1. North Carolina
Geography

2. North Carolina’s Geographic Regions
Tidewater
Coastal Plain
Piedmont
Mountains

3. The Tidewater Region
30-50 miles wide strip of North Carolina (NC) along the Atlantic Ocean
Water affected by tidal shifts, often brackish
Sounds: inland areas where salt/fresh water mix

4. Barrier Islands
Barely above sea level, shift due to surf, storms and wind
Outer Banks are the most famous barrier islands
Inlets: low places in the
sand were water from
the ocean moves into
the sound
Called the “Graveyard of
the Atlantic”

5. The Sounds Currituck Albemarle Pamlico Core Bogue
Each is sound fed by fresh water from a river
Some of the oldest towns in NC are near the sounds because they are a great location for trade
Fishing is an important industry
Sediment (soil, clay, gravel) is deposited by the rivers in the sounds which makes them too shallow for large ships unless they are dredged
estuaries: salt water wetlands; these marshes are home to shellfish and shrimp
Largest Sounds
Currituck
Albemarle
Pamlico
Core
Bogue

6. Swamps and Lakes
pocosins: elevated wetlands I(“swamp on a hill”) with trees
savanna: elevated wetland s with tall grasses mixed with various pines
Most of the natural lakes in NC are in the Tidewater
Lake Mattamuskeet is the largest lake, but it is very shallow(only 6’ deep)
This is the least
populated area
of the state due to the
amount of swampland

7. The Coastal Plain Region
Stretches from Virginia to South Carolina and is about 100 miles wide
Covers about 1/3 of the state
Rich soil and flat land make area good for farming
Crossroads hamlets:
serve rural areas,
usually a one or two
stores, church,
school, etc.

8. Tobacco Towns
Towns whose life and culture were dominated by tobacco farming
Largest tobacco growing area in the world
More than a half dozen tobacco warehouses per town
In mid-1900s, nearly every town in the coastal
plain had at least one
tobacco warehouse
Now computer-controlled
“barns”
Tobacco farming is declining
Health concerns
Longleaf pines were cut
down for tobacco farming

9. Carolina Bays Carolina Bays are an unusual feature of the state
Hundreds of elongated depressions in the ground, from ½ to 2 miles long and a
mile wide
Some filled with water;
others are wet and
mucky in wet times, and
dry other parts of the
year
Origin unknown

10. The Sandhills Located northwest of the bays
Sandy, rolling ridges left by ancient coast of the Atlantic Ocean
Very poor soil
Used as home
for golf courses
and Fort Bragg

11. The Piedmont Region
Large region of NC known for hills and red clay soil
Red clay is a subsoil brought up through the black woods dirt as a result of timber loss and plowing fields
Kudzu brought from
Asia to reduce erosion
and save the soil
This fast growing vine
has grown like a
weed and covered
thousands of acres in
the state

12. The Fall Line
fall line: divides the coastal plain from the Piedmont – noted by the last “waterfall” a river hits on its way to the ocean
Piedmont: from Latin, means “foot of the mountains”
Technically, the Piedmont is a plateau, but it’s hilly
Over ½ of region
forests; pines cover
old farms
biological succession:
fast-growing pines die
off and give way to
oaks and hickory trees

13. Farms and Factories Soil made farming difficult in the Piedmont
Livestock and dairy farms were more profitable, but have declined
Economy of the region has depended on factories to
produce textiles, furniture and cigarettes
mill villages: clusters of homes in a town where mill workers lived; the
company often
provided the homes,
schools, and stores
1990s: decline in industry
Textile and furniture
factories moved to Asia

14. Banking and Racing
Charlotte: national banking center and home to NASCAR, and NASCAR Hall of Fame
Winston-Salem and Durham have grown in medical service industries linked to Wake Forest and Duke Universities
Salisbury: home to
grocery industry
Research Triangle
Park: leader in
pharmaceuticals
and computers

15. The Uwharries
monadnocks: geological formation in which a point of land sticks out due to erosion of surrounding land (ex. Pilot Mountain on pages 3 and 24)
Uwharrie Mountains: cluster of monadnocks south of
Greensboro (ex. Morrow Mountain) – slopes and slate soil discouraged settlement

16. The Mountains Region
Blue Ridge: more than 1,000 ft above the Piedmont hills; eastern boundary of the Appalachians
Blue Ridge Parkway: road that runs along the top of the ridge Cherokee NC to Waynesboro, VA
Continental Divide –
steams on the east
run to the Atlantic;
streams on the west
run to the Gulf of
Mexico

17. The Blue Ridge Runs from Pennsylvania to Georgia
One long landform (like the barrier islands) with peaks and gaps
Early settlers depended on gaps to get through the mountains
Areas in the west very
isolated
1870s: tunnels and road beds
laid through Swanannoa
Gap – near current I-40 from
Old Fort to Black Mountain

18. The Appalachians Run from New York to Alabama
43 peaks in NC over 6,000 feet
Mt. Mitchell (6,684 ft): highest point east of the Rockies
Ranges
Black Mountains: known
for dark shadows during
thunderstorms
Great Smoky Mountains:
dew rises in mists creating
a smoky effect
Balsams: large number of
balds (places where few
trees grow) example:
Wayah Bald

19. Mountain Streams and Rocks
Rivers run north and west out of NC
New River and French Broad are examples
Asheville is largest city in the region
Cherokee built their villages along the Tennessee River
Most of the over 100 lakes are manmade
Fontana Dam
(1930s) is highest in
eastern US ; built to
provide cheaper
electricity

20. The Mountains Economy Early settlers isolated from others
Farming, traveling, trading were more difficult
Towns developed in valley areas
Known for sales of local plants with medicinal properties
Tourism is a major
industry
Christmas tree is
a new and
growing industry;
Fraser firs most
popular

21. NC Weather and Climate weather: short-term atmospheric conditions
climate: long-term atmospheric conditions
temperate climate: general climate zone for NC; known for few extremes of temperature or
precipitation
Day-to-day
weather,
however,
varies

22. Heat and Humidity
Westerly winds bring warmer air in the winter and cooler air in the summer – keeps temperatures similar across the state
Mountain peaks usually coldest; Sandhills usually the
warmest
-34°F: record
Mt. Mitchell

23. Storms Precipitation rates vary across the state
SW mountains get most rain; Piedmont is the driest region (precipitation is blocked by the mountains)
Mountains get most
of the snow
Ice
Thunderstorms all
over NC in summer
Some tornados
3rd in US in deaths
due to lightning

24. Hurricanes Hurricane season: June – November, peaks in September
Storm surge (huge tide on the beach); Wind (can destroy homes, trees, property); Flooding (slowing storm rapidly dumps the tropical rain)
1845
Hazel (1954)
Floyd (1999)
Hugo (1989)