The name Columbia is a poetic term used for the United States, derived from the name of Christopher Columbus. In 1860, the city was the location of the South Carolina Secession Convention, which marked the departure of the first state from the Union in the events leading up to the Civil War.

South Carolina is named in honor of King Charles I of England, who first formed the English colony, with Carolus being Latin for "Charles".

When it comes to fishing in South Carolina, stick to the rod and reel. You can find yourself in handcuffs if you use a yo-yo or dynamite to bring in the catch. Also, buying or selling an electric eel will land you in hot water. And it's illegal to possess a walking catfish.

The official nickname for South Carolina is The Palmetto State, referring to the state tree, the sabal palmetto (Inodes Palmetto). The Palmetto is rooted in historical significance dating back to June 28, 1776, during the Revolutionary War, when the British fleet's attack on Sullivan's Island was repulsed. Fort Sullivan was built of palmetto logs, and the wood proved so resilient that British cannonballs either sank into the wood or bounced off, making the fort impenetrable.

The world's largest fire hydrant is possibly the best known work by South Carolina artist Blue Sky. Located in Columbia, the oversized hydrant stands almost 40 feet tall and weighs 675,000 pounds. It was designed to look tilted and broken, as if it had been knocked cockeyed by a giant truck. Water initially sprayed up at random angles from its base (it was meant to be a fountain) but the pumps gradually failed, and the water was reduced to a trickle until it was finally shut off in 2012.

At the time Europeans arrived, marking the end of the Pre-Columbian era around 1600, there were many separate Native American tribes, the largest being the Cherokee and the Catawba, and the total population being up to 20,000.

It was the bombardment of Fort Sumter near Charleston, South Carolina by the South Carolina militia (the Confederate Army did not yet exist) and the return gunfire and subsequent surrender by the United States Army, that started the American Civil War.

Just outside the city of Charleston resides one of the country's oldest living trees--the Angel Oak. Located on the beautiful Johns Island, this live oak is estimated to be around 500 years old and produces shade that covers 17,200 square feet (1,600 m²). Local folklore tells stories of ghosts of former slaves appearing as angels around the tree.

Morgan Island is one of the Sea Islands, located in Beaufort County, South Carolina, just north of Beaufort. It is also known as Monkey Island due to its colony of more than 3,000 free-ranging rhesus monkeys, established in 1979. Although the island is inaccessible to humans, tourists can take a boat out near the colony and catch a glimpse of the monkeys from a distance.

On July 14, 1988 the Lee County sheriff's office investigated a report of a car damaged overnight while parked outside Bishopville, South Carolina, on the edges of the Scape Ore Swamp. The car reportedly had toothmarks and scratches with hair and muddy footprints left behind. Prompted by the news of the vehicle damage, 17-year-old local Christopher Davis reported to the sheriff that his car was damaged by a creature he described as a seven-foot-tall, green and scaly, with three fingers and red eyes. Local businesses began selling "Lizard Man" T-shirts, and the area soon became a tourist attraction for visitors and hunters.