South Carolina, also know as the Palmetto State, covers 31,055 square miles (80,432 Square Kilometers). Located on the Southeastern coast of the United States between North Carolina and Georgia, it is one of the smallest southern states. Though small in size it is large in its geographic variety. Sandy beaches and subtropical islands along the coast, vast pine forest, and mountainous peaks in the northwest. The state is divided into three physical regions; the Atlantic Coastal Plain or Lowcountry in the southeast, the Peidmont or Midlands through the middle of the state, and the Blue Ridge or Upcountry in the northwest. The Lowcountry covers about two-thirds of the state and is generally flat with many swamps and marshes. Within the Midlands there is a "fall line" where waterfalls and rapids can be found as the Upland rivers descend to the Lowcountry. The Upcountry is located in the extreme northwestern part of the state. It is here you will find forested mountains and deep valleys including the states highest point, Sassafras Mountain which peaks at 3,560 feet above sea level.
One of the original 13 states, South Carolina declared itself an independent state on July 4, 1776, and was the eighth state to ratify the United States Constitution in May of 1788. Several famous battles were fought here during the Revolutionary War. The successful defense of Fort Moultrie near Charleston was the first victory for the Continental Army in 1776.
South Carolina was also the first state to secede from the Union. The first shot of the Civil War was Confederate forces fireing on Union troops at Fort Sumter in Charleston harbor in 1860. The state was readmitted to the Union in 1868. Below you can see a picture of Meeting Street in downtown Charleston taken in 1865, below that a picture of the same street taken in 1996.
