Greensboro is a city located in Guilford County in North Carolina, a state of the United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 223,891 making it the third most populous city in North Carolina. It is located at the intersection of two interstate highways (I-85 and I-40) in the Piedmont ("foot of the mountains") region, in Guilford County in the central part of the state. In 1808, "Greensborough" (as it was spelled then) replaced Guilford Court House as the county seat.

History

The city was named for Major General Nathanael Greene, commander of the American forces at the Battle of Guilford Court House on 15 March 1781. The Americans lost that battle but slowed up Lord Cornwallis's British forces enough to allow the Americans to prepare to defeat them at Yorktown (Virginia), where the British were forced to surrender on 19 October 1781, after a 20-day siege, thus ending the American Revolution.

In 1960 four black college students sat down at an all-white Woolworth's lunch counter, and refused to leave when they were denied service. Hundreds of others soon joined in this first sit-in, which lasted for several months. Such protests quickly spread across the South, ultimately leading to the desegregation of Woolworth's and other chains. (The original Woolworth's counter and stools now sit in the Smithsonian Museum.)

On November 3, 1979 gunfire was exchanged between Communist Workers Party members holding an anti-Ku Klux Klan rally, and a group of KKK and neo-Nazi counter-protesters. Five CWP members were killed and seven were wounded and television footage of the event was shown across the nation. This event is known as the Greensboro massacre.

First Lady Dolley Madison and writer O. Henry were born in Greensboro; science fiction/fantasy author Orson Scott Card is a current resident. Alex Wayne, reporter for Congressional Quarterly once lived here as well.

Geography

Greensboro is located at 36°4'48" North, 79°49'10" West (36.079868, -79.819416).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 283.0 km² (109.2 mi²). 271.2 km² (104.7 mi²) of it is land and 11.8 km² (4.5 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 4.16% water.

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there are 223,891 people, 92,394 households, and 53,958 families residing in the city. The population density is 825.6/km² (2,138.3/mi²). There are 99,305 housing units at an average density of 366.2/km² (948.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 55.49% White, 37.40% Black or African American, 0.44% Native American, 2.84% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 2.08% from other races, and 1.71% from two or more races. 4.35% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 92,394 households out of which 27.5% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.8% are married couples living together, 14.6% have a female householder with no husband present, and 41.6% are non-families. 32.6% of all households are made up of individuals and 8.7% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.30 and the average family size is 2.94.

In the city the population is spread out with 22.3% under the age of 18, 14.1% from 18 to 24, 31.6% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 33 years. For every 100 females there are 89.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 85.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $39,661, and the median income for a family is $50,192. Males have a median income of $34,681 versus $26,797 for females. The per capita income for the city is $22,986. 12.3% of the population and 8.6% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 15.8% of those under the age of 18 and 10.6% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Transportation

Greensboro is served by Piedmont Triad International Airport, which also serves High Point, North Carolina and Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Amtrak's Crescent and Carolinian and Piedmont trains connect Greensboro with the cities of New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Richmond, Raleigh, Charlotte, Atlanta, Birmingham and New Orleans. The Amtrak station is situated at 2603 Oakland Avenue.

Constructions

The WFMY Tower situated near Greensboro is 583 m high. It is a guyed tower for FM- and TV-broadcasting.

Colleges, Schools and Universities

• Bennett College
• Guilford College
• North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
• University of North Carolina at Greensboro, founded as the "State Normal School for Girls" in 1891 by Charles Duncan McIver, later the Women's College of the University of North Carolina, and now a coeducational autonomous campus of the University of North Carolina System.
• Greensboro College
• Guilford Technical Community College
• Canterbury School
• Greensboro Day School
• American Hebrew Academy , a private, Jewish boarding school for grades 9-12.

External links

City websites

• Official website of Greensboro, NC
• Greensboro Chamber of Commerce
• Greensboro Area Convention & Visitors Bureau
• Links to Piedmant Region government, press and institutional websites
• Greensboro101 - Local Blogs and Discussion Forums

Documentaries

• February One California Newsreel documentary on 1960 sit-in by the Greensboro Four . Accessed on April 2, 2005.
• Online Study guide for February One PDF document. Accessed on April 2, 2005.
• 88 Seconds in Greensboro PBS Frontline transcript. Reported by James Reston, Jr. Directed by William Cran. Original Airdate: January 24, 1983. Accessed on April 2, 2005.

Maps