North Carolina

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State in southeastern USA, bordered to the north by Virginia, to the west and northwest by Tennessee, to the south by Georgia and South Carolina, and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean; area 126,161 sq km/48,711 52,650 sq mi; population 8,049,300 (2000); capital Raleigh. Named after Charles I of England, its nickname the Old North State refers to the division of Carolina into north and south in 1712; the Tar Heel State comes from a remark made by troops during the Civil War that tar – one of North Carolina's first products – should be put on the heels of deserters to make them ‘stick better in the next fight’. North Carolina varies from flat-lying coastal plain with marshes, bogs, and barrier islands, to the rugged Great Smoky Mountains in the west, and the state is heavily forested. The natural setting, along with growing technology industries and thriving financial centres such as Charlotte, have made the state one of the USA's most desirable places to live. It also supports a strong manufacturing sector, producing textiles, furniture, chemicals, and machinery. Other cities include Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and Durham. North Carolina was home to many American Indian peoples, including the Cherokee, Algonquin, and Siouan-speaking tribes. Explored by Italian navigator Giovanni da Verrazano in 1524 and settled by immigrants from Virginia in the 1650s, North Carolina was one of the original Thirteen Colonies. During the Civil War it joined the Confederacy. North Carolina ratified the US Constitution in 1789 to become the 12th state to join the Union.

The cog-wheel and rice plant stand for industry and agriculture. The stars represent the 14 states. Blue symbolizes peace. Red denotes courage. Effective date: 4 January 1974. >>