The great natural beauty and subtropical climate of scenic South Carolina attract more than 28 million visitors annually, notably to the wide pristine sandy seashore of Myrtle Beach and the luxury resorts and world class golf courses at Hilton Head Island. But there's much more. You can explore the village greens, quaint waterfront towns, Revolutionary War battle sites, the first European settlement in North America, the palmetto thickets, sparkling mountain streams, peach orchards, rolling countryside, historic homes, lush gardens, and 187 miles of coastline dotted with islands and bays. South Carolina's nickname has been Palmetto State since the American Revolution, when patriots in a small palmetto-log fort resisted an invading British fleet. The state is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the southeast, Georgia on the southwest, and North Carolina to the north. Estimated population is about 3.9 million. Its many fine colleges and universities include Clemson, Furman, The Citadel, and the University of South Carolina.

South Carolina contains parts of three natural land regions. The Atlantic Coast Plain makes up two-thirds of the state and extends inland from the Atlantic Coast and its chain of barrier islands. The Piedmont extends to the northwest ending at the base of the Blue Ridge region which lies on the edge of the Appalachian Mountains crowned with forests. The Atlantic Coastal Plain region has most of the state's best farmland; the Piedmont is the state's most populated region; and the Blue Ridge is the chief manufacturing region. Principal rivers are the Santee, Great Pee Dee, and Savannah. Man-made lakes include Marion, Moultrie, and Catawba. The highest point in South Carolina is the 3,560-foot Sassafras Mountain, and Whitewater Falls is the highest falls in eastern North America. The most important natural resources are abundant water, large forests, wildlife, and mineral deposits. Key cities are Columbia (capital and largest city), Charleston, North Charleston, Greenville, and Rock Hill. Some famous South Carolinians are former president Andrew Jackson and former U.S. vice president John C. Calhoun; the Swamp Fox Francis Marion; poet and novelist James Dickey; astronaut Charles Duke; musicians Dizzy Gillespie and Chubby Checkers; heavyweight boxing champion Joe Frazier; actress Andie McDowell; singer Earth Kitt; and civil rights leader Jesse Jackson.

The state's strong economy is based largely on tourism, government, agriculture, commercial fishing, manufacturing, and service industries. Top crops are peaches, tobacco, cotton, and soybeans. Beef cattle and poultry are also important factors. Chief manufactures are textiles and clothing, followed by chemicals and lumber products. The state is served by one of the nation's best highway and rail systems; by the seaports at Beaufort, Charleston, and Georgetown; and by the Charleston, Myrtle Beach, and Greenville-Spartanburg International Airports.

The wealth of South Carolina attractions is apparent in every section of the state and embraces native American exhibits at the Catawba Cultural Center; South Carolina Artisans Center; Dorn Mill Center for History and Art; Carolina Safari Jeep Tours; Cheraw, "the Prettiest Town in Dixie;" Savannah River and Cherokee Foothills National Scenic Highways; Riverbanks Zoo, one of the nation's top 10 zoos; Gibbes Art Gallery in Charleston; the Woodrow Wilson Memorial Museum; Charleston Gardens; Fort Hill home of John C. Calhoun; Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor. More than 40 state parks include Calhoun Falls State Recreation Area; Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site; Croft State Natural Area; and Myrtle Beach State Park.

Some 30 native American tribes once occupied the area now known as South Carolina. Both the Spanish and French tried and failed to gain a foothold here. In 1629 the region was granted to Sir Robert Heath by the English king Charles I. It was named Carolana, Latin for Charles. In 1663 a charter was granted to eight lords proprietors who changed the name to Carolina. The first permanent English settlement was established near Charleston in 1670. During the 17th century the southern part of the colony was called South Carolina, and the area to the north was North Carolina. The two sections remained a single colony until separated in 1710. More than 200 battles and skirmishes of the Revolutionary War were fought in South Carolina. In 1860 South Carolina was the first state to secede from the Union in the Civil War, and Confederates fired the first shot of the war at Fort Sumter. The state was readmitted to the Union in 1868.