South Carolina

South Carolina is located in southeast United States. Three geographic regions cover the state. The Atlantic Coastal Plain (or the South Carolina Low Country) extends west from the Atlantic Ocean. The Atlantic Coastal Plains are swampy, flat and marked by rivers near the coast. The Coastal Plains are forested and lined with sandy hills as you move inland. The higher elevations and rolling hills of the Piedmont are located northwest of the Atlantic Coastal Plain. The more low-lying Blue Ridge Mountains cross northwest South Carolina with elevations reaching 3,000 ft.

South Carolina's economy is historically based on agriculture. Tobacco, poultry, cattle, dairy, soybeans and hogs are important agricultural products. Growth of the textile industry met an ill fate in the 1920s with the appearance of the boll weevil--sending many African Americans north in search of work. Textile and clothing industries are based in Piedmont and continue to be an important industry to the State, along with chemical products, paper products, machinery and tourism.