State of South Carolina
Flag of South Carolina Flag of South Carolina Seal Nickname(s): The Palmetto State Motto(s): Dum spiro spero (While I breathe, I hope) and Animis opibusque parati (Ready in soul and resource) Map of the United States with South Carolina highlighted
Official language(s)	English
Capital	Columbia
Largest city	Greenville, South Carolina
Largest metro area	Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson Combined Statistical Area
Area	Ranked 40th
- Total	34,726 sq mi (82,965 km)
- Width	200 miles (320 km)
- Length	260 miles (420 km)
- % water	6
- Latitude	32° 2′ N to 35° 13′ N
- Longitude	78° 32′ W to 83° 21′ W
Population	Ranked 24th
- Total (2000)	4,012,012
- Density	133.2/sq mi  51.45/km (21st)
- Median income	$39,326 (39th)
Elevation
- Highest point	Sassafras Mountain[1] 3,560 ft  (1,085 m)
- Mean	350 ft  (110 m)
- Lowest point	Atlantic Ocean[1] 0 ft  (0 m)
Admission to Union	May 23, 1788 (8th)
Governor	Mark Sanford (R)
'''U.S. Senators	Lindsey Graham (R) Jim DeMint (R)
'''Congressional Delegation	List
Time zone	Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Abbreviations	SC US-SC
Web site	www.sc.gov

South Carolina (IPA: /sɑʊθ ˌkærəˈlaɪnə/) 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.

Geography

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.

Palmetto State
State Capital:	Columbia
State Mottos:	Dum spiro spero (While I breathe, I hope) and Animis opibusque parati (Ready in soul and resource)
State Songs:	"Carolina" and "South Carolina On My Mind"
State Tree:	Sabal palmetto
State Flower:	Yellow Jessamine
State Bird:	Carolina Wren
State Wild Game Bird:	Wild Turkey
State Dog:	Boykin Spaniel
State Animal:	Whitetail Deer
State Reptile:	Loggerhead Sea Turtle
State Amphibian:	Spotted Salamander
State Fish:	Striped Bass
State Insect:	Carolina Mantid
State Butterfly:	Eastern tiger swallowtail
State Fruit:	Peach[2]
State Beverage:	Milk[3]
State Hospitality Beverage:	Tea[4]
State Gemstone:	Amethyst
State Stone:	Blue Granite
State Popular Music:	Beach Music
State Dance:	Shag
State Snack:	Boiled peanuts[5]
State Craft:	Sweetgrass Basket weaving

Just west of the coastal plain is the Sand Hills 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 Piedmont (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 southeastern 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 northwestern part of the Piedmont is also known as the Foothills. 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 Upstate, 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.^[1] 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:

• Charles Pinckney National Historic Site at Mt. Pleasant
• Congaree National Park in Hopkins
• Cowpens National Battlefield near Chesnee,
• Fort Moultrie National Monument at Sullivan’s Island
• Fort Sumter National Monument in Charleston Harbor
• Kings Mountain National Military Park at Blacksburg
• Ninety Six National Historic Site in Ninety Six
• Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail

See: List of South Carolina counties.

Climate

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)of snoww 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.^[6]

Monthly Normal High and Low Temperatures For Various South Carolina Cities
City	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Charleston	59/37	62/39	69/46	76/52	83/61	88/68	91/72	89/72	85/67	77/55	70/46	62/39
Columbia	55/34	60/36	67/44	76/51	83/60	89/68	92/72	90/71	85/65	76/52	67/43	58/36
Greenville	50/31	55/34	63/40	71/47	78/56	85/64	89/69	87/68	81/62	71/50	61/41	53/34
[1]

History

Main articles: History of South Carolina and S.C. Code of Laws, SECTION 1-1-682. Official state snack food.

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.

20th century

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.

Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%
1790	249,073		—
1800	345,591		0%
1810	415,115		0%
1820	502,741		0%
1830	581,185		0%
1840	594,398		0%
1850	668,507		0%
1860	703,708		0%
1870	705,606		0%
1880	995,577		0%
1890	1,151,149		0%
1900	1,340,316		0%
1910	1,515,400		0%
1920	1,683,724		0%
1930	1,738,765		0%
1940	1,899,804		0%
1950	2,117,027		0%
1960	2,382,594		0%
1970	2,590,516		0%
1980	3,121,820		0%
1990	3,486,703		0%
2000	4,012,012		0%
Est. 2006	4,321,249	[7]	0%
See also: SC historical demographics

South Carolina's center of population is located in Richland County, in the city of Columbia [2].

