The Carolinas

"The Carolinas" is a term used in the United States to refer collectively to the states of North Carolina (NC) and South Carolina (SC). Combining NC's population of 9,535,483 and SC's of 4,625,364, the Carolinas have a population of 14,160,847 as of the 2010 U.S. census. If the Carolinas were a state it would be the fifth most populous state, behind California, Texas, New York, and Florida. The Carolinas were known as the Province of Carolina during America's early colonial period, from 1663–1710. Prior to that, the land was considered part of the Colony and Dominion of Virginia, from 1609–63. The province, named Carolina to honor King Charles I of England, was divided into SC and NC in 1729, although the actual date is the subject of debate.