Char-Lanta!

Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina

Raleigh-Durham, NC, is the technology hub of the Char-Lanta megaregion. The cities of Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill comprise the Research Triangle, commonly referred to as "The Triangle", in North Carolina in the United States. The eight-county region, officially named the Raleigh-Durham-Cary Combined Statistical Area, had a population of 1,314,589 in 2000.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina State University, and Duke University are located in this region. Research Triangle Park, home to numerous high-tech companies and enterprises, was created in the 1980s. Although the name is now used to refer to the geographic region, "The Triangle" originally referred to the universities, whose research facilities, and the educated workforce they provide, have historically served as a major attraction for businesses located in the region. "The Triad" is the region directly west of the Triangle.

Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill has 14 institutions of higher education and 18 hospitals / medical centers.