South Carolina

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State of South Carolina
Flag of South Carolina Seal Nickname(s): The Palmetto State Motto(s): Dum spiro spero (While I breathe, I hope) and Animis opibusque parati (Ready in soul and resource)
Official language(s)	English
Demonym	South Carolinian
Capital	Columbia
Largest city	Columbia
Largest metro area	Columbia
Area	Ranked 40th in the US
- Total	32,020 sq mi (82,931 km²)
- Width	200 miles (320 km)
- Length	260 miles (420 km)
- % water	6
- Latitude	32° 2′ N to 35° 13′ N
- Longitude	78° 32′ W to 83° 21′ W
Population	Ranked 24th in the US
- Total	{{{2000Pop}}}
- Density	143.4/sq mi  55.37/km² (21st in the US)
- Median income	$39,326 (39th)
Elevation
- Highest point	Sassafras Mountain[1] 3,560 ft  (1,085 m)
- Mean	350 ft  (110 m)
- Lowest point	Atlantic Ocean[1] 0 ft  (0 m)
Admission to Union	May 23, 1788 (8th)
Governor	Mark Sanford (R)
Lieutenant Governor	André Bauer (R)
U.S. Senators	Lindsey Graham (R) Jim DeMint (R)
Congressional Delegation	List
Time zone	Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Abbreviations	SC US-SC
Website	www.sc.gov

South Carolina (IPA: /ˌsɑʊθˌkɛrəˈlaɪnə/) is a state in the southern region (Deep South) of the United States of America. Originally known as Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence from the British Crown during the American Revolution. It was the first state to secede from the Union and was part of the Confederate States of America. The state is named after King Charles II, as Carolus is Latin for Charles. According to the 2006 estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau, the state's population is 4,321,249 ranked 24th.

Contents 1 Geography 1.1 Lakes 1.2 Climate 2 History 2.1 20th century 3 Demographics 3.1 Most-populated counties 3.2 Major cities 3.3 Religion 4 Economy 5 Transportation 5.1 Major highways 5.2 Rail 5.2.1 Station stops 5.3 Major and regional airports 6 Government and politics 6.1 Executive branch 6.2 Legislative branch 6.3 Judicial branch 6.4 South Carolina Constitution 6.5 Law enforcement agencies 6.6 Federal representation 6.6.1 US Senate 6.6.2 US House of Representatives 7 Education 7.1 Institutions of higher education 8 Sports in South Carolina 9 National Parks 10 National Monuments 11 Miscellaneous topics 11.1 Famous people from South Carolina 11.2 Alcohol laws 11.3 South Carolina singularities 11.4 South Carolina firsts 12 Sister States 13 See also 14 References 15 Further reading 15.1 Textbooks and surveys 15.2 Scholarly secondary studies 15.3 Local studies 15.4 Political science 15.5 Primary documents 16 External links

[edit] Geography

South Carolina is bordered 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.

Palmetto State
State Capital:	Columbia
State Mottos:	Dum spiro spero (While I breathe, I hope) and Animis opibusque parati (Prepared in Mind and Resources)
State Songs:	"Carolina" and "South Carolina On My Mind"
State Tree:	Sabal palmetto
State Flower:	Yellow jessamine
State Bird:	Carolina Wren
State Wild Game Bird:	Wild Turkey
State Dog:	Boykin Spaniel
State Animal:	White-tailed deer
State Reptile:	Loggerhead Sea Turtle
State Amphibian:	Spotted Salamander
State Fish:	Striped bass
State Insect:	Carolina Mantis
State Butterfly:	Eastern tiger swallowtail
State Fruit:	Peach[2]
State Beverage:	Milk[3]
State Hospitality Beverage:	Tea[4]
State Gemstone:	Amethyst
State Stone:	Blue granite
State Popular Music:	Beach music
State Dance:	Shag
State Snack:	Boiled peanuts[5]
State Craft:	Sweetgrass Basket weaving

Just west of the coastal plain is the Sandhills region, also known as the Midlands. This region of the state 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 is generally hilly, with thin, stony clay soils, and contains few areas suitable for farming. Much of the Piedmont was once farmed, with little success. It is now reforested. At the southeastern 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. 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 northwestern part of the Piedmont is also known as the Foothills. The Cherokee Parkway is a scenic driving route through this area. This is where Table Rock State Park is located.

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.^[1] Also located in the Upcountry is Table Rock State Park and Caesars Head State Park. The Chattooga River, located on the border between South Carolina and Georgia, is a favorite whitewater rafting destination.

Earthquakes do occasionally occur in South Carolina. The greatest frequency is in the extreme southeastern corner of the state, in the Charleston area. The greatest earthquake in South Carolina occurred in Charleston on September 1, 1886. A 7.2 magnitude earthquake killed 60 people and destroyed much of the city.^[6] A 2007 earthquake affected the state capital, Columbia. The earthquake was centered near Cayce. South Carolina averages 10-15 earthquakes a year below magnitude 3 (FEMA). Multiple strikes are known to occur. On September 22, 2006 a 3.5 magnitude earthquake occurred in Marlboro county (in the northeastern part of the state). On September 25, 2006 a second 3.7 magnitude earthquake struck less than 10 miles from the first. Many homes near the epicenter, had cracks and a few windows were broken. The 3.5 quake caused beds to slightly shake about 15 miles to the south of the epicenter according to geologist Brian Schnirel from the Leeway Corucia Research Center (Marlboro Shopper September 2006).

