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.
Aiken Anderson Barnwell Beaufort Bennettsville Bishopville Bluffton Blythewood Camden Cayce Charleston Cheraw Clemson Clinton Columbia Conway Darlington Dillon Duncan Easley Elgin Florence Fort Mill Gaffney Garden City Beach Georgetown Goose Creek Greenville Greenwood Greer Hampton Hardeeville Harleyville Hartsville Hilton Head Hilton Head Island Irmo Kiawah Island Kingstree Ladson Lake City Lancaster Latta Lexington Little River Lugoff Manning Mauldin Mount Pleasant Murrells Inlet Myrtle Beach Newberry North Augusta North Charleston North Myrtle Beach Orangeburg Pageland Pawleys Island Piedmont Port Royal Richburg Ridgeland Ridgeway Rock Hill Santee Seneca Simpsonville Spartanburg Summerton Summerville Sumter Surfside Beach Timmonsville Travelers Rest Turbeville Walterboro West Columbia Winnsboro Yemassee York
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.
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
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.
Major interstate highways passing through the state include: I-20, I-26, I-77, I-85, and I-95.
Going on a trip? Why not browse some of the luggage at eBags.com (external source)
Amtrak passes through Columbia, Greenville, Spartanburg, Florence, and Charleston.
Commercial airports are located in Columbia, Charleston, Greenville/Spartanburg, Florence, and Hilton Head Island.
Your vacation. A time to lose yourself. And sometimes your luggage, too. Need Travel Insurance? Why not try Travel Guard (external source)
Lonely Planet Maps (external source)
Lonely Planet Language Guides (external source)
* This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
It uses material from the Source wikipedia.
