Charlotte, also referred to as the queen city, is the second largest city in the state of North Carolina, behind the state capital Raleigh. Charlotte is ranked as the second biggest banking center in the United States. The city is situated close to the borders of both states, North Carolina and South Carolina. Charlotte has a population of slightly above five hundred and eighty thousand residents, ranking twenty first in the United States. Charlotte is in the county seat of Mecklenburg. The city got it's name from the wife of England's King George III, who was called Charlotte Sophia. Charlotte was first inhabited in 1750 and established as a city in 1768. In the early part of the nineteenth century, Charlotte was the hub of the United States gold production. A few demographics for the city of Charlotte are; 58.3% of the population are white, 32.7% are African American, 7.4% are Hispanic or Latino, 3.4% are of Asian origin and 0.3% are American Indian and Alaska Native. Wachovia and Bank of America are two of the largest banks in the United States and they have their headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina. Here are some other fortune five hundred firms that have their base in the city; Sonic Automotive, Goodrich Corporation, Duke Energy, Nucor and SPX Corporation. Other Industries in the city are; Finance, technology, education, health care and communications.  Charlotte is frequented by tourists yearly. Accommodation is readily available at the following hotels; Hilton Charlotte and Towers, Renaissance Charlotte Suites, Comfort Suites Charlotte, Courtyard by Marriott Charlotte Airport, Wyndham Garden Airport, AmeriSuites Charlotte Arrowood, La Quinta Charlotte South, Fairfield Inn Charlotte, Doubletree Hotel Charlotte, Marriott Executive Charlotte and Sheraton Charlotte Airport. Charlotte is a sporting city and has two of the four major sports franchises; Carolina Panthers (National Football League) and the Carolina Panthers (National Basketball Association). The other team based in Charlotte is the Women's National Basketball Associations, Charlotte Sting. Charlotte is considered as the unofficial center of stock car racing. Lowe Motor Speedway located in Charlotte is home to two of NASCAR's races; the Coca-Cola 600 and the Quality 500.