Western North Carolina
Mount Mitchell at 6,684 feet (2,037 meters), is the highest peak of the Appalachian Mountains and mainland eastern North America.
Located east of the Tennessee state line and west of the Piedmont, Western North Carolina contains few major urban centers.
Areas in the northwest portion of the Western North Carolina region, including Boone and Blowing Rock, commonly use the nickname "The High Country".
The term is derived from the title of the novel, Land of the Sky (1876), written by Mrs. Frances Tiernan, under the pseudonym Christian Reid.
The federally recognized Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) have a reserve in this region known as Qualla Boundary; it is situated adjacent to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
This region, taking in today's southeastern Tennessee, western North and South Carolina, and northeastern Georgia, is considered the homeland of the historic Cherokee.
Many of the people were forcibly removed in the late 1830s in the Trail of Tears to Indian Territory, but others remained; their descendants make up the EBCI, among the largest of recognized tribes.
Sixteen earthwork mounds or their sites, built by indigenous peoples, have been listed in state archeological records in the eleven westernmost counties.
Archeological and related research in the early 21st century has revealed that there may be as many as 50 such prehistoric mounds in this area, which were long central to Cherokee towns and culture.
Tourism, especially outdoor ventures such as canoeing, whitewater rafting, camping, and fishing are important for many local economies.
[5] The area also features such attractions, historical sites, and geological formations as Linville Caverns, Grandfather Mountain, and Blowing Rock.
Education, skiing, tourism, and Christmas tree farming are among this area's most prominent industries, although agriculture and raising livestock also remain important.
[5] The counties that make up the High Country are: Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Mitchell, Watauga, Wilkes, and Yancey.
[6] The Foothills is a region of transitional terrain between the Piedmont Plateau and the Appalachian Mountains, extending from the lower edge of the Blue Ridge escarpment into the upper Catawba, Yadkin, Broad, Saluda, and Savannah River valleys.
These towns were often developed by European Americans around a single industry, such as furniture or textiles, which depended on local waterpower as their energy sources.
In the late 20th century, many of these industries and their associated jobs moved offshore to other countries due to globalization, although they still remain prevalent in some foothill areas.
Some areas of the foothills have developed newer economies, including manufacturing, food distribution, utilities, and health care.
"The southern mountains" refer to the counties bordering South Carolina, with the cities/towns of Hendersonville, Brevard, and Columbus being within this area.
Many visitors travel to the region every summer and autumn from major cities to escape hot weather elsewhere and see the leaves change colors.
Most Western North Carolina counties were designated "transitional," meaning they lagged behind the national average on one of the three key indicators.
As the western counties became more populated, jurisdictions competed for representation in the North Carolina General Assembly and the Governor's office.
The following weather box examples represent four distinct areas of western North Carolina according to geographic position and elevation.
