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I'm going to make the case that it is most like TN. They were the same state at one time, after all.
Yes my first thought was VA but consider the way VA has 3 big cities clumped close together, off to one edge. In NC and TN the cities are spaced out pretty evenly. The capitols are near the center of the state and there no one city that really dominates. Both have mountains, hilly areas, and flat land in similar proportions.
I don't see GA at all. It's mountains and coast are too small. Only one major city.
I believe there's a north/south cultural gradient across much of the United States, and an east/west development gradient. Culturally, North Carolina is basically a blend of Virginia and South Carolina, despite the historical dominance of the latter two. As for Tennessee, it's part of the interior South, which is culturally different from the coastal South. Development in Tennessee was inspired by North Carolina, but culturally it's more like a blend of Kentucky and Alabama.
I don't get the Tennessee comparisons other than the shape of the state. Apparently those making those comparisons aren't familiar with NC as the major cities are quite similar to what is found in Northern Virginia (Raleigh/Durham and Charlotte), Richmond (Greensboro/Winston Salem), Charlottesville (Asheville or Durham/Chapel Hill) and even the Hampton Roads area (Wilmington). Outside of a Nashville comparison to Raleigh or Knoxville to Asheville there aren't any other similarities between NC and TN other than across rural comparison which could be most anywhere in the South.
I'm going to make the case that it is most like TN. They were the same state at one time, after all.
So were NC and SC.
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Yes my first thought was VA but consider the way VA has 3 big cities clumped close together, off to one edge. In NC and TN the cities are spaced out pretty evenly. The capitols are near the center of the state and there no one city that really dominates. Both have mountains, hilly areas, and flat land in similar proportions.
Actually in NC, the largest metros--Charlotte, the Triad, and the Triangle--are all located in the Piedmont Crescent along the I-85/I-40 corridor and they are similar distances from each other as VA's major metros are from each other. From city center to city center, in NC, Charlotte to the Triad (Greensboro/Winston-Salem) is 80-90 miles, and the Triad to the Triangle is 50-100 miles, depending on which city you're coming from and which you're going to. In VA, Hampton Roads to Richmond is about 70-100 miles and Richmond to NOVA is about 100 miles. in TN, Chattanooga to Knoxville is 112 miles, Chattanooga to Nashville is 134 miles, Knoxville to Nashville is 180 miles, and Nashville to Memphis is 212 miles away.
The biggest similarities between NC and VA and the biggest differences between NC and TN are the coast and the military presence (in Hampton Roads; Fayetteville and Jacksonville). Also both NC and VA have ACC schools and no SEC schools, and their three largest metros areas are similar in composition (1 metro dominated by a singular city [Charlotte, Richmond] and 2 that are multinodal [Triad, Triangle; Hampton Roads, NOVA]). Both are known for great higher ed options and both have a strong tobacco legacy. The Piedmont runs through the central area in both states, and both states have areas that are among the most educated in the country (the Triangle, NOVA). Both of their capital cities are located on the fall line and have similar MSA populations. Chapel Hill and Charlottesville are quintessential college towns, and Winston-Salem is like a mini-Richmond.
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I don't see GA at all. It's mountains and coast are too small. Only one major city.
But TN doesn't have a coast at all, LOL. The mountains/foothills, Piedmont, and coastal plain are all found in similar proportions in both GA and NC, they have similar populations and growth rates, similar profiles in higher ed, etc. Both have large and growing film industries. But having most of the metropolitan amenities and infrastructure bottled up in Atlanta is the biggest difference, as they are more spread out in NC.
I don't get the Tennessee comparisons other than the shape of the state. Apparently those making those comparisons aren't familiar with NC as the major cities are quite similar to what is found in Northern Virginia (Raleigh/Durham and Charlotte), Richmond (Greensboro/Winston Salem), Charlottesville (Asheville or Durham/Chapel Hill) and even the Hampton Roads area (Wilmington). Outside of a Nashville comparison to Raleigh or Knoxville to Asheville there aren't any other similarities between NC and TN other than across rural comparison which could be most anywhere in the South.
What would you say about Georgia? Fair comparison to NC?
