One of the original thirteen colonies, originally known as Carolina; North Carolina is the fourth-fastest growing state in the U.S. and the fastest growing state east of the Mississippi River. North Carolina has three major metropolitan combined areas with populations of more than 1 million: The Metrolina: Charlotte-Gastonia-Salisbury, The Triangle: Raleigh-Durham-Cary and The Piedmont Triad: Greensboro—Winston-Salem—High Point. At present, the Charlotte metro area is the 35th largest in the U.S and Charlotte is the 18th largest city in the U.S.