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State of South Carolina
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Flag Of South Carolina
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SouthCarolinastatesealjpg
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Map of USA SCsvg
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The Palmetto State
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Dum Spiro Spero (While I breathe, I hope) and <br /> Animis Opibusque Parati (Ready in soul and resource)
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Charleston (1670-1789)<br/> Columbia (1790-present)
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English
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Columbia
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Columbia
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Mark Sanford (R)
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Lindsey Graham (R)<br /> Jim DeMint (R)
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SC
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40<sup>th</sup>
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34,726
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82,965
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30,128
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78,051
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1,897
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4,915
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6
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24<sup>th</sup>
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4,321,249
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21<sup>st</sup>
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1332 <!-- quickfactscensusgov -->
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5145
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$39,326
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39<sup>th</sup>
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8<sup>th</sup>
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May 23 , 1788
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-5/ -4
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32°𔁦′ N to 35°󈏵′ N
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78°󈐈′ W to 83°󈏽′ W
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200
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320
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260
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420
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3,560
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1,085
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350
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Atlantic Ocean
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US-SC
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(/) is a
State in the
Southeastern Region of the
United States Of America . 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 . The state is named after King
Charles II Of England , as ''Carolus'' is Latin for Charles. According to 2005 estimates by the
U.S. Census Bureau , the state's population is 4,321,249.
- The Palmetto State (the Sabal , or palmetto tree, is the state tree)
- 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 , 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.
Just west of the coastal plain is the region, which is thought to contain remnants of old coastal dunes from a time when the land was sunken or the oceans were higher.
The (Upstate) region contains the roots of an ancient, eroded mountain chain. It tends to be hilly, with thin, stony clay soils, and contains few areas suitable for farming. Much of the Piedmont was once farmed, with little success, and is now reforested. At the edge of the Piedmont is the ''
Fall Line '', where rivers drop to the coastal plain. The fall line was an important early source of water power, and mills built to harness this resource encouraged the growth of several cities, including the capital,
Columbia . The larger rivers are navigable up to the fall line, providing a trade route for mill towns.
The upper part of the Piedmont is also known as the . The
Cherokee Parkway is a scenic driving route through this area. This is where
Table Rock State Park is located.
Highest in elevation is the , containing an escarpment of the
Blue Ridge Mountains , which continue into North Carolina and Georgia, as part of the southern
Appalachian chain.
Sassafras Mountain , South Carolina's highest point at 3,560
Feet (1,085
M ) is located in this area. Also located in the Upcountry is
Table Rock State Park and
Caesar's Head State Park . The
Chattooga River , located on the border between South Carolina and
Georgia , is a favorite
Whitewater Rafting destination.
Areas under the management of the
National Park Service include:
''See:
List Of South Carolina Counties .''
South Carolina has a
Humid Subtropical Climate (
Koppen Climate Classification ''Cfa''), although high elevation areas in the "Upstate" area have less subtropical characteristics than areas on the Atlantic coastline. In the summer, South Carolina is hot and humid with daytime temperatures averaging between 86-92 °F (30-33 °C) in most of the state and overnight lows over 70 °F (21 °C) on the coast and in the high 60s°F (near 20 °C) further inland. Winter temperatures are much less uniform in South Carolina. Coastal areas of the state have very mild winters with high temperatures approaching an average of 60 °F (16 °C) and overnight lows in the 40s°F (5-8 °C). Further inland in the higher country, the average January overnight low can be below freezing. While precipitation is abundant the entire year in almost the entire state, near the coast tends to have a slightly wetter summer, while inland March tends to be the wettest month.
Snowfall in South Carolina is not very excessive with coastal areas receiving less than an inch (2.5 cm) on average. It isn't uncommon for areas on the coast (especially the southern coast) to receive no recordable snowfall in a given year, although it usually receives at least a small dusting of snow annually. The interior receives a little more snow, although nowhere in the state averages more than 6 inches (15 cm) a year.
The state is prone to
Tropical Cyclones and it is a yearly concern during hurricane season which is from June-November, although the peak time of vulnerability for the southeast Atlantic coast is from early August to early October when the
Cape Verde hurricane season lasts. South Carolina averages around 50 days of
Thunderstorm activity a year, which is less than some of the states further south and is slightly less vulnerable to
Tornadoes than the states which border on the Gulf of Mexico. Still, some notable tornadoes have struck South Carolina and the state averages around 14 tornadoes annually.
{Link without Title} NOAA National Climatic Data Center. Retrieved on October 24, 2006.
See Also: History of South Carolina
The colony of Carolina was settled by
English settlers, mostly from
Barbados , sent by the
Lords Proprietors in
1670 , followed by
French Huguenots . The Carolina upcountry was settled largely by
Scots-Irish Migrants from
Pennsylvania and
Virginia , following the
Great Wagon Road . The formal colony of "The Carolinas" split into two in 1712. South Carolina became a royal colony in 1729. The state declared its independence from Great Britain and set up its own government on
March 15 ,
1776 . On
February 5 ,
1778 , South Carolina became the first state to ratify the first constitution of the United States - the
Articles Of Confederation . South Carolina became the 8th state on
May 23 ,
1788 .