[edit] Lakes

South Carolina has several major lakes covering over 683 square miles, or 437,672 acres (1,770 km²). The following are the lakes listed by size.^[7]

• Lake Marion 110,000 acres (450 km²)
• Lake Strom Thurmond 71,100 acres (290 km²)
• Lake Moultrie 60,000 acres (240 km²)
• Lake Hartwell 56,000 acres (230 km²)
• Lake Murray 50,000 acres (200 km²)
• Russell Lake 26,650 acres (110 km²)
• Lake Keowee 18,372 acres (70 km²)
• Lake Wylie 13,400 acres (50 km²)
• Lake Wateree 13,250 acres (50 km²)
• Lake Greenwood 11,400 acres (50 km²)
• Lake Jocassee 7,500 acres (30 km²)

See also: Category: Rivers of South Carolina

[edit] Climate

Main article: Climate of South Carolina

South Carolina has a humid subtropical climate (Koppen climate classification Cfa), 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 between 86-103 degrees Fahrenheit in most of the state and overnight lows over 80 °F on the coast and in the high 70s°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 (16 °C) and overnight lows in the 40s°F (5-8 °C). Further inland in the higher country, the average January overnight low is normally at about 40 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit. 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 excessive with coastal areas receiving less than an inch (2.5 cm) on average. It isn't uncommon for areas on the coast (especially the southern 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 (15 cm) of snow a year.

Freezing rain is in fact often more common in most of the state (except the extreme northwest corner of the state - the Upstate) than snowfall. Due to the common borderline freezing conditions, most bridges in South Carolina are marked -Bridge freezes before road. This is due to the heat from the ground keeping the road ice free longer than the surface of a bridge.

The state is prone to tropical cyclones. This is an annual concern during hurricane season, which is from June-November. The peak time of vulnerability for the southeast Atlantic coast is from early August to early October when the Cape Verde hurricane season lasts. Two memorable Category 4 hurricanes to hit South Carolina were Hazel (1954) and Hugo (1989). South Carolina averages around 50 days of thunderstorm activity a year, which is less than some of the states further south, and it 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.^[8] There have been no F-5 tornadoes but over a dozen F-4 tornadoes have occurred in many counties in South Carolina. An F-2 tornado (113-157 miles per hour) struck 8 miles SE of Blenheim in August 2004. This was a projection generated tornado from a feeder band from Hurricane Charley. This tornado uprooted a mature oak tree and ripped heavy Greek pillars from a home and placed one on top of the roof. Pine needles from an adjacent woods were stuck up and spun around in a solid cloud of needles. Roof shingles were torn off some homes. A Clayton Zone 3 (Hurricane resistance rating) rated mobile home held up with only roof shingle and skirting damage). As typical in a tornado, the skipping pattern produced results that some homes received little or no damage whereas, adjacent property was more heavily damaged. South Carolina's latitude often creates a situation, when the air is unstable, to have very warm air at the surface with very cold air aloft at the right height for significant hail formation. So as you can see this state has a very warm climate almost all year around.

Monthly Normal High and Low Temperatures For Various South Carolina Cities
City	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Charleston	59/37	62/39	69/46	76/52	83/61	88/68	91/72	89/72	85/67	77/55	70/46	62/39
Columbia	55/34	60/36	67/44	76/51	83/60	89/68	92/72	90/71	85/65	76/52	67/43	58/36
Greenville	50/31	55/34	63/40	71/47	78/56	85/64	89/69	87/68	81/62	71/50	61/41	53/34
[1]

[edit] History

Main article: History of South Carolina

The colony of Carolina was settled by English settlers, mostly from Barbados, sent by the Lords Proprietors in 1670, followed by French Huguenots. Most immigrants in the colonial period were African slaves, who constituted a majority of the colony's population throughout the period. The Carolina upcountry was settled largely by Scots-Irish migrants from Pennsylvania and Virginia, following the Great Wagon Road. The formal colony of "The Carolinas" split into two in 1712.

Between 1715-1717 the Yamasee War, between colonial South Carolina and several Indian tribes, was one of America’s bloodiest Indian Wars, which for over a year seriously threatened the continued existence of South Carolina. South Carolina became a royal colony in 1719. 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. The current United States Constitution was proposed for adoption by the States on September 17, 1787, and South Carolina was the 8th state to ratify it, on May 23, 1788.

The American Revolution caused a shock to slavery in the South. Tens of thousands of slaves escaped to British lines and fought with them and Loyalist troops; others secured their freedom by escaping. Estimates are that 25,000 slaves (30 percent of those in South Carolina) fled, migrated or died during the disruption of the war.^[9]

South Carolina politics between 1783 and 1795 were marred by rivalry between a Federalist Elite supporting the central government in Philadelphia and a large proportion of common people, often members of 'Republican Societies', supporting the Republican-Democrats headed by Jefferson and Madison who wanted more democracy in the US especially in South Carolina. Most people also supported the onset of the French Revolution (1789-1795) as anti-British feelings were still running high after the devastation of the war during the American Revolution and Charleston was the most French-influenced city in the USA after New Orleans. Leading South Carolina figures such as Pinckney and Governor Moultrie backed with money and actions the plans of the French to further their political, strategic, and commercial goals in North America. This pro-French stance and attitude of South Carolina ended soon due to the XYZ Affair.

