The Carolinas

The Carolinas are the U.S. states of North Carolina and South Carolina, considered collectively. Combining North Carolina's population of 9,848,060 and South Carolina's of 4,774,839, the Carolinas have a population of 14,622,899 as of 2013. If the Carolinas were a single state of the United States, it would be the fifth most populous state, behind California, Texas, Florida, and New York. The Carolinas were known as the Province of Carolina during America's early colonial period, from 1663 to 1710. Prior to that, the land was considered part of the Colony and Dominion of Virginia, from 1609 to 1663. The province, named Carolina to honor King Charles I of England, was divided into two colonies in 1729, although the actual date is the subject of debate.

History

Sir Robert Heath (1575–1649) was an English judge and politician who was also a member of the English House of Commons from 1621 to 1625. Sir Robert Heath was granted charter over the lands between latitudes 31° and 36° north, from the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans. Heath's patent required he plant a colony that was never fully realized.