South Carolina was the first state to secede from the
Union on December 20, 1860. On April 12, 1861, Confederate batteries began shelling Fort Sumter and the
American Civil War began. Charleston was effectively blockaded and the Union Navy seized the
Sea Islands , driving off the plantation owners and setting up an experiment in freedom for the ex-slaves. South Carolina troops participated in the major Confederate campaigns, but no major battles were fought inland. General
William Tecumseh Sherman marched through the state in early 1865, destroying numerous plantations, and captured the state capital of
Columbia on
February 17 . Fires began that night and by next morning, most of the central city was destroyed.
After the war, South Carolina was reincorporated into the United States during
Reconstruction . Under presidential Reconstruction (1865-66) Freedmen (former slaves) were given limited rights. Under Radical reconstruction (1867-1877), a Republican coalition of Freedmen,
Carpetbaggers and
Scalawags were in control, supported by Union army forces. The withdrawal of Union soldiers as part of the
Compromise Of 1877 ended Reconstruction and brought an era where conservative white "
Redeemers " and pro-business
Bourbon Democrats were in control. The state became a hotbed of racial and economic tensions during the Populist and Agrarian movements of the 1890s. Blacks were disfranchised in 1890, and
"Pitchfork Ben Tillman" controlled state politics from the 1890s to 1910 with a base among poor white farmers.
In the 20th century, South Carolina developed a thriving textile industry. By 2007, textile employment had dropped significantly. The state also converted its agricultural base from cotton to more profitable crops, attracted large military bases and, most recently, attracted European manufacturers.
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See also: SC Historical Demographics
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South Carolina's
Center Of Population is located in
Richland County , in the city of
Columbia {Link without Title} .
According to the
U.S. Census Bureau , as of 2005, South Carolina has an estimated population of 4,255,083, which is an increase of 57,191, or 1.4%, from the prior year and an increase of 243,267, or 6.1%, since the year 2000. This includes a natural increase since the last census of 97,715 people (that is 295,425 births minus 197,710 deaths) and an increase due to net migration of 151,485 people into the state.
Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 36,401 people, and
Migration within the country produced a net increase of 115,084 people.
The five largest ancestry groups in South Carolina are
African American (29.5%),
American (13.9%),
German (8.4%),
English (8.4%) and
Irish (7.9%).
For most of South Carolina's history,
Black Slaves , and then their descendants, made up a majority of the state's population. Whites became a majority in the early 20th century, when tens of thousands of blacks moved north in the
Great Migration . Most of the African-American population lives in the Lowcountry (especially the inland Lowcountry) and the Midlands; areas where
Cotton ,
Rice , and
Indigo plantations once dominated the landscape.
6.6% of South Carolina's population were reported as under 5 years old, 25.2% under 18, and 12.1% were 65 or older.
Females made up approximately 51.4% of the population in 2000.
South Carolina, like most other Southern states, is overwhelmingly Protestant Christian, and has a significantly lower percentage of non-religious people than the national average. The religious affiliations of the people of South Carolina are as follows:
Interestingly,
Sephardic Jews have over a 300 year history in South Carolina
[http://www.npr.org/programs/morning/features/2002/mar/southernjews/index.html especially in and around Charleston [http://www.sc.edu/uscpress/2002/3445.html . South Carolina had, until around 1830, the largest colony of Jews in North America.
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.
]]
The state is administered and collected by local governments with assistance from the South Carolina Department of Revenue. Both
Real and
Personal Property are subject to tax. Approximately two-thirds of county-levied property taxes are used for the support of public education. The passage of a recent state law will replace local property tax funding of education with a statewide 1% sales tax increase. Sales tax on groceries has been reduced to 3%. Municipalities levy a tax on property situated within the limits of the municipality for services provided by the municipality. The tax is paid by individuals, corporations and partnerships owning property within the state. South Carolina imposes a casual
Excise Tax of 5% on the fair market value of all motor vehicles, motorcycles, boats, motors and airplanes transferred between individuals. The maximum casual excise tax is $300. In South Carolina, intangible personal property is exempt from taxation. There is no
Inheritance Tax .
Even though the State of South Carolina does not allow legalized casino gambling, it did allow the operation of Video Poker Machines throughout the state with approximately $2 billion dollars per year deposited into the state's coffers. However, at Midnight on
July 1 ,
2000 a new law took effect which outlawed the operation, ownership and possession of Video Poker Machines in the state with machines required to be shut-off at that time and removed from within the state's borders by
July 8 or owners of such machines would face criminal prosecution.
Video Poker Outlawed In South Carolina Statement by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division regarding the change of Video Poker Machine Laws
Major interstate highways passing through the state include:
I-20 which runs from Florence in the east through Columbia to the southwestern border near Aiken;
I-26 which runs from Charleston in the southeast through Columbia to the northern border in Spartanburg County;
I-77 which runs from York County in the north to Columbia;
I-85 which runs from Cherokee County in the north through Greenville to the southwestern border in Oconee County;
I-385 which runs from Downtown Greenville and intersects with
I-26 near Laurens; and
I-95 which runs from the northeastern border in Dillon County to the southern border in Jasper County. The City of Myrtle Beach has a free shuttle bus that runs up and down Ocean Boulevard in front of the hotels and to many tourist areas.
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