North Carolina's Three Regions Overview North Carolina is the 11th most populous state, according to the 2000 Census, with a resident population of 8,049,313. North Carolina consists of 48,843 square miles of land and 3,826 square miles of inland water. Our total area of 52,669 square miles ranks North Carolina twenty-ninth in area among the states. The Old North State lies on the Eastern Seaboard with half of the population of the United States living within a 500-mile radius of the state. The state's temperate climate has four distinct seasons and is highly acclaimed for its year-round living comforts.
Rainfall is adequate and dispersed over the entire year.
NC GICC or the North Carolina Geographic Information Coordinating Council creates policy and resolves technical issues related to North Carolina geographic information and GIS systems. The Coastal Plain, bordered on the east by many beaches , offers opportunities for farming, recreation, and manufacturing. The leading crops of this area are bright leaf tobacco, peanuts, soybeans, and sweet potatoes. Large forested areas, mostly pine, support pulp manufacturing and other forest-related industries. Commercial and sport fishing are done extensively on the coast, and thousands of tourists visit the state's many beaches.