north, Georgia on the west, and the
Atlantic Ocean on the east.
The southern and eastern parts of South
Carolina are covered by a broad coastal
plain. Along the coast are sandy islands
separated from the mainland by marshes
and lagoons. One of those islands is
Hilton Head, a resort area off the state’s
southern tip. The western part of South
Carolina is an area of rolling hills. A
portion of the Blue Ridge Mountains
rises in the northwest corner of the state.
South Carolina has long, hot, humid
summers and mild winters.
People
White people of European heritage
account for about two thirds of South
Carolina’s population. The percentage
of African Americans in South Carolina
is more than double the national average.
African Americans make up about
30 percent of the state’s population; the
national average is 12 percent. More
than 2 percent of the population is Hispanic
American.
Economy
Chemicals, metal products, and
textiles (cloth goods) are leading manufactured
goods in South Carolina. Historically,
the state has been known for
the production of textiles. Since the late
1990s, however, South Carolina’s textile
industry has declined. The main chemical
products include plastic resins, dyes,
and medical drugs.
Tourism is popular because of South
Carolina’s warm climate and beautiful
coastline. Some of South Carolina’s
major agricultural products are chickens,
turkeys, and tobacco.
History
Native American groups, including the
Catawba, the Cherokee, and the Yamasee,
lived in the area when Europeans
first arrived. The first permanent
English settlement was Charles Town,
established in 1670 and named for King
Charles II. In 1729 the colony was
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA South Carolina 147
divided into North Carolina and South
Carolina.
South Carolina planters prospered during
the colonial period. By 1775, however,
the people of South Carolina were
unhappy with British rule. They joined
with other American colonies in fighting
against the British during the American
Revolution. Many of the war’s battles
were fought in South Carolina.
Cotton became the state’s main crop
after the invention of the cotton gin in
1793. The machine removed the seeds
from raw cotton, making it easier to
process. Slavery became widespread as a
way to provide free labor for picking
cotton on the plantations (large farms).
Like other Southern states, South Carolina
disagreed with Northern states,
which wanted to end slavery. These tensions
eventually resulted in South Carolina
leaving the Union on December 20,
1860, to join the Confederacy. The
American CivilWar began on April 12,
1861. On that day Confederate soldiers
opened fire on Fort Sumter, a U.S.
Army post near Charleston, South Carolina.
The Confederacy lost the war in
1865. South Carolina rejoined the
Union in 1868.
In the 20th century many New England
textile mills relocated to Southern states
such as South Carolina. Although pockets
of poverty still existed in the state,
the mills provided work for many South
Carolinians. In 1989 Hurricane Hugo
caused great damage to the South Carolina
coast. In the early 21st century the
textile industry in South Carolina suffered
as foreign competition increased.
But the state continued to attract tourists
to resort areas such as Hilton Head
Island and Myrtle Beach.
..More to explore
American CivilWar • Columbia
Historic homes and landmarks line the
Battery, a park overlooking the harbor in
Charleston, South Carolina.
Crowds of people enjoy South Carolina’s
Myrtle Beach.
Facts About
SOUTH
CAROLINA
Flag
Population
(2000 census)
4,012,012—
rank, 26th state;
(2008 estimate)
4,479,800—
rank, 24th state
Capital
Columbia
Area
32,020 sq mi
(82,932 sq km)—
rank, 40th state
Statehood
May 23, 1788
Mottoes
Animis
Opibusque Parati
(Prepared in
Mind and
Resources); Dum
Spiro Spero
(While I Breathe,
I Hope)
State bird
Carolina wren
State flower
Yellow jessamine
148 South Carolina BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
South Dakota
The U.S. state of South Dakota is
named for the Dakota, or Sioux, Indians
who first lived in the region. South
Dakota is known as the Mount Rushmore
State because of its most famous
tourist attraction. The Mount Rushmore
National Memorial is a huge, man-made
sculpture carved into a granite mountainside.
The sculpture features the faces
of four U.S. presidents. The state capital
is Pierre.
Geography
South Dakota is bordered on the south
by Nebraska, on the west by Montana
andWyoming, on the north by North
Dakota, and on the east by Minnesota
and Iowa.
Eastern South Dakota is a flat prairie
region. The western two thirds of the
state consists of plains that are higher in
elevation than the eastern prairies. The
landscape in this area is broken by hills
and canyons.Within the western plains
is a large, rugged region called the Badlands.
In the far west is a mountainous,
forested area known as the Black Hills.
The Black Hills are home to Mount
Rushmore and to Harney Peak.With a
height of 7,242 feet (2,207 meters),
Harney Peak is the nation’s highest
point east of the Rocky Mountains.
The Missouri River runs downward
through the middle of the state. It then
turns eastward and becomes South
