| State Capitol | Columbia |
| Motto | Dum Spiro Spero ( While I breathe, I hope) |
| Land Area | 31,113 sq. miles-ranked 40th |
| Coastline | 187 miles of coastline |
| Population | 3.89 million-1999 estimate-ranked 25th |
| Longest River | Savannah River-238 miles |
| Oldest College | College of Charleston,est.1785 |
| Counties | 46 counties |
| State Parks | 46 state parks |
| Largest Counties by Area | 1. Horry County 1,133 sq. miles 2. Orangeburg County 1,105 sq. miles 3. Berkely County 1,099 sq. miles |
| Largest County by Population (1999 estimate) | 1. Greenville County 358,936
2. Charleston County 319,921 3. Richland County 307,279 |
| Largest South Carolina Cities by Population (1998 estimate) | 1. Columbia 110,840 2. Charleston 87,044 3. North Charleston 68,072 4. Greenville 56,436 5. Rock Hill 46,218 |
| Annual Visitation | 28.2 million visitors (1999 estimate |
| Visitor Spending | $7.1 billion (1999 estimate) |
How South Carolina Got It's Name
King Charles I of England granted the land on which South Carolina is located to Sir Robert Heath in 1629. The region was named Carolina, a word derived from the Latin form of Charles, in reference to King Charles. His son, King Charles II, changed the spelling of the regions name to Carolina in 163, when he gave the land to the eight Lords Proprietors. During the 17th century the land to the south, in this grant, came to be called South Carolina and the area to the north, North Carolina. The two sections remained a single colony until they separated in 1710.