n.
City (pop., 2000: 540,828), North Carolina, U.S. The Carolinas' biggest metropolis, it lies near the Catawba River , 15 mi (24 km) north of South Carolina.
It was settled 0441; 1748 and named for Charlotte Sophia of Mecklenburg-Streliz (later the wife of George III ). In the American Revolution it was occupied by Lord Cornwallis , who dubbed it "the hornet's nest." Until the California gold rush that began in 1848, it was the centre of U.S. gold production. In the American Civil War it was the site of a Confederate naval yard. Presidents Andrew Jackson and James Polk were born nearby and received their early schooling there. Its industry includes textiles, machinery, and chemical production, and it is the site of several institutions of higher education.