North Carolina Facts -- National Geographic

Fast Facts

Population:: 8,407,248
Capital:: Raleigh; 306,944
Area:: 53,819 square miles (139,389 square kilometers)
Per Capita Income:: U.S. $27,566
Date Statehood Achieved:: November 21, 1789

Manufacturing and agriculture are the major industries in North Carolina, which leads the U.S. in the production of bricks, furniture, tobacco, and textiles. With four major universities and world-renowned Research Triangle Park all within miles of one another, North Carolina is rapidly becoming a global leader in high technology. Vast natural areas attract more than 44 million tourists annually, bringing in some $12 billion in revenues yearly.

ECONOMY

Industry: Real estate, health services, chemicals, tobacco products, finance, textiles
Agriculture: Poultry, hogs, tobacco, nursery stock, turkeys, cotton, soybeans

—Text From National Geographic Atlas of the World, Eighth Edition

Related Features

Road Trip: Great Smoky Mountains

In the wild, wild east of North Carolina’s Great Smoky Mountains, hazy vistas and secluded byways are all yours.
At Home on the Outer Banks

North Carolina's Outer Banks is the home and heart of photographer David Alan Harvey
Lake Lure

Unplug and unwind at these lake escapes, where time stands still, nature reigns, and there’s a profound sense of peace.