Capital: Raleigh
Population: 8,049,313
Governor: Michael F. Easley (D, to January 2009)
Entered the Union: November 21, 1789
as the 12th state
Motto: Esse quam videri (To be rather than to seem)
Nickname: Tar Heel state
Flower: Dogwood
Bird: Cardinal
Song: The Old North state
Sports Teams: Charlotte Bobcats (Men's Basketball), Carolina Hurricanes (Hockey), Carolina Panthers (Football)
Origin of Name: In honor of Charles I of England
Major Industries: Furniture, Tobacco, Brick, Textile Products, Metalworking, Chemicals, Paper, Tobacco, Corn, Cotton, Hay, Peanuts, Truck and Vegetable Crops, Mica, Lithium Military Parks, Carl Sandburg's home near Hendersonville, and the Old Salem Restoration in Winston-Salem
Points of Interest: The Great Smoky Mountains, the Blue Ridge National Parkway, and the Cape Hatteras and Cape Lookout National Seashores
Bordering States: North Carolina borders Virginia, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Georgia.
Source: State of North Carolina
Population, 2006 estimate: 8,856,505
Population, percent change, April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2006: 10.1%
Population, 2000: 8,049,313
Persons under 5 years old, percent, 2006: 6.9%
Persons under 18 years old, percent, 2006: 24.3%
Persons 65 years old and over, percent, 2006: 12.2%
Female persons, percent, 2006: 51.0%
White persons, percent, 2006 (a): 74.0%
Black persons, percent, 2006 (a): 21.7%
American Indian and Alaska Native persons, percent, 2006 (a): 1.3%
Asian persons, percent, 2006 (a): 1.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, percent, 2006 (a): 0.1%
Persons reporting two or more races, percent, 2006: 1.1%
Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin, percent, 2006 (b): 6.7%
White persons not Hispanic, percent, 2006: 67.9%
Living in same house in 1995 and 2000, pct 5 yrs old & over: 53.0%
Foreign born persons, percent, 2000: 5.3%
Language other than English spoken at home, pct age 5+, 2000: 8.0%
High school graduates, percent of persons age 25+, 2000: 78.1%
Bachelor's degree or higher, pct of persons age 25+, 2000: 22.5%
Persons with a disability, age 5+, 2000: 1,540,365
Mean travel time to work (minutes), workers age 16+, 2000: 24.0
Housing units, 2006: 4,028,959
Homeownership rate, 2000: 69.4%
Housing units in multi-unit structures, percent, 2000: 16.1%
Median value of owner-occupied housing units, 2000: $108,300
Households, 2000: 3,132,013
Persons per household, 2000: 2.49
Median household income, 2004: $40,863
Per capita money income, 1999: $20,307
Persons below poverty, percent, 2004: 13.8%
Source: U.S.Census Bureau
(a) Includes persons reporting only one race.
(b) Hispanics may be of any race, so also are included in applicable race categories.
Total Gross Domestic Product by State: 69,692
Private industries: 56,803
Agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting: 1,197
Crop and animal production (Farms): 1,056
Forestry, fishing, and related activities: 140
Mining: 10,402
Oil and gas extraction: 8,175
Mining, except oil and gas: 524
Support activities for mining: 1,703
Utilities: 1,471
Construction: 3,286
Manufacturing: 6,639
Durable goods: 5,655
Wood product manufacturing: 66
Nonmetallic mineral product manufacturing: 266
Primary metal manufacturing: 54
Fabricated metal product manufacturing: 180
Machinery manufacturing: 85
Computer and electronic product manufacturing: 4,596
Electrical equipment and appliance manufacturing: 21
Motor vehicle, body, trailer, and parts manufacturing: 91
Other transportation equipment manufacturing: 120
Furniture and related product manufacturing: 33
Miscellaneous manufacturing: 143
Nondurable goods: 984
Food product manufacturing: 429
Textile and textile product mills: 38
Apparel manufacturing: 12
Paper manufacturing: 30
Printing and related support activities: 46
Petroleum and coal products manufacturing: 283
Chemical manufacturing: 99
Plastics and rubber products manufacturing: 46
Wholesale trade: 2,384
Retail trade: 4,481
Transportation and warehousing, excluding Postal Service: 1,686
Air transportation: 100
Rail transportation: 464
Water transportation: 1
Truck transportation: 542
Transit and ground passenger transportation: 90
Pipeline transportation: 121
Other transportation and support activities: 310
Warehousing and storage: 58
Information: 1,698
Publishing including software: 396
Motion picture and sound recording industries: 123
Broadcasting and telecommunications: 1,048
Information and data processing services: 132
Finance and insurance: 2,223
Federal Reserve banks, credit intermediation and related services: 1,209
Securities, commodity contracts, investments: 213
Insurance carriers and related activities: 768
Funds, trusts, and other financial vehicles: 33
Real estate and rental and leasing: 6,411
Real estate: 5,972
Rental and leasing services and lessors of intangible assets: 439
Professional and technical services: 4,319
Legal services: 532
Computer systems design and related services: 279
Other professional, scientific and technical services: 3,508
Management of companies and enterprises: 337
Administrative and waste services: 1,843
Administrative and support services: 1,671
Waste management and remediation services: 173
Educational services: 332
Health care and social assistance: 4,374
Ambulatory health care services: 2,455
Hospitals and nursing and residential care facilities: 1,402
Social assistance: 517
Arts, entertainment, and recreation: 418
Performing arts, museums, and related activities: 210
Amusement, gambling, and recreation: 209
Accommodation and food services: 1,927
Accommodation: 591
Food services and drinking places: 1,336
Other services, except government: 1,373
Government: 12,888
Federal civilian: 2,714
Federal military: 1,239
State and local: 8,936
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
Longitude: 75° 30' W to 84° 15' W
Latitude: 34° N to 36° 21' N
Length / Width: North Carolina is 500 miles long and 150 miles wide.
Geographic Center: The geographic center of North Carolina is located in Chatham County, 10 miles NW of Sanford.
Borders: North Carolina is bordered by Virginia on the north and by South Carolina and Georgia on the south. In the east, North Carolina is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean. On the west, Tennessee is North Carolina's neighbor.
Total Area: North Carolina covers 53,821 square miles, making it the 28th largest of the 50 states.
Land Area: 48,708 square miles of North Carolina are land areas.
Water Area: 5,103 square miles of North Carolina are covered by water.
Highest Point: The highest point in North Carolina is Mount Mitchell at 6,684 feet above sea level.
Lowest Point: The lowest point in North Carolina is at the shore where North Carolina meets the Atlantic Ocean; sea level.
Mean Elevation: The Mean Elevation of the state of North Carolina is 700 feet above sea level.
Major Rivers: Neuse River, Roanoke River, Yadkin River
Major Lakes: Lake Mattamuskeet, Lake Phelps, Lake Waccamaw
Source: U.S. Geological Survey
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