Interesting Facts About South Carolina

South Carolina is a US state, located at the southeastern part of the country. It is also one of the original Thirteen Colonies to gain independence from the British.

When it was then the Province of South Carolina during the 18th it became one of the centers of slave trade, as all other southern regions. South Carolina became the first state to ratify the Articles of Confederation and one of the first states to approve the US Constitution. After breaking away from the Union 1860, South Carolina joined again eight years later, becoming the eighth state. Its capital and largest city is Columbia.

When you think of South Carolina, you’d almost automatically think of the swamps, lowlands and mountains, but the state also has some gorgeous beaches, including the famous Myrtle Beach. South Carolina is also one of the major textile manufacturers in the country. Want to know more interesting things about “The Palmetto State”? Check this gallery to discover more SC facts!

Lake Marion is South Carolina’s largest lake. Lake Marion is often referred to as an inland sea due to its vast size, with its surface area measuring 110,000 acres (45,000 hectares). It is a man-made lake, as a result of the construction of the Santee Dam in 1941 for the purposes of generating hydroelectric power.

In the picture you can see the old bridge as a fishing pier on the left and the I-95 bridge on the right, over Lake Marion.

Often dubbed as the capital of Lake Murray, Chapin (population, 2010: 1,445) is a town in Lexington County, South Carolina. Like a lot of reservoirs, the Lake Murray is an artificial lake, built in the late 1920s to provide hydroelectricity to the town and its vicinity.

Apart from electrical power, the lake has also been providing recreational activities for Chapin residents. Originally made for boating, the Lake Murray is also amenable to other activities like swimming, fishing, skiing, and wakeboarding.

Home to South Carolina’s most famous beach, the Myrtle Beach is also the name of a coastal city with its population of 27,109 (2010 figures). It is situated in the middle of one of the longest stretches of beach sand in the United States, the Grand Strand. Because of its subtropical climate, the Myrtle Beach is a very popular tourist destination, welcoming about 14 million visitors each year.

South Carolina has three official state dances, and one of them is The Shag (or the Carolina Shag). It is danced to the Carolina beach music (more closely akin to swing) and normally performed by partners. South Carolina declared it as an official state dance in 1984.

The Table Rock State Park is a vast state park (at 3,083 acres) near the city of Pickens, in Pickens County, South Carolina. The state’s highest mountain, the Pinnacle Peak in the Blue Ridge mountain range, lords over the park with its highest peak measuring at 3,415 feet. Camping is the main activity there.

The wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) was named by South Carolina as its official state game bird in 1976.

The cabbage palmetto (other names: palmetto, cabbage palmetto, palmetto palm, blue palmetto, Carolina palmetto, swamp cabbage and sabal palm; scientific name Sabal palmetto) was declared by South Carolina as the official state tree in 1939.

Columbia (population, 2010: 129,272) is South Carolina’s capital and largest city, located at the confluence (or meeting) of the Saluda and Broad Rivers. The city was founded in 1786 when the South Carolina General Assembly chose to replace Charleston as the new capital city in the state. Columbia is one of the first planned cities in the United States.

South Carolina named the Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) as its official state bird in 1948.

South Carolina declared the yellow jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens) as its official state flower in 1924. Goldenrod, on the other hand, is the state’s official wildflower.

The eastern tiger swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) was designated by South Carolina as the official state butterfly in 1994.

The flag of South Carolina has existed since 1775, but it was officially adopted as the state flag in 1861.

It consists of an indigo field with the white plametto tree in the center. The canton (upper left corner) of the flag consists of a white crescent moon. These two elements of the flag have become quite popular symbols and been featured in many commercial items like shirts, shoes and decorations.

Located north of Charleston, South Carolina, the Francis Marion National Forest is a 284,864 acre forest, named after military officer and revolutionary hero Francis Marion. The forest consists of 1,600 species of plants that include several species of orchids, ferns, as well as cypress trees. Animals such as the black bear are typical residents of this forest. It is also home to coyotes, deers, woodpeckers, beavers, bobcats, and raccoons.

The forest serves several towns including Awendaw, Huger, Jamestown, and McClellanville. It offers lots of recreational activities such as camping, hiking and boating.

The gingko may be native to the Far East, but the largest gingko farm in the world is actually located in Sumter, South Carolina, USA! It has a gingko farm which spans at 1,200 acres, and the trees are commercially grown for pharmaceutical purposes.

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