1. AKA: How does Geography affect history?

2.  North Carolina has 3 different geographic regions.  The mountain(s) region covers 12% of the state.  The Piedmont region covers 44%.  The Coastal Plain covers the remaining 44%.  The Coastal Plain is divided into 2 areas: The Tidewater and the Inner Coastal Plain.

3.  The fall line separates the piedmont from the Coastal plain.  It runs from Richmond County to Halifax County.  This “imaginary” line marks where the sandy soil of the Coastal plain meets the more rocky soil of the Piedmont.  It marks places on NC rivers where “falls” are first found.

4.  This area extends 20 to 30 miles inland from the Atlantic Ocean.  Even Jacksonville is in the Coastal Plain, it is considered part of the Tidewater as well.  Other cities along the area include: Elizabeth City, New Bern, Bath, Washington, Wilmington, and Southport.

5.  This area stretches from the Tidewater to the “Fall Line”.  This area is the main agriculture region.  Today the area holds some of the best golf courses in North Carolina.  This area is home to many colleges and universities.  3 of them are East Carolina, UNC-Pembroke, and Fayetteville State.

6.  The Outer banks are the barrier islands along our coast.  The capes are the parts of the islands that extend into the ocean.  They are Cape Fear, Cape Lookout, and Cape Hatteras.

7.  This region stretches from the “Fall line” to the Blue Ridge Mountains.  It contains most of our more “urban” cities like: Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Durham, and High Point.  Once an manufacturing and tobacco center, the area has diversified to include banking, research, and technology as its economic backbone.

8.  This area is still largely rural but the region boasts a healthy tourist industry.  Its elevation extends from 1500 to 6,684 feet above sea level.  The Cherokee Indian Reservation now has a large casino and entertainment center.  Asheville is the largest city and cultivates a growing arts and music industry.

9.  Imagine you are a settler and you land at the coast but do not have the equipment to venture far from your ship.  How will you make use of your environment and geography to survive?  If successful, how would your descendents likely make their living?

10.  How would this change if you traveled into the Coastal Plain?  Now consider the Piedmont.  Now consider the Mountain.  How might this change or alter your culture?