Raleigh

Raleigh (pronounced raw-lee or rah-lee) is the capital of the State of North Carolina and the county seat of Wake County, USA. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak tree. It has a 2006 estimated population of approximately 356,321, making it the second most populous in North Carolina, after Charlotte. The estimated population on January 1, 2008 was 374,320 making Raleigh the 15th fastest growing city in the United States. Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill make up the three primary cities of the Research Triangle metropolitan region. The regional name originated after the 1959 creation of the Research Triangle Park, located midway between the cities of Raleigh and Durham. The Research Triangle region encompasses the U.S. Census Bureau's Combined Statistical Area (CSA) of Raleigh-Durham-Cary in the central Piedmont. The estimated population of the Raleigh-Durham-Cary CSA was 1,635,974 as of July 1, 2007, with the Raleigh-Cary Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)... full article at wikipedia