The south eastern state of North Carolina covers 136,412 square kilometres (52,669 square miles), with the Atlantic Ocean to its east, the state of Virginia to the north, South Carolina to the south, and Tennessee to the west. One of the 13 original states and colonies, North Carolina offers considerable variety to the visitor, from its western mountains through the central farmland and tobacco plantations to the pristine beaches of the east coast. Yields from tobacco, cigarettes and tourism fill the state’s coffers and, additionally, livestock is reared and maize and peanuts grown.


Blue Ridge Mountains

Tourism is well catered for in all the southeastern states – as each highway crosses a state boundary you will find a Welcome Centre, which offers free tourist leaflets and road maps between 8 am and 5 pm. Elsewhere, most towns and all of the cities have tourist bureaux.

Capital of the state is Raleigh, with its gracious Capitol building and range of history and art museums. Raleigh is in the tobacco plantation central region, some 185 kilometres (115 miles) from the coast. It was created in 1792 and named in honour of New World explorer Sir Walter Raleigh, who first opened up this part of the country in 1584, after being granted land here by Queen Elizabeth I. The first English outpost, formed in 1585, was at Roanoke Island. Visitors can see the point where disembarkation took place in the preserved ruins at Fort Raleigh National Historic Site and neighbouring gardens.


R B C Center, Raleigh

Renowned for its high level of education, North Carolina has three university cities linked by a communal campus: one is the capital city of Raleigh; the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill opened in 1795 and was the first state-sponsored university; the quiet college city of Durham forms the third of the group, collectively known as the Research Triangle whose corporate campus park is a popular venue for tourists.

Raleigh – Durham International Airport is 16 kilometres south east of Durham and 16 kilometres north east of Raleigh.

Charlotte - Douglas International Airport is 10 kilometres from the city centre.

Charlotte is the largest city of North Carolina, home to professional football and baseball teams.


Blue Ridge Parkway

In the west of the state, the Black Mountains (part of the gigantic range of the Appalachians) offer exquisite scenery, from the lofty Mount Mitchell – at 2,037 metres (6,684 feet), the highest peak in the country east of the Mississippi River – to plunging waterfalls and lush vegetation. You can drive the incomparably scenic 402-kilometre (250-mile) long Blue Ridge Parkway. There is a 45 mph speed limit, so no one is rushing and you can really enjoy the views of the surrounding countryside.

The coastline is protected by the Outer Banks, a long narrow chain of offshore barrier islands. Beautiful and historic lighthouses can be seen the length of the coast, a reminder of the dangers encountered by shipping approaching this, the graveyard coast, with its year-round weather risks. From August to December it is hurricane season; spring and summer can bring tornadoes, thunderstorms and flash floods; and the rest of the year can produce typical winter weather. Only one of the lighthouses is still in use, the one at Bodie.


An historic photo of Algonquian Indians

Algonquian Indians are known to have fished these waters; 16th century artist John White depicted faithfully the techniques that they employed. Fish were caught from canoes by the use of dip nets and multi-pronged spears. Long spears were thrown from riverbanks, and weir traps used in inland waterways to make the most of the river’s natural force to aid their fishing. Nowadays few Native Indians occupy North Carolina, although some of the Cherokee tribe live in the far west.

The northern Outer Banks form part of a national reserve known as Cape Hatteras Seashore. Marsh and dunes habitats provide sanctuary for threatened flora and fauna.

At Beaufort, the North Carolina Maritime Museum retraces history and images of pirates, fishermen and boat-builders jostle for space. From Beaufort you can take a boat trip to Cape Lookout National Seashore Birdlife Preserve.


National Memorial at Kitty Hawk

You can visit the National Memorial commemorating the site at Kitty Hawk where the Wright Brothers, Orville and Wilbur, launched their first successful powered flight in their Flyer, in 1903. Today it is hang-gliders here who emulate their success.

Probably the most visited site in North Carolina is the Biltmore Estate in Asheville. This 250 -room palatial residence is America’s largest.

Winston-Salem is where, in 1766, Moravian immigrants set up camp. Today, Old Salem is a restored colonial living-history village complete with costumed guides and themed events, crafts and tales of the past. Traditions revolving around a Christmas of times gone by are re-enacted here in December.