By Jessica Reed
Interesting Facts About North Carolina
North Carolina holds all kinds of surprising secrets. From housing the country's oldest University to providing the location of the first Krispy Kreme Doughnut shop, it gives us lots to learn. Here are some facts you might not know about North Carolina.
Roanoke Island
The first colony in America was settled in North Carolina, named Roanoke. The colonists and their leader vanished without a trace, leaving behind only the word "Croatoan," which had been carved into the trunk of a tree. Croatoan was the name of the local Indian tribe, all members of which have also vanished.
Bodies of Water
North Carolina is home to 1,500 lakes that reach at least 10 acres large. One lake, named "White Lake," is considered to be one of the safest swimming spots. It features clear waters and a sandy bottom, and has no dangerous currents or tides.
Wright Brothers
The Wright Brothers completed their first successful flight near Kitty Hawk in North Carolina. Today, a memorial stands in their honor at Kitty Hawk for all to see.
Nickname
North Carolina is nicknamed the "Tar Heel" state. Supposedly, when they were still producing large amounts of tar, someone stepped in some tar and made a set of tar footprints on the ground.
Agriculture
North Carolina produces more sweet potatoes than anywhere in America. Because of this, students have petitioned for the sweet potato to become the state vegetable.
About the Author:
Jessica Reed is a freelance writer who has worked since 2008 for a range of clients, including Consumer Search and TopTenREVIEWS. She enjoys writing about crafts, home and garden, personal organization and finance, web design, photo editing and video games. Reed is pursuing an Associate of Applied Science in web technology with a certificate in web authoring from Nashville State Community College.
Photo Credits:
Photo by Mr. T in DC, http://www.flickr.com/people/mr_t_in_dc/, Available through Creative Commons License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/deed.en
