North Carolina
North Carolina is on the East Coast, in the southern region of the United States. North Carolina's neighbors include South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west, and Virginia to the north. From the sugar-sand beaches of the Atlantic Ocean to mountains, North Carolina's 48,710 square miles are commonly divided into three main regions: the coastal plain, which includes the eastern half of the state; the Piedmont region, which consists of the middle portion of the state; and the smaller western region, consisting of the Appalachian Mountains and foothills.
North Carolina's estimated population is 9,380,884 (2009 U.S. Census). Over one-half of NC's residents live in one of the three major metropolitan areas: the Metrolina, which includes Charlotte, Gastonia, and Salisbury, North Carolina; the Research Triangle metropolitan region, which includes Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill; and the Piedmont Triad, which includes Greensboro, Winston-Salem and High Point, NC.
Raleigh, known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees, is the state capital of North Carolina. Part of the Research Triangle, Raleigh has a highly educated population, due in part to public universities such as North Carolina State University, Meredith College, Peace College, St. Augustine's College and Wake Technical Community College. Raleigh, NC has a thriving arts community and boasts several prestigious museums including the North Carolina Museum of Art, the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, and the North Carolina Museum of History.
Charlotte, North Carolina's largest city, is located in the southern Piedmont region of the state, along the South Carolina border. Charlotte is the second-largest banking center in the United States, and two of the nation's top banks, Wachovia and Bank of America, are headquartered here.
North Carolina has been called the most military friendly state in the nation. Fort Bragg, near Fayetteville, is the largest military base in the United States, covering over 251 square miles in four counties. Ft. Bragg houses multiple divisions of the US military, including US special forces. Serving as the airwing for Fort Bragg is Pope Air Force Base, also located near Fayetteville.
Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, when combined with the nearby bases, Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point,and MCAS New River, makes up the largest concentration of Marines and sailors in the world. Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune houses more than 43,000 residents from around the world. These servicemen and women serve with hundreds of company-sized units, composing several major commands. North Carolina is also home to one of the busiest air stations of the United States Coast Guard, Air Station Elizabeth City. Also stationed in North Carolina is the Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Point in Southport.
The Department of Veterans Affairs State Summary lists 772,000 veterans in North Carolina in 2008. In 2008, 15,564 North Carolina veterans received inpatient care at VA health care facilities located in Asheville, Durham, Fayetteville and Salisbury. In addition, 10,762 NC veterans received post-conflict care following service in Iraq and Afghanistan. The VA has special programs for those returning from service in Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF).
Not all military service-related issues end when people are discharged from active duty – 126,114 North Carolina veterans are receiving monthly disability compensation. Nationwide, about 43 percent of the men and women leaving military service from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan sought VA health care after returning stateside.
The State of North Carolina offers two full-service, skilled nursing facilities for veterans. One is located adjacent to the VA Medical Center in Fayetteville, NC and the second is on the W.G. Hefner Medical Center campus in Salisbury, NC.
