South Carolina

South Carolina
State
State of South Carolina
Flag Seal
Nickname:  The Palmetto State
Motto(s):  Dum spiro spero* (Latin, 'While I breathe, I hope') Animis opibusque parati† (Latin, 'Prepared in mind and resources')
Anthem: "Carolina"; "South Carolina On My Mind"
Map of the United States with South Carolina highlighted
Country	United States
Before statehood	Province of South Carolina
Admitted to the Union	May 23, 1788 (8th)
Capital	Columbia
Largest city	Charleston[1]
Largest metro and urban areas	Greenville (combined and metro) Columbia (urban)
Government
• Governor	Henry McMaster (R)
• Lieutenant Governor	Pamela Evette (R)
Legislature	General Assembly
• Upper house	Senate
• Lower house	House of Representatives
Judiciary	South Carolina Supreme Court
U.S. senators	Lindsey Graham (R) Tim Scott (R)
U.S. House delegation	6 Republicans 1 Democrat (list)
Area
• Total	32,020[2] sq mi (82,932 km2)
• Land	30,109 sq mi (77,982 km2)
• Water	1,911 sq mi (4,949 km2)  6%
• Rank	40th
Dimensions
• Length	260 mi (420 km)
• Width	200 mi (320 km)
Elevation	350 ft (110 m)
Highest elevation (Sassafras Mountain[3][4])	3,560 ft (1,085 m)
Lowest elevation (Atlantic Ocean[3])	0 ft (0 m)
Population  (2021)
• Total	5,190,705[5]
• Rank	23rd
• Density	172.4/sq mi (66.6/km2)
• Rank	19th
• Median household income	$50,570[6]
• Income rank	41st
Demonyms	South Carolinian
Language
• Official language	English
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00 (EDT)
USPS abbreviation	SC
ISO 3166 code	US-SC
Traditional abbreviation	S.C.
Latitude	32°2′ N to 35°13′ N
Longitude	78°32′ W to 83°21′ W
Website	sc.gov

South Carolina state symbols
Flag of South Carolina
Living insignia
Amphibian	Salamander
Bird	Carolina Wren
Butterfly	Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Dog breed	Boykin Spaniel
Fish	Striped bass
Flower	Yellow jessamine
Insect	Carolina mantis
Mammal	White-tailed deer
Reptile	Loggerhead sea turtle
Tree	Sabal palmetto
Inanimate insignia
Beverage	Milk
Dance	Carolina shag
Food	Fruit: Peach Snack: Boiled peanuts Vegetable: Collard greens
Fossil	Columbian mammoth (Mammuthus columbi)
Mineral	Amethyst
Rock	Blue granite
Shell	Lettered olive
State route marker
State quarter
Released in 2000
Lists of United States state symbols

South Carolina state symbols
Flag of South Carolina
Living insignia
Amphibian	Salamander
Bird	Carolina wren
Butterfly	Eastern tiger swallowtail
Fish	Striped bass
Flower	Yellow jessamine
Insect	Carolina Mantis
Mammal	White-tailed deer
Reptile	Loggerhead Sea Turtle
Tree	Sabal palmetto
Inanimate insignia
Beverage	Milk
Dance	Carolina shag
Food	Fruit: Peach Snack: Boiled peanuts Vegetable: Collard greens
Fossil	Columbian mammoth Mammuthus columbi
Mineral	Amethyst
Rock	Blue granite
Shell	Lettered olive
State route marker
State quarter
Released in 2000
Lists of United States state symbols

South Carolina is a state in the southeast United States. Its capital city is Columbia which with 137,300 people is the largest city in South Carolina by population. The population of the state is about 5.2 million people, ranked 23rd in the United States. South Carolina has an area of 32,030 square miles, making it the 40th largest state in the United States.

Other important cities in South Carolina are Greenville, Spartanburg, Anderson, Sumter, and Florence.

Major landforms include beaches, "barrier islands", salt marsh, sandhills Archived 2017-02-18 at the Wayback Machine, rolling piedmont, and the Blue Ridge Mountains. Because of its natural beauty, the state attracts many tourists, especially to Myrtle Beach, Charleston, and Hilton Head Island. South Carolina became a state in 1788. The economy was agriculture-based, known for cotton, rice, indigo, and tobacco by African American slaves. After the American Civil War, the state lost much of its political and economic power. Towards the end of the 20th century, the state began to strengthen its economy and add population. Today, the major industries are tourism, textiles (clothing materials), golf, and manufacturing. South Carolina has the second highest number of workers employed by international companies per capita in the United States.

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.

1. ↑ "Population of Cities in South Carolina". World Population Review. 2019. Archived from the original on August 7, 2019. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
2. ↑ "United States Summary: 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 2000. p. Table 17. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 3, 2017. Retrieved January 20, 2012.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} "Elevations and Distances in the United States". United States Geological Survey. 2001. Archived from the original on October 15, 2011. Retrieved October 24, 2011.
4. ↑ Elevation adjusted to North American Vertical Datum of 1988.
5. ↑ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: South Carolina". The United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
6. ↑ "Median Annual Household Income". The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 9, 2016.