South Carolina State Guide

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 II of England, as Carolus is Latin for Charles. As of 2004, the state's population is 4,198,068.

South Carolina State Guide - Geography

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 (Upstate) region 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 Upstate, 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

South Carolina State Guide - Climate

South Carolina has a humid subtropical climate, although high elevation areas in the "Upstate" area have less subtropical characteristics than areas on the Atlantic coastline. In the summer, South Carolina is hot and humid with daytime temperatures averaging around 90 °F in most of the state and overnight lows over 70 °F on the coast and close to °70 F further inland. Winter temperatures are much less uniform in South Carolina. Coastal areas of the state have very mild winters with high temperatures approaching an average of 60 °F and an overnight low of over 40 °F. Further inland in the higher country, the average January overnight low can be below freezing. While precipitation is abundant the entire year in almost the entire state, near the coast tends to have a slightly wetter summer, while inland March tends to be the wettest month.

Snowfall in South Carolina is not very excessive with coastal areas receiving less than an inch on average. It isn't entirely uncommon for the coast to receive no recordable snowfall in a given year, although it usually receives at least a small dusting of snow annually. The interior receives a little more snow, although nowhere in the state averages more than 6 inches a year.

The state is prone to tropical cyclones and it is a yearly concern during hurricane season which is from June-November, although the peak time of vulnerability for the southeast Atlantic coast is from late August to October when the Cape Verde hurricane season lasts. South Carolina averages around 50 days of thunderstorm activity a year, which is less than some of the states further south and is slightly less vulnerable to tornadoes than the states which border on the Gulf of Mexico. Still, some notable tornadoes have struck South Carolina and the state averages around 14 tornadoes annually.

South Carolina State Guide - History

The colony of Carolina was settled by English settlers, mostly from Barbados, 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, following the Great Wagon Road. The formal colony of "The Carolinas" split into two in 1712. South 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. The state also converted its agricultural base from cotton to more profitable crops, attracted large military bases and, most recently, attracted European manufacturers.

South Carolina State Guide - Demographics

The center of population of South Carolina is located in Richland County, in the city of Columbia.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2005, South Carolina has an estimated population of 4,255,083, which is an increase of 57,191, or 1.4%, from the prior year and an increase of 243,267, or 6.1%, since the year 2000. This includes a natural increase since the last census of 97,715 people (that is 295,425 births minus 197,710 deaths) and an increase due to net migration of 151,485 people into the state. Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 36,401 people, and migration within the country produced a net increase of 115,084 people.

The five largest ancestry groups in South Carolina are African American (29.5%), American (13.9%), German (8.4%), English (8.4%), Irish (7.9%). It is probable that most of those claiming American ancestry are descended from the early Scots-Irish settlers of the upstate region.

For most of its history, black slaves made up a majority of South Carolina's population. African-Americans still dominate most of the Lowcountry (especially the inland Lowcountry) and much of the Piedmont; areas where cotton, rice, and indigo plantations once dominated the landscape. Whites, primarily of American and British ancestry, live in much of the upstate and in certain urban and suburban areas.

6.6% of South Carolina's population were reported as under 5 years old, 25.2% under 18, and 12.1% were 65 or older.

Females made up approximately 51.4% of the population.

South Carolina State Guide - Economy

As of 2004, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, South Carolina’s gross state product was $136 billion. As of 2000, the per capita income was $24,000, which was 81% of the national average.

Major agricultural outputs of the state are: tobacco, poultry, cattle, dairy products, soybeans, and hogs. Industrial outputs include: textile goods, chemical products, paper products, machinery, and tourism.

