Although small in land area, South Carolina boasts rich geographical diversity. From the mountains to the sea, from the Savannah River to the Pee Dee River, the state features an array of settings and habitats, all formed over long periods of geologic time and human history. Each stage of the state's history has witnessed the creation of a distinctive environment, and this book explores those changing landscapes and the effect they have on South Carolina today. The authors emphasize the spatial patterns of South Carolina's economic and cultural geography since the first humans occupied the area. The book is divided into three parts–the physical setting, the historical setting, and contemporary South Carolina–and concludes with the identification of ten regional subdivisions based on the state's human geography. In this manner, the book provides a panorama of a distinctive region, an area where Old South meets New South and where the landscape is a product of the state's long history.