Wilmington metropolitan area

Cape Fear is a coastal plain and tidewater region of North Carolina centered about the city of Wilmington. The region takes its name from the adjacent Cape Fear headland, as does the Cape Fear River which flows through the region and empties into the Atlantic Ocean near the cape. Much of the region's populated areas are found along the Atlantic beaches and the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway while the rural areas are dominated by farms and swampland like that of the Green Swamp. The general area can be also identified by the titles Lower Cape Fear, Wilmington Metropolitan Area, Southeastern North Carolina, and Azalea Coast. The latter name is derived from the North Carolina Azalea Festival held annually in Wilmington. Municipalities in the area belong to the Cape Fear Council of Governments.

The region is home to the Port of Wilmington, the busiest port in North Carolina, operated by the North Carolina State Ports Authority. It is also the location of Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Point, the largest ammunition port in the nation, and the Army's primary east coast deep-water port. Plans are underway for the construction of the North Carolina International Port in the region on the west bank of the Cape Fear River as an expansion of the Port of Wilmington.

The Cape Fear region is situated on the Atlantic Coastal Plain. A large portion of the region is low-lying wetlands, most notably the Green Swamp, which is one of the rare habitats of the Venus Flytrap. The Cape Fear River and the Northeast Cape Fear River are the deeper prominent rivers that flow through the region, with minor rivers like Lockwood Folly River, Brunswick River, and Shallotte River providing access for small watercraft of small communities.

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