South Carolina, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, is 40th largest state and was the first state to secede from the Union at the start of the American Civil War. South Carolina is well known as a prime development area for the visual and performing arts. The annual Spoleto Festival USA, one of the largest art festivals in the country, is held in South Carolina.
Like many southern states South Carolina has a strong agricultural history and continues to produce agricultural products alongside manufacturing, particularly automotive manufacturing, as primary components of the state’s economy. Tourism to the state’s historic sites and Atlantic beaches also contributes to South Carolina’s economic output. In recent years aircraft manufacturing in the state has steadily increased as labor markets shift across the United States.
South Carolina’s population is fairly even around the state with large concentrations in the northwest corner near the North Carolina state line at Greenville as well as around Columbia and Charleston.