South Carolina is the southern portion of the original 1629 land grant made by England's King Charles I, which was named in his honor (Carolus is Latin for Charles). Settled by the English in 1670, South Carolina was based on a plantation culture with an aristocratic, wealthy society that was dependent on black slave labor. One of the original 13 colonies, South Carolina was first formed in 1729 when the Carolina colony was divided in two to form North and South Carolina. The attack on Fort Sumter in the Charleston harbor launched the Civil War. Today, South Carolina is a growing research center and banking state. South Carolina has retained many features of the South of pre-Civil War days. Graceful buildings, erected before the war, stand in Charleston, Beaufort and other cities. Large plantations, which were once the backbone of the South's economy, still remain in parts of South Carolina. The state's mountains, seashores and historic sites make the state an ideal vacationland.

GOVERNMENT
Capital: Columbia
Governor: Mark Sanford, R (to Jan. 2007)
Senators: Ernest Hollings, D (to Jan. 2005); Lindsey Graham, R (to Jan. 2009)
House of Representatives: 6 districts | Search by zip code

ECONOMY
Total Gross State Product 1999 (millions of dollars): 106,917; National rank: 28; Percent change since 1990: 62%; National Rank based on Growth Rate: 26 (Including Washington, DC)
Per Capita Personal Income 2001: $24,840; National Rank: 42 (82% of the national average)
State Exports 2001 (millions of dollars): 9,956; National Rank: 21
Agriculture: Tobacco, poultry, cattle, dairy products, soybeans, hogs.
Industry: Textile goods, chemical products, paper products, machinery, tourism.