South Carolina

           




South Carolina is a southeastern U.S. state known for its shoreline of subtropical beaches and marshlike sea islands. Coastal Charleston is a historic city, defined by pastel-colored houses, Old South plantations and Fort Sumter, where the Civil War’s opening shots were fired. To the north is the Grand Strand, a roughly 60-mile stretch of beachfront known for golf courses and the vacation town Myrtle Beach.



About South Carolina
Settled by the English in 1670, the colony named for King Charles I was split into North and South Carolina in 1710. Largely agricultural, settlers relied heavily on the slave trade to work rice and indigo plantations, and by 1720 they made up a majority of South Carolina's population.

More battles and clashes were fought in South Carolina than any other state during the American Revolution, and in 1788 it became the eighth state to ratify the Constitution. During the next 80 years, South Carolina's agriculture and trade prospered.

By 1860, however, tensions had risen over President Abraham Lincoln’s call to abolish slavery and restrict free trade, and the Palmetto State became the first Southern state to secede from the union, adding a palmetto tree to its flag. In April 1861, Confederate troops fired on the federally held Fort Sumter in Charleston, plunging the nation into the Civil War – the bloodiest four years in American history.

The Civil War devastated South Carolina’s population and economy, but the state started to see change by the beginning of the 20th century. First textile and then additional manufacturing industry growth provided some economic relief, and with the civil rights movement of the 1960s, segregation and legal discrimination were brought to an end – though racial divisions remain a major concern for the state today.

Fewer than 5 percent of South Carolina residents were born outside the U.S., and 94 percent of adults speak only English at home. More veterans than average live in the state, with almost one in 10 residents having served in the military.

South Carolina's tourism industry has blossomed in recent years, with Charleston, Hilton Head and Myrtle Beach all considered top East Coast vacation towns. The state is known for its family-friendly and affordable beaches, warm weather and hundreds of golf courses.

In addition to tourism and manufacturing, major South Carolina industries include government, professional and business services. Michelin North America, global technology product provider ScanSource and the Denny’s restaurant chain are all headquartered in the state.

The median household income – $49,501 in 2016 – was below the national average of $57,617, and the state's poverty rate of 15.3 percent was about 10 percent higher than the country’s.

The state's high school graduation rates are on par with the national average, though slightly fewer South Carolina residents over 25 have at least their bachelor's degree than the average.

The state is home to many well-known schools, including Clemson University, the University of South Carolina, located in the state capital of Columbia, the historically black South Carolina State University, Furman University, and a state-run military college, The Citadel, in Charleston.

Just under 5 million people call South Carolina home. Charleston, which ranks highly in U.S. News’ Best Places to Live, is the state's most populous city. The next largest cities are Columbia, North Charleston, Mount Pleasant, Rock Hill and Greenville. Its coastal and inland cities alike have drawn many retirees in recent years.


The state leans heavily Republican and has voted for the GOP candidate in the past 10 presidential elections. It gained an electoral vote in 2010, bringing its total up to nine for the first time since 1932. South Carolina is tied with Arkansas for the fifth most religious state, with Pew Research Center identifying 70 percent of adults as “highly religious.”





State Symbols
State American Folk Dance Square dance
State Animal White-tailed deer
State Beverage Milk
State Bird Great Carolina wren
State Butterfly Eastern tiger swallowtail
State Colors Indigo blue
State Craft Sweetgrass basket weaving
State Dance Shag
State Dog Boykin spaniel
State Duck Wood duck
State Fish Striped bass
State Flower Carolina yellow jessamine
State Fossil Columbian mammoth
State Fruit Peach
State Gemstone Amethyst
State Grass Indian grass
State Heritage Horse Carolina march tacky
State Heritage Work Animal Mule
State Hospitality Beverage Tea
State Insect Carolina mantid
State Marine Mammal Bottlenose dolphin
State Migratory Marine Mammal Northern right whale
State Motto Dum spiro spero Animis opibusque parati (While I breathe, I hope Ready in soul and resource)
State Music Spiritual
State Nickname Palmetto State
State Popular Music Beach music
State Reptile Loggerhead sea turtle
State Shell Lettered olive
State Snack Boiled peanuts
State Song "Carolina" and "South Carolina On My Mind"
State Spider Carolina wolf spider
State Stone Blue granite
State Tapestry "From the Mountains to the Sea"
State Tree Sabal palmetto (also called cabbage palm tree)
State Waltz "Richardson Waltz"
State Wild Game Bird Wild turkey

