South Carolina, USA
South Carolina is a southeastern US state bordered to the north by North Carolina and to the southwest by Georgia, with the Atlantic Ocean to its southeast. It was one of the original states to ratify the US Constitution in 1788 and was the first to secede from the Union in 1860.
The Palmetto State's 32,020 square miles (82,933 sq km) encompass a broad coastal plain with rolling hills further inland. Its economy is bolstered by the textile manufacturing industry and tourism – the second largest industry – as well as agriculture, producing crops such as tobacco, soybeans and cotton.
The capital city of Columbia has a population estimated at 5,118,425 (2022 est.) 5,282,634, while the official state motto is “Animus Opibusque Parati (Prepared in Mind and Resources).” South Carolina also boasts three state symbols: the Carolina wren, wild turkey and wood duck; yellow jessamine and goldenrod are the designated flowers; and “Carolina” and “South Carolina on My Mind” are the official songs. The state has seven representatives in the US House of Representatives out of 435. It is served by the Eastern time zone (GMT − 5 hours).