North Carolina

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State of North Carolina
Flag of North Carolina State seal of North Carolina
Flag of North Carolina Seal of North Carolina
Nickname(s): Tar Heel State; Old North State;
Cackalacky or North Cackalacky;
The Goodliest Land; The Rip Van Winkle State
Motto(s): Esse quam videri
Map of the United States with North Carolina highlighted
Official language(s) English
Capital Raleigh
Largest city Charlotte
Area  Ranked 28th
 - Total 53,865 sq mi
(139,509 km²)
 - Width 150 miles (240 km)
 - Length 560[1] miles (901 km)
 - % water 9.5
 - Latitude 34°N to 36°21'N
 - Longitude 75°30'W to 84°15'W
Population  Ranked 10th
 - Total (2000) 8,049,313
 - Density 165.24/sq mi 
63.80/km² (17th)
Elevation  
 - Highest point Mt. Mitchell[2]
6,684 ft  (2,038 m)
 - Mean 705 ft  (215 m)
 - Lowest point Atlantic Ocean[2]
0 ft  (0 m)
Admission to Union  November 21, 1789 (12th)
Governor Mike Easley (D)
U.S. Senators Elizabeth Dole (R)
Richard Burr (R)
Time zone Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Abbreviations NC US-NC
Web site www.nc.gov

North Carolina is a state in the United States. Its capital is Raleigh and its largest city is Charlotte.

North Carolina became a state in 1789. It is one of the thirteen colonies that rebelled against British rule in the American Revolution.

It is bordered by South Carolina on the south, Georgia on the southwest, Tennessee on the west, Virginia on the north, and the Atlantic Ocean on the east.

The state is named for King Charles II of England (in Latin, Carolus means Charles).

North Carolina’s nickname is the Tar Heel state. The reason for this name is because legend has it that from the time before the revolutionary war, NC had, for several years, exported 100,000 barrels of tar and pitch. The tar had gotten stuck to the workers feet.