Raleigh

The capital of North Carolina, in the east-central part of the state southeast of Durham. Selected as the capital in 1788, the city was laid out in 1792. Population: 356,000.

English courtier, navigator, colonizer, and writer. A favorite of Elizabeth I, he campaigned in Ireland and Cádiz, explored Guiana, colonized Virginia, and introduced tobacco and the potato to Europe. Convicted of treason by James I, he was released for another expedition to Guiana and executed after its failure. His literary works include poetry, memoirs, and a world history.