South Carolina was the first state to secede from the Union on December 20, 1860. On April 12, 1861, Confederate batteries began shelling Fort Sumter and the American Civil War began. Charleston was effectively blockaded and the Union Navy seized the Sea Islands, driving off the plantation owners and setting up an experiment in freedom for the ex-slaves. South Carolina troops participated in the major Confederate campaigns, but no major battles were fought inland. General William Tecumseh Sherman marched through the state in early 1865, destroying numerous plantations, and captured the state capital of Columbia on February 17. Fires began that night and by next morning, most of the central city was destroyed.

After the war, South Carolina was reincorporated into the United States during Reconstruction. Under presidential Reconstruction (1865-66),freedmen (former slaves) were given limited rights. Under Radical reconstruction (1867-1877), a Republican coalition of freedmen, carpetbaggers and scalawags was in control, supported by Union army forces. The withdrawal of Union soldiers as part of the Compromise of 1877 ended Reconstruction. Whites used paramilitary groups such as the Red Shirts to intimidate and terrorize black voters, and regained political control under conservative white "Redeemers" and pro-business Bourbon Democrats.

The state became a hotbed of racial and economic tensions during the Populist and Agrarian movements of the 1890s. With the new constitution of 1895, almost all blacks and many poor whites were effectively disfranchised by new requirements for poll taxes and literacy tests. By 1896 only 5,500 black voters remained on the registration rolls.^[10] The 1900 census demonstrated the extent of disfranchisement: African Americans comprised more than 58% of the state's population, with a total of 782,509 citizens essentially without any political representation.^[11] "Pitchfork Ben Tillman" controlled state politics from the 1890s to 1910 with a base among poor white farmers.

[edit] 20th century

Early in the 20th century, South Carolina developed a thriving textile industry. By 2007, textile employment had dropped significantly. The state also converted its agricultural base from cotton to more profitable crops, attracted large military bases and, most recently, attracted European manufacturers.

[edit] Demographics

See also: Demographics of the United States

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1790	249,073		—
1800	345,591		38.8%
1810	415,115		20.1%
1820	502,741		21.1%
1830	581,185		15.6%
1840	594,398		2.3%
1850	668,507		12.5%
1860	703,708		5.3%
1870	705,606		0.3%
1880	995,577		41.1%
1890	1,151,149		15.6%
1900	1,340,316		16.4%
1910	1,515,400		13.1%
1920	1,683,724		11.1%
1930	1,738,765		3.3%
1940	1,899,804		9.3%
1950	2,117,027		11.4%
1960	2,382,594		12.5%
1970	2,590,516		8.7%
1980	3,121,820		20.5%
1990	3,486,703		11.7%
2000	4,012,012		15.1%
Est. 2006	4,321,249	[12]	7.7%
See also: SC historical demographics

South Carolina's center of population is located in Richland County, in the city of Columbia [2].

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2006, South Carolina has an estimated population of 4,321,249, which is an increase of 74,316, or 1.7%, from the prior year and an increase of 309,237, or 7.7%, 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. Based on the 2000 Census South Carolina was ranked 21st in population density with just over 133 persons per sq. mi.^[13]

According to the University of South Carolina's Arnold School of Public Health, Consortium for Latino Immigration Studies, South Carolina's foreign-born population grew faster than any other state between 2000-2005.^[14] The Consortium reports that the number of Hispanics in South Carolina is greatly undercounted by census enumerators and may be more than 400,000.^[14][15]

Demographics of South Carolina (csv)
By race	White	Black	AIAN*	Asian	NHPI*
2000 (total population)	68.88%	30.01%	0.69%	1.13%	0.10%
2000 (Hispanic only)	2.05%	0.26%	0.05%	0.03%	0.02%
2005 (total population)	69.12%	29.68%	0.69%	1.31%	0.10%
2005 (Hispanic only)	2.95%	0.27%	0.06%	0.04%	0.02%
Growth 2000–05 (total population)	6.43%	4.89%	6.09%	23.49%	13.76%
Growth 2000–05 (non-Hispanic only)	5.01%	4.87%	4.61%	23.16%	10.36%
Growth 2000–05 (Hispanic only)	52.78%	7.64%	23.97%	34.25%	26.89%
* AIAN is American Indian or Alaskan Native; NHPI is Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

The five largest ancestry groups in South Carolina are African American (29.5%), American (13.9%), English (8.4%), German (8.4%) and Irish (7.9%). For most of South Carolina's history, African slaves, and then their descendants, made up a majority of the state's population. Whites became a majority in the early 20th century, when tens of thousands of blacks moved north in the Great Migration. Most of the African-American population lives in the Lowcountry (especially the inland Lowcountry) and the Midlands; areas where cotton, rice, and indigo plantations once dominated the landscape. 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 in 2000.