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.

Demographics of South Carolina (csv)
By race	White	Black	AIAN	Asian	NHPI
AIAN is American Indian or Alaskan Native   -   NHPI is Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
2000 (total population)	68.88%	30.01%	0.69%	1.13%	0.10%
2000 (Hispanic only)	2.05%	0.26%	0.05%	0.03%	0.02%
2005 (total population)	69.12%	29.68%	0.69%	1.31%	0.10%
2005 (Hispanic only)	2.95%	0.27%	0.06%	0.04%	0.02%
Growth 2000-2005 (total population)	6.43%	4.89%	6.09%	23.49%	13.76%
Growth 2000-2005 (non-Hispanic only)	5.01%	4.87%	4.61%	23.16%	10.36%
Growth 2000-2005 (Hispanic only)	52.78%	7.64%	23.97%	34.25%	26.89%

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.

Religion

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:

• Christian – 92%
• Protestant – 84%
• Southern Baptist – 45%
• Methodist – 15%
• Presbyterian – 5%
• Other Protestant – 19%
• Roman Catholic – 7%
• Other Christian – 1%
• Other Religions – 1%
• Non-Religious – 7%

Interestingly, Sephardic Jews have over a 300 year history in South Carolina [3] [4] [5], especially in and around Charleston [6]. South Carolina had, until around 1830, the largest colony of Jews in North America.

Economy

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 sales tax is 6% for non-grocery goods and 3% for grocery goods. Counties have the option to impose an additional 2% sales tax. [7] Citizens 85 or older get a one-percent exclusion from the state's sales tax. Property tax 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.^[8][9]

Transportation

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.

Amtrak passes through Columbia, Greenville, Spartanburg, Florence, and Charleston.

Commercial airports are located in Columbia, Charleston, Greenville/Spartanburg, Florence, Myrtle Beach, and Hilton Head Island.

Law and government

South Carolina's state government consists of the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches. The governor is elected for a four-year term and may serve two consecutive terms. He heads the Executive branch (some officers of which are elected). The current governor is Republican Mark Sanford. He is currently serving his second term. The bicameral South Carolina General Assembly consists of the 46-member Senate and the 124-member House of Representatives. The two bodies meet in the South Carolina State House. The Judicial Branch consists of the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals, the Circuit Court, Family Court, and other divisions.

See also: List of Governors of South Carolina

Judicial branch

The Family Court deals with all matters of domestic and family relationships, as well as generally maintaining exclusive jurisdiction over cases involving minors under the age of seventeen, excepting traffic and game law violations. Some criminal charges may come under Circuit Court jurisdiction.

The Circuit Court is the general jurisdiction court for South Carolina. It comprises the Civil Court, the Court of Common Pleas, and the Court of General Sessions, which is the criminal court. The court maintains limited appellate jurisdiction over the Probate Court, Magistrate's Court, Municipal Court, and the Administrative Law Judge Division. The state has sixteen judicial circuits, each with at least one resident circuit judge.

The Court of Appeals handles Circuit Court and Family Court appeals, excepting appeals that are within the seven classes of exclusive Supreme Court jurisdiction. The Court of Appeals is selected by the General Assembly for staggered, six-year terms. The court comprises a chief judge, and eight associate judges, and may hear cases as the whole court, or as three panels with three judges each. The court may preside in any county.

The Supreme Court is South Carolina's highest court. The Chief Justice and four Associate Justices are elected to ten year terms by the General Assembly. Terms are staggered, and there are no limits on the number of terms a justice may serve, but there is a mandatory retirement age of 72. The overwhelming majority of vacancies on the Court occur when Justices reach this age, not through the refusal of the General Assembly to elect a sitting Justice to another term.

Law enforcement agencies

• South Carolina Department of Public Safety
• South Carolina Highway Patrol Division
• South Carolina State Transport Police Division
• South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy Division
• South Carolina Bureau of Protective Services
• South Carolina Department of Corrections
• South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services
• South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division (SLED)
• Homeland Security

Federal politics

Like the Southern states, South Carolina consistently voting Democratic Party (United States) in the late 19th century and half of 20th century as a Solid South. The Republican Party became competitive in the 1960 Presidential Election when Richard Nixon narrowly lost the state to John F. Kennedy by just two percentage points. In 1964, Barry Goldwater making first Republican to win the state for nearly 90 years. Since then, South Carolina has voted for a Republican in every presidential election from 1964 to forward with exception of 1976 when Jimmy Carter, a Southerner was the last Democrat to win the state. George W. Bush won the state with 58% of the statewide vote in 2004 over Senator John Kerry. Republicans now control the governor, eight of nine statewide offices, both houses of legislature, both US Senators and four of six members of the US House of Representatives.

