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Located in the mid-Atlantic region of the east coast of the U.S., with half of the population of the country living within a 500 mile (805 kilometer) radius of the state, North Carolina consists of 48,843 square miles or 31 million acres (126,503 square kilometers or 12.5 million hectares) of land, 3,826 square miles (9,909 square kilometers) of inland water and 4.7 million acres (1.9 million hectares) of wetlands. The state’s total area of 52,669 square miles (136,412 square kilometers) ranks North Carolina 29th in area among the states.
Bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Tennessee to the west, Virginia to the north, and South Carolina and Georgia to the south, North Carolina is divided into three distinct geographic areas: the Mountains in the west, the Heartland, often called the Piedmont, in the center, and the Coast in the east. Each area has its own distinct features. The Appalachian Mountain chain, running through the western part of the state, is home to more than 200 mountains over 5,000 feet (1,524 meters), including Mount Mitchell, which at 6,684 feet (2,037 meters) in the Blue Ridge Mountains, is the highest peak east of the Mississippi River. The area also contains numerous waterfalls, including Whitewater Falls, the highest on the East Coast and one of over 200 waterfalls in the state. This area, home to the Great Smoky Mountains and acclaimed for its beauty, is one of the country's top scenic attractions. The Piedmont area in the central part of the state, made up of gently rolling foothills, is home to small farms and a growing number of wineries in the Yadkin Valley, as well as to the manufacturing industries of furniture, tobacco and textiles. The southeastern section of the Piedmont is known as the Sandhills, where peaches grow abundantly and famous golf courses and stables are located. The coastal plain, in the eastern part of the state, encompasses 320 miles (515 kilometers) of Atlantic coastline and offers pristine beaches, giant sand dunes, large forested areas and wetlands. The defining characteristic of this area is the Outer Banks, a chain of fragile barrier islands with 130 miles (209 kilometers) of unspoiled coastline surrounded by 900 square miles (2,331 square kilometers) of water. Lake Mattamuskeet, the largest natural lake in North Carolina at 40,000 acres (16,187 hectares), is also located in this region filled with farming, recreational and manufacturing opportunities.
North Carolina has a mild four-season climate, but due to the geography of the state, the weather can vary significantly from the mountains to the coast. Rainfall is sufficient and dispersed throughout the year. Summers are cool and refreshing with low humidity and snowfall in winter is light except in the mountains, where as much as 50 inches (127 centimeters) may fall. Temperatures in the piedmont region are mild year round; the average temperature in summer is 77 degrees F (25 degrees C) and in winter is 42 degrees F (6 degrees C). The area has sunshine for about 210 days a year. Tropical storms and hurricanes are a regular occurrence near the coast, and hundreds of ships have been wrecked off the southern shores of the Outer Banks.
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