North Carolina is named after Charles I, who was King of England, Scotland and Ireland from 1625 to 1649. "Carolus" is the Latin version of Charles, and "Carolina" is the feminine version of Carolus.
The state has two nicknames: "Old North" and the "Tar Heel State." The name Old North refers to the division of the territory into north and south colonies in 1712. The Tar Heel nickname refers to one of the state's first major products--tar--and a remark made by Civil War soldiers that tar should be applied to the heels of deserters to ensure they'd "stick better in the next fight."
The first known European explorer in North Carolina was the Italian Giovanni da Verrazano, who was exploring on behalf of France in 1524. At the time of European contact, there were a variety of Native American tribes in the area, but all fell under three language families: Iroquoian, Siouan, and Algonquian.
The state was first settled in the 1650s by people from southeastern Virginia. Charles II issued a charter for the Carolina colony in 1663. From 1663 until 1729, North Carolina was controlled by the Lords Proprietors, eight English gentleman who had helped Charles II gain the throne of England, as well as their descendants. In 1729 North Carolina became a Royal colony.
North Carolina was the twelfth state to join the Union, after it ratified the Constitution in 1789. During the Civil War, the state joined the Confederacy.
North Carolina has a total area of 52,669 square miles: 48,843 square miles of land and 3,826 square miles of inland water. Major cities include Charlotte, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Durham and Fayetteville.
The state has three geographical regions: the Coastal Plain, the Piedmont and the Blue Ridge. The Coastal Plain includes wetlands, forest and estuaries, the Piedmont is the central part of the state, while the Blue Ridge is mountainous and includes includes Great Smoky Mountain National Park. The state's two largest lakes are Lake Mattamuskeet and Lake Phelps.
Gold was found in the state before the California gold rush, and mining continues as an important part of the state's economy. However, manufacturing is now the most important sector of the economy, followed by the financial sector and the service sector. The production of furniture, textiles, tobacco and chemicals have also been important.
North Carolina also includes major tourist sites, such as the chain of islands known as the Outer Banks, as well as the prominent University of North Carolina and Duke University in Durham.
The state bird is the cardinal; the state colors are red and blue; the state flower is the dogwood; the state vegetable is the sweet potato; the state dog is the Plott Hound; the state insect is the honeybee. The state motto is "Esse quam videri" ("To be rather than to seem").
