Charleston, Greenville, Georgetown, Myrtle Beach, Hilton Head Island
Nicknames
Palmetto State
Area
32,145 sq. miles
Population
3,486,717
South Carolina - Physical features
Physical Features
Blue Ridge Mountains, Atlantic Ocean
Rivers
Savannah, Santee, Broad, Pee Dee
Highest Point
Sassafras Mountain
Islands
Sea Islands
Bordering States
North Carolina (north), Georgia (south)
National Parks
None
Key Products
Tobacco, Cotton, Textiles
Natural Resources
Sand and Gravel
South Carolina - History
1670
The British successfully colonize Albemarle Point, now located in downtown Charleston
1729
South Carolina officialy seperated from North Carolina
1860
The first state to secede from the Union
1861
The Civil War begins at Fort Sumter, located in Charleston harbor
Present Day
The Sea Islands chain, which runs from North Carolina to Florida, is a major tourist destination. The people of this region have their own customs and traditions and speak a language known as Gullah
South Carolina - Facts
In 1886, Charleston suffered one of the largest earthquakes in the history of the eastern United States. The city came to be known as the "Earthquake City".
South Carolinians divide their state into two parts- the Up Country and the Low Country. The Up Country includes all of the land north and west of the Piedmont and Fall Line in South Carolina. The Low Country lies to the south and east of the Piedmont and Fall Line and includes the fertile Atlantic Coastal Plain.
Charleston was originally settled by the English, who called it Charles Towne
Soon after the British, Huguenots arrived in South Carolina after fleeing religious persecution in France. The term "Huguenot" indicates a French Protestant of the 16th and 17th centuries
Myrtle Beach, Hilton Head island, and the many bays, inlets and islands that line up South Carolina’s coast are popular tourist resorts
Hurricane Hugo wreaked havoc across South Carolina when it struck in 1989 with winds upto 140 miles/hr
The textile industry is the primary industry in northwestern South Carolina and is centered around Greenville