[edit] Most-populated counties

South Carolina Office of Research & Statistics

County	Seat	2006 Population	2010 Projection
Greenville	Greenville	417,166	431,630
Richland	Columbia	348,226	354,380
Charleston	Charleston	331,917	339,140
Spartanburg	Spartanburg	275,087	300,500
Lexington	Lexington	240,160	254,920
Horry	Conway	238,493	251,390
York	York	208,230	233,568

See also: List of South Carolina counties

[edit] Major cities

Charleston	Columbia	Florence	Greenville
Myrtle Beach	Rock Hill	Spartanburg	Sumter

[edit] Religion

South Carolina, like most other Southern states, is overwhelmingly Protestant Christian, and has a significantly lower percentage of non-religious people than the national average. The religious affiliations of the people of South Carolina are as follows:

• Christian – 92%
  • Protestant – 84%
    • Southern Baptist – 45%
    • Methodist – 15%
    • Presbyterian – 5%
    • Other Protestant – 19%
  • Roman Catholic – 7%
  • Other Christian – 1%
• Other Religions – 1%
• Non-Religious – 7%

Sephardic Jews have lived in the state for more than 300 years,[3] [4] [5] especially in and around Charleston [6]. Until about 1830, South Carolina had the largest population of Jews in North America. Roman Catholicism is growing in South Carolina due to immigration in the North.

[edit] 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.^{[citation needed]}

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, automobiles and automotive products and tourism.

The state sales tax is 6% for non-grocery goods and 3% for grocery goods. Counties have the option to impose an additional 2% sales tax. [7] Citizens 85 or older get a one-percent exclusion from the state's 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.^{[citation needed]} 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 8 or owners of such machines would face criminal prosecution.^[16][17]

[edit] Transportation

[edit] Major highways

Major interstate highways passing through the state include: I-20 which runs from Florence in the east through Columbia to the southwestern border near Aiken; I-26 which runs from Charleston in the southeast through Columbia to Spartanburg and the northern border in Spartanburg County; I-77 which runs from York County in the north to Columbia; I-85 which runs from Cherokee County in the north through Spartanburg and Greenville to the southwestern border in Oconee County; I-385 which runs from Greenville and intersects with I-26 near Clinton; and I-95 which runs from the northeastern border in Dillon County to Florence and on to the southern border in Jasper County.

Interstate 20 Interstate 26 Interstate 73 (proposed) Interstate 77 Interstate 85 Interstate 95

U.S. Highway 1 U.S. Highway 17 U.S. Highway 25 U.S. Highway 52 U.S. Highway 221 U.S. Highway 278 U.S. Highway 321 U.S. Highway 378

[edit] Rail

Amtrak operates four passenger routes in South Carolina: the Crescent, the Palmetto, the Silver Meteor, and the Silver Star. The Crescent route serves the Upstate cities, the Silver Star serves the Midlands cities, and the Palmetto and Silver Meteor routes serve the Lowcountry cities.

[edit] Station stops

Station	Connections
Camden	Silver Star
Charleston	Palmetto Silver Meteor
Columbia	Silver Star
Clemson	Crescent
Dillon	Palmetto
Denmark	Silver Star
Florence	Palmetto Silver Meteor
Greenville	Crescent
Kingstree	Palmetto Silver Meteor
Spartanburg	Crescent
Yemassee	Palmetto Silver Meteor

[edit] Major and regional airports

There are six significant airports in South Carolina, all of which act at regional airport hubs. The largest by passenger volume is Greenville/Spartanburg International Airport. Just across the border in North Carolina is Charlotte/Douglas International Airport, the 30th busiest airport in the world, in terms of passengers.^[18]

• Columbia Metropolitan Airport - Columbia
• Charleston International Airport - Charleston
• Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport - Greenville/Spartanburg
• Florence Regional Airport - Florence
• Myrtle Beach International Airport - Myrtle Beach
• Hilton Head Airport - Hilton Head Island/Beaufort

[edit] Government and politics

South Carolina's state government consists of the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches. 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.

[edit] Executive branch

See also: List of Governors of South Carolina

See also: List of Lieutenant Governors of South Carolina

The leader of the executive branch is the governor. The governor is elected for a four-year term and may serve two consecutive terms. The current governor is Republican Mark Sanford. Governor Sanford was elected in 2002 and re-elected in 2006.

South Carolina has historically had a weak executive branch. Before 1865, governors in South Carolina were appointed by the General Assembly, and held the title "President of State." The 1865 Constitution changed this process, requiring a popular election. In 1926 the governor's term was changed to four years, and in 1982 governors were allowed to run for a second term. In 1993 a limited cabinet was created, all of which must be popularly elected.

