Cape Fear (region)

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.