Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
North Carolina
Table of Contents
References & Edit History Facts & Stats
Images & Videos
North Carolina: flag state seal of North Carolina North Carolina: state bird North Carolina: state flower map of North Carolina Cape Hatteras National Seashore North Carolina United States: The Upper South Blue Ridge Mountains Bald Head Island
For Students
Cape Hatteras National Seashore
North Carolina summary
Quizzes
Texas State Capitol building in Austin, Texas. United States
U.S. State Capitals Quiz
Extruded map of the United States of America with states borders on national flag background. (3-d rendering)
Guess the U.S. State by Its Neighbors
USA, United States watercolor map Illustration in rainbow colors
50 States, 50 Fun Facts Quiz
State capitol building in Austin, Texas.
USA Capitals and Nicknames Quiz
Close-up of a weathered, old American flag of the United States of America, used as a patriotic decoration on Fourth of July (Independence Day), Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and other national holidays.
U.S. State Nicknames Quiz
Read Next
Close up of a hand placing a ballot in a ballot box. Election vote voter voting
Have Any U.S. Presidents Decided Not to Run For a Second Term?
Washington, D.C. locator map.
What State Is Washington, D.C. In?
The United States Supreme Court building, Washington, D.C.
14 Questions About Government in the United States Answered
Bar graph of the United States Death Toll during major events. Infogram chart.
U.S. Death Toll During Major Events
BALTIMORE, MD - AUGUST 16: People gather at the site where a statue dedicated to Robert E. Lee and Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson stood August 16, 2017 in Baltimore, Maryland. The City of Baltimore removed four statues celebrating confederate heroes from city
Pro and Con: Historic Statue Removal in the United States
Discover
Two puppies and a kitten, puppy playfully biting kitten's head
Why Are the Babies of Mammals Cute?
Candles Burning On Table In Church
What Is the Most Widely Practiced Religion in the World?
Ahura Mazda - relief of the Zoroastrian god Ahura Mazda at the ancient ruins of Persepolis in Iran. Also known as Ormazd Zoroastrianism,
Which Religion Is the Oldest?
Bog body. Head of Tollund Man. Died at about age 30-40, Dated to about 280 BCE early Iron Age. Found Bjaeldskovdal bog Denmark in 1950 near Elling Woman. Most well preserved bog body to date. Human remains mummified in natural peat bogs. mummy, embalm
9 Noteworthy Bog Bodies (And What They Tell Us)
B-52G with cruise missiles, USAF, short range attack missiles SRAMs; guided missile
11 of the World’s Most Famous Warplanes
Computer mapping, woman at early 1990s computer
Timeline of the 1990s
Baseball laying in the grass. Homepage blog 2010, arts and entertainment, history and society, sports and games athletics
10 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time
North Carolina: flag
North Carolina: flag

North Carolina

state, United States
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/place/North-Carolina-state
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Britannica Websites
Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.
Also known as: Tar Heel State
Written by
Peter Spence Gilchrist
President, Gilchem Corporation, Charlotte, North Carolina.
Peter Spence Gilchrist,
Robert J. Norrell
Professor of History, University of Tennessee. Author of Reaping the Whirlwind: The Civil Rights Movement in Tuskegee and The House I Live In: Race in the American Century.
Robert J. Norrell•All
Fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last Updated: • Article History

News •

A Tennessee earthquake rattles homes as far away as Atlanta with 4.1 magnitude • May 10, 2025, 2:04 PM ET (AP)
Is the Southern accent fixin' to disappear in parts of the US South? • May 10, 2025, 12:07 AM ET (AP)
Ousted top election official in key swing state urges civility toward 'caretakers of our democracy' • May 9, 2025, 6:27 PM ET (AP)
The election director in North Carolina, a key swing state, is ousted after a Republican power play • May 7, 2025, 6:44 PM ET (AP)
Republican concedes long-unsettled North Carolina court election to Democratic incumbent • May 7, 2025, 5:27 PM ET (AP)

North Carolina, constituent state of the United States of America. One of the 13 original states, it lies on the Atlantic coast midway between New York and Florida and is bounded to the north by Virginia, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the south by South Carolina and Georgia, and to the west by Tennessee. The terrain of North Carolina is among the wettest in the country, with vast marshlands in the coastal tidewater area and numerous lakes in the Piedmont and Appalachian regions. These three physical regions account for much of the diversity in lifestyles and cultures ...(100 of 6124 words)

Access the full article
Trust your source with Britannica Premium
7-Day Free Trial, No Ads, Unlimited Access
Subscribe Today