Flag of South Carolina

What the flag looks like

An indigo blue field with a white palmetto tree in the center and a white crescent in the upper hoist corner.

What it means

The crescent comes from the 1775 flag of Colonel William Moultrie's troops, and the palmetto recalls the palmetto-log fort that withstood a British fleet in 1776.

How to remember it

South Carolina is just a white palmetto tree and a crescent moon on indigo, no seal, no words.

Fun facts

• The soft palmetto logs of Fort Moultrie absorbed British cannonballs during the battle of Sullivan's Island in 1776.
• The palmetto tree was added in January 1861, weeks after South Carolina seceded from the Union.

South Carolina at a glance

Nickname

The Palmetto State

Statehood

1788

Capital

Columbia

Region

South Atlantic

Population

5.1 million

Area

82,933 km²

Flag adopted

1861