I believe there's a north/south cultural gradient across much of the United States, and an east/west development gradient. Culturally, North Carolina is basically a blend of Virginia and South Carolina, despite the historical dominance of the latter two. As for Tennessee, it's part of the interior South, which is culturally different from the coastal South. Development in Tennessee was inspired by North Carolina, but culturally it's more like a blend of Kentucky and Alabama.
But TN doesn't have a coast at all, LOL. The mountains/foothills, Piedmont, and coastal plain are all found in similar proportions in both GA and NC, they have similar populations and growth rates, similar profiles in higher ed, etc. Both have large and growing film industries. But having most of the metropolitan amenities and infrastructure bottled up in Atlanta is the biggest difference, as they are more spread out in NC.
This is precisely why I say NC and Georgia are most alike. If you took Atlanta and split it up into three metros like NC, the states would be nearly identical. That's really the only big difference between the two.
Tobacco was the cash crop in NC, cotton in Georgia. Both were huge textile states back in the day. Both have large airport hubs and quality state highways. Both have top-ranked public and private universities. Both have very large and very important military installations. Both have scenic and largely undeveloped coastlines that are very important to the Atlantic ecosystem. Both have historic port cities (though Savannah is much larger and more important economically to Georgia than Wilmington is to North Carolina.) The list goes on and on.
While South Carolina is certainly linked to North Carolina in many ways, I don't find the states all that similar culturally. South Carolina culture is entirely unique IMO, just like Louisiana. The same can be said for Virginia, which obviously shares characteristics with North Carolina but is far more influenced by Washington DC and Hampton Roads and has a culture all its own.
This is precisely why I say NC and Georgia are most alike. If you took Atlanta and split it up into three metros like NC, the states would be nearly identical. That's really the only big difference between the two.
And this is a major reason why I say VA is most like NC; both actually do have three main metro regions of 1 million+ just like NC. And in both states, one of the regions is centered around a singular city (Charlotte, Richmond) and the other two are multinodal (Triad, Triangle; Hampton Roads, NOVA).
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Tobacco was the cash crop in NC, cotton in Georgia. Both were huge textile states back in the day. Both have large airport hubs and quality state highways. Both have top-ranked public and private universities. Both have very large and very important military installations. Both have scenic and largely undeveloped coastlines that are very important to the Atlantic ecosystem. Both have historic port cities (though Savannah is much larger and more important economically to Georgia than Wilmington is to North Carolina.) The list goes on and on.
More points in VA's favor. Tobacco was the cash crop there as well in NC. Both states have more than one major airport and their top-ranked universities are distributed throughout the state and not mainly located in one metro area like in GA. Both of their flagship universities have similar profiles, being among the most highly-ranked public universities in the country while UGA isn't quite on the same tier. Both have significant military installations and outside of VA Beach, there's a lot of undeveloped coastline in VA as well. The Appalachian regions in NC and VA are more similar, and of course VA has a historic port city in Norfolk. You also have large notable tech centers in each state (Dulles Technology Corridor and RTP) and both are now purple swing states. And Winston-Salem is like a mini-Raleigh. And while NC is more known for its furniture industry, especially in High Point and Hickory, Martinsville, VA is also a notable center for the industry.
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While South Carolina is certainly linked to North Carolina in many ways, I don't find the states all that similar culturally. South Carolina culture is entirely unique IMO, just like Louisiana. The same can be said for Virginia, which obviously shares characteristics with North Carolina but is far more influenced by Washington DC and Hampton Roads and has a culture all its own.
All of SC isn't culturally unique; that's only the case for the Lowcountry, mainly the Georgetown to Beaufort corridor. The Upstate's culture definitely has Appalachian influences just like western NC, northern GA, and eastern TN and shares ties with western NC; also Greenville has much in common with Charlotte. The Pee Dee region of SC is the cultural equivalent of the Sandhills region of NC and are culturally similar. Columbia and Raleigh, being planned capital cities on the fall line, have similar layouts and are college cities.
As for VA, of course there's the DC influence in NOVA but it's actually not unlike the Northernized cultural influences that the Triangle especially and Charlotte have experienced over the years. And the Tidewater culture extends beyond the immediate Hampton Roads area and also includes parts of northeastern NC, like the Outer Banks and Elizabeth City.
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