State politics

In the 110th United States Congress, the South Carolina delegation to U.S. Senate are Senators Lindsey Graham and Jim DeMint, both Republicans. In the U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Representatives are Republicans Henry E. Brown, Jr. of 1st District, Joe Wilson of 2nd District, J. Gresham Barrett of 3rd District, and Bob Inglis of 4th District, and Democrats John M. Spratt, Jr. of 5th District and James Clyburn of 6th District.

Important cities and towns

The capital and largest city in the state is Columbia. The other two major centers in the state are Charleston in the Lowcountry and Greenville in the Upstate. Other notable cities are Anderson, Aiken, Beaufort, Florence, Georgetown, Greenwood, Hilton Head Island, Moncks Corner, Mount Pleasant, Myrtle Beach, Newberry, North Charleston, Orangeburg, Rock Hill, Spartanburg, North Augusta, Lexington and Sumter.

Education

Institutions of higher education

(In order of foundation date)

South Carolina has a long and proud tradition of higher education that is intertwined with its rich and complex history. For a relatively small state, South Carolina hosts a disproportionately large and diverse cohort of institutions of higher education, from large state-funded research universities to small colleges that cultivate a liberal arts, religious or military tradition.

In addition to its status as the oldest college or university in South Carolina, founded in 1770 and chartered in 1785, the College of Charleston (C of C) is the 13th oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first municipal college in the country. The College is in company with the Colonial Colleges as one the original and foundational institutions of higher education in the United States. Its founders include three signers of the United States Declaration of Independence and three signers of the United States Constitution. The College's historic campus, which is listed on the U.S. Department of the Interior's National Register of Historic Places, forms an integral part of Charleston's colonial-era urban center. As one of the leading institutions of higher education in the Southeastern United States, the College of Charleston is celebrated nationally for its focus on undergraduate education with strengths in Marine Biology, Classics, Art History and Historic Preservation. The Graduate School of the College of Charleston, offers a number of degree programs and coordinates support for its nationally recognized faculty research efforts. According to the Princeton Review, C of C is one of the nation's best institutions for undergraduate education and U.S. News and World Report regularly ranks C of C among the best masters level universities in the South. C of C presently enrolls approximately 10,000 undergraduates and 2,000 graduate students.

The University of South Carolina is a public, co-educational, research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States. The University's campus covers over 359 acres (0 km) in the urban core less than one city block from the South Carolina State House. The institution was founded in 1801 as South Carolina College in an effort to promote harmony between the Lowcountry and the Backcountry. The College became a symbol of the South in the antebellum period as its graduates were on the forefront of secession from the Union. From the Civil War to World War II, the institution lacked a clear direction and was constantly reorganized to meet the needs of the political power in office. In 1957, the University expanded its reach through the University of South Carolina System and rapidly became the state's preeminent and most popular institution of higher education, a status it retains to this day.

Main article: History of the University of South Carolina

Furman University is a private, coeducational, non-sectarian, liberal arts university in Greenville, South Carolina. Founded in 1826, Furman enrolls approximately 2,600 undergraduate and 500 graduate students. Furman is the oldest, largest and one of the most selective private institution in South Carolina. The university is primarily focused on undergraduate education (only two departments, education and chemistry, offer graduate degrees).

The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, is a state-supported, comprehensive college located in Charleston, South Carolina. Founded in 1842, the college is best known for its undergraduate Corps of Cadets military program for men and women, which combines academics, physical challenges and military discipline. In addition to the cadet program, civilian programs are offered through the Citadel's College of Graduate and Professional Studies with its evening undergraduate and graduate programs. The Citadel enrolls almost 2,000 undergraduate cadets in its residential military program and 1,200 civilian students in the evening programs.

Presbyterian College is a private liberal arts college in Clinton, South Carolina, USA. Presbyterian College, or PC, is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church USA, and enrolls around 1300 undergraduate students. Founded in 1880, PC has 84 full-time professors, offers 30 majors, and provides Cooperative and Dual-Degree Programs in Engineering (with Auburn, Clemson, and Vanderbilt Universities), Forestry/Environmental Science (with Duke University) and Religion (with Union Theological Seminary). They also have eight pre-professional programs.

Founded as the Clemson Agricultural College of South Carolina in 1889, Clemson University is now a public, coeducational, land-grant research university located in Clemson, South Carolina. Clemson The University currently enrolls more than 17,000 students from all 50 states and from more than 70 countries.

