North Carolina isn't known for violence and most areas of the state have relatively low crime rates. As with any state, it is best to use common sense whenever visiting an unfamiliar place. In most areas, the greatest safety threats are bad drivers on the highway. Most cities in North Carolina are very safe compared to cities in other southern states and other parts of the country.
Outside of the major metro areas, North Carolina is generally rural and undeveloped. You should be aware that this makes for dangerous wildlife and plants. If hiking, avoid straying from the marked trail. There are numerous venomous animals located in North Carolina. Please use common sense. Also, during the summer months, thunder storms increase and the potential for dangerous lightning should be acknowledged.
Near the ocean, shark attacks have been on the rise in recent times. Always take precautions while enjoying the beautiful Atlantic ocean.
respect
The Southern drawl in language is generally charming to most outsiders. In most cases, mutual respect is expected and southern hospitality is a staple of the area. This is expressed in a number of ways: holding doors open for strangers, not honking a car horn unless necessary, and keeping one's voice down when in a crowded room.
As is common in other parts of the South, North Carolinians typically take offense at being stereotyped as "hicks" or "rednecks". While some rural residents might apply such labels to themselves as a matter of humor, it is not expected that outsiders will follow suit. It is very strongly advised that visitors treat the locals with the same respect that you'd afford to any other group of people, and not attempt to make a joke out of age-old class discrimination.
talk
English, the state's official language, is almost universally spoken.
The vast majority of North Carolinians in urban and suburban areas speak with "standard" American English accents. However, the Southern dialect is commonly found and is usually easily understood by most people. Being in the Northern South or "Upper South" the dialect of North Carolina is somewhat different than the stereotypical southern accent, which is often more of the dialect found in the "Deep South". The standard dialect in most parts of the state, especially in the Piedmont and Eastern parts of the state borrows from the Virginia Piedmont accent, which is derived from the Virginia Tobacco Planters of the colonial era. The difference may be trivial to the untrained ear, but in some people with thicker accents it may sound a bit strange at first with some words sounding more British than in other parts of the South. The Southern dialect varies within the state, though, with the mountainous western portions having a dialect shared with most areas of the Appalachian Mountains in the South. Due to years of isolation, some residents of parts of the Outer Banks speak in a distinct "brogue" that in many cases sounds more like British English and Irish than any American dialect. This brogue can be difficult to understand at first, but not impossible to comprehend.
Spanish is spoken by a sizable minority population in some areas, and as a second-language throughout the state.
Cherokee is spoken by 15,000 to 20,000 people in western North Carolina, along with a number of other Native American languages.
In the cities of Charlotte and Raleigh you will also find a wide variety of languages spoken due to these cities' high immigrant populations.