South Carolina

History: The first inhabitants of present-day South Carolina arrived between 11,000- 12,000 years ago. In 1600, perhaps 15,000-20,000 native people were living in the area with three major language groups; Siouan, Iroquoian, and Muskogean. The first Europeans to visit South Carolina were Spanish explorers sailing from Santo Domingo (Hispaniola) in 1521. The first white European settlement in the U.S. was in 1526, but it failed within a few months. Carolina was established as a Royal Colony in 1660. By 1729, the northern and southern parts separated into North and South Carolina. South Carolina was one of the original 13 colonies. South Carolina became the 8^th state on May 23, 1788. It seceded from the U.S. in 1861 and joined the Confederacy; South Carolina rejoined the U.S. in 1868.

Economy: South Carolina’s economy is dependent upon agriculture, manufacturing, mining, fishing, and services. Over half of South Carolina’s agricultural income is produced by livestock and livestock products. Important agricultural products of South Carolina are tobacco, poultry, cotton, cattle, dairy products, soybeans, hay, rice, and swine (pigs). Other employers other than agriculture are in the areas of manufacturing, leisure & hospitality, trade, transportation, utilities, education and health services. In the last decade, many large corporations have moved into the area, as well as foreign investment firms, bringing over a billion dollars to the state economy as of 2010.

Geography: South Carolina is shaped like a triangle, with three main regions; the Blue Ridge Mountain Province, with lots of mountains and forests; the Piedmont Province, covering about a third of the state, and the Atlantic Coastal Plain covering the remaining two-thirds of the state.

Climate: South Carolina has a humid subtropical climate with hot and humid summers. The coastal areas of the state have very mild winters, with highs in the 60’s and lows around 40 degrees Fahrenheit. South Carolina is known to get tropical cyclones and tornadoes.

Fun Facts:

South Carolina produces more peaches than anywhere in the nation.
The smallest police station is in Ridgeway, the size of a toll booth and was in use from 1940-1950.
Monkey Island (Morgan Island) is an uninhabited island which is home to about 3,500 rhesus macaque monkeys.
South Carolina is the only state that owns and operates its own school bus fleet.
Charleston was home to the first playhouse, first museum, and first public college in the United States.
The largest collection of outdoor sculptures in the world is at Brookgreen Gardens in Murrells Inlet.

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