South Carolina

{{US state |

 Name = South Carolina |
 Fullname = State of South Carolina |
 Flag = Flag of South Carolina.svg |

Flaglink = Flag of South Carolina |

 Seal = SouthCarolinastateseal.jpg |
 Map = Map_of_USA_highlighting_South_Carolina.png |
 Nickname = The Palmetto State |

 PostalAbbreviation = SC |

AreaRank = 40^th |

 TotalAreaUS = 34,726 |
 TotalArea = 82,965 |
 LandAreaUS = 30,128   |
 LandArea = 78,051 |
 WaterAreaUS =  1,897  |
 WaterArea = 4,915 |
 PCWater = 6 |

PopRank = 26^th |

 2000Pop = 4,012,012 |

DensityRank = 21^st |

 2000DensityUS = 133.2   |
 2000Density = 51.45 |

AdmittanceOrder = 8^th | AdmittanceDate = May 23, 1788 | TimeZone = Eastern: UTC-5/-4 |

 Latitude = 32Â°4'30"N to 35Â°12'N |
 Longitude = 78Â°0'30"W to 83Â°20'W |
 WidthUS =  200 |
 Width = 320 |
 LengthUS = 260  |
 Length = 420 |

HighestPoint = Sassafras Mountain |

 HighestElevUS =  3,560 |
 HighestElev = 1,086 |
 MeanElevUS =   350 |
 MeanElev = 110 |
 LowestElevUS =  0 |
 LowestElev = 0 |
 ISOCode = US-SC |

Website = www.sc.gov

South Carolina is a state in the Southern region of the United States. 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 I of England, as Carolus is Latin for Charles. As of 2004, the state's population is 4,198,068.

Several ships in the United States Navy have been named USS South Carolina in honor of this state.

South Carolina Nicknames

*The Palmetto State
*Cackalacky, or South Cackalacky

Geography

Map of 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.

*Palmetto State*
State Capital:	Columbia
State Motto:	While I breathe I hope
State Song:	"Carolina"
State Tree:	Sabal Palmetto
State Flower:	Yellow Jessamine
State Bird:	Carolina Wren
State Wild Game Bird:	Wild Turkey
State Dog:	Boykin Spaniel
State Animal:	White-tailed 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
State Beverage:	Milk
State Hospitality Beverage:	Tea
State Gemstone:	Amethyst
State Stone:	Blue Granite
State Popular Music:	Beach Music
State Dance:	Shag
State Snack:	Boiled Peanuts
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 area 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 Foothills. The Cherokee Parkway is a scenic driving route through this area.

Highest in elevation is the Upcountry, 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:
*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.

History

Main article: History of South Carolina

The colony of Carolina was settled by English settlers sent by the Lords Proprietors in 1670, followed by French Huguenots. The Carolina upcountry was settled largely by Scotch-Irish migrants from Pennsylvania and Virginia. North Carolina was split off in 1712. 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 United States on December 20, 1860 towards forming the Confederate States of America. President James Buchanan took little action, preferring to let the newly elected President Abraham Lincoln decide the matter. On April 12, 1861, Confederate batteries began shelling Fort Sumter, which stands on an island in Charleston harbor, thus precipitating the Civil War. Students from The Citadel were among those firing the first shots of the war, though Edmund Ruffin is usually credited with firing the first shot.

After the American Civil War, South Carolina was reincorporated into the United States during Reconstruction. The state became a hotbed of racial and economic controversy during the Populist and Agrarian movements of the late 1800s.

In the 20th century, South Carolina developed a thriving textile industry, converted its agricultural base from cotton to more profitable crops, attracted large military bases and, most recently, attracted European manufacturers.

Demographics

Historical populations
Census year	Population

1790	249,073
1800	345,591
1810	415,115
1820	502,741
1830	581,185
1840	594,398
1850	668,507
1860	703,708
1870	705,606
1880	995,577
1890	1,151,149
1900	1,340,316
1910	1,515,400
1920	1,683,724
1930	1,738,765
1940	1,899,804
1950	2,117,027
1960	2,382,594
1970	2,590,516
1980	3,121,820
1990	3,486,703
2000	4,012,012

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.

South Carolina Population Density Map

The racial makeup of the state is:
*66.1% White
*30.5% Black
*0.9% Asian
*0.3% Native American
*1.0% Two or more races

2.4 of the population in Hispanic of any race.

The five largest ancestry groups in South Carolina are African American (29.5%), American (13.9%), German (8.4%), English (8.4%), Irish (7.9%). It is probable that most of those claiming American ancestry are descended from the early Scots-Irish settlers of the upstate region.

For most of its history, black slaves made up a majority of South Carolina's population. African-Americans still dominate most of the Lowcountry (especially the inland Lowcountry) and much of the Piedmont; areas where cotton, rice, and indigo plantations once dominated the landscape. Whites, primarily of American and British ancestry, live in much of the upstate and in certain urban and suburban areas.

6.6% of South Carolina's population were reported as under 5, 25.2% under 18, and 12.1% were 65 or older.

Females made up approximately 51.4% of the population.

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

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.

