Raleigh is the capital of and the second largest city in North Carolina. It is located in the northeast portion of the state between Atlantic Beach and the Great Smoky Mountains. Raleigh is called the City of Oaks because of the prevalence of oak trees. Raleigh is one of three cities in North Carolina's Research Triangle region, (the other two are Durham and Chapel Hill), named for Research Triangle Park, the USA's largest research park. Raleigh is the home of the first African-American University in the South, Shaw University which includes the first four-year medical school for African-Americans, Leonard Medical Center. Raleigh is also the home of North Carolina State University and Meredith College.
