1960. They refused to leave unless served. They came every day and the worker’s wages became smaller. Soon many black students joined them and filled up all the seats. Now all of these problems are gone and blacks are treated fairly.

Jesse Helms was reelected 5 times to the United States Senate. He represented North Carolina.

Andrew Johnson was the 17th president.

Billy Graham was a well known evangelist.

Curtis L. Brown Jr. is an astronaut and colonel in the United States Air Force.

Orville and Wilbur Wright flew the first airplane at Kitty Hawk.

Sequoyah, an Cherokee leader, feared some of his people would forget their own language so he developed a system for writing the Cherokee language. He completed this task in 1821. We named the Redwood trees after him.

Dolly Madison saved important documents when the British set the White House on fire.

Elizabeth Hanford Dole is a former Red Cross President. She is Secretary of Transportation and labor and she ran for president in 1999.

North Carolina's official flag was adopted in 1885. This flag has a white star with the state’s abbreviation, NC, surrounding it. There is also two yellow scrolls, above and below, bearing dates.

The State Seal of North Carolina changed many times since its original form in 1663.

State Bird: CardinalState Mammal: Grey Squirrel

State Tree: Long Leaf Pine

State Precious Stone: Emerald

State Flower: Dogwood

State Wildflower: Carolina Lily

The National Hollerin Contest takes place in North Carolina.

Mule Days, a day of fun, is held in North Carolina.

“To be, rather than to seem” is the state motto.

Grandfather Mountain is the oldest mountain in the world and the highest in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It is named Grandfather Mountain because it looked like the sleeping face of an old man.

North Carolina is home to the world’s largest chest of drawers.

Most North Carolinians pick up a strange accent. They pronounce their I’s as oi’s!!

North Carolina is in the southeast region.

It is bordered by Georgia, South Carolina, and Virginia

It was the 12th state to enter the union.

They entered on Nov. 21st, 1789

North Carolina is a unique state because of the Outer Banks, Discovery Place, and the first settlers, the Paleo Indians. Hopefully, you now dream of venturing to The Tar Heel State, the veritable state that never gives up hope.

Gaines, Ann G. It's My State! North Carolina. Tarrytown, NY: Benchmark Books, 2004. Print.

Rafle, Sarah. World Almanac Library of the States, North Carolina. Milwaukee, WI: World Almanac Library, 2002. Print.

Sateren, Shelley. North Carolina Facts and Symbols. Manakato, Minnesota: Capstone Press, 2000. Print.

Kummer, Patricia K. North Carolina. 3rd. Manakato, Minnesota: Capstone Press, 2003. Print.

Encyclopedia Britannica Discover America, North Carolina. Chicago, IL: Weigl Publishers, 2005. Print.

Alex, Nan. North Carolina, From Sea to Shining Sea. Childrens Press Scholastic, 2008. Print

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