State Facts

Full Name

State of North Carolina

Admitted to the Union (Rank)

November 21, 1789 (12th)

Population 2000 (Rank)

8,049,313 (11th)

Land Area (Rank)

48,711 square miles; 126,161 square kilometers (29th)

Capital

Raleigh

Postal Abbreviation

NC

State Nickname

Tar Heel State

Motto

Esse quam videri (To be rather than to seem)

Song

“The Old North State” (music by E. E. Randolph, words by William Gaston)

State Symbols

Flower: Dogwood
Tree: Pine
Bird: Cardinal
Gem: Emerald
Stone: Granite
Mammal: Gray squirrel
Reptile: Eastern box turtle
Fruit: Scuppernong grape

Economy

Agriculture:
- Poultry and eggs,
- tobacco,
- hogs,
- milk,
- nursery stock,
- cattle,
- soybeans
Industry:
- Tobacco products,
- textile goods,
- chemical products,
- electric equipment,
- machinery,
- tourism