South Carolina is a state in the southeastern United States which borders the Atlantic Ocean. South Carolina has been a primarily agricultural state until the early 20th century when manufacturing came into the picture alongside agriculture became the leading economic activities. South Carolina was the eighth state to ratify the Constitution of the United States on May 23, 1788. Columbia is its capital and largest city.

Back in the colonial days, the state was part of the vast land that Charles I, king of England, gave to Sir Robert Heath in 1629. The land was named “Carolana,” derived from the Latin form of Charles, but Charles II, changed it in 1663 to “Carolina.” It was named South Carolina in the 17th century as was the land to its north called North Carolina; they were a single colony until the British decided in 1729 to divide it into two. Today, however, the two areas are still sometimes referred to as the Carolinas. Palmetto State is South Carolina’s unofficial but most popular nickname, named so after the tree which grows abundantly in the state’s coastal areas and which is depicted in its state flag

Tourist attractions in South Carolina include Cheraw State Park in the northeast, which contains a championship golf course, and Table Rock State Park. General Thomas Sumter Historical Site in Stateburg, houses the grave of American Revolutionary leader Thomas Sumter. Old Dorchester near Summerville is a historical state park settled by colonists from Massachusetts in 1696. The Andrew Jackson Historical State Park in Lancaster is the region in which the seventh United States president was born. There are many famous gardens in the state: the Magnolia Gardens in the Charleston area found on a 17th-century plantation; and, the Middleton Gardens, which are the oldest gardens landscaped in North America.