Fast Facts About South Carolina
South Carolina License Plate: The South Carolina license plate has a dark blue palmetto tree, the state tree, against a sunrise background of orange. The Travel2SC.com web address on the bottom center of the plate directs visitors to South Carolina's tourism website.
State Capital: Columbia
Motto: Dum Spiro Spero (While I breathe, I hope)
Nickname: The Palmetto State
Admitted to the Union: May 23, 1788 - the 8th State
Land Area: 31,113 square miles - ranked 40th
Coastline: 187 miles of coastline
Highest Point: Sassafras Mountain - 3,560 feet above sea level
Lowest Point: Sea level on the coastline
Highest Waterfall: Raven Cliff Falls - 400 feet
Population: About 4 million - according to the 2000 Census
South Carolina Borders: Atlantic Ocean, Georgia, North Carolina
Longest River: Savannah River - 238 miles
Oldest College: College of Charleston, est. 1770
Counties: 46 counties
State Parks: 47 state parks
New State Symbols:
- The State Musical: The Spiritual
- The State Amphibian: Spotted Salamander
Largest Counties by Area:
- Horry County - 1,133 square miles
- Orangeburg County - 1,105 square miles
- Berkeley County - 1,099 square miles
Smallest County by Area: McCormick County
Largest County by Population (2000 census):
- Greenville County - 379,616
- Richland County - 320,677
- Charleston County - 309,969
Smallest County by Population (2000 census): McCormick County 9,958
Largest South Carolina Cities by Population (2000 census):
- Columbia - 116,278
- Charleston - 96,650
- North Charleston - 79,641
- Greenville - 56,002
- Rock Hill - 49,765
Top Agricultural Crops:
Annual Visitation: 30 million visitors (2002 estimate)
Visitor Spending: $7.3 billion (2002 estimate)
How South Carolina Got Its Name: King Charles I of England granted the land on which South Carolina is located to Sir Robert Heath in 1629. The region was named Carolus, a word derived from the Latin form of Charles, in reference to King Charles. His son, King Charles II, changed the spelling of the regions name to
Carolina in 1663, when he gave the land to the eight Lords Proprietors. During the 17th century the land to the south, in this grant, came to be called South Carolina and the area to the north,
North Carolina . The two sections remained a single colony until they separated in 1710. The name of the land located to the south remained
South Carolina.