USA Guide
The South
North Carolina
North Carolina, the most industrialized of the Southern states, holds nine million people spread over an area larger than England. Geographically, it has three distinct areas – the coast, the Piedmont, and the mountains. The coast promises stunning beaches, beautiful landscapes, and a fascinating history. The inner coast consists largely of the less developed Albemarle Peninsula, with colonial Edenton nearby. The central Piedmont is dominated by manufacturing cities and the academic institutions of the prestigious "Research Triangle": Raleigh, the state capital, is home to North Carolina State University; Durham has Duke; and the University of North Carolina is in trendy Chapel Hill. Winston-Salem combines tobacco culture and Moravian heritage, while Charlotte is distinguished by little but its downtown skyscrapers. In the Appalachian Mountains, the only towns of any size, Asheville and Boone, are enjoyable places to stop along the spectacular Blue Ridge Parkway; Great Smoky Mountains National Park overlaps the border with Tennessee.
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