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The region was originally named Carolus, derived from the Latin form of Charles, in honor of King Charles I of England. In 1663, his son, King Charles II, changed the spelling of the region to Carolina.
STATE FACTS
1. South Carolina has a total of 46 counties.
2. South Carolina covers 32,020 square miles.
3. Sassafras Mountain, the highest elevation, is 3,554 feet above sea level.
4. Major rivers include the Edisto River, the longest free-flowing blackwater river in America; and the Chattooga River, which is a National Wild and Scenic River.
5. At the last census, SC was home to 5.283 million people.
6. South Carolina is home to Clemson University, known for the Clemson Tigers, among 61 other colleges and universities.
15 FACTS ABOUT SC
1. Nicknamed the Palmetto State
2. The Birthplace of Sweet Tea
3. The Birthplace of Barbecue
4. First Shots of the Civil War
5. Angel Oak is the oldest living oak tree
6. 187 miles of coastline
7. State Dance: The Shag
8. Home to the US’s first commercial tea farm
9. SC produces more peaches than GA
10. Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Gold Bug” is an homage to SC
11. Frogmore Stew is a traditional dish
12. The first game of golf played in the US took place in Charleston
13. The world’s smallest police station is in Ridgeway
14. There might be a lizard man in Lee County
15. The Carolina Wren is the state bird
MUST-SEE PLACES
1. ACE Basin National Wildlife Refuge
2. All of South Carolina’s state parks
3. Angel Oak Tree, Johns Island
4. Brookgreen Gardens, Murrells Inlet
5. Bulls Island
6. Campbell’s Covered Bridge, Landrum
7. Charles Towne Landing, Charleston
8. Charleston Tea Garden
9. Cypress Gardens, Moncks Corner
10. Daufuskie Island
11. Devils Kitchen at Caesars Head State Park
12. Edisto Island Serpentarium
13. Falls Park on the Reedy, Greenville
14. God’s Acre Healing Springs, Blackville
15. Hunting Island Lighthouse
16. Old Sheldon Church Ruins, Yemassee
17. Poinsett Bridge, Travelers Rest
18. Rainbow Row, Charleston
19. Riverbanks Zoo and Garden, Columbia
20. Sky Wheel, Myrtle Beach