Capital: Raleigh
Largest City: Charlotte
Abbreviation: NC
Joined the Union: November 21, 1789
Nickname: The Tar Heel State

A vestige of the Old South, North Carolina’s deep-seated history is evident all across its varied landscapes. The Appalachians, some of the oldest mountains on the planet, are renowned for their stunning vistas and fall foliage. The Piedmont is home to most of the state’s urban population, which has dabbled in sectors like banking and medical research, and the coastal plains of the east boast abundant farmland that leads to sandy beaches. Numerous lighthouses, old tobacco plantations and rural racetracks are what define North Carolina; this is where the airplane first took flight, where the military trains and where the industrial backbone of the south has found its feet.