For full listings See List of colleges and universities in South Carolina

Secondary education

According to a survey of recent studies conducted by the University of South Carolina's Institute for Public Service and Policy Research South Carolina ranks at or near the bottom of the United States in terms of secondary school graduation rates.^[10]

Sports in South Carolina

• South Carolina has no major professional franchise of the NFL, NHL, NBA, or MLB located in the state; however the NFL's Carolina Panthers (based in Charlotte, North Carolina) represents both Carolinas, played their first season in Clemson, South Carolina, and the team's training camp takes place every year at Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina. College sports in particular are very big in South Carolina. Clemson University's Tigers and the University of South Carolina's Gamecocks regularly draw more than 80,000 spectators at the schools' home football games. Smaller universities located in South Carolina also have very competitive sports programs, including the Citadel, Presbyterian College, Furman, Coastal Carolina, Wofford, College of Charleston, Winthrop, North Greenville University, Lander University, and SC State. South Carolina does have several minor league professional teams that play baseball, hockey, and other sports in the state. Columbia, Greenville, Charleston, Myrtle Beach/Conway, and Florence all have or have had minor league professional sports teams.
• NASCAR racing was born in the South, and South Carolina has in the past hosted some very important NASCAR races, mainly at the Darlington Raceway. Darlington Raceway still has the one NASCAR race weekend, usually Mother's Day weekend. All four of NASCAR's series come to Darlington including Feather light, Craftsman Trucks, Busch Cars, and NEXTEL Cup cars.
• South Carolina is known as a golfing paradise. Myrtle Beach/Grand Strand has more than a hundred golf courses. Myrtle Beach has more public golf courses per capita than any other place in the country.^[11] Some have hosted PGA and LGPA events in the past, but most have been designed for the casual golfer. Hilton Head & Kiawah Island has several very nice golf courses and hosts professional events every year. The upstate of South Carolina also has many nice golf courses, most of the nicer courses are private including the Cliff's courses and Cross Creek Plantation (the Cliff's courses host the annual BMW PRO/AM that brings many celebrities and professionals to South Carolina. Cross Creek Plantation located in Seneca, also private hosted a PGA Qualifier in the 90's). Oconee Country Club also in Seneca, is an extremely nice course, very well-kept, and is open to the public. In 2007, "The Ocean Course" On Kiawah Island was ranked #1 in Golf Digest Magazine's "America's 50 Toughest Golf Courses"<ref name= "GolfDigest.com - America's 50 Toughest Golf Courses"> GolfDigest.com - America's 50 Toughest Golf Courses and #38 on their "America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses".<ref name= "GolfDigest.com - America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses">GolfDigest.com - America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses
• Watersports are also an extremely popular activity in South Carolina. With a large coast line, South Carolina has many different beach activities such as surfing, boogie boarding, deep sea fishing, and shrimping. The Pee Dee region of the state offers exceptional fishing. Some of the largest catfish ever caught were caught in the Santee Lakes. The Upstate of South Carolina also offers outstanding water activities. The Midlands region also offers water-based recreation revolving around Lakes Marion and Murray and such rivers as the Congaree, Saluda, Broad, and Edisto.
• While there are no race tracks with betting in South Carolina there is significant horse training activity, particularly in Aiken and Camden, which hold steeplechase races.

