• Date of Independence: July 4, 1776 (as part of the original 13 colonies declaring independence from Britain)
  • Date of Annexation to United States of America (USA): November 21, 1789 (12th state to ratify the Constitution)
  • Population (2025): 11.2 million
  • GDP (2025): $652 billion
  • Largest City: Charlotte (935,000)
  • State Capital: Raleigh (482,000)
  • Historical Note: Known as the “First in Flight” state (Wright Brothers’ first powered flight at Kitty Hawk, 1903). Home to Research Triangle (Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill), major banking center (Charlotte), and significant Civil War battlegrounds. Lost Colony of Roanoke was first English settlement attempt in America.