Carolinas

The Carolinas
Region
Coordinates: 34°48′17″N 79°40′31″W / 34.80472°N 79.67528°W / 34.80472; -79.67528
Country	United States
States	North Carolina  South Carolina
Major cities	Asheville, N.C. Charleston, S.C. Charlotte, N.C. Columbia, S.C. Greensboro, N.C. Greenville, S.C. Myrtle Beach, S.C. Raleigh, N.C. Wilmington, N.C. Winston-Salem, N.C.
Largest metropolitan area	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia
Largest city	Charlotte
Colonized as Province of Carolina	1663
Area
• Total	85,839 sq mi (222,320 km2)
• Land	78,804 sq mi (204,100 km2)
• Water	7,025 sq mi (18,190 km2)  8.2%
Population  (2020)[1]
• Total	15,557,813
• Density	180/sq mi (70/km2)
Demonym	Carolinian
GDP (nominal)
• Total	$1.014 trillion (2022)
• per capita	$65,145 (2022)
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)

The Carolinas, also known simply as Carolina, is the term for the U.S. states of North Carolina and South Carolina, considered collectively. They are bordered by Virginia to the north, Tennessee to the west, and Georgia to the southwest. The Atlantic Ocean is to the east.

Combining North Carolina's population of 10,439,388 and South Carolina's of 5,118,425, the Carolinas have a collective population of 15,557,813 as of 2020. If the Carolinas were a single state of the United States, it would be the fifth-most populous state, behind California, Texas, Florida, and New York.

The Carolinas were known as the Province of Carolina during America's early colonial period, from 1663 to 1712. Prior to that, the land was considered part of the Colony and Dominion of Virginia, from 1609 to 1663. The province, was named Carolina to honor King Charles I of England. Carolina is taken from the Latin word for "Charles", Carolus.