INNER BANKS

The 'Inner Banks' is the inland coastal region of eastern North Carolina, an area on the East Coast of the United States that is 22,227 square-miles (57,568-km².) by its broadest definition. This coastal region was branded the Inner Banks to distinguish it from the Outer Banks, a string of small islands off the coast of North Carolina that are a popular tourist attraction. The Inner Banks comprises over 3,000 miles of inland coastline and is home to over 2.5 million residents. The Crystal Coast and Albemarle regions of the state are typically included in the Inner Banks. The area is becoming a popular destination for retirees and small business entrepreneurs^{[1] [2]}. "Inner Banks" is popularly abbreviated with the acronymn 'IBX'.
The general definition states that the Inner Banks lie between Interstate 95 to the west, the Outer Banks to the east, and extend from the Virginia border down to the South Carolina border. Consisting of 41 counties, the region is three times the size of the state of New Jersey; although, many areas farther from the sounds and tidal rivers have not currently embraced the Inner Banks brand and are seldom included. Traditionally dependent on agriculture and textile industry, eastern North Carolina is currently undergoing an economic evolution by redefining the region's strengths in order to transition into the new global economy.
Six small towns in the Inner Banks have joined together in the Creative Communities Initiative [1] to strengthen the region’s economy by fostering an environment that is attractive to knowledge workers, artists, and other people working in the creative economy. The six towns involved in the project are: Ayden, NC; Edenton, NC; Hertford, NC; Murfreesboro, NC; Plymouth, NC; and Tarboro, NC.

Contents

Albemarle Region

History

Area

Counties

Cities and towns

Parks

Wildlife refuges

Colleges and universities

See also

References

External links

Inner Banks

Albermarle Region

Albemarle Region

'Northeastern North Carolina' (or the 'Albemarle Region') consists of 16 counties in extreme northeast North Carolina that essentially surround the Albemarle Sound and its tributaries like the Chowan River and the Roanoke River. Although the region has historically lagged far behind the rest of North Carolina in terms of economic growth, it has a plethora of undeveloped beaches, rivers, and small towns. The area comprises the northern part of the Inner Banks.

History

The area which is now northeastern North Carolina and southeastern Virginia was one of the first areas of North America to be settled by Europeans. The first British child born in North America, Virginia Dare, was born on nearby Roanoke Island in 1587, in what is today part of North Carolina. Most of the region was relatively prosperous until the American Civil War, when its productive farmland and shipping industries became a frequent target for Union invasions. Several towns in the region were burned to the ground during this time, including Plymouth and Winton. One of the first uses of an ironclad warship was by Confederate forces at Plymouth, in the CSS Albemarle.

Area

Counties

The following is a list of counties usually considered a part of the Inner Banks (listed alphabetically):
''Generally:''


★ Beaufort County

★ Bertie County

★ Camden County

★ mainland and eastern Carteret County

★ Chowan County

★ Craven County

★ mainland Currituck County

★ mainland Dare County

★ eastern Edgecombe County

★ Gates County

★ Hertford County

★ eastern Halifax

★ mainland Hyde County

★ eastern Jones County

★ Martin County

★ eastern Onslow County

★ Pamlico County

★ Pasquotank County

★ Perquimans County

★ Pitt County

★ Tyrrell County

★ Washington County

Cities and towns

The following is a list of some of the towns and communities in the Inner Banks (listed alphabetically):

★ Ahoskie ★ Ayden ★ Arapahoe ★ Bath ★ Bayboro ★ Beaufort ★ Belhaven ★ Bethel ★ Camden ★ Chocowinity ★ Columbia ★ Creswell ★ Currituck ★ Edenton ★ Elizabeth City ★ Farmville ★ Gatesville ★ Greenville ★ Hampstead ★ Harkers Island

★ Havelock ★ Hertford ★ Jacksonville ★ Morehead City ★ Murfreesboro ★ New Bern ★ Oriental ★ Pantego ★ Plymouth ★ Robersonville ★ Roper ★ Swan Quarter ★ Swansboro ★ Tarboro ★ Trenton ★ Vanceboro ★ Washington ★ Williamston ★ Windsor ★ Winton

Parks

★ Goose Creek State Park

★ Merchants Millpond State Park

★ Pettigrew State Park

Wildlife refuges

★ Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge

★ Cedar Island National Wildlife Refuge

★ Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge

★ Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge

★ Roanoke River National Wildlife Refuge

★ Swanquarter National Wildlife Refuge

Colleges and universities

★ Beaufort Community College

★ Carteret Community College

★ Chowan University

★ Coastal Carolina Community College

★ College of the Albemarle

★ Craven Community College


★ East Carolina University

★ Edgecombe Community College

★ Elizabeth City State University

★ Halifax Community College

★ Martin Community College

★ Pamlico Community College

★ Pitt Community College

★ Roanoke-Chowan Community College

See also

★ Tidewater

★ Crystal Coast

★ Southeastern North Carolina

★ Intracoastal Waterway

★ Outer Banks

★ Atlantic Coastal Plain

References

1.
2.

External links

Inner Banks

★ Cruising Carolina

★ Elizabeth City Area Convention & Visitors Bureau

★ Foundation of Renewal for Eastern North Carolina

★ Inner Banks of Washington NC Tourism

★ Outer Banks Visitors Bureau

★ Venture East Travel & Tourism

★ NC Film

★ Elizabeth City Area CVB's Blog

Albermarle Region

★ Northeast North Carolina

★ North Carolina's Northeast