North Carolina

North Carolina is a southeastern state geographically bordered on the north by Virginia, on the west by Tennessee, on the south by South Carolina and [Page 533]Georgia, and on the east by the Atlantic Ocean. The capital city is Raleigh.

North Carolina's economy was predominantly agricultural, with tobacco being the primary crop produced. Following the Civil War, cotton was also widely grown throughout the state. In the last five decades, however, the state has diversified its economy by focusing on engineering, biotechnology, and finance. Winston-Salem is the home of the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, founded in 1874 and the second-largest tobacco company in the United States.