NORTH CAROLINA The Tar Heel State

3 REGIONS OF NORTH CAROLINA 1. Coastal Plain Tidewater Inner Coastal Plain 2. Piedmont 3. Mountains 3 REGIONS OF NORTH CAROLINA

COASTAL PLAIN TIDEWATER and Inner coastal plain Outer Banks

The Coastal Plain location- easternmost region size- largest region along the Atlantic Coast two parts Tidewater Inner Coastal Plain The Coastal Plain

The Tidewater section of the region nearest to the Atlantic Coast contains the barrier islands called the Outer Banks (100 miles long/30-50 wide) The Tidewater

The Tidewater separated from the mainland by sounds Sounds-shallow bodies of brackish (salty and fresh) water Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds are the largest Inland edges are marshy and swamps Great Dismal Swamp is in the Northeast part of the region The Tidewater

Jockey’s Ridge Jockey’s Ridge: largest sand dunes on east coast (114 feet in elevation)

Inner Coastal Plain higher and drier flat land and the soil is good for farming rivers connect to the coast (Roanoke, Tar, Neuse, Cape Fear) Wilmington largest city in the Coastal Plain major port Inner Coastal Plain

People and the Economy of the Coastal Plain • originally settled by Native Americans (Tuscarora and Algonquin) • first Europeans settled in this region o set up plantations that used slavery • major products o tobacco, rice, and forest products (lumber and tar)

People and the Economy of the Coastal Plain • rich soil for farming and good rivers for transportation • wealthiest area until after the Civil War when industrialization came to the Piedmont Rocky Mount, Greenville, Wilson, and Goldsboro were the largest trading tobacco markets in the world Why has the growth of tobacco declined in recent years? 1. health risks 2. government funding has been cut

The Coastal Plain Today • very rural (country) • farming still a major way of life • cotton, peanuts, cucumbers, sweet potatoes, tobacco, & soy beans Rocky Mount, Greenville, Wilson, and Goldsboro were the largest trading tobacco markets in the world Why has the growth of tobacco declined in recent years? 1. health risks 2. government funding has been cut

The Coastal Plain Today • large chicken, turkey, and hog farms • fish and shellfish along the coast • many military bases Rocky Mount, Greenville, Wilson, and Goldsboro were the largest trading tobacco markets in the world Why has the growth of tobacco declined in recent years? 1. health risks 2. government funding has been cut

Tobacco Towns –towns whose life and culture were dominated by tobacco farming

PIEDMONT REGION INNER COASTAL PLAIN

THE PIEDMONT Fall Line- • 300 miles—goes from the Fall Line to the mountains Hilly, rocky land • place where the Piedmont drops to the Coastal Plain foot of the mountain

People and the Economy of the Piedmont • original people where the Catawba (Native Americans) • 1700’s Europeans arrived—lots from Pennsylvania (Quakers) • because of the lack of roads and useable rivers most lived on small self-sufficient farms Poor soil

People and the Economy of the Piedmont • had the most people by 1800 and the capital was put here after the Revolutionary War • began to industrialize after the Civil War • rivers supplied power (hydroelectric) and railroads solved transportation issue • textile, furniture, and tobacco factories High Point—furniture capital of NC *large amount of timber in this part of the state textiles-clothing (why has this industry failed in recent years)(cheaper to make in Asia and Latin America)

The Piedmont Today • wealthiest region • 10 largest cities • most urbanized and industrialized region • wealthiest region • 10 largest cities • now also banking, trucking, pharmaceuticals (medicine), biotechnology, and computer software

MOUNTAINS

Mt. Mitchell: highest peak in the eastern United States 6,684 feet THE MOUNTAINS most western region Appalachian Mountains o Blue Ridge Mountains o Great Smokey Mountains Mt. Mitchell: highest peak in the eastern United States 6,684 feet Home to the only Indian Reservation in NC: Cherokee

People and the Economy of the Mountains • original people where the Cherokee (Native Americans) • early 1700’s Europeans began settling • difficult travel made for little population growth

People and the Economy of the Mountains • logging and tourism are major industries • Blue Ridge Parkway-road park that runs for 469 miles through 29 Virginia and North Carolina counties Blue Ridge Mountains

The Mountains Today • least populated (sparsely) region • Ashville is the largest city • tourism, Christmas trees, apples, lumber, mining

North Carolina Climate • humid subtropical climate—warm hot summers and mild winters • hurricanes and tornados are natural disasters we face in N.C.

WEATHER AND CLIMATE weather-what it is like outside at a certain moment climate-long-term weather conditions temperate climate--are no extremes in temperature and precipitation (NC) westerlies-winds from the west that bring warmer air in the winter and cooler air in the summer humidity-a measure of the amount of moisture in the air precipitation-rain, snow, sleet, hail tornado-a funnel-shaped storm with rotating winds hurricane-a tropical storm that brings high winds and heavy rains