State Wildflower Goldenrod
State Quarter Issue Date May 22, 2000





Popular Tourist Attractions

• Fort Sumter: Sea port in Charleston, South Carolina, known for two battles of the American Civil War.
• Broadway at the Beach: Shopping center in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
• Hilton Head Island: City and island in Beaufort County, South Carolina.
• Riverbanks Zoo: Zoo in Columbia, South Carolina.
• Myrtle Beach Boardwalk and Promenade: Beachfront shopping and entertainment district in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
• Barefoot Landing: Shopping complex in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
• Frankie's Fun Park: Amusement park in Greenville, South Carolina.
• Middleton Place: Historical landscaped gardens, located in Charleston, South Carolina.
• Brookgreen Gardens: Sculpture garden and zoo in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina.
• USS Yorktown: Historic aircraft carrier, located in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina.
• Congaree National Park: National park in central South Carolina.
• South Carolina Aquarium: Aquarium in Charleston, South Carolina.
• Family Kingdom Amusement Park: Amusement park in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
• Myrtle Waves: Water park in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
• Peace Center: Theater in Greenville, South Carolina.
• Greenville Zoo: Zoo in Greenville, South Carolina.
• Patriots Point: Museum in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina.
• EdVenture Children's Museum: Museum in Columbia, South Carolina.

Famous People Born In South Carolina

Nobel Prize Winners

• Charles H. Townes (Physics, 1964)
• Joseph L. Goldstein (Physiology or Medicine, 1985)
• Robert F. Furchgott (Physiology or Medicine, 1998)

United States Presidents

• Andrew Jackson (7th President)

Pro Football Hall Of Fame Members

• Art Shell (Offensive Tackle. Inducted in 1989)
• Harry Carson (Linebacker. Inducted in 2006)
• Baseball Hall Of Fame Players
• Larry Doby (Center Fielder. Inducted in 1998)
• Ben Taylor (First Baseman. Inducted in 2006)
• Jim Rice (Left Fielder. Inducted in 2009)
• Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall Of Fame Players
• Alex English (Forward. Inducted in 1997)
• Katrina McClain (Forward. Inducted in 2012)

Famous Actors And Actresses

• Thomas Gibson
• Chris Rock
• Jessica Stroup

Famous Singers

• Lee Brice
• James Brown
• Darius Rucker

South Carolina Fun Facts

• The Carolina colony was established by British and it was split in 1729 into North and South Carolina as it was deemed to big to govern effectively. Carolina is named after King Charles I. Carolus is the Latin word for Charles.
• The first opera performed in the United States, a comic ballad opera called Flora, opened in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1735.
• The Charleston Tea Plantation, located on Wadmalaw Island, South Carolina, is the only working tea plantation in the United States.
• Morgan Island in South Carolina houses the only colony of free-ranging rhesus monkeys in the United States. Morgan Island is also known as Monkey Island. There are about 3,500 monkeys in the colony.
• The Charleston Museum in Charleston, South Carolina, is the first museum in America. It was founded in 1773 and opened to the public in 1824.
• Johnston, South Carolina, is known as the Peach Capital of the World.
• The largest Gingko farm in the world is located in Sumter, South Carolina.
• The first battle of the Civil War took place at Fort Sumter, South Carolina.
• On November 2, 1954, Strom Thurmond became the first US senator elected by write-in vote. Thurmond received 63.1% of the votes to win the election.
• In South Carolina, a person must be 18 years old to legally play a pinball machine.