The Constitution requires that the governor, lieutenant governor, and most cabinet-level executive officers be elected separately. Other elected positions include the Adjutant General, Attorney General, Commissioner of Agriculture, Comptroller General, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, and Superintendent of Education. Each officer is elected at the same time as the Governor. The separately elected positions allow for the possibility of multiple parties to be represented in the executive branch. The Governor's Cabinet also contains several appointed positions. In most cases, persons who fill cabinet-level positions are recommended by the governor and appointed by the Senate. [8]

[edit] Legislative branch

South Carolina has historically operated a weak executive which is countered by a strong, bi-cameral legislative branch known as the General Assembly. The General Assembly is composed of two branches, the House of Representatives and the Senate. There are 124 House members who serve two-year terms, and there are 46 Senators serve who four-year terms. [9]

[edit] 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. It comprises 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 comprises 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. The Chief Justice and four Associate Justices 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.

[edit] South Carolina Constitution

South Carolina has had seven constitutions:

• 1776 - SC's first constitution
• 1778 - Disestablished the Anglican Church, created a popularly elected upper house
• 1790 - Expanded upcountry representation, further established General Assembly control over all aspects of government
• 1861 - Confederate constitution
• 1865 - Required to be readmitted to the Union, abolished property owning qualifications to vote, created popularly elected governor and granted veto power
• 1868 - Only constitution to be ratified by popular vote, provided for public education, abolished property ownership as a qualification for office holding, created counties, race abolished as limit on male suffrage
• 1895 - established attempts to disenfranchise black voters such as the option for poll taxes, literacy tests, etc

Since 1895, there have been many calls for a new Constitution, one that is not based on the politics of a post-Civil War population. The most recent call for reformation was by Governor Mark Sanford in his 2008 State of the State speech. Several hundred amendments have been made to the 1895 Constitution (in 1966 there were 330 amendments). Amendments have been created to comply with Federal acts, and for many other issues. The most recent was in 1988. The volume of amendments makes South Carolina's Constitution one of the longest in the nation.^[19]

Other laws

• The South Carolina Constitution contains provisions which, when compared to the Constitutions of other States, are unusual. For example, a constitutional amendment must be approved by two-thirds of each house of the legislature, approved by the people in an election, and then ratified by a majority of each house of the legislature. If the legislature fails to ratify it, the amendment does not take effect, even though it has been approved by the people. See S.C. Const. art. XVI, s. 1.

• Prior to April 15, 1949, Article XVII, Section 3, of the South Carolina Constitution prohibited divorce for any reason. Since that date, South Carolina permits divorce for certain reasons. It is believed that South Carolina is the only State in the Union that lists the grounds for divorce in its Constitution. The effect of doing so is that the Legislature is prohibited from creating additional grounds for divorce beyond those specified in the South Carolina Constitution. See S.C. Const. art. XVII, Section 3.

• Due to extremely strict annexation laws passed by the General Assembly in 1976, incorporated municipalities in South Carolina are usually much smaller in area and population than those elsewhere in the fast-growing Southeast. However, when a South Carolina city's proximal suburbs that would otherwise be annexed into their city limits are blended in with its core population, they exhibit similar sizes and rates of growth as many municipalities in neighboring states, such as Georgia and North Carolina. This takes many first-time visitors to South Carolina's main cities by surprise, as many are expecting much less urbanization in what has historically been thought of as an almost completely rural state.

[edit] Law enforcement agencies

• South Carolina Department of Public Safety
  • South Carolina Highway Patrol Division
  • South Carolina State Transport Police Division
  • South Carolina Bureau of Protective Services
• South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy
• South Carolina Department of Corrections
• South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services
• South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division (SLED)
  • Homeland Security
• South Carolina Department of Natural Resources

[edit] Federal representation

Like most Southern states, South Carolina consistently voted Democratic in the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century as a part of the Democrats' Solid South. The Republican Party became competitive in the 1960 presidential election when Richard Nixon lost the state to John F. Kennedy by just two percentage points. In 1964, Barry Goldwater became the first Republican to win the state since Reconstruction. Since then, South Carolina has voted for a Republican in every presidential election from 1964 to 2004, with the exception of 1976 when Jimmy Carter, from neighboring Georgia, won the state over Gerald Ford. George W. Bush won the state in 2004 with 58% of the statewide vote over Senator John Kerry. Republicans now hold the governor's office and eight of nine statewide offices, control both houses of legislature, and include both U.S. Senators, and four of six members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Every presidential election year, the South Carolina primary is the first such primary in the South and holds importance to both the Republicans and the Democrats. The primary is important to the Republicans because it is a conservative testing ground, and it holds importance to the Democrats because of the large proportion of African-Americans that vote in that primary. From 1980 to 2004 the winner in the Republican primary has gone on to become the party nominee.

[edit] US Senate

In the 110th United States Congress, the South Carolina delegation to the U.S. Senate are:

• Lindsey Graham (R)
• Jim DeMint (R)

[edit] US House of Representatives

South Carolina currently has six representatives in Congress:

• District 1 - Henry E. Brown, Jr. (R)
• District 2 - Joe Wilson (R)
• District 3 - J. Gresham Barrett (R)
• District 4 - Bob Inglis (R)
• District 5 - John M. Spratt, Jr. (D)
• District 6 - James Clyburn (D)

A district map is found here.

[edit] Education

[edit] Institutions of higher education

(In order of foundation date)

South Carolina hosts a diverse cohort of institutions of higher education, from large state-funded research universities to small colleges that cultivate a liberal arts, religious or military tradition.

