South Carolina : Geographical Features

South Carolina is divided into two major regions - Upcountry lying within the Piedmont Plateau; the region to the southeast, called the low country, forming part of the Atlantic Coastal Plain. It is divided by the fall line that runs through the center of the state from Augusta, Georgia, to Columbia and then to Cheraw, near the North Carolina border. The rise of the land from ocean to the fall line is very gradual: Columbia, 120 mi (193 km) inland, is only 135 ft (41 m) above sea level. In the extreme northwest, the Blue Ridge Mountains cover about 500 sq mi (1,300 sq km). The highest elevation is at 3,560 ft (1,086 m), in Sassafras Mountain.

Among the many artificial lakes, mostly associated with electric power plants, is Lake Marion, the state's largest, covering 173 sq mi (48 sq km). Three river systems—the Pee Dee, Santee, and Savannah—drain most of the state.