The North Carolina city of Raleigh is the capital of the state, and is known by the moniker of the "City of Oaks" since the city is surrounded by oak trees. The city of Raleigh is the seat of Wake County, and with a population just more than 400,000, it is the second largest city within North Carolina. It is also one of the fastest growing cities within the US. Raleigh City is part of The Triangle, the popular name for Research Triangle Park. The two other cities forming the triangle are the city of Chapel Hill and Durham City. The Triangle is located between the city of Durham and Raleigh.
Raleigh's nearby suburbs and satellite towns include Clayton, Cary, Garner, Knightdale, Wake Forrest, Morrisville, Holly Springs, Apex, Fuquay-Varina, Wendell, Zebulon and Rolesville.
The city consists of numerous free attractions for their visitors and patrons to take pleasure in. Raleigh City has been called the Smithsonian of the South because there are lots of high caliber museums within the area. The city of Raleigh is home to the world's biggest natural history museum and the interactive world museum. It likewise has the largest art collection from Europe in the Southern States. Raleigh and The Triangle are the locus of a wide range of cultural activities, such as the North Carolina Symphony, BTI Center for the Performing Arts, Carolina Ballet, North Carolina Theater and Broadway Series South.
The Blue Ridge Mountains and the Atlantic Coast are both situated fairly close to Raleigh, giving the area a multitude of outdoor activities to get pleasure from. The local ski resorts provide skiing and snowboarding opportunities for visitors. Hikers could traverse towering peaks, whilst camping near pristine lakes and streams where trout fishing is popular. Sunny, warm beaches provide swimming and boating opportunities along the coast. The city itself boasts extensive parks and greenway systems.
The largest employer within Raleigh is the government of the state. What's more, the Research Triangle Park, that is one of the leading centers for high-technology research and development, is a key employer driving the economy of the city. The park comprises research universities that hire many thousands of individuals. The Raleigh-Durham region is home to numerous medical and high-technology businesses in sectors like electronic, electrical, telecommunications and medical. Other sectors comprise paper products, clothing and pharmaceuticals. Highly specialized companies produce complicated machinery and electronic components within the manufacturing sector of Raleigh.