Nickname: Palmetto state

Area: 82,965 km2 - ranked 40th

Population: 4,012,012 - ranked 26th

Capital: Colombia

Main cities: Cplombia, Charleston, North Charleston, Rockhill, Greenville

Economy: South Carolina's manufacturing industries have been historically depended on the state's agricultural products as well as on water power. For example, the huge textile and clothing industries, centered in the Piedmont, are based on that region's cotton crop; lumbering and related enterprises \9such as manufacture of pulp and paper) of forestland that cover the state- the longleaf of loblolly pine are prevalent. Other leading manufactures are chemical, machinery, and automobiles. South Carolina's mineral resources have been of minor importance in the state's economy; except for some gold, most are nonmetallic-cement, stone, clays, and sand and gravel.

In agriculture, tobacco and soybeans now rival cotton as South Carolina's chief crops. Broiler chickens and cattle are economically important, and peanuts, pecans, sweet potatoes, and peaches are grown in abundance. Fishing is a major commercial enterprise; the chief catches are blue crabs and shrimp. Military bases and nuclear facilities are important to the economy, and the tourist industry today ranks as the state's chief source of income.

Useful links:

www.discouversouthcarolina.com

www.sc.gov