South Carolina

South Carolina is a state in the Southern region of the United States. The Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that revolted against British rule in the American Revolution. It was the first state to secede from the Union to found the Confederate States of America. The state is named after King Charles I of England. As of 2004, the state's population is 4,198,068.

Demographics

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2003, South Carolina's population was estimated at 4,147,152 people.

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The racial makeup of the state is:

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• 66.1% White
• 29.5% Black
• 2.4% Hispanic
• 0.9% Asian
• 0.3% Native American
• 1.0% Mixed race

The five largest ancestry groups in South Carolina are African American (29.5%), American (13.9%), German (8.4%), English (8.4%), Irish (7.9%). It is probable that most of those claiming American ancestry are descended from the early Scots-Irish settlers of the upstate region.

Related Topics:
African American - American - German - English - Irish - Scots-Irish

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For most of its history, black slaves made up a large majority of South Carolina's population (as much as 75%). African-Americans still dominate most of the Lowcountry (especially the inland Lowcountry) and much of the Piedmont; areas where cotton, rice, and indigo plantations once dominated the landscape. Whites, primarily of American and British ancestry, live in much of the upstate and in certain urban and suburban areas.

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6.6% of South Carolina's population were reported as under 5, 25.2% under 18, and 12.1% were 65 or older.

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Females made up approximately 51.4% of the population.

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Religion

South Carolina, like most other Southern states, is overwhelmingly Protestant Christian, and has a significantly lower percentage of non-religious people than the national average. The religious affiliations of the people of South Carolina are as follows:

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• Christian – 92%
• Protestant – 84%
• Baptist – 45%
• Methodist – 15%
• Presbyterian – 5%
• Other Protestant – 19%
• Roman Catholic – 7%
• Other Christian – 1%
• Other Religions – 1%
• Non-Religious – 7%