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North Carolina is bounded on the E and SE by the Atlantic Ocean, on the N by Virginia, on the W by Tennessee, and on the S by Georgia and South Carolina. It is 52,712 sq. mi. in area, of which 49,067 are land and 3,645 are water. Elevation ranges from sea level in the E to 6,684 ft. at Mount Mitchell, the highest peak E of the Mississippi River. Raleigh is the state capital. The largest cities are Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro, Durham, Winston-Salem, Fayetteville, Cary, High Point, Wilmington, and Asheville.

Nicknames Tar Heel State; Old North State

Colors Blue and red

Bird Cardinal

Flower Dogwood

Tree Pine

Shell Scotch bonnet

Motto Esse Quam Videri (To Be Rather Than to Seem)

There are 100 counties in the state:

County County Seat
Alamance Graham
Alexander Taylorsville
Alleghany Sparta
Anson Wadesboro
Ashe Jefferson
Avery Newland
Beaufort Washington
Bertie Windsoe
Bladen Elizabethtown
Brunswick Bolivia
Buncombe Asheville
Burke Morganton
Cabarrus Concord
Caldwell Lenoir
Camden Camden
Carteret Beaufort
Caswell Yanceyville
Catawba Newton
Chatham Pittsboro
Cherokee Murphy
Chowan Edenton
Clay Hayesville
Cleveland Shelby
Columbus Whiteville
Craven New Bern
Cumberland Fayetteville
Currituck Currituck
Dare Manteo
Davidson Lexington
Davie Mocksville
Duplin Kenansville
Durham Durham
Edgecombe Tarboro
Forsyth Winston-Salem
County County Seat
Franklin Louisburg
Gaston Gastonia
Gates Gatesville
Graham Robbinsville
Granville Oxford
Greene Snow Hill
Guilford Greensboro
Halifax Halifax
Harnett Lillington
Haywood Waynesville
Henderson Hendersonville
Hertford Winton
Hoke Raeford
Hyde Swan Quarter
Iredell Statesville
Jackson Sylva
Johnston Smithfield
Jones Trenton
Lee Sanford
Lenoir Kinston
Lincoln Lincolnton
Macon Franklin
Madison Marshall
Martin Williamso
McDowell Marion
Mecklenburg Charlotte
Mitchell Bakersville
Montgomery Troy
Moore Carthage
Nash Nashville
New Hanover Wilmington
Northampton Jackson
Onslow Jacksonville
County County Seat
Orange Hillsborough
Pamlico Bayboro
Pasquotank Elizabeth City
Pender Burgaw
Perquimans Hertford
Person Roxboro
Pitt Greenville
Polk Columbus
Randolph Asheboro
Richmond Rockingham
Robeson Lumberton
Rockingham Wentworth
Rowan Salisbury
Rutherford Rutherfordton
Sampson Clinton
Scotland Laurinburg
Stanly Albemarle
Stokes Danbury
Surry Dobson
Swain Bryson City
Transylvania Brevard
Tyrrell Columbia
Union Monroe
Vance Henderson
Wake Raleigh
Warren Warrenton
Washington Plymouth
Watauga Boone
Wayne Goldsboro
Wilkes Wilkesboro
Wilson Wilson
Yadkin Yadkinville
Yancey Burnsville