South Carolina

South Carolina is a state in the Southeastern part of the United States, along the Atlantic coast. To the north, it has a border with the state of North Carolina, to the southeast with the Atlantic Ocean, and to the southwest, it shares a border with Georgia across the Savannah River. According to the 2020 census, South Carolina is the 40th most extensive and 23rd most populated state in the United States, with a reported population of 5,124,712 people. Its gross domestic product (GDP) in 2019 was $213.45 billion. The state's capital, Columbia, will have a population of 133,273 people in 2019, while its biggest city, Charleston, will have a population of 150,277 people in 2020. The Greenville–Anderson–Mauldin metropolitan area is the most populous in the state, with an estimated population of 906,626 as of the most recent census.

South Carolina was called in honour of King Charles I of England, who was responsible for the formation of the first English colony in the Americas; Carolus is Latin for "Charles." During the year 1712, the Province of South Carolina was established. South Carolina, one of the Thirteen Colonies, was established as a royal colony in 1719. South Carolina became a member of the United States in 1776, after participating in the American Revolution. On May 23, 1788, the state of South Carolina became the eighth state to ratify the United States Constitution. On December 20, 1860, it became the first state to vote in favour of seceding from the United States of America. On July 9, 1868, it was re-admitted to the United States after being expelled during the American Civil War. As a result of the construction of several textile mills and industries around the state throughout the early to mid-20th century, the state began to see economic growth. Aerospace, agriculture, automobile manufacture, and tourism are just a few of the businesses that have contributed to South Carolina's economic diversification since the early twentieth century.

East to west throughout South Carolina, there are three major geographic regions: the Atlantic coastal plain, the Piedmont, and the Blue Ridge Mountains, which are located in the northern portion of Upstate South Carolina's Upstate area. South Carolina has a humid subtropical climate, with hot, humid summers and moderate winters as its primary characteristics. The climate of the Upstate is classified as a subtropical highland climate. There are several salt marshes and estuaries throughout the eastern coastal plain of South Carolina. Sea Islands National Seashore is located in South Carolina's southern Lowcountry, which is a network of barrier islands stretching along the Atlantic Ocean.