Founded in 1770 and chartered in 1785, the College of Charleston (C of C) is the oldest institution of higher learning in South Carolina, the 13th oldest in the United States, and the first municipal college in the country. The College is in company with the Colonial Colleges as one the original and foundational institutions of higher education in the United States. Its founders include three signers of the United States Declaration of Independence and three signers of the United States Constitution. The College's historic campus, which is listed on the U.S. Department of the Interior's National Register of Historic Places, forms an integral part of Charleston's colonial-era urban center. As one of the leading institutions of higher education in its class in the Southeastern United States,[10] the College of Charleston is celebrated nationally for its focus on undergraduate education with strengths in Marine Biology, Classics, Art History and Historic Preservation. The Graduate School of the College of Charleston, offers a number of degree programs and coordinates support for its nationally recognized faculty research efforts. According to the Princeton Review, C of C is one of the nation's best institutions for undergraduate education and U.S. News and World Report regularly ranks C of C among the best masters level universities in the South. C of C presently enrolls approximately 10,000 undergraduates and 2,000 graduate students.

The University of South Carolina (USC) is a public, co-educational, research university located in Columbia. The University's campus covers over 359 acres (1.5 km²) in the urban core less than one city block from the South Carolina State House. The University of South Carolina maintains an enrollment of over 26,000 students on the Columbia campus. The institution was founded in 1801 as South Carolina College in an effort to promote harmony between the Lowcountry and the Upstate. The College became a symbol of the South in the antebellum period as its graduates were on the forefront of secession from the Union. From the Civil War to World War II, the institution lacked a clear direction and was constantly reorganized to meet the needs of the political power in office. In 1957, the University expanded its reach through the University of South Carolina System.

Main article: History of the University of South Carolina

Furman University is a private, coeducational, non-sectarian, liberal arts university in Greenville, South Carolina. Founded in 1826, Furman enrolls approximately 2,600 undergraduate and 500 graduate students. Furman is the oldest and largest private institution in South Carolina. The university is primarily focused on undergraduate education (only two departments, education and chemistry, offer graduate degrees).

The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, is a state-supported, comprehensive college located in Charleston, South Carolina. Founded in 1842, the college is best known for its undergraduate Corps of Cadets military program for men and women, which combines academics, physical challenges and military discipline. In addition to the cadet program, civilian programs are offered through the Citadel's College of Graduate and Professional Studies with its evening undergraduate and graduate programs. The Citadel enrolls almost 2,000 undergraduate cadets in its residential military program and 1,200 civilian students in the evening programs.

Presbyterian College is a private liberal arts college founded in 1880 in Clinton, South Carolina, USA. Presbyterian College, or PC, is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church USA, and enrolls around 1300 undergraduate students. In 2007, Washington Monthly ranked PC as the #1 Liberal Arts College in the nation. [11]

Clemson University, founded in 1889 is a public, coeducational, land-grant research university located in Clemson, South Carolina. Clemson The University currently enrolls more than 17,000 students from all 50 states and from more than 70 countries. Clemson is currently the highest ranked of any in-state institution by US News & World Report, out of both public and private colleges and universities. Clemson is currently in the process of expanding, by adding the CU-ICAR, or the Center for Automotive Research, in partnership with BMW and Michelin. The facility will offer an M.S. and Ph.D in Automotive Engineering. Clemson is also the home to the South Carolina Botanical Gardens.

Anderson University, founded in 1911 is a selective comprehensive university located in Anderson, offering bachelors and masters degrees in approximately 50 areas of study. Anderson University currently enrolls around 1800 undergraduate students.

See also: List of colleges and universities in South Carolina

[edit] Sports in South Carolina

South Carolina has no major professional franchise of the NFL, NHL, NBA, or MLB located in the state; however the NFL's Carolina Panthers (based in Charlotte, North Carolina), and the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes (based in Raleigh, North Carolina) represent North Carolina. In addition, the Panthers played their first season in Clemson, and they and the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats maintain training facilities near Wofford College in Spartanburg and Fort Mill in York County, respectively.

There are numerous minor league teams that are either based in the state, or play much of their schedule within its borders. The highest level of minor league sports played in South Carolina is the USL Division 1 Soccer team, the Charleston Battery. The team plays in the soccer-specific Blackbaud Stadium, located on Daniel Island in Charleston. Currently, only Greenville, Myrtle Beach, and Charleston still boast any other level (in each case single-A) of professional baseball. Curiously enough, for a state where natural ice is a rarity, professional ice hockey has been popular in a number of areas of the state since the 1990s. Though 4 teams competed at one time in South Carolina, the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) currently oversees operations of only two franchises, one, the Columbia Inferno, the other, the South Carolina Stingrays (who play in North Charleston). According to the league, however, Myrtle Beach is slated to receive a franchise when their new arena is completed in 2008/9.

College sports in particular are very big in South Carolina. Clemson University's Tigers and the University of South Carolina's Gamecocks regularly draw more than 80,000 spectators at the schools' home football games. Smaller universities located in South Carolina also have very competitive sports programs, including The Citadel, Coastal Carolina, College of Charleston, Francis Marion, Furman, North Greenville University, Presbyterian College, Lander University, SC State, Southern Wesleyan University, Spartanburg Methodist College, USC Upstate, Winthrop, Wofford.

