South Carolina Geography

Location Borders Eastern border: Atlantic Ocean Northern border: North Carolina Southern and Western Border: Georgia

Location Regions Part of Southeastern Region with NC, GA, FL, TN, AL and MS Part of South (VA south to FL; west to TX Part of Deep South including VA, NC, SC, GA, AL, MS, FL, LA Size Appr. 30,000 square miles Smallest of Deep South states 40 th in size in US

Natural Land Regions Coastal Zone Land from Atlantic Ocean inland for about 10 miles –Divided into 3 parts Grand Strand: NC line to Winyah Bay Santee Delta: mouth of the Santee River Sea Islands: Santee Delta to the Savannah River into GA

Natural Land Regions Coastal Plain Largest of the regions: appr. 20,000 sq. mi. Land from Coastal Zone to Sandhills Nearly flat and featureless Divided into zones –Outer Coastal Plain: only difference is more hills in OCP –Inner Coastal Plain

Natural Land Regions Atlantic Coastal Plain Combo of the Coastal Zone and the Coastal Plain Aka “The Low Country” Features swamps, marshes, cypress forests, palmetto trees, and lazy rivers 187 miles of coastline

Natural Land Regions Sandhills Land from Coastal Zone to the Fall line Sand is present because this was the SC coast thousands of years ago Includes Aiken, Chesterfield, Kershaw, Richland, and Sumter and also Columbia

Natural Land Regions Piedmont Land from Fall line to the Blue Ridge Mountains Means “foot of the mountains” or “foothills” 2 nd largest region Some parts are fertile while others are rocky Features monadnocks including Paris Mountain and Table Rock Mountain Has oaks, hickory, and dogwood trees; abundant wildflowers Along with Blue Ridge, a.k.a. the “Up Country”

Natural Land Regions Blue Ridge Named for Blue Ridge Mountains Less than 2% of the state; extreme NW corner Elevations range from 1,400ft to more than 3,500 ft Mountains formed by metamorphic rock Highest SC mountain: Pinnacle Mtn. (3,435 ft)

SC’s Waterways Early South Carolinians Modern South Carolinians Major source of transportation between the coast and the fall line Trading posts accumulated along the fall line ex: Columbia Source of water, electrical power, and recreation

Major Rivers Pee Dee: begins in NC and empties into the Atlantic through Winyah Bay Santee –Largest SC river system –Begins in NC and empties into the Santee Delta –Two main arms are the Broad River and the Saluda River

Major Rivers Savannah –Forms in NC mountains –Only system in SC where large ships can travel for any distance Edisto –Series of rivers that drain between Charleston and Beaufort –Edisto is the largest *others include the Salkehatchie, the Coosawatchie, the Ashepoo, the Combahee, the Ashley, and the New

Lakes Most created when dams were built (electricity) Santee River System Savannah River System Lake Wateree (1919) Lake Wylie Lake Murray Lake Greenwood Lake Marion Lake Moultrie Lake Thurmond (Clarks Hill) Lake Hartwell Lake Keowee Lake Jocassee Lake Russell

Misc. Info Climate: mild, humid, subtropical Forests: 70% of SC is covered with trees and plants Animals -Early Settlers found bear, panther, wildcat, wolf, gray fox, deer, and beaver

Misc. Info Most Common Animals: white tailed deer, black and gray squirrel, raccoon, opossum, otter, skunk, rabbit Most Common Reptiles: lizards, frogs, toads, and turtles Most Common Snakes: copperhead, king, black, green, corn, water moccasin, rattlesnake