Raleigh

Capital of North Carolina, in Wake County; population (2000 est) 276,100. It lies in a tobacco-growing region, to the east of the more densely populated cities of Winston-Salem, Greensboro, and Durham. Industries include the processing of foods, timber, and tobacco; and the manufacture of electronic equipment, chemicals, and cotton and synthetic textiles. With Durham and Chapel Hill, Raleigh benefits from the nearby presence of the Research Triangle Park (1959), a regional research and manufacturing centre for high-technology products. Principal economic sectors also include government and education. The city was selected as state capital in 1788 and was incorporated in 1792.

The city was named after the English explorer Walter Raleigh.

Raleigh has 93 entries on the National Register of Historic Places. The city's State Capitol was rebuilt in the Greek Revival style in 1840 and the Raleigh is also home to various museums including the North Carolina Museum of History, the North Carolina State Museum of Natural History, and the North Carolina Museum of Art. Educational institutions include the North Carolina State University (1887), Meredith College (1891), and St Augustine's College (1867). The BTI Centre for the Performing Arts in the city contains the North Carolina Symphony, the Fletcher Opera Theatre, Kennedy Theatre, and the Raleigh Memorial Auditorium.