Population: 9 656.401 thousand people (2011)
Area: 139509.0 sq. km
According to citypopulationreview.com, North Carolina is a South Atlantic state located in the eastern United States.
For thousands of years, Indian tribes belonging to the “Mississippian culture” lived in the state. Today you can see the Town Creek mound preserved from those times. By the beginning of European colonization, the Roanoke, Pamlito, Tuscarora, Cherokee, Catoba and others Indians settled here. Giovanni de Verrazano was the first to see this land and made, though inaccurate, but still a map of the territory. It happened in 1524. Further exploration of the region was continued by the Spaniards, led by Hernando de Soto. In 1567, another detachment came to North Carolina under the leadership of Juan Pardo. It was this man who founded the first settlement of Europeans in this territory – Fort San Juan. In the 1580s, the famous Englishman Walter Raleigh founded two settlements in the open area -Virginia and North Carolina, but in 1587 John White could not find even the slightest trace of people who had previously arrived here. To this day, the disappearance of the Lost Colony on Roanoke Island remains a mystery.
In honor of King Charles I in the years 1625-1650, the name “Caroline” appeared. During the 17th century, the province of Carolina included Tennessee, South Carolina, and a number of other permanent settlements.
In 1712, a special lieutenant governor was appointed to govern North Carolina, and in 1729 it became a royal colony – the province of North Carolina. In April 1776, delegates from North Carolina voted for independence from England in the Continental Congress. On November 21, 1789, North Carolina became the 12th state of the United States.
In 1840, in the capital of the state – Raleigh – the construction of the Capitol was completed, which is located there to this day.
Originated in the post-war period, stock car racing – NASCAR, is held there and now. The bulk of the teams for such races are based in the Charlotte area. A large number of historical attractions, picturesque nature and, of course, racing, attract many tourists to North Carolina.
GREENSBORO
Population: 277,000 thousand people (2012)
Founded: 1809
Time zone: UTC-5, summer UTC-4
Altitude: 272 m
The city of Greensboro occupies the area at the intersection of 2 expressways. Its history dates back to the late 1900s. At the first stages of development, the textile industry began to flourish here. Numerous small industries, workshops and factories functioned. Over time, some of them, unable to withstand the competition, went bankrupt, but some managed to hold their positions. The latter have turned into large companies with a worldwide reputation. The city got its name in honor of US Army General Nathaniel Green, known in the history of the Civil War as the head of the military operation “Battle of Yorktown”. See North Carolina counties.
The rise of the economy in the 19th century was accompanied by the construction of railroads, which eventually turned Greensboro into a major transportation hub. Historically, the city is known as the seat of the Quaker organization, whose members were active in the fight against slavery. In those days, Greensboro was colloquially referred to as “Stop on the Underground Railroad.” Members of the organization helped African-American slaves to escape to freedom, who were transported in wagons. Despite the slow development of the city, some of the enterprising townspeople managed to make a considerable fortune on the cotton trade.
Merchants invested their capital in construction, which eventually led to a change in the appearance of Greensboro. Luxurious estates surrounded by garden landscapes appeared within its boundaries. Among the first such buildings was the Blandwood mansion. Its architectural appearance was changed after 50 years of its operation. In accordance with the project of the then famous architect Davis, the estate became a copy of the Tuscan Villa. The twentieth century brought the city many new directions and, as a result, it began to develop in various areas. But the basis of the economy, as before, remained the trade in textiles and tobacco.
The successful activities of merchants led to the emergence of new luxurious estates, many of which are now architectural monuments. In addition to historical buildings, the city is known for the arboretum located in Lindley Park. On its area of 1700 square meters, many annual and perennial plants grow. Not far from the outskirts rises the Greensboro Coliseum entertainment complex, which houses an aquatic center, a museum, a theater, an arena, an arts center and an amphitheater. At the same time, it can receive more than 23,000 visitors.
DURHAM
Population: 239,000 thousand people (2012)
Area: 245.8 sq. km
Founded: 1869
Time zone: UTC-5, summer UTC-4
Altitude: 123 m
Durham is the center of the county of the same name in central North Carolina. The city lies in the central part of the Piedmont foothills, sprawling on the banks of the River Hainaut.
Before the colonization of this area, the Great Indian Trade Route ran here. Various tribes of the Sioux people lived here. At first, the Indians even helped white settlers settle in a new place. In the early 18th century, with the light hand of naturalist John Lawson, the town was called the “flower from the Carolinas.”
The economic growth of Durham falls on the middle of the 19th century. First there was a post station, then a railway. Since the 1870s, the city has become a center for the production of tobacco products. And thanks to the company “Bull Durham Tobacco” the city became known far beyond the state and got its nickname “Bull City” (bull city). The bull statue is located in the center of Durham and is its symbol.
Modern Durham is known as a scientific and educational center. As early as 1838, Duke University was founded by the religious communities of the city. Now it is the leading research university in the region, where 16,000 students study. In 1910, the Central University of North Carolina appeared: one of the “black universities”, in which, however, representatives of all races receive a specialty today. Durham also has a School of Mathematics and Science.
Durham has a rich cultural life. Notable events and festivals include the Feature Documentary Film Festival at the Carolina Theater and the American Dance Festival, sponsored by Duke University and the local Theater Arts Center.
In general, Duke University is the main attraction of Durham. Its educational, research and administrative buildings are examples of different architectural styles (Neo-Gothic, Georgian style and others). On the territory of the university there is the main chapel of Durham, the Medical Center, stunning in its architectural embodiment (one of the best hospitals in the United States, as well as the country’s leading medical school), the lemur center and other interesting objects.