The state sales tax is 5%. Counties have the option to impose an additional 2% sales tax. Citizens 85 or older get a one-percent exclusion from the state's 5% sales tax. Property tax is administered and collected by local governments with assistance from the South Carolina Department of Revenue. Both real and personal property are subject to tax. Approximately two-thirds of county-levied property taxes are used for the support of public education. The passage of a recent state law will replace local property tax funding of education with a statewide 1% sales tax increase. Sales tax on groceries has been reduced to 3%. Municipalities levy a tax on property situated within the limits of the municipality for services provided by the municipality. The tax is paid by individuals, corporations and partnerships owning property within the state. South Carolina imposes a casual excise tax of 5% on the fair market value of all motor vehicles, motorcycles, boats, motors and airplanes transferred between individuals. The maximum casual excise tax is $300. In South Carolina, intangible personal property is exempt from taxation. There is no inheritance tax.

Even though the State of South Carolina does not allow legalized casino gambling, it did allow the operation of Video Poker Machines throughout the state with approximately $2 billion dollars per year deposited into the state's coffers. However, at Midnight on July 1, 2000 a new law took effect which outlawed the operation, ownership and possession of Video Poker Machines in the state with machines required to be shut-off at that time and removed from within the state's borders by July 8th or owners of such machines would face criminal prosecution.

South Carolina State Guide - Law and Government

South Carolina's state government consists of the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches. The governor is elected for a four-year term and may serve two consecutive terms. He heads the Executive branch (some officers of which are elected). The current governor is Republican Mark Sanford. He is serving his first term. The bicameral South Carolina General Assembly consists of the 46-member Senate and the 124-member House of Representatives. The two bodies meet in the South Carolina State House. The Judicial Branch consists of the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals, the Circuit Court, Family Court, and other divisions.

Judicial branch

The Family Court deals with all matters of domestic and family relationships, as well as generally maintaining exclusive jurisdiction over cases involving minors under the age of seventeen, excepting traffic and game law violations. Some criminal charges may come under Circuit Court jurisdiction.

The Circuit Court is the general jurisdiction court for South Carolina, comprised of the Civil Court, the Court of Common Pleas, and the Court of General Sessions, which is the criminal court. The court maintains limited appellate jurisdiction over the Probate Court, Magistrate's Court, Municipal Court, and the Administrative Law Judge Division. The state has sixteen judicial circuits, each with at least one resident circuit judge.

The Court of Appeals handles Circuit Court and Family Court appeals, excepting appeals that are within the seven classes of exclusive Supreme Court jurisdiction. The Court of Appeals is selected by the General Assembly for staggered, six-year terms. The court is comprised of a chief judge, and eight associate judges, and may hear cases as the whole court, or as three panels with three judges each. The court may preside in any county.

The Supreme Court is South Carolina's highest court. Comprised of the Chief Justice, and four Associate Justices, Supreme Court judges are elected to ten year terms by the General Assembly. Terms are staggered, and there are no limits on the number of terms a justice may serve, but there is a mandatory retirement age of 72. The overwhelming majority of vacancies on the Court occur when Justices reach this age, not through the refusal of the General Assembly to elect a sitting Justice to another term.

Law Enforcement Agencies

* South Carolina Department of Public Safety
* South Carolina Department of Corrections
* South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services
o South Carolina Highway Patrol Division
o South Carolina State Transport Police Division
o South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy Division
o South Carolina Bureau of Protective Services
* South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division - Investigations & Homeland Security

South Carolina State Guide - Important Cities and Towns

The capital is Columbia. Other notable cities are Anderson, Charleston, Florence, Greenville, Myrtle Beach,Orangeburg, Rock Hill, Spartanburg, and Sumter.

