Name: ______________________________________
Test Date: _______________________
SC Regions Study Guide
Key Vocabulary:
1. Region: An area made up of places that have things in common.
2. Mountainous: Having many mountains.
3. Water Power: The power of flowing water especially when used to generate electricity and run machinery.
4. Textile Industry: A group of companies that make cloth.
5. Fall Line (fall zone): Separates the Piedmont and Sand Hills region. The rivers
above the Fall Line are swift moving and choppy. The rivers below the Fall
Line are slow moving and smooth.
6. Timbering: Cutting down trees to use for various products.
Fall Line
7. Agriculture: Raising crops and animals for food.
8. Barrier Island: A long narrow island that is parallel to the mainland. A barrier
island helps protect the shore from being worn away by the action of the ocean’s waves.
9. Harbor: A sheltered area of water where boats can be anchored.
10. Marshlands: An area largely consisting of marshes or swamps.
11. Swamp: A flooded forest.
12. Marsh: A low, wet area, often thick with tall grasses.
13. Tourism: Travelling usually for sightseeing or relaxing.
14. Carolina Bays: Shallow, oval-shaped low spots that can form
swamps or dry grasslands. Some bays have been drained to
use as farmland.
15. Monadnock (muh-NAD-nok): An isolated hill of bedrock rising
above the general level of the surrounding area. “Lone
mountains” left as remnants of mountain chains. Some of
SC’s monadnocks include: Little Mountain, Table Rock,
Caesar’s Head, Glassy Mountain, and Paris Mountain.
16. Plain: A flat area of land.
17. Dunes: Mounds or hills of sand built up by the action of wind.
Monadnock
Key Concepts:
 Greenville
 Myrtle
Beach
 Summerville
 Charleston
1. South Carolina is located in the southeastern
portion of the United States. It is bordered by
North Carolina, Georgia, and the Atlantic Ocean.
 Notice the Legend: dotted lines show the
state boundaries, solid lines show county
boundaries, and a star shows the state
capital.
 Greenville: Near rapid rivers flowing from
the Blue Ridge Mountains.
 Charleston: A port city.
 Myrtle Beach: A center for tourism.
 Columbia: South Carolina’s state capital.
Name: ______________________________________
Test Date: _______________________
2. Blue Ridge Region: is mountainous,
has many hardwood forests, streams,
and waterfalls. It is the smallest
region and includes the state’s
highest point—Sassafras Mountain.
South Carolina’s mountains are part
of the Appalachian Mountains.
3. Piedmont Region: the foothills of
the mountains (Piedmont means
“foot of the mountains”). This region
includes rolling hills and many
valleys. The Piedmont was once a
productive farming area, but poor
farming practices led to the erosion
of the topsoil. The red clay that was
left is not good for farming.
However, this land is productive for
the farming of peaches. Waterfalls
and swift flowing rivers provided the
water power for early mills and the
textile industry. This region contains
many monadnocks.
4. Sand Hills Region: in ancient times this region was the seacoast. Therefore it includes relatively flat lands
with sandy soil that is not good for growing crops. The Sand Hills region follows the fall zone of the state’s
rivers where a drop in elevation results in rapids.
5. Inner and Outer Coastal Plains Regions: these regions make up two-thirds of South Carolina. Large stands of
trees promote the development of timbering in the region. Well-drained soil, sufficient annual rainfall, and a
long growing season promotes agriculture, such as the cotton and soybeans. In addition to grasslands, the
Coastal Plains contains man-made lakes, marshlands, swamps, and Carolina Bays.
6. Coastal Zone Region: is a ten mile wide stretch of land from the Atlantic coast inland. It includes barrier
islands that protect the coast from erosion due to tides and storms. The Coastal Zone includes a number of
natural harbors. It also includes marshes that were used for growing rice during the 1700s. Today, the region
relies heavily on the tourism industry which includes historic sites, golf, and the beach itself. The port of
Charleston is one of the busiest on the east coast of the United States.
7. Many people throughout history refer to portions of the state as either being in the Upcountry or the
Lowcountry. The Upcountry refers to land north of the Fall Line that bisects the Sand Hills region and includes
the Blue Ridge and Piedmont regions. The Lowcountry refers to land south of the Fall Line and includes the
Inner Coastal Plain, Outer Coastal Plain, and the Coastal Zone. These terms are often used in place of the
landform regions throughout history. Today, the state is often split into the Upstate (Blue Ridge and
Piedmont), Midlands (Sand Hills and Inner Coastal Plain), and Lowcountry (Outer Coastal Plain and Coastal
Zone).