Miscellaneous topics

Famous people from South Carolina

• Bill Anderson, born James William Anderson III on November 1, 1937 in Columbia; an American country music singer and songwriter, nicknamed "Whisperin' Bill." Arguably his biggest hit was the 1963 single "Still."
• Pink Anderson (born February 12, 1900 in Laurens; died October 12, 1974), blues singer and guitarist; inspired the "Pink" in Pink Floyd.
• Charlotta Bass (born in Sumter), a newspaper publisher in Los Angeles, California, and the first African-American woman on a Presidential campaign ticket in 1952
• Shelton Benjamin (1976 — ), born and raised in Orangeburg, he is a professional wrestler and former amateur wrestler now working for World Wrestling Entertainment's RAW brand.
• Ben Bernanke (1953 — ), graduated from high school in Dillon in 1971. On October 24, 2005, President George W. Bush nominated Bernanke to succeed Alan Greenspan as Chairman of the Federal Reserve. Greenspan retired on January 31, 2006 after 18 years as chairman.
• Robert Brooks, born in Greenwood, former wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers and the Denver Broncos
• J Anthony Brown, actor, comedian and radio personality from Columbia.
• James Brown (born May 4, 1933 in Barnwell Died December 25, 2006). The "Godfather of Soul," legendary singer and member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
• James F. Byrnes (May 2, 1879 – April 9, 1972), born in Charleston, Secretary of State under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, also served as Governor of South Carolina and as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. Time Magazine's Person of the Year 1947.
• John C. Calhoun (1782 – 1850), born near Abbeville, a statesman and political philosopher. From 1811 until his death, Calhoun served in the federal government successively as congressman, secretary of war, vice president, senator, secretary of state and again as senator.
• Harry Carson, American football player, (born November 26, 1953), inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on August 5, 2006.
• Charlamagne Tha God-Co-Host of the nationally syndicated radio show "The Wendy Williams Experience" also co host of the "The Wendy Williams Experience" on Vh1.
• Chubby Checker, singer, born Ernest Evans in Spring Gulley.
• Stephen Euin Cobb, author, futurist and host of the award-winning podcast The Future And You, born in Orangeburg on February 3, 1955.
• Stephen Colbert, host of The Colbert Report on Comedy Central since 2005; previously a correspondent for Comedy Central's The Daily Show. A native of Charleston, he attended Porter Gaud School.
• Monique Coleman (1980-), actress, High School Musical, she was born in Orangeburg, SC.
• Pat Conroy, novelist, grew up in Beaufort, attended Beaufort High School and The Citadel in Charleston. He taught school in Beaufort and on remote Daufuskie Island near Hilton Head. All his novels have been set in the South Carolina Lowcountry. Conroy now lives on Fripp Island.
• Angell Conwell (1983-) an actress born in Orangeburg and raised in Columbia
• Reverend Gary Davis (April 30, 1896 - May 5, 1972), blues and gospel songwriter and innovative guitarist, born in Clinton.
• Kristin Davis, actress, best known for role as Charlotte York in Sex and the City.
• Harold Denton, nuclear physicist, best known for his role in the "Three Mile Island accident"
• Andy Dick, born in Charleston, actor and comedian best known for his roles on TV sitcoms, including NewsRadio and Less Than Perfect, as well as appearing on numerous comedy programs such as the Comedy Central Roasts
• Larry Doby, only the second African-American baseball player to play in the Major Leagues, born in Camden
• Lilian Ellison (born July 22, 1923) a female professional wrestler better known as the Fabulous Moolah. She is a former WWF/WWE Women's World Champion. She is from Columbia.
• Alex English, basketball player, member of the Basketball Hall of Fame.
• Michael Flessas, actor, best know for his role in the Palme d'Or (Golden Palm) winning film Dancer in the Dark at the Cannes Film Festival. He graduated from Columbia's Dreher High School and attended the University of South Carolina.
• Joe Frazier, 1964 Olympic heavyweight champion and the world heavyweight champ 1970-73; fought Muhammad Ali for the heavyweight title three times. He is most remembered for the fight at Madison Square Garden in March 1971, where he defeated Ali to become the undisputed heavyweight champ. Frazier was born in Beaufort on January 12, 1944.
• David Gaillard, engineer of the central portion of the Panama Canal, after which the main cut is named; born in Manning. He died of a brain tumor before the work was finished.
• Kevin Garnett (nicknamed "The Big Ticket"), an NBA basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves; born and raised in Mauldin.
• Leeza Gibbons of Entertainment Tonight and other Hollywood news shows grew up in Irmo, a suburb of Columbia.
• Althea Gibson (1927-2003), the first black female player to win the Wimbledon singles tennis title, was born in Silver.
• William Gibson, author and credited as the father of the Cyberpunk genre of science fiction, was born in Conway on March 17, 1948.
• Dizzy Gillespie (1917-1993), John Birks 'Dizzy' Gillespie, considered by some to be the greatest jazz trumpeter of all time, was born in Cheraw.
• Andrew Jackson (1767-1845), President of the United States; born near Lancaster but emigrated to Tennessee as an adult. He was the hero of the Battle of New Orleans and 7th President, from 1829 to 1837.
• Jesse Jackson, famous political and social figure, originally from Greenville.
• 'Shoeless' Joe Jackson (1887 – 1951). Considered to be one of the most outstanding hitters in the history of baseball, his career .356 batting average is the third highest in history, after Ty Cobb and Rogers Hornsby. He was born in Brandon Mills.
• James Jamerson (January 29, 1938 - August 2, 1983), born in Charleston. Legendary bass player and member of the Funk Brothers, the session band at Motown. Played on "Shotgun" by Jr. Walker and the All Stars, "For Once In My Life" by Stevie Wonder, "My Girl" by The Temptations and "What's Goin' On" by Marvin Gaye among many other Motown classics.
• Young Jeezy (1977 - ), born as Jay Jenkins is a rapper from Columbia.
• Jasper Johns, widely considered to be one of the greatest painters of the 20th century, was raised (albeit born in a Georgia hospital) in Allendale.
• Orlando Jones (1968-), a comedian and actor from Mauldin
• Eartha Kitt (1927- ), actress and singer, one of only a handful of performers to be nominated twice for both a Tony Award and Grammy Award, as well as for an Emmy Award. She hails from North.