South Carolina State Guide - Colleges and Universities

# USC, University of South Carolina
# Bob Jones University
# Benedict College
# Erskine College
# Clemson University
# Coastal Carolina University
# Lander University
# The Citadel
# Wofford College
# Francis Marion University
# Furman University
# Winthrop University
# Presbyterian College
# College of Charleston
# Charleston School of Law
# Charleston Southern University
# Columbia College
# Converse College
# Anderson University
# Southern Wesleyan University
# North Greenville University
# Limestone College
# South Carolina State University

South Carolina State Guide - Sports

* South Carolina has no major professional franchise of the NFL, NHL, NBA, or MLB located in the state, however the NFL's Carolina Panthers (North Carolina) played their first season in Clemson, SC. That does not mean SC residents do not experience big time sports action. Clemson University's Tigers and the University of South Carolina's Gamecocks regularly have more than 80,000 people at the respected schools home football games. University of South Carolina fans are regarded nationally as the best fans in the nation due to the great support of a historically lackluster football program. Smaller Universities located in South Carolina also have very competitive sports programs, those include Furman, Coastal Carolina, Wofford, College of Charleston, Winthrop, and SC State. South Carolina does have several minor league professional teams that play baseball, hockey, and other sports in the state. Columbia, Greenville, Charleston, Myrtle Beach/Conway, Florence, all have or have had minor league profession teams.

* NASCAR racing was born in the south, and South Carolina has in the past hosted some very important NASCAR races, mainly at the Darlington Raceway. Darlington Raceway still has the one NASCAR race weekend, usually around late May. All three of NASCAR's main series come to Darlington including Craftsmen Trucks, Busch Cars, and NEXTEL CUP cars.

* South Carolina is known as a Golfing Paradise. Myrtle Beach/Grand Strand has more than a hundred golf courses. Some have hosted PGA and LGPA events in the past, but most have been designed for the casual golfer. Hilton Head also has several very nice golf courses and hosts professional events every year. The upstate of South Carolina also has many nice golf courses, most of the nicer courses are private including the Cliff's courses and Cross Creek Plantation (the Cliff's courses host the annual BMW PRO/AM that brings many celebrities and professionals to South Carolina. Cross Creek Plantation located in Seneca, also private hosted a PGA Qualifier in the 90's) Oconee Country Club also in Seneca, is an extremely nice course, very well kept, and is open to the public.

* Water Sports are also an extremely popular activity in South Carolina. With a large coast line, South Carolina has many different beach activities such as Surfing, Boogie Boarding, Deep Sea Fishing, and Shrimping. The Pee-Dee region of the state offers exceptional fishing. Some of the largest Catfish ever caught were caught in the Santee Lakes. The Upstate of South Carolina also offer outstanding water activities. Lake Jocassee is a popular Boating, Fishing, and Diving Lake, and boasts one of the largest earth berm dams in the world. Lake Keowee is a beautiful lake, with crystal clear water, miles of shoreline, several camp grounds, and some million dollar homes. Lake Keowee is also a very popular fishing, boating, and recreational lake. Lake Hartwell has hundreds of miles of shoreline, excellent fishing and very good boating.

* While there are no race tracks with betting in South Carolina there is significant horse training activity. It is particularly significant in Aiken and Camden, where steeplechase races are held.

* Charleston, South Carolina however, has a NIFL team, named the Charleston Sandsharks.

South Carolina State Guide - Alcohol Laws

South Carolina is one of few states that still adhere to blue laws, one of which disallows the sale of alcohol on Sunday. Counties and cities can apply referendum to overturn this. Some places that have include Richland County, Charleston County, and the Orangeburg County travel destination of Santee. Bars within a certain distance of a church cannot sell hard liquor. Before 2006, bars could not serve hard liquor from 'free-pour' bottles, but had to stock airline-style mini-bottles.

It is illegal in South Carolina to be 'grossly intoxicated' in public. The police can arrest a person and charge him or her with public disorderly conduct if they believe this is the case, and there seems to be no legal definition of grossly intoxicated for a pedestrian. This is a misdemeanor offense, resulting in a court hearing and probably a night in a jail cell. Within the state, this charge can be expunged from an offender's criminal record if she enters the Pre-Trial Intervention (PTI) program. Entering the PTI program, which typically requires about two months to complete, involves fines, community service, drug tests, attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, and completing homework assignments. However, the PTI program is not recognized by the Federal Government.

Article Source: Wikipedia