Gossypium hirsutum
Mature cotton almost ready to pick
Manning, South Carolina

The state sales tax is 5 percent. Counties have the option to impose an additional 2 percent sales tax. [1] Citizens 85 or older get a one-percent exclusion from the state's 5 percent 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. 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 percent 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.

Transportation

Major interstate highways passing through the state include: I-20, I-26, I-77, I-85, and I-95.

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 State House

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 Mark Sanford. 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.

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, comprised of 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 is comprised of 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. Comprised of the Chief Justice, and four Associate Justices, Supreme Court judges 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.

See also List of Governors of South Carolina

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 State Law Enforcement Division - Investigations & Homeland Security

Important cities and towns

The capital is Columbia. Other notable cities are Aiken, Charleston, Florence, Greenville, Rock Hill, and Spartanburg.

Coastal towns and cities often have hurricane resistant Live oaks overarching the streets in historic neighborhoods, such as these on East Bay Street, Georgetown

Education

See List of colleges and universities in South Carolina
* USC, University of South Carolina
* Bob Jones University
* Erskine College
* Clemson University
* Coastal Carolina University
* Lander University
* The Citadel
* Wofford College
* Francis Marion University
* Furman University
* Winthrop University
* Presbyterian College
* College of Charleston
* Charleston Southern University
* Columbia College

Miscellaneous topics

Famous people from South Carolina

*William Westmoreland -- (born Spartanburg County, March 26, 1914 â€" 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.
*Jermaine O'Neal -- born on October 13, 1978 in Columbia is a NBA player.
*Bill Anderson is an American country music singer and songwriter, nicknamed "Whisperin' Bill." Arguably his biggest hit was the 1963 single "Still."
*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.
*James Brown (born May 3, 1933 in Barnwell). The "Godfather of Soul," legendary singer and member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
*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.
*James F. Byrnes(May 2, 1879 â€" 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, John Caldwell Calhoun was an American 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. He has been declared one of the five greatest senators of all time.
*Wilson Casey (1954—), born in Woodruff. Casey is a Trivia Guinness World Record Holder and a nationally syndicated newspaper trivia columnist who appeared as a contestant on NBC's "The Weakest Link".
*Harry Carson, American football player, (born November 26, 1953), inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on August 5, 2006.
*Chubby Checker, singer, born Ernest Evans in Spring Gulley.
*Stephen Euin Cobb, science fiction author and host of The Future And You, born in Orangeburg S.C. on February 3, 1955.
*Stephen Colbert has been a correspondent for Comedy Central's The Daily Show for several years. In 2005 he became host of The Colbert Report on the same network. A native of Charleston, he attended Porter Gaud School.
*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.
* Reverend Gary Davis (Apr 30, 1896 - May 5, 1972), blues and gospel songwriter and innovative guitarist, born in Clinton, South Carolina.
*Larry Doby, only the second African-American baseball player to play in the Major Leagues, born in Camden, South Carolina
*Joe Frazier, 1964 Olympic heavyweight champion and the world heavyweight champ 1970-73, Frazier 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, was born in Manning. He died of a brain tumor before the work was finished.
*Kevin Garnett, (nicknamed "The Big Ticket") he is an NBA basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves; was 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.
*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, is originally from Greenville.
*'Shoeless' Joe Jackson (1887â€"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.
*Young Jeezy,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.
*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.
*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.
* Roger "Rocky" McIntosh, NFL player
* Dr. Ronald McNair (1950–1986), born in Lake City, Dr. McNair was 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.
* Peggy Parish, author of a children's book series featuring a befuddled maid, Amelia Bedelia. She was from Manning, South Carolina.
* 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.
* 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. (born October 17, 1948), is best known as the author of the bestselling The Wheel of Time fantasy series under the pen name Robert Jordan. Jordan was born in Charleston and holds an undergraduate degree in physics from The Citadel, the military college of South Carolina.
* Chris Rock (comedian, actor)(born February 7, 1965) is 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
* Melanie Thornton (1967-2001), R&B/Pop/Dance Singer (former member of La Bouche), born in Charleston, died in a plane crash near Bassersdorf (ZÃ¼rich), (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.
* John B. Watson psychologist, father of the Behaviorism movement.
* Shawn Weatherly was 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.
* 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 (doo-wop artist) (1928-).

Alcohol laws

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 overtun 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.

It is illegal in South Carolina to be 'grossly intoxicated' in public. The police can arrest you and charge you with public disorderly conduct if they believe this is the case, and there seems to be no legal definition of grossly intoxicated for a pedestrian. This is a misdemeanor offense, resulting in a court hearing and probably a night in a cell. You can get the charge expunged within the state by entering the Pre-Trial Intervention (PTI) program. This involves fines, community service, drug tests, attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings & homework assignments and typically takes about two months to complete. However, the PTI program is not recognized by the Federal Government.

External links

*SC.GOV - The official web site of South Carolina
*Discover South Carolina - The official tourism website of South Carolina
*US Census Bureau
*South Carolina County Maps Full color maps. List of cities, towns and county seats
*Literature of South Carolina at Southern Literary Review
*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 taxation
*Maps of South Carolina

South Carolina: Encyclopedia BETA

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