Tidewater Region Narrow strip of land that extends along the Atlantic Ocean Southern part no more than 30 miles wide Influenced by the daily movement of the tides

Sounds: inland bodies of mixed water found through much of the tidewater. This causes a mixing of salt and fresh water. (distinguishes the tidewater from other regions)

Islands off the NC coast Form the beach for much of the tidewater Barrier Islands Islands off the NC coast Form the beach for much of the tidewater Most famous is along the northern half of the state coastline: called Outer Banks

The barrier islands are really just a very long ridge of sand, spread along the ocean floor. Only the tops show above the waterline. They shift with the tides and storms

The highest point is along Jockey’s Ridge, not far from Kitty Hawk where the Wright brothers first flew. Inlets: a break in the barrier islands- allow the seawater to come in and out with the tides. Churning of the water and movement of sand changes inlets.

Cape Hatteras, at the very eastern edge of NC, juts out into the ocean. The ocean current that runs past Cape Hatteras is the Gulf Stream. The Gulf Stream is one of the biggest influence in the world’s weather due to the warm water it carries from the Gulf of Mexico.

NC has 5 major sounds Currituck Sound Albemarle Sound Pamlico Sound-deepest & largest Core Sound Bogue Sound Each is fed fresh water by a river coming from the Coastal Plain

Wetlands-soil is soaked or flooded with water Most of the tidewater is wetlands Along the shore of the tidewater are salt marshes where shellfish breed and live

Coastal Plain Has the richest soil in the state About 1/3 of the area of the state of NC It is flat and is the chief farming region in the state.

Rivers flow southeasterly into the tidewater (Roanoke, Tar, and Neuse) Other Rivers: Cape Fear River is the longest

Tobacco goes back to colonial days Tobacco Towns Tobacco goes back to colonial days Old tobacco barns were tall and thin. The tobacco was flue-cured and dried to be used for cigarette smoking.

The old tobacco barns are being replaced by modern barns made of insulated metal and plastic. Less tobacco is being grown due to health risks. Also, the gov’t no longer gives aid to tobacco farmers.

Carolina Bays hundreds of elongated depressions in the ground Long leaf pine grows there Richest soil and best animal habitat

Sandhills Northwest of the Carolina Bays Rolling sand ridges left from a change in the shoreline of the Atlantic Ocean.

Sandhills have the poorest soils in the state. Sand allows all the topsail nutrients to drain away. Used for golf courses (Pinehurst)and military installation (Fayetteville)

Piedmont Region Red Clay Kudzu: planted to help with the erosion of the clay. Instead it took over; can grow as much as several inches/day. Common as a weed throughout the piedmont.

Piedmont: Latin for “foot of the mountains” (foothills) Plateau Fall line: line that divides piedmont from the coastal plain Principal rivers: Yadkin-Pee Dee and the Catawba

At the fall line rivers become flatter and smoother Yadkin-Pee Dee and Catawba have their headwaters (springs from which they first flow) on the side of the Blue Ridge. (western side of the Piedmont)

Yadkin-Pee Dee and Catawba head east from the Blue Ridge and then turn sharply south . They parallel each other into SC where they flow into the Atlantic. The rivers of the Piedmont and Coastal Plain never intersect.

More than half the Piedmont is covered in forests. Although farming has long been a tradition in the Piedmont, farming has always been a struggle except for a few areas. Livestock and factories instead

Mill Villages Workers in factories lived on the edges of town in clusters of housing. The company owned the houses, provided stores and schools, and influenced the lives of workers.

Charlotte is a banking center and support center for stock car racing Charlotte is a banking center and support center for stock car racing.(NASCAR) 2007 NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte Monadnocks-geological condition where a point of land stands out because all the land around it has eroded

Monadnocks-geological condition where a point of land stands out because all the land around it has eroded

Mountain Region The mountains begin at the Blue Ridge, the eastern boundary of the Appalachian Mountains Divides the Piedmont from the mountain region

Appalachian Mountains Run from NY to Alabama Highest peaks in NC 43 are 6,000 ft above sea level