• James Longstreet (1821-1904), controversial general of the Civil War, widely respected during the war as Lee's second-in-command, but later condemned by many of his peers for his criticisms of Lee at Gettysburg and for his post-war political affiliation. Longstreet was born in Edgefield District, now Edgefield County, although he was raised in northern Georgia.
• Francis Marion (1732-1795), also known as the "Swamp Fox", was a Brigadier General in the American Revolutionary War. The main character in the movie The Patriot is based largely on his exploits. Marion was born in Georgetown.
• Edwin McCain, recording artist who reached platinum status with his hit single "I'll Be", from his second album, Misguided Roses, in 1998. McCain was born in Greenville.
• Andie MacDowell, film actress and model, most well-known for her roles in Four Weddings and a Funeral,Groundhog Day and Green Card, was born in Gaffney and attended Winthrop College.
• Burnet Maybank, Prestigious and prominent politician and businessman; Charleston alderman 1927-31, mayor 1931-38, governor 1939-1941, and US senator 1941-54; never lost an election, made his money in cotton exporting; at one point was named one of the 20 most influential men in America by Fortune Magazine
• Roger "Rocky" McIntosh, an NFL player from Gaffney
• Dr. Ronald McNair (1950 – 1986), born in Lake City; one of the seven astronauts to die when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded shortly after take-off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on January 28, 1986.
• Kerry Mullis, born in Lenoir, North Carolina, and grew up in Columbia, South Carolina; received Nobel Prize for DNA amplification research. There is public controversy regarding credit for this research.
• Nancy O'Dell, born on February 25, 1966 in Myrtle Beach; an American television host and entertainment journalist.
• Jermaine O'Neal, born on October 13, 1978 in Columbia; a NBA player.
• Peggy Parish, author of a children's book series featuring a befuddled maid, Amelia Bedelia. She was from Manning.
• Kathleen Parker, nationally recognized columnist.
• Mary-Louise Parker, actress born in Fort Jackson, South Carolina, best-known works include Fried Green Tomatoes, Boys on the Side, Proof, The West Wing, Angels in America, and her current role on Showtime's Weeds.
• William Perry, better known as "The Refrigerator", became a household name after helping lead the Chicago Bears to the Super Bowl in the 1985/86 season. He played college football at Clemson University. He lives in his hometown of Aiken.
• John Phillips (1935-2001), best known as the founding member of The Mamas and The Papas. He was born in Parris Island.
• Bill Pinkney (1925-2007), was a performer and singer that was a member of the doo wop/R&B group, The Drifters. Pinkney was born in Dalzell.
• Jim Rice (1953- ), longtime star of the Boston Red Sox who won the American League Most Valuable Player award in 1978. Native of Anderson.
• James Oliver Rigney, Jr. (October 17, 1948 - September 16, 2007)), best known as the author of the bestselling The Wheel of Time fantasy series under the pen name Robert Jordan. Rigney was born in Charleston and holds an undergraduate degree in physics from The Citadel, the military college of South Carolina.
• Julie Roberts (1979- ) born in Lancaster. Country singer best known for her 2004 hit "Break Down Here". Received Top New Artist and Top New Female Vocalist nominations from The Academy of Country Music for her 2004 debut album "Julie Roberts".
• Chris Rock (born February 7, 1965), an American stand-up comedian and actor born in Andrews.
• Darius Rucker (1966-), lead singer of "Hootie and the Blowfish", was born in, and now resides near, Charleston.
• Blue Sky (1938-), internationally-recognized painter and sculptor, was born in Columbia and has lived there for the majority of his life
• W. Thomas Smith Jr. (1959-), internationally recognized author and columnist, was born in Columbia.
• Angie Stone (born January 30, 1961), a Grammy Award-nominated American R&B and neo soul singer and songwriter from Columbia.
• Melanie Thornton (1967-2001), R&B/Pop/Dance Singer (former member of La Bouche), born in Charleston, died in a plane crash near Bassersdorf (Zürich), (Switzerland).
• Strom Thurmond (1902 – 2003), born in Edgefield in 1902. South Carolina governor from 1947 – 1951, and in 1954 became the first and only United States Senator elected by a write-in vote. In 1997, Senator Thurmond became the oldest and longest serving member of the U.S. Senate. In January 2003, at age 100, Thurmond retired from public service after his eighth term. He returned to his hometown where he died June 26, 2003.
• Aaron Tippin grew up in Greenville and started singing on his family’s farm. He is now a country music star with several country hits to his credit.
• Charles Townes (1915-), physicist and astronomer from Greenville, graduated from Furman University; winner of the 1964 Nobel Prize for Physics for his contributions to the invention of the laser and maser. He is Professor Emeritus of Physics at the University of California-Berkeley.
• Josh Turner (born November 20, 1977 in Hannah) is an American country music singer. Turner possesses a very distinctive bass voice
• John B. Watson psychologist, father of the Behaviorism movement
• Shawn Weatherly, Miss Universe 1980, the second woman from South Carolina and fifth from the U.S. to win the title. She also played Jill Riley in Season 1 of Baywatch.
• William Westmoreland -- (born Spartanburg County, March 26, 1914 – July 18, 2005) was at one point commander of all United States ground forces in Vietnam and was also Chief of Staff of the United States Army.
• Vanna White, "Wheel of Fortune" game show hostess since 1982, hails from North Myrtle Beach.
• Paul Wight (1972 — ), born in Aiken, Wight also known as the Big Show, he is a professional wrestler and former amateur wrestler now working for World Wrestling Entertainment's ECW brand.
• Maurice Williams (1938-)
• Mookie Wilson is a former Major League Baseball player from Bamberg that played for the New York Mets and the Toronto Blue Jays
• Marian Wright Edelman (from Bennettsville), the founder and President of the Children's Defense Fund and the first Black woman admitted to the Mississippi Bar.
• Joanne Woodward born in Thomasville, GA graduated from Greenville High School in Greenville, SC.
• Reggie Sanders, Major League baseball player, born December 1, 1967 in Florence, SC; played for Spartanburg Methodist College; currently an outfielder for the Kansas City Royals, his eighth Major League team
• Ryan Nelson (1992-) an actress born in Orangeburg and raised in Columbia

