North Carolina
"Tar Heel State"
- Motto
- Esse quam videri (To be rather than to seem)
- Capitol
- Raleigh
- Name Origin
- n honor of Charles I of England
- Statehood Date
- Nov. 21, 1789 (12nd)
Cities in North Carolina
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Official Symbols
A state's official symbols represent the composition and culture of the land and people who live and have lived here. Below are the symbols of North Carolina along with the year they became official.
| Flower | Dogwood (1941) |
| Tree | Pine (1963) |
| Bird | Cardinal (1943) |
| Mammal | Gray Squirrel (1969) |
| Insect | Honeybee (1973) |
| Reptile | Eastern Box Turtle (1979) |
| Gemstone | Emerald (1973) |
| Shell | Scotch Bonnet (1965) |
| Historic Boat | Shad Boat (1987) |
| Beverage | Milk (1987) |
| Rock | Granite (1979) |
| Dog | Plott Hound (1989) |
| Song | “The Old North State” (1927) |
| Colors | Red And Blue (1945) |
| Fruit | Scuppernong Grape (2001) |
Demographics
- Population Density
- 165.2 people per square mile
Geography and Weather
- Land Area
- 48,711 sq mi. (126,161 sq km)
- Lowest Elevation
- 0 ft (0 m)
- Average Elevation
- 700 ft (213.36 m)
- Highest Temperature Recorded
- 110°F (43°C) on August 21, 1983
- Lowest Temperature Recorded
- –34°F (–37°C) on January 21, 1985
