South Carolina (U.S. state)

State of South Carolina
Flag Seal
Nickname(s): The Palmetto State
Motto(s): Dum spiro spero* (Latin), While I Breathe I Hope Animis opibusque parati† (Latin), Prepared in Mind and Resources
Official language	English
Demonym	South Carolinian
Capital (and largest city)	Columbia
Largest metro	Greenville
Area	Ranked 40th
• Total	32,020 sq mi (82,931 km2)
• Width	200 miles (320 km)
• Length	260 miles (420 km)
• % water	6
• Latitude	32° 2′ N to 35° 13′ N
• Longitude	78° 32′ W to 83° 21′ W
Population	Ranked 23rd
• Total	4,961,119 (2016 est)
• Density	155/sq mi  (60.0/km2) Ranked 19th
• Median household income	$46,360 (44th)
Elevation
• Highest point	Sassafras Mountain 3,560 ft (1,085 m)
• Mean	350 ft  (110 m)
• Lowest point	Atlantic Ocean sea level
Before statehood	Province of South Carolina
Admission to Union	May 23, 1788 (8th)
Governor	Henry McMaster (R)
Lieutenant Governor	Kevin Bryant (R)
Legislature	General Assembly
• Upper house	Senate
• Lower house	House of Representatives
U.S. Senators	Lindsey Graham (R) Tim Scott (R)
U.S. House delegation	5 Republicans 1 Democrat 1 vacant (list)
Time zone	Eastern: UTC -5/-4
ISO 3166	US-SC
Abbreviations	SC, S.C.
Website	www.sc.gov

South Carolina state symbols
The Flag of South Carolina
The Seal of South Carolina
Living insignia
Amphibian	Salamander
Bird	Carolina wren
Butterfly	Eastern tiger swallowtail
Fish	Striped bass
Flower	Yellow jessamine
Insect	Carolina Mantis
Mammal	White-tailed deer
Reptile	Loggerhead Sea Turtle
Tree	Sabal palmetto
Inanimate insignia
Beverage	Milk
Dance	Carolina shag
Fossil	Columbian mammoth Mammuthus columbi
Mineral	Amethyst
Rock	Blue granite
Shell	Lettered olive
Song	"Carolina", "South Carolina On My Mind"
State route marker
State quarter
Released in 2000
Lists of United States state symbols

South Carolina ⁱ/ˌsaʊθ kærəˈlaɪnə/ is a state in the southeastern region of the United States. The state is bordered to the north by North Carolina, to the south and west by Georgia across the Savannah River, and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean.

South Carolina became the eighth state to ratify the U.S. Constitution, doing so on May 23, 1788. South Carolina became the first state to vote to secede from the Union on December 20, 1860. After the American Civil War, it was readmitted into the United States on June 25, 1868.

South Carolina is the 40th most extensive and the 23rd most populous U.S. state. Its GDP as of 2013 was $183.6 billion, with an annual growth rate of 3.13%. South Carolina comprises 46 counties. The capital and largest city is Columbia with a 2013 population of 133,358; the Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin metropolitan area had a 2013 population of 850,965.