North Carolina is the 11th most populous state, according to the 2000 Census, with a resident population of 8,046,579. The population grew by 21.4% from the 1990 total of 6,628,637. According to Census records, only 8 other states grew faster during the last decade (Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Nevada, Texas, and Utah).

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.