South Carolina Facts
All figures are from the 2000 U.S. Census

Population: 4,012,012

Land area: 30,109.47 square miles

First settlement:- Santa Elena, established in 1566 by the Spanish on the Beaufort River.- First English settlement in 1670 at Albemarle Point on the Ashley River.

Physical features:South Carolina has a diverse geography that stretches from the Blue Ridge Mountains in the northwest corner southeast to the Atlantic Ocean. The further east one moves, the flatter the land becomes. Elevation ranges from 3,584 feet at Sassafras Mountain to sea level. 830 square miles of the state are covered by water, including several rivers and lakes. SC's highest falls are at Raven Cliff at 420 feet.

Climate: South Carolina's climate is relatively temperate. The average temperature varies substantially across the state. During the winter months, the average temperature ranges from the mid-30s in the mountains to approximately 50 degrees F near the southern coast. Summer average temperature ranges from the low 70s to near 80 degrees. Rainfall varies across the state with the heaviest rain occurring in the northwest and the least rain falling in the central part of the state.

Smallest county by area: Calhoun

Largest counties by area (in square miles):
  1. Horry - 1,133
  2. Orangeburg - 1,105
  3. Berkeley - 1,099

Largest counties by population:
  1. Greenville - 407,383
  2. Richland - 340,078
  3. Charleston - 330,368

Top agricultural crops:
  1. Tobacco
  2. Vegetables
  3. Cotton 

Top non-row crops
  1. Poultry
  2. Forestry

Per capita personal income:
  1. Management/Prof. - 29.1
  2. Sales/Office - 25.7
  3. Production, transportation & material moving - 19.0
  4. Service - 14.7
  5. Construction, extraction & maintenance - 11.5
  6. Farming, fishing, forestry - 1.1

Percent distribution of employment in SC by occupation:
  1. Management, professional and related - 31.1 Service - 16.5
  2. Sales and office - 26.0
  3. Production, transportation and material moving - 15.2 
  4. Construction, extraction and maintenance - 10.6
  5. Farming, fishing, and forestry - 0.6

Top Employers:- State of South Carolina and Medical University of South Carolina

Total Degrees awarded by SC colleges & universities: 34,053
Source: SC Office of Research & Statistics for degress conferred June 30, 2005 - July 1, 2006.

For more information about South Carolina including cities and counties, maps, businesses, organizations, local news, and shopping visit http://sciway.net.

For more information about travel in South Carolina, visit the Department of Tourism Travel SC Web site.