North Carolina State Facts

State Bird

The North Carolina assembly officially recognized the state bird as the Cardinal on March 4th, 1943. As permanent residents, cardinals nest in woodland margins and shrubbery, with eggs usually laid before the end of April.

State Flower

Flowering Dogwood. As the first state symbol to be chosen, the Dogwood grows naturally as a small tree in North Carolina’s forests. During fall and winter, many kinds of animals eat the flower’s shiny red fruits.

State Mammal

The Gray Squirrel was chosen as the state mammal in 1969. Gray squirrels are found throughout the state.

State Reptile

Eastern Box Turtle. This well-known turtle is most common in and near wooded areas. It is frequently seen on roads,

where great numbers are killed every year. Box turtles have been known to live 80 to 100 years.

State Insect

The Honey Bee. Not a native species, the Honey Bee was brought to North America by settlers from Europe. Bees produce natural sweeteners, beeswax and a host of other products.

State Nickname

The Tarheel State

State Sea Shell

The Scotch Bonnet. The choice of the Scotch Bonnet pays tribute to the Scottish settlers in the state who came here in the 1600’s and 1700’s. The shell is often occupied by a snail or hermit crab.

The State Fish

Channel Bass. Often called the Red Drum because of its copper-red color, the Channel Bass was designated the state salt-water fish in 1971. Channel Bass can weigh 50 – 100 pounds and live

approximately 30 years if not caught.

State Stone

The Emerald was adopted in 1973. A brilliant, transparent form of the mineral beryl, the emerald occurs in nature as a hexagonal crystal with a deep green color and a glass-like luster. Large deposits of the stone are usually found

in Mitchell and Alexander Counties.

State Tree

The pine tree is the official state tree. There are eight native species of pine trees across the state. Pine trees provide not only food for birds and a host of other animals, but it also provides lumber, pulpwood for

paper making and resins for varnishes and other commercial products.

Largest City

Charlotte

State Dog

The Plott Hound is one of only four breeds known to have originated in America and the only breed that originated in North Carolina.

State Beverage

Milk

State Rock

Granite. North Carolina is home to one of the largest granite quarries

in the world. Granite is an all-important building material that

has been used in structures throughout the country and world.

State Berries

Strawberries

Blueberries

Highest Point Above Sea Level

Mt. Mitchell - 6,684 square feet

State Plant

The Venus Fly Trap

State Capital

Raleigh

First English Colony

Roanoke, 1587

First European Child Born Here

Virginia Dare, Roanoke Colony

Number of Counties

100

State Seal

State Motto:Esse Quam Videri

(To Be Rather Than To Seem)

State Dance

Clogging

State Vegetable

Sweet Potato

What do the dates on the flag stand for?What do they mean?

• INDEPENDENCE!• The Halifax and Mecklenberg Resolves. These are

historic events where delegates from North Carolina met and declared independence from Great Britain

prior to the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776.

The State SongCarolina! Carolina! heaven's blessings attend her,

While we live we will cherish, protect and defend her,Tho' the scorner may sneer at and witlings defame her,

Still our hearts swell with gladness whenever we name her.Hurrah! Hurrah! the Old North State forever,

Hurrah! Hurrah! the good Old North State. Tho' she envies not others, their merited glory,

Say whose name stands the foremost, in liberty's story,Tho' too true to herself e'er to crouch to oppression, Who can yield to just rule a more loyal submission.

Hurrah! Hurrah! the Old North State forever,Hurrah! Hurrah! the good Old North State.

Then let all those who love us, love the land that we live in,As happy a region as on this side of heaven,

Where plenty and peace, love and joy smile before us,Raise aloud, raise together the heart thrilling chorus.

Hurrah! Hurrah! the Old North State forever,Hurrah! Hurrah! the good Old North State.

1. If you could create and establish a new motto, song, insect, mammal, etc., for North Carolina, what would it be and why? Give

three reasons to support your answer.

Ch. 1, Sec. 1The Geography of North Carolina

How have regional variations of land, climate, and resources in NC affected patterns of

settlement and the economy?

General Facts and Characteristics

• NC belongs to the geographic region of the US called the South.

• It shares a border to the north with Virginia, to the south by South Carolina and Georgia, to the west by Tennessee and to the east by Atlantic Ocean.

• NC ranks 28th among the 50 states in size. The total land area is 48,711 square miles.

• It’s climate is described as moderate.

• There are 100 counties within North Carolina.

North Carolina’s Land Regions

• NC’s topography, or physical terrain is divided into three geographical regions. A geographical region is described as being a large area or land with a common set of features.

• The three regions are the Mountains, Piedmont, and the Coastal Plain. The Coastal Plain has been divided further into the inner coastal plain and the outer, or Tidewater.

• Elevation is used to identify these three major regions.

The Tidewater and the Coastal Plain

• Stretching for approximately 150 miles, the broad, flat region called the Coastal Plain has an elevation of 500ft. to sea level.

• Another characteristic of the Coastal Plain is the Tidewater and the Outer Banks. Here, numerous swamps, lakes, and rivers saturate the region.

• Several large sounds, or channels of water separating the islands of the Outer Banks from the mainland are found here. The Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds are two of these, with the Pamlico Sound being the largest on the east coast.

• The Outer Banks has often been called the “Graveyard of the Atlantic” because of the regions violent storms, strong currents and sandbars.

• The Outer Banks refers to the long chain of sandy islands that form NC’s eastern coastline.

The Piedmont

• The Piedmont climbs in elevation from 500ft to 1500ft at its western border. The region is separated from the Coastal Plain by the Fall Line, or the point at which rocky rapids and waterfalls form, thus making movement difficult.

• The Piedmont is the region where the vast majority of the state’s population, cities, and industries are located.

The Mountains

• The Appalachian Mountains form this region in NC. The Appalachian Mountain range stretches for over 2,000 miles, from Newfoundland in Canada to the state of Alabama.

• The mountains were given their name in 1540 by Hernando de Soto, who became the first European to step foot in the region.

• The elevation ranges from 1500ft to well above 6000ft and most scientists believe that these mountains may be the oldest mountains in the world.

1. Topography refers to ___________________.

2. Identify which two regions the Coastal Plain includes.

3. The name of the geographic feature that divides the Piedmont and Coastal Plain is the _______________________.

4. The Piedmont a) borders the east end of the Outer Banks b) has numerous swamps, lakes, and rivers c) protects the mainland from the direct effects of

ocean storms d) is farther above sea level than the Coastal Plain.

5. Which geographic features are characteristic of the Outer Banks? A) rapids and waterfalls b) clay soil and sticky mud c) sandbanks and barrier islands d)

mountains and glaciers

6. List all the states that border North Carolina.

7. North Carolina ranks _____ in size and there are _____ counties.

8. North Carolina is bordered to the north by __________ and to the south by ____________________________.

9. This region in NC contains the most people, industry, and agriculture.

10. _____________ is used to identify different land regions.

11. ____________________ named the Appalachian Mountain range in 1540.

12. The Coastal Plain is divided into two sub-regions called the _____________ and __________.

13. The Outer Banks are often called the ________________________________ because of the many shipwrecks

that have occurred there throughout North Carolina’s history.

14. The _____________ sound is the largest in the eastern United States.

15. The approximate elevation of the Mountain region is from ___________ to __________.