It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia to the west and south across the Savannah River. South Carolina is the 40th-largest and 23rd-most populous U.
South Carolina is composed of 46 counties. The capital is Columbia with a population of , in ; [ 6 ] while its most populous city is Charleston with a population of , One of the original Thirteen Colonies , South Carolina became a royal colony in During the American Revolutionary War , South Carolina was the site of major activity among the American colonies, with more than battles and skirmishes fought within the state. Constitution on May 23, A slave state , it was the first state to vote in favor of secession from the Union on December 20, After the Civil War ended, the state was readmitted to the Union on July 9, During the early-to-mid 20th century, the state started to see economic progress as many textile mills and factories were built across the state.
The civil rights movement of the midth century helped end segregation and legal discrimination policies within the state.
Economic diversification in South Carolina continued to pick up speed during and in the ensuing decades after World War II. In the early 21st century, South Carolina's economy is based on industries such as aerospace , agribusiness , automotive manufacturing , and tourism. Within South Carolina from east to west are three main geographic regions, the Atlantic coastal plain , the Piedmont , and the Blue Ridge Mountains in the northwestern corner of Upstate South Carolina. South Carolina has primarily a humid subtropical climate , with hot, humid summers and mild winters.
Areas in the Upstate have a subtropical highland climate. Along South Carolina's eastern coastal plain are many salt marshes and estuaries. South Carolina's southeastern Lowcountry contains portions of the Sea Islands , a chain of barrier islands along the Atlantic Ocean.