Alcohol laws

Prohibition was a major issue in the state's history. Voters endorsed prohibition in 1892 but instead were given the "Dispensary System" of state-owned liquor stores, They soon became symbols of political corruption controlled by Ben Tillman's machine and were shut down in 1907. Today, most counties in South Carolina do not allow the sale of alcohol on Sunday, but counties and cities can apply referendums to overturn this. Six counties currently allow Sunday alcohol sales, which include Richland County, Lexington, Georgetown, Charleston, Beaufort and Horry. Cities and towns that have passed laws allowing Sunday alcohol sales include Spartanburg, Greenville, Aiken, Rock Hill, Summerville, Santee, Daniel Island and Tega Cay.

While there are no dry counties in South Carolina, certain counties enforce time restrictions for alcohol sales in stores (e.g., no sales after 2 AM in Pickens County) while others do not (in-store alcohol sales are allowed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in Charleston, excluding liquor which must be purchased before 7 PM). Columbia, the state's capital and largest city and the home of the University of South Carolina, takes one of the more relaxed stances on alcohol sales in bars. Many bars, especially those catering to younger crowds in the busy Five Points district, serves alcohol until sunrise, and it is not unheard of for bars and clubs to serve alcohol until 6 AM, although the per-se legality of this practice is debatable.

Before 2006, South Carolina was infamous amongst tourists and residents alike for being the last state in the nation to require cocktails and liquor drinks to be mixed using minibottles, like those found on airplanes, instead of from free-pour bottles. The original logic behind this law was twofold: it made alcohol taxation simpler and allowed bar patrons to receive a standardized amount of alcohol in each drink. However, minibottles contain 1.75 OZ (52 ml) of alcohol, approximately 30% more than the typical 1.2 OZ (35 ml) found in free-pour drinks, with the obvious result of overly strong cocktails and inebriated bar customers. The law was changed in 2006 to allow both free-pour and minibottles in bars, and the vast majority of bars quickly eschewed minibottles in favor of free-pour.^[12]

Patron Saint of South Carolina's Catholic Church

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston, the Roman Catholic Church in South Carolina has as its patron saint, St. John the Baptist.