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 Mother's Day weekend. All four of NASCAR's series come to Darlington including Feather light, Craftsman Trucks, Busch Cars, and NEXTEL Cup cars.

South Carolina is known as a golfing paradise.^{[neutrality disputed]} Myrtle Beach/Grand Strand has more than a hundred golf courses. Myrtle Beach has more public golf courses per capita than any other place in the country.^[20] Some have hosted PGA and LGPA events in the past, but most have been designed for the casual golfer. Hilton Head & Kiawah Island 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. In 2007, "The Ocean Course" On Kiawah Island was ranked #1 in Golf Digest Magazine's "America's 50 Toughest Golf Courses"^[21] and #38 on their "America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses".^[22]

Watersports 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 offers outstanding water activities. The Midlands region also offers water-based recreation revolving around Lakes Marion and Murray and such rivers as the Congaree, Saluda, Broad, and Edisto.

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

Professional bass fishing tournaments are also found in South Carolina. Lake Hartwell and Lake Murray both host Bassmaster Classic tournaments.

[edit] National Parks

• 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

[edit] National Monuments

• Fort Moultrie National Monument
• Fort Sumter National Monument

[edit] Miscellaneous topics

[edit] Famous people from South Carolina

Main article: Famous people from South Carolina

Some of the most influential individuals in American life from South Carolina include:

• James Brown (born May 4, 1933 in Barnwell, died December 25, 2006). The "Godfather of Soul", legendary singer and member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
• John C. Calhoun (1782-1850), born near Abbeville, a statesman and political philosopher. From 1811 until his death, Calhoun served in the federal government successively as congressman, secretary of war, vice president, senator, secretary of state and again as senator.
• Chubby Checker, singer, born Ernest Evans in Spring Gulley, on October 3, 1941.
• John Edwards, former N.C. Senator & 2004 Democratic Vice Presidential candidate, born in Seneca in 1953.
• Joe Frazier, 1964 Olympic heavyweight champion and the world heavyweight champ 1970-73; fought Muhammad Ali for the heavyweight title three times. He is most remembered for the fight at Madison Square Garden in March 1971, where he defeated Ali to become the undisputed heavyweight champ. Frazier was born in Beaufort on January 12, 1944.
• Althea Gibson (1927-2003), the first black female player to win the Wimbledon singles tennis title, was born in Silver.
• Dizzy Gillespie (1917-1993), John Birks 'Dizzy' Gillespie, considered by some to be the greatest jazz trumpeter of all time, was born in Cheraw.
• Andrew Jackson (1767-1845), President of the United States; born near Lancaster but emigrated to Tennessee as an adult. He was the hero of the Battle of New Orleans and 7th President, from 1829 to 1837.
• Jesse Jackson, famous political and social figure, originally from Greenville, born on October 8, 1941.
• 'Shoeless' Joe Jackson (1887–1951). Considered to be one of the most outstanding hitters in the history of baseball, his career .356 batting average is the third highest in history, after Ty Cobb and Rogers Hornsby. He was born in Brandon Mills.
• Kerry Mullis, born in Lenoir, North Carolina on December 28, 1944, and grew up in Columbia, South Carolina; received Nobel Prize for DNA amplification research. There is public controversy regarding credit for this research.
• Bill Pinkney, born in Dalzell on August 15, 1925. Pinkney was a pitcher in the Negro League and served in World War II. But he is remember most because of his singing role in The Drifters and his sound influenced many artists in blues and soul music.
• Strom Thurmond (1902-2003), born in Edgefield in 1902. South Carolina governor from 1947-1951, and in 1954 became the first and only United States Senator elected by a write-in vote. In 1997, Senator Thurmond became the oldest and longest serving member of the U.S. Senate. In January 2003, at age 100, Thurmond retired from public service after his eighth term. He returned to his hometown where he died June 26, 2003.
• Angelica Singleton Van Buren (1818 – 1877), born in Wedgefield, married Abraham Van Buren while his father, Martin Van Buren was the eighth President of the United States. She served as First Lady of the United States for the rest of his term in the White House.
• Eartha Mae Kitt (born January 17, 1927) is an American actress, singer, and cabaret star. She is known for her role as Catwoman in the 1960s TV series Batman, and for her 1953 Christmas song "Santa Baby." Orson Welles once called her "the most exciting woman in the world."

[edit] Alcohol laws

Prohibition was a major issue in the state's history. Voters endorsed prohibition in 1892 but instead were given the "Dispensary System" of state-owned liquor stores, They soon became symbols of political corruption controlled by Ben Tillman's machine and were shut down in 1907. Today, most counties in South Carolina do not allow the sale of alcohol on Sunday, but counties and cities can apply referendums to overturn this. Six counties currently allow Sunday alcohol sales; Richland County, Lexington, Georgetown, Charleston, Beaufort and Horry. Cities and towns that have passed laws allowing Sunday alcohol sales include Columbia, Spartanburg, Greenville, Aiken, Rock Hill, Summerville, Santee, Daniel Island and Tega Cay.

