South Carolina is a state in the southeast United States. Its capital city is Columbia, and its most populous city is Charleston. The population of the state is about 5.2 million people, ranked 23rd in the United States. South Carolina has an area of 32,030 square miles, making it the 40th largest state in the United States.
Other important cities in South Carolina are Greenville, Spartanburg, Anderson, Sumter, and Florence.
Major landforms include beaches, "barrier islands", salt marsh, sandhills, rolling piedmont, and the Blue Ridge Mountains. Because of its natural beauty, the state attracts many tourists, especially to Myrtle Beach, Charleston, and Hilton Head Island. South Carolina became a state in 1788. The economy was agriculture-based, known for cotton, rice, indigo, and tobacco by African American slaves. After the American Civil War, the state lost much of its political and economic power. Towards the end of the 20th century, the state began to strengthen its economy and add population. Today, the major industries are tourism, textiles (clothing materials), golf, and manufacturing. South Carolina has the second highest number of workers employed by international companies per capita in the United States.
South Carolina is bounded to the north by North Carolina, to the south and west by Georgia, located across the Savannah River, and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean.