North Carolina

North Carolina, one of the original United States of America, situated between lat. 33° 50' and 36° 33' N. and long. 75° 27' and 84° 30' W., and bounded on the N. by Virginia, E. and S.E. by the Atlantic, W. by Tennessee, and S. by South Carolina and Georgia; area, 52,250 square miles. It was discovered by Raleigh (1585-87). The state may be divided into three sections, of which the most westerly is mountainous and that on the E. level, with tracts of swamp, the area between them being occupied by an undulating and extremely fertile region. The Iron and Alleghany Mountains run parallel near the Tennessee border, and between them is Mitchell's Black Dome (6,700 feet). Along the coast runs a long line of sandbanks, forming the outer barrier of the shallow lagoons. There are five large navigable rivers, of which the Roanoke and the Cape Fear are the chief. Excepting certain districts near the coast, North Carolina has a productive soil and a healthy climate. The chief crops are cotton, maize, tobacco, sweet potatoes, and fruits which are dried for export. The pine-woods in the E. section afford an abundant supply of timber, and here there are numerous saw-mills as well as works for the production of resin, tar, pitch, and turpentine oil. The state is rich in gold, silver, iron, copper, and other minerals. The manufacture of cotton and woollen goods and of tobacco has recently made some progress. Raleigh, an inland city, is the capital, but Wilmington is the chief port and most important town.