As North Carolina enters a new century, perhaps no southern state faces a more intriguing combination of challenges and opportunities. Changes in the state's economy, shifts in its population, and a widening breach between urban and rural areas are just some of the forces that are reshaping North Carolina at this pivotal time in its history.

The North Carolina Atlas will be an invaluable aid in any effort to better comprehend the past, present, and future of our changing state. Using text and more than three hundred maps, charts, and photographs, the book offers an in-depth...