Welcome to South Carolina

South Carolina is bounded to the north by North Carolina; to the south and west by Georgia, located across the Savannah River; and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean.  South Carolina is composed of four geographic areas, whose boundaries roughly parallel the northeast/southwest Atlantic coastline. The lower part of the state is the Coastal Plain, also known as the Lowcountry, which is nearly flat and composed entirely of recent sediments such as sand, silt, and clay. Areas with better drainage make excellent farmland, though some land is swampy. The coastline contains many salt marshes and estuaries, as well as natural ports such as Georgetown and Charleston. An unusual feature of the coastal plain is a large number of Carolina bays, the origins of which are uncertain, though one prominent theory suggests that they were created by a meteor shower. The bays tend to be oval, lining up in a northwest to southeast orientation.   As of 2004, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, South Carolina’s gross state product was $136 billion. As of 2000, the per capita income was $24,000, which was 81% of the national average.   Major agricultural outputs of the state are: tobacco, poultry, cattle, dairy products, soybeans, and hogs. Industrial outputs include: textile goods, chemical products, paper products, machinery, and tourism.  It was estimated that 30 million visitors spent nearly $7.3 billion in 2002.   South Carolina is one of few states that still adhere to blue laws, one of which disallows the sale of alcohol on Sunday. Counties and cities can apply referendum to overturn this. Some places that have include Richland County, Charleston County, and the Orangeburg County travel destination of Santee. Bars within a certain distance of a church cannot sell hard liquor. Before 2006, bars could not serve hard liquor from 'free-pour' bottles, but had to stock airline-style mini-bottles.   History: King Charles I of England granted the land on which South Carolina is located to Sir Robert Heath in 1629. The region was named Carolus, a word derived from the Latin form of Charles, in reference to King Charles. His son, King Charles II, changed the spelling of the regions name to Carolina in 1663, when he gave the land to the eight Lords Proprietors. During the 17th century the land to the south, in this grant, came to be called South Carolina and the area to the north, North Carolina . The two sections remained a single colony until they separated in 1710. The name of the land located to the south remained South Carolina.     The Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that revolted against British rule in the American Revolution. It was the first state to secede from the Union to found the Confederate States of America.

Fast Facts State Sales Tax Rate: 5 percent State Capital: Columbia Motto: Dum Spiro Spero (While I breathe, I hope) Nickname: The Palmetto State Estimated 2004 population: 4,198,068 2004 housing units: 1,890,682 Housing units change from 2000-2004: +128,272 Land Area: 31,113 square miles - ranked 40th Coastline: 187 miles of coastline South Carolina Borders: Atlantic Ocean, Georgia, North Carolina Longest River: Savannah River - 238 miles Counties: 46 counties State Parks: 46 state parks Largest County by Population (2000 census): Greenville County - 379,616 Richland County - 320,677 Charleston County - 309,969 Largest South Carolina Cities by Population (2000 census): Columbia – 117,357 Charleston – 101,024 North Charleston 81,577