South Carolina singularities

• Adjutant general: The head of the state's national guard, the adjutant general, is a statewide elected official.^[13]
• Driving Under the Influence: South Carolina is the only state in the nation with mandatory videotaping by the arresting officer of the DUI arrest and breath test.^[14]
• Fire Safety Regulations: South Carolina is the only state that allows fire officials to sidestep a federal regulation requiring that for every employee doing hazardous work inside a building, one must be outside.^[15]
• School Buses: South Carolina is the only state in the nation that owns and operates its own school bus fleet.^[16][17]
• Strokes: South Carolina has the highest rate of stroke deaths in the nation.^[18]
• Black Water River: With the Edisto River, South Carolina has the longest completely undammed / unleveed blackwater river in North America.^[19]
• Outdoor Sculpture: South Carolina is home to the world's largest collection of outdoor sculpture located at Brookgreen Gardens.^[20]
• Landscaped Gardens: South Carolina is home to the oldest landscaped gardens in the United States, at Middleton Place near Charleston.^[21]
• Public Museum: The first public museum in the Americas was the Charleston Museum, founded in 1773.^[22]
• Opera: The first opera performed in the Americas was performed in Charleston on February 18, 1735.^[23]

Sister States

• Queensland, Australia
• Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
• Bergamo, Italy

See also

• Appalachia
• Scouting in South Carolina
• South Carolina census statistical areas
• South Carolina Highway Patrol

References

Further reading

External links

• State of South Carolina government website
• Free South Carolina Republic
• Discover South Carolina - The official tourism website of South Carolina
• USGS real-time, geographic, and other scientific resources of South Carolina
• US Census Bureau
• S.C. Business Hall of Fame- Established in 1985 to honor champions of free enterprise and present role models for young people.
• South Carolina State Facts
• South Carolina Maps includes a road map, relief map, and topographical map of South Carolina.

Preceded by Maryland	List of U.S. states by date of statehood Ratified Constitution on May 23, 1788 (8th)	Succeeded by New Hampshire

	•  • [ e] State of South Carolina Columbia (capital)
Regions	Atlantic Coastal Plain | Blue Ridge Mountains | Grand Strand | Lake Murray Country | The Lowcountry | Metrolina | The Midlands | Olde English District | Old 96 District | Pee Dee | Piedmont | Sandhills | Sea Islands | The Upstate
Larger Cities	Charleston | Columbia | Florence | Greenville | Myrtle Beach | Mount Pleasant | North Charleston | Rock Hill | Spartanburg | Sumter |
Smaller Cities	Camden | Cayce | Easley | Hilton Head Island | Isle of Palms | Forest Acres | Lexington | Mauldin | North Augusta | North Myrtle Beach | Orangeburg | Simpsonville | Summerville | West Columbia | York
Towns	Batesburg-Leesville | Fort Mill | Fountain Inn | Greer | Irmo | Moncks Corner | Mount Pleasant | Newberry |
	Berea | Carolina Forest | Dentsville | Gantt | Ladson | Parker | Red Hill | Saint Andrews | Seven Oaks | Socastee | Taylors | Wade Hampton
Counties	Abbeville | Aiken | Allendale | Anderson | Bamberg | Barnwell | Beaufort | Berkeley | Calhoun | Charleston | Cherokee | Chester | Chesterfield | Clarendon | Colleton | Darlington | Dillon | Dorchester | Edgefield | Fairfield | Florence | Georgetown | Greenville | Greenwood | Hampton | Horry | Jasper | Kershaw | Lancaster | Laurens | Lee | Lexington | Marion | Marlboro | McCormick | Newberry | Oconee | Orangeburg | Pickens | Richland | Saluda | Spartanburg | Sumter | Union | Williamsburg | York
Topics	History | Famous People | Governors | Legislature | State House | Congressional Districts | Census Areas | State Parks | Rivers | | Historic Places | | Colleges and Universities | | | TV Stations | Radio Stations | Highways | Airports

•  • [ e] Political divisions of the United States
States	Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming
Federal District	Washington, D.C. (District of Columbia)
Insular Areas	American Samoa Guam Northern Mariana Islands Puerto Rico U.S. Virgin Islands
Outlying Islands	Baker Island Howland Island Jarvis Island Johnston Atoll Kingman Reef Midway Atoll Navassa Island Palmyra Atoll Wake Island

•  • [ e] Former Confederate States of America
Alabama Arkansas Florida GeorgiaLouisiana MississippiNorth Carolina South Carolina Tennessee Texas Virginia

•  • [ e] US South (as defined by the United States Census Bureau)
South Atlantic: Florida

Coordinates: