North Carolina is a state in the United States that is located in the Southeastern area. North Carolina is the 28th most populated and ninth most populous state in the United States, with a total land area of 66,045 square kilometres. Its northern and eastern borders are with Virginia, while its southern and western borders are with Georgia and South Carolina. Its northern and eastern borders are with Virginia, while its western boundary is with Tennessee. In North Carolina, the state's capital is Raleigh, while the state's most populous city is Charlotte. Known as the Charlotte metropolitan area, it has an estimated population of 2,569,213 people in 2018. It is the most populous metropolitan area in North Carolina and the 23rd most populous metropolitan area in the United States, and it is the second largest banking centre in the country after New York City. In 2019, the Raleigh-Durham-Cary combined statistical area is the second-largest metropolitan area in North Carolina, with an estimated population of 2,079,687 people. It is also the site of Research Triangle Park, the largest research park in the United States, and the state's second-largest research park.
The Hardaway Site in North Carolina has the distinction of being the site of the world's oldest known human habitation, dating back 10,000 years. Hundreds of years before the advent of European settlers, Native American tribes speaking the Carolina Algonquian, Iroquoian, and Siouan languages lived in North Carolina. It was founded as a royal colony in 1729 and was one of the Thirteen Colonies, along with Virginia and Maryland. North Carolina was called in honour of King Charles I of England, who was responsible for the formation of the first English colony in the region; Carolus is Latin for "Charles." In 1776, North Carolina passed the Halifax Resolves, which became the first official declaration of independence from Great Britain among the American colonies during the American Revolutionary War.