From the barrier islands along the great Outer Banks to the majesty of the Blue Ridge and Smokey mountains and from college towns such as Chapel Hill and Charlotte to the high-tech corridor of the Raleigh-Durham area, North Carolina offers a wealth of natural beauty and resources and a variety of exceptional lifestyles. Historically the Tar Heel state has led the way as a pioneer of progress and development. In North Carolina Sir Walter Raleigh established the first English settlement, Fort Raleigh and the Wright Brothers flew the first controlled airplane in the town of Kitty Hawk. The state historically and still today provides a home for industry leaders and innovation. North Carolina stretches east from Manteo to the western border Murphy and is 560 miles long, making it the longest state east of the Mississippi. Bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the East, Tennessee on the West, Virginia to the North and South Carolina and Georgia to the South, North Carolina is divided into three distinct geographic areas: the Mountains, the Heartland, often called the Piedmont, and the Coast. Each has its own marvelous features for residents.North Carolina is bordered by South Carolina on the south; Georgia on the southwest; Tennessee on the west; Virginia on the north; and the Atlantic Ocean on the east. The United States Census Bureau classifies North Carolina as a Southern state in the subcategory of being one of the South Atlantic States. North Carolina topographic mapNorth Carolina consists of three main geographic sections: the coastal plain, which occupies the eastern 45% of the state; the Piedmont region, which contains the middle 35%; and the Appalachian Mountains and foothills, which take up the remaining 20% of the state in the west. The coastal plain begins in the east as a chain of narrow, sandy barrier islands known as the "Outer Banks". The Outer Banks encompass two sounds ¿ Albemarle Sound in the north and Pamlico Sound in the south; they are the two largest landlocked sounds in the United States. Inland the coastal plain is relatively flat, with rich soils which grow tobacco, soybeans, and cotton. The major rivers of this section, the Neuse River, Tar River, Pamlico River, Cape Fear River, and Roanoke River, tend to be slow-moving and wide. Bodie Island Lighthouse, one of the Outer Banks attractions.The coastal plain turns into the Piedmont region along the "fall line," a line which marks the elevation at which waterfalls first appear on streams and rivers. The Piedmont region of central North Carolina is the state's most urbanized and densely-populated section - all five of the state's largest cities are located in the Piedmont. It consists of gently rolling countryside frequently broken by hills or low isolated mountain ridges. Many small, deeply eroded mountain ranges and peaks are located in the Piedmont, including the Saura Mountains, Pilot Mountain, the Uwharrie Mountains, Crowder's Mountain, King's Pinnacle, the Brushy Mountains, and the South Mountains. The Piedmont ranges from about 300¿400 feet elevation in the east to over 1,000 feet in the west. The major rivers of the Piedmont, such as the Yadkin and Catawba, tend to be fast-flowing, shallow, and narrow. The western section of the state is part of the Appalachian Mountain range. Among the subranges of the Appalachians located in the state are the Great Smoky Mountains, Blue Ridge Mountains, Balsams, Pisgahs, and the Black Mountains. The Black Mountains are the highest mountains in the Eastern United States, and culminate in Mount Mitchell at 6,684 feet. It is the highest point east of the Mississippi River. Due to the higher altitude in the mountains, the climate often differs starkly from the rest of the state. Winters in western North Carolina typically feature significant snowfall and subfreezing temperatures more akin to a northern state than a southern one.

These North Carolina real estate sites are provided by Phoenix Homes by David to assist you if you're considering relocating to North Carolina. The North Carolina real estate agents listed here can provide you additional assistance. Phoenix Homes by David does not endorse any particular agent but will be happy to find you a North Carolina relocation real estate agent to personally provide you with fair and honest service.