While there are no dry counties in South Carolina, certain counties enforce time restrictions for alcohol sales in stores (e.g., no sales after 2 a.m. in Pickens County) while others do not (in-store alcohol sales are allowed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in Charleston, excluding liquor which must be purchased before 7 p.m.). Columbia, the state's capital and largest city and the home of the University of South Carolina, takes one of the more relaxed stances on alcohol sales in bars. Many bars, especially those catering to younger crowds in the busy Five Points district, serve alcohol until sunrise, and it is not unheard of for bars and clubs to serve alcohol until 6 a.m., although the per-se legality of this practice is debatable. In Greenville city limits, it is illegal to serve alcohol after 2am at bars and restaurants unless the establishment continues to serve food. There are a few bars that take advantage of this fact.

Before 2006, South Carolina was infamous amongst tourists and residents alike for being the last state in the nation to require cocktails and liquor drinks to be mixed using minibottles, like those found on airplanes, instead of from free-pour bottles. The original logic behind this law was twofold: it made alcohol taxation simpler and allowed bar patrons to receive a standardized amount of alcohol in each drink. However, minibottles contain 1.75 oz (52 ml) of alcohol, approximately 30% more than the typical 1.2 oz (35 ml) found in free-pour drinks, with the obvious result of overly strong cocktails and inebriated bar customers. The law was changed in 2006 to allow both free-pour and minibottles in bars, and the vast majority of bars quickly eschewed minibottles in favor of free-pour.^[23]

South Carolina also requires that duly licensed in-state liquor stores prominently display three red dots on the outside of the storefront and on at least two of the four sides of the building, which must be visible from the common road.

[edit] South Carolina singularities

• Adjutant general: The head of the state's national guard, the adjutant general, is a statewide elected official.^[24]
• Driving Under the Influence: South Carolina is the only state in the nation with mandatory videotaping by the arresting officer of the DUI arrest and breath test.^[25]
• Fire Safety Regulations: South Carolina is the only state that allows fire officials to sidestep a federal regulation requiring that for every employee doing hazardous work inside a building, one must be outside.^[26]
• School Buses: South Carolina is the only state in the nation that owns and operates its own school bus fleet.^[27][28]
• Strokes: South Carolina has the highest rate of stroke deaths in the nation.^[29]
• Black Water River: With the Edisto River, South Carolina has the longest completely undammed / unleveed blackwater river in North America.^[30]
• Outdoor Sculpture: South Carolina is home to the world's largest collection of outdoor sculpture located at Brookgreen Gardens.^[31]
• Landscaped Gardens: South Carolina is home to the oldest landscaped gardens in the United States, at Middleton Place near Charleston.^[32]

[edit] South Carolina firsts

[12]

• First ship built in America to cross the Atlantic Ocean - Port Royal, 1562
• First indigo planted, 1671
• First free library established - Charleston, 1698
• First Black Baptist Church established - Silver Bluff, 1773
• First mutual fire insurance company - Friendly Society for the Mutual Insurance of Houses Against Fire, 1735
• First opera performed in America - Charleston, February 18, 1735
• First slave insurrection - Stono area near Charleston, 1739
• First public museum - Charleston Museum, organized January 12, 1773^[33]
• First building to be used solely as a theater - Dock Street Theatre in Charleston, constructed in 1736
• First cotton exported to England, 1764
• First business publication - South Carolina Price Current in Charleston, 1774
• First independent government formed among American colonies, March 1776
• First cotton mill built - James Island, 1789
• First tea planted - Middleton Barony, 1802.
• First fireproof building built - Charleston, 1822
• First steam locomotive built in the United States to be used for regular railroad service - "Best Friend of Charleston", 1830
• First municipal college - College of Charleston, opened April 1, 1838
• First free-standing college library in the nation - South Caroliniana Library at USC, 1840
• First state to secede from the Union, December 20, 1860
• First shot fired in Civil War on Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, April 12, 1861
• First Medal of Honor awarded to a Black recipient- W. H. Carney (Army), July 18, 1863
• First Black Associate Justice of a state supreme court - J. J. Wright, February 2, 1870
• First commercial tea farm - Summerville, 1890
• First textile school established in a college - Clemson, 1899
• First U.S. Senator elected by a write-in vote - Strom Thurmond, November 2, 1954

[edit] Sister States

• Queensland, Australia
• Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
• Bergamo, Italy

[edit] See also

• List of South Carolina-related topics

[edit] References

[edit] Further reading

[edit] External links

Find more about South Carolina on Wikipedia's sister projects:
	Dictionary definitions
	Textbooks
	Quotations
	Source texts
	Images and media
	News stories
	Learning resources

• State of South Carolina government website
• Discover South Carolina - The official tourism website of South Carolina
• South Carolina at the Open Directory Project
• USGS real-time, geographic, and other scientific resources of South Carolina
• US Census Bureau
• S.C. Business Hall of Fame- Established in 1985 to honor champions of free enterprise and present role models for young people.
• South Carolina State Facts

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Preceded by Maryland

List of U.S. states by date of statehood Ratified Constitution on May 23, 1788 (8th)

Succeeded by New Hampshire

Coordinates: 34° N 81° W