Carolina North

Carolina, North, one of the Southern Atlantic states of America, and one of the original thirteen, is bounded on the N. by Virginia, S. by South Carolina and Georgia, E. by the Atlantic Ocean, W. by Tennessee; extending from lat. 33° 49' to 36° 33' N. and from long. 75° 25' to 84° 30' W., with a greatest width of 180 miles from N. to S., and greatest length 480 miles from E. to W., and an area of 50,707 square miles. The chain of the Appalachians rises in Mount Mitchell to a height of over 6,000 ft., and among the other ridges the Blue Ridge rises also to a height of 6,000 ft. in Mount Hardy. The table-land between the ridges is broken into fertile, well-watered valleys, which are eminently fitted for grazing and for agriculture. Of the rivers, Cape Fear river (250 miles) is the largest, and next in size is the Roanoke (150 miles). The lowlands to the northeast have extensive swamps, interspersed with lakes, the chief of them being the Great Dismal Swamp and the Alligator Swamp. The chief mineral wealth of the state consists of coal and iron, though gold and silver, and even diamonds also are found. The mountains are clothed with primeval forest, and the animals and birds are both various and abundant. The manufactures are numerous, including saw-mills, cotton-mills, and tobacco-factories, and there is much mining and quarrying. Raleigh is the capital of the state, and Wilmington the principal city.