South Carolina
A southeastern U.S. state with a pivotal role in American history.
South Carolina sits in the southeastern United States, touching the Atlantic Ocean to its southeast. It shares a northern border with North Carolina, and its western and southern edges meet Georgia along the Savannah River. Together with North Carolina, it forms the Carolinas region of the East Coast. The state is the 11th-smallest in size and the 23rd-most populous, with an estimated 5.5 million residents in 2025. It has 46 counties. Columbia serves as the capital, while Charleston is the largest city. Other major urban areas include the Upstate—the state’s biggest metro region, covering Greenville and Spartanburg—and Myrtle Beach.
The state’s name honors King Charles II of England, who granted the charter in 1663; *Carolus* is Latin for “Charles.” The Province of South Carolina was formed in 1712. It was one of the original Thirteen Colonies and became a royal colony in 1719. During the American Revolutionary War, more than 200 battles and skirmishes took place here. South Carolina became the eighth state to ratify the U.S. Constitution on May 23, 1788.
As a slave state, South Carolina was the first to vote for secession from the Union in 1860. It joined the Confederacy during the American Civil War and was readmitted to the Union in 1868. In the early to mid-20th century, textile mills and factories spurred economic growth. The mid-20th-century civil rights movement ended segregation and legal discrimination in the state. Economic diversification accelerated during and after World War II.
By the early 21st century, South Carolina’s economy relied on aerospace, agribusiness, automotive manufacturing, and tourism. Its GDP in 2019 was $213.45 billion. The state has three main geographic regions running east to west: the Atlantic coastal plain, the Piedmont, and the Blue Ridge Mountains in the northwestern corner of the Upstate. The climate is mostly humid subtropical, with hot, humid summers and mild winters; the Upstate has a subtropical highland climate. The eastern coastal plain features many salt marshes and estuaries, and the southeastern Lowcountry includes parts of the Sea Islands, a chain of barrier islands.
**History**
Evidence of human activity in the area dates back about 50,000 years. When Europeans arrived around 1500, ending the Pre-Columbian era, numerous Native American polities existed, including the powerful Cofitachequi.
Quick Facts
- Flag Link
- Flag of South Carolina
- Nickname
- The Palmetto State
- Motto
- la · Dum spiro spero / "While I breathe, I hope" / and / la · Animis opibusque parati / "Prepared in mind and resources"
- Anthem
- "Carolina" / and / "South Carolina on my Mind"
- Former
- Province of South Carolina
- Seat
- Columbia
- Largestcity
- Charleston
- Largestmetro
- Greenville (combined and metro) / Columbia (urban)
- Officiallang
- English
- Languages
- English 93.82% / Spanish 4.62 % / German 0.26% / Chinese 0.25% / French 0.23% / Tagalog 0.18% / Vietnamese 0.16% / Russian 0.15% / Portuguese 0.12% / Hindi 0.11% / Gujarati 0.10%
- Population Demonym
- South Carolinian
- Governor
- Henry McMaster (R)
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
South Carolina was named for King Charles II of England, who granted the charter in 1663, with Carolus meaning 'Charles' in Latin. The Province of South Carolina was formed in 1712, became a royal colony in 1719, and was one of the original Thirteen Colonies. During the American Revolutionary War, more than 200 battles and skirmishes occurred within the state, more than any other colony. It was the first state to ratify the Articles of Confederation in 1778 and the eighth to ratify the U.S. Constitution in 1788.
A slave state, South Carolina was the first to vote for secession in 1860 and was part of the Confederacy during the American Civil War. It was readmitted to the Union in 1868. In the early to mid-20th century, textile mills and factories spurred economic growth.
Reader's Guide
South Carolina's significance lies in its dual role as a founding colony and a catalyst for the Civil War. As one of the original Thirteen Colonies, it was a wealthy rice- and indigo-producing region built on enslaved labor, and it hosted more Revolutionary War combat than any other state. Its 1860 secession vote triggered the formation of the Confederacy. After the Civil War, the state underwent economic transformation through textile manufacturing and later diversified into aerospace and automotive industries. The civil rights movement ended legal segregation there. Today, South Carolina's economy is driven by aerospace, agribusiness, automotive manufacturing, and tourism, with a GDP of $213.45 billion in 2019. Its cultural and historical legacy—from the palmetto fort at Sullivan's Island to the Sea Islands—remains a key part of American identity.
Did You Know?
- Between 1670 and 1715, between 24,000 and 51,000 captive Native Americans were exported from South Carolina.
- The state's name honors King Charles I of England; Carolus is Latin for 'Charles'.
- South Carolina was the first state to vote in favor of secession from the United States in 1860.
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