North Carolina is known as the Tar Heel State and the Old North State are two common names by which North Carolina is known. North Carolina is composed of 100 counties. North Carolina’s two largest metropolitan areas are among the top ten fastest-growing in the country: its capital, Raleigh, and its largest city, Charlotte. In recent times, North Carolina’s economy has undergone a transition from heavy reliance upon tobacco, textiles, and furniture-making to a more diversified economy with engineering, energy, biotechnology, and finance sectors.