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The Spirit of South Carolina
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Built by in Charleston by community volunteers and funded by donations, this is the Spirit of South Carolina on its maiden sail on May 20th, 2007 in the Charleston Harbor during the Charleston Maritime Festival.
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The state symbol is the Palmetto tree and was adopted because the original construction of Fort Moultrie, in Charleston, was of Palmetto logs. The resilience of this building material was responsible for creating a structure impermeable to British Cannon balls enabling the fledgling colonial forces in Charleston to deal a crushing defeat to the British invading forces and score the first American victory of the Revolutionary War.
South Carolina, one of the first original 13 colonies, is steeped in history, tradition and beauty. The South Carolina of today is a land of opportunity. While the Old South will always be a part of the native lure, expect to find a progressive mind set ready for the inevitable changes ahead. The people of the region are well known for their hospitality to new arrivals and visitors alike, so you will never feel like a stranger here.
 
South Carolina has 3 major regions of extensive development: Columbia (the capital city), Spartanburg-Greenville, and Charleston. Over the past 10 years, a surge of economic growth, including both domestic and foreign companies, has occurred in these areas. The economy in the region is strong and well diversified. Employment opportunities are excellent and the support for new business development is unsurpassed by any other state.
 
 
One of the great surprises about the region is its grand diversity in topography making for a wonderful variety of vistas. From the mountains to the sea, this is an area filled with interesting places. Some of the divisions include: the Upstate, the Midlands, the Piedmont, the Sandhills, the Grand Strand and the Lowcountry.
 
South Carolina boasts of great state parks through out the state including those in the mountains of the Upstate such a Table Rock Mountain, Ceasers Head Mountain and Devils Fork. The Coast has its own diversity from wide, sandy beaches, to exciting night life, to some of the world's best golf courses to the soothing ambiance of hundreds of secluded islands. Names such as Myrtle Beach, Charleston, Beaufort, and Hilton Head draw millions of visitors to the state each year. Even the quiet area of Western South Carolina, known for lovely horses farms and fine golf courses, draws many admirers and blends well with its bordering Georgia towns.
 
Expect a great experience in South Carolina. This is a wonderful state for living, working, raising a family and retiring.
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State Seal of South Carolina
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On March 26, 1776, the Provincial Congress of South Carolina set up an independent government, electing John Rutledge, President. On April 2, 1776, the President and Privy Council were authorized by Resolution of the General Assembly "to design and cause to be made a Great Seal of South Carolina." After the Declaration of Independence, a design for the arms of an official great seal, prepared by William Henry Drayton, a member of the Privy Council, was accepted, together with a design for the reverse, said to have been designed by Arthur Middleton.
Both designs were turned over to an engraver in Charles Town and engraved as a great seal, which was used by Pres. Rutledge for the first time on May 22, 1777. The Seal was made in form of a circle, four inches in diameter, and four-tenths of an inch thick. Both the arms and reverse symbolize the battle fought on June 28, 1776, between the unnamed, and unfinished fort at Sullivan's Island (now Fort Moultrie), and the British Fleet. |
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Famous People from South Carolina
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Whispering Bill Anderson songwriter, Columbia
Bernard Baruch statesman, Camden
Mary McLeod Bethune educator, Mayesville
James Godfather Brown singer, Barnwell
Joseph H. Burckhalter inventor, Columbia
James F. Byrnes senator, jurist, Charleston
John C. Calhoun statesman, Calhoun Mills
Joe Frazier prize fighter, Beaufort
Althea Gibson tennis champion, Silver
Dizzy Gillespie jazz trumpeter, Cheraw
DuBose Heyward poet, playwright, author, Charleston
Charlayne Hunter-Gault journalist, Due West
Andrew Jackson U.S. president, Waxhaw
Jesse Louis Jackson civil rights leader, Greenville
Eartha Kitt singer, North
Francis Swamp Fox Marion general, Berkeley County
Robert Evander McNair governor, Cades
Ronald McNair astronaut, Lake City
John Rutledge jurist, Charleston
Strom Thurmond politician, Edgefield
Charles Hard Townes physicist, Greenville
William Westmoreland army chief of staff, Spartanburg
Vanna White TV personality, North Myrtle Beach
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Here are a Few Great Things about Charleston
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Charleston has a long list of accolades and an even longer list of admirers. Here is a sample of some ratings that underscore why Charleston is loved by hosts of residents and visitors alike.
#1 Best Mannered City in America (etiquette expert Marjabelle Young Stewart)
#1 Favorite City by readers of Southern Living Magazine
#2 Best Retirement Cities (Macmillan Travel)
#2 Top Cities for Small Business (Entrepreneur and D&B)
#3 Best City for Family Vacations (Family Fun magazine - Disney publication )
#3 Best US City to Visit (Conde Nast)
#3 Best Retirement Place (AARP)
#3 Best Retirement Places (Retirement Places Rated)
#4 Top Ten Cities in the United States (Travel and Leisure Magazine)
#4 Best Places to Retire (Sperling’s Best Places)
#5 Best Places to Reinvent Your Life (AARP)
#6 Best Golf Town in America (Golf Digest)
Top 10 destinations in America (Conde Nast Traveler)
Reader’s Choice Awards from Southern Living Magazine: Dream Getaway, Historic Site, Romantic Getaway, and Weekend Getaway
Rated among Forbes “Finest Places”
Has 2 of the 100 greatest golf courses in the world (Golf Magazine)
“…among the nation's best” cities for golf (Golf Digest). |
Motto Dum Spiro Spero (While I breathe, I hope)
Nickname The Palmetto State
Admitted to the Union May 23, 1788 - the 8th State
Land Area 31,113 square miles - ranked 40th
Coastline 187 miles of coastline
Highest Point Sassafras Mountain - 3,560 feet above sea level
Lowest Point Sea level on the coastline
Highest Waterfall Raven Cliff Falls - 400 feet
Population 4 million
South Carolina Borders Atlantic Ocean, Georgia, North Carolina
Longest River Savannah River - 238 miles
Oldest College College of Charleston, est. 1785
Counties 46 counties
State Parks 46 state parks
New State Symbols The State Musical - The Spiritual The State Amphibian - Spotted Salamander
State Dance The Shag
Largest Counties by Area 1) Horry County 1,133 square miles 2) Orangeburg County 1,105 square miles 3) Berkely County 1,099 square miles
Smallest County by Area McCormick County
Largest County by Population 1) Greenville County 379,616 2) Richland County 320,677 3) Charleston County 309,969
Smallest County by Population McCormick County 9,958
Largest South Carolina Cities by Population (2000 census) 1) Columbia 116,278 2) Charleston 96,650 3) North Charleston 79,641 4) Greenville 56,002 5) Rock Hill 49,765
Top Agricultural Crops 1) Tobacco 2) Cotton 3) Soybeans
Annual Visitation 30 million visitors
Visitor Spending $7.3 billion |
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