| Capital city | Columbia |
| Population | 5,124,712 (2020) |
| Surface | 82,965 km² |
| Governor | Henry McMaster (R) |
| Member of the US since | 1788 |
South Carolina is one of the fifty states of the United States. The state is located in the southeast of the country. The abbreviation for South Carolina is SC. Its nickname is ‘The Palmetto State’. With 4,679,230 residents, South Carolina is the 23rd most populous state in the US. South Carolina borders the states of Georgia and North Carolina. The state is also located on the Atlantic Ocean. The capital of South Carolina is Columbia.
Towns
There are a number of cities in South Carolina. Here are the five largest.
Largest Cities in South Carolina
| Name | Inhabitants | County | |
| 1. | Columbia | 129,272 | Richland County |
| 2. | Charleston | 120.083 | Charleston County |
| 3. | North Charleston | 97,471 | Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester County |
| 4. | Mount Pleasant | 67,843 | Charleston County |
| 5. | Rock Hill | 66.154 | York County |
How many counties in South Carolina? The State of South Carolina comprises 46 counties.
Abbeville County, South Carolina
Aiken County, South Carolina
Allendale County, South Carolina
Anderson County, South Carolina
Bamberg County, South Carolina
Barnwell County, South Carolina
Beaufort County, South Carolina
Berkeley County, South Carolina
Calhoun County, South Carolina
Charleston County, South Carolina
Cherokee County, South Carolina
Chester County, South Carolina
Chesterfield County, South Carolina
Clarendon County, South Carolina
Colleton County, South Carolina
Darlington County, South Carolina
Dillon County, South Carolina
Dorchester County, South Carolina
Edgefield County, South Carolina
Fairfield County, South Carolina
Florence County, South Carolina
Georgetown County, South Carolina
Greenville County, South Carolina
Greenwood County, South Carolina
Hampton County, South Carolina
Horry County, South Carolina
Jasper County, South Carolina
Kershaw County, South Carolina
Lancaster County, South Carolina
Laurens County, South Carolina
Lee County, South Carolina
Lexington County, South Carolina
Marion County, South Carolina
Marlboro County, South Carolina
McCormick County, South Carolina
Newberry County, South Carolina
Oconee County, South Carolina
Orangeburg County, South Carolina
Pickens County, South Carolina
Richland County, South Carolina
Saluda County, South Carolina
Spartanburg County, South Carolina
Sumter County, South Carolina
Union County, South Carolina
Williamsburg County, South Carolina
York County, South Carolina
Fort Sumter National Monument
Fort Sumter, located in South Carolina, was where the American Civil War broke out in 1861. It was originally tasked with protecting Charleston Harbor and was part of the defense system. Together with Fort Moultrie and Pinckney Castle, it was built on a small island located at the mouth of Charleston Bay and is interesting for its pentagonal plan.
It was not even completed before the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1860, yet it was occupied by a Federal garrison under the command of Major Robert Anderson. This happened just six days after South Carolina seceded from the Union. Unionist troops led by Major Anderson refused to surrender the fort, so Confederate troops surrounded it. Therefore, on March 12, 1861, at 4 a.m., the first shots were fired that started the civil war.
The crew consisting of 73 men resisted incessant enemy fire for 34 long hours. It was only when the fort caught fire and then the gunpowder store exploded that the army was forced to surrender. After this incident, President Abraham Lincoln had 75,000 volunteers called to arms to defend the Union on March 15.
Ownership of the Charleston fortifications was a major point of contention between the South Carolina and US governments. At that time, four more states seceded from the Union – Virginia, Tennessee, Arkansas and North Carolina.
Greenville
Greenville is the county seat of Greenville County and is located in the north of the state of South Carolina. It is also one of the main cities of the Greenville-Mauldin-Easley Metropolitan Statistical Area, where a total of over 600,000 people live. The city lies roughly halfway between the cities of Atlanta, Georgia and Charlotte, North Carolina.
Greenville offers many activities and attractions, is full of theaters and also hosts major concerts. In the West End area lies the Falls Park on the Reedy, which is unadorned with beautiful gardens and several waterfalls. The park is also home to the Liberty Bridge, which was built here in 2004. This suspension bridge is designed for pedestrians and offers a beautiful view of the Reedy River. It cost $13.4 million to build.
You can visit a number of interesting places in the city. The Greenville County Museum of Arf specializes in American art dating back to the 1700s. You’ll find a well-known collection of works by Andrew Wyeth and Jasper Johns, as well as modern collections by Andy Warhol, Georgia O’Keeffee and others. The Bob Johns University Museum is located on the campus of the university of the same name and houses a collection of religious art. Cleveland Park is home to the Greenville Zoo. The Roper Mountain Science Center, home to the largest planetarium in South Carolina, is undoubtedly an interesting place. Furman University’s campus is home to the Bell Tower, which is the largest in the Southeast. You can also see a beautiful Japanese garden in the area.
South Carolina Interstate 126
| I-126 | |||
| Get started | Columbia | ||
| End | Columbia | ||
| Length | 4 mi | ||
| Length | 6 km | ||
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Interstate 126 or I -126 is a short Interstate Highway in the US state of South Carolina. The freeway connects the center of the capital Columbia with Interstate 26 over a length of 6 kilometers.
Travel directions
I-126 begins on the northwest side of downtown Columbia from the secondary road network. One then crosses the mouth of the Broad River, immediately north of its confluence with the Saluda River to the great Congaree River. I-126 initially has 2×4 lanes, later 4+3 lanes, before finally losing one lane at the interchange with Interstate 26, after which I-126 smoothly becomes I-26 heading north.
History
I-126 was constructed in 1959 as a spur from I-26 to downtown Columbia and opened to traffic in May 1961. The highway was originally 2×2 lanes, but was widened to 2×3 to 2×4 lanes circa 1980, with a second bridge over the Broad River.
Traffic intensities
50,000 vehicles drive daily near the center, rising to 73,000 vehicles in the west of the city and 65,000 vehicles continue on to I-26.
