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Columbia, South Carolina

Columbia, South Carolina

Columbia is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2000 Census, it has a population of 116,278. It is the county seat of Richland County, but a small portion of the city is located in Lexington County. The estimated population for the then two-county metropolitan area (Richland and Lexington) was 516,251 in 1999. In June 2003 the United States Census Bureau added four more counties — Fairfield, Calhoun, Kershaw, and Saluda — to Columbia's standard metropolitan statistical area. This boosted the metropolitan area's population to 679,456 — the 71st largest metropolitan statistical area in the nation and the largest in South Carolina. The 2004 estimated Columbia-Newberry consolidated statistical area population is 716,665. Columbia's daily newspaper is [http://www.thestate.com The State] and its alternative newspapers include [http://www.columbiametro.com Columbia Metropolita Magazine], [http://www.thecolumbiastar.com The Columbia Star], [http://www.free-times.com/ The Free Times], and the [http://www.scblackmedia.com/ SC Black News]. Columbia is home to the headquarters and production facilities of ETV (and ETV Radio), the state's public television and public radio networks. The city and its surroundings are served by Columbia Metropolitan Airport. Major highways serving Columbia include I-26, I-77, I-20, I-126, U.S. 1, U.S. 21, U.S. 176, U.S. 321, and U.S. 378. Columbia is home to the Columbia Inferno of the ECHL.

History

ECHL For nearly a century before the creation of Columbia by the General Assembly in 1786, the site of Columbia was important to the overall development of the state. The Congarees, a frontier fort on the west bank of the Congaree River, was the head of navigation in the Santee River system. A ferry was established by the colonial government in 1754 to connect the fort with the growing settlements on the higher ground on the east bank. State Senator John Lewis Gervais of Ninety Six introduced a bill that was approved by the legislature on March 22, 1786 to create a new state capital. There was considerable argument over the name for the new city. One legislator insisted on the name Washington, but Columbia won out by a vote of 11-7 in the state Senate. The site was chosen as the new state capital in 1786, due to its central location in the state. State legislature first met there in 1790. After remaining under the direct government of the legislature for the first two decades of its existence, Columbia was incorporated as a village in 1805 and then as a city in 1854. Columbia received a large stimulus to development when it was connected in a direct water route to Charleston, by the Santee Canal. This canal connected the Santee and Cooper Rivers in a 22-mile section. It was first chartered in 1786 and completed in 1800, making it one of the earliest canals in the United States. With increased railroad traffic, it ceased operation around 1850. The commissioners designed a town of 400 Blocks in a two-mile square along the river. The blocks were divided into half-acre lots and sold to speculators and prospective residents. Buyers had to build a house at least 30 feet long and 18 feet wide within three years or face an annual 5 percent penalty. The perimeter streets and two through streets were 150 feet wide. The remaining squares were divided by thoroughfares 100 feet wide. The width was determined by the belief that the dangerous and pesky mosquitoes could not fly more than 60 feet without dying of starvation along the way. Columbians still enjoy most of the magnificent network of wide streets. The commissioners comprised the local government until 1797 when a Commission of Streets and Markets was created by the General Assembly. Three main issues occupied most of their time: public drunkenness, gambling and poor sanitation. As the second planned city in the United States, Columbia began to grow rapidly. Its population was nearing 1,000 shortly after the turn of the century. Columbia received its first charter as a town in 1805. An intendent and six wardens would govern the town. John Taylor was the first elected intendent. He later served in both houses of the General Assembly, both houses of Congress and eventually as governor of the state. By 1816, there were 250 homes in the town and a population over 1,000. Columbia became chartered as a city in 1854, with an elected mayor and six aldermen. Two years later, they had a police force consisting of a full-time chief and nine patrolmen. The city continued to grow at a rapid pace. On February 17, 1865, during the American Civil War, much of Columbia was destroyed by fire while being occupied by Union troops under the command of General William Tecumseh Sherman. Controversy surrounding the burning of the city started soon after the war ended. General Sherman blamed the high winds and retreating Confederate soldiers for firing bales of cotton, which had been stacked in the streets. General Sherman denied ordering the burning, though he did order militarily significant structures, such as the Confederate Printing Plant, destroyed. First-hand accounts by local residents, Union soldiers and a newspaper reporter offer a sinister tale of revenge by Union troops for Columbia's and South Carolina's pivotal role in leading Southern states to secede from the Union. Today, tourists can follow the path General Sherman's army took to enter the city and see structures or remnants of structures that survived the fire. William Tecumseh Sherman Columbia had no paved streets until 1908, when 17 blocks of Main Street were surfaced. There were, however, 115 publicly maintained street crossings at intersections to keep pedestrians from having to wade through a sea of mud between wooden sidewalks. As an experiment, Washington Street was once paved with wooden blocks. This proved to be the source of much local amusement when they buckled and floated away during heavy rains. The blocks were replaced with asphalt paving in 1925. The first paid firemen were hired in 1903. A car was purchased for the chief that same year, evidently the first vehicle owned by the city. In 1934, the federal courthouse at Main and Laurel was purchased by the city for use as City Hall. Built of granite from nearby Winnsboro, Columbia City Hall is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Designed by Alfred Bult Millet, President Ulysses S. Grant's federal architect, the building was completed in 1876. Mullet, best known for his design of the Executive Office Building in Washington, D.C., had originally designed the building with a clock tower. Large cost overruns probably caused it to be left out. Copies of Mullet's original drawings can be seen on the walls of City Hall alongside historic photos of Columbia's beginnings.

Geography

Columbia is located at 34°1'1" North, 81°0'38" West (34.017105, -81.010759)1. Autumn, winter and spring are mild, with occasional winter nights below freezing but rarely extended cold. The city is at its most beautiful in the spring when masses of azaleas and other spring flowers bloom. Summers can be very hot, and the city, like other cities of the southeast, is prone to atmospheric inversions, which trap ozone and other pollutants over the area. One of Columbia's most interesting geographical features is its fall line, which is a boundary between an upland region and a coastal plain across which rivers from the upland region drop to the plain as falls or rapids. Columbia grew up at the fall line of the Congaree River which was the farthest inland point of river navigation. The energy of falling water also powered Columbia's early mills. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 330.8 km² (127.7 mi²). 324.3 km² (125.2 mi²) of it is land and 6.4 km² (2.5 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 1.95% water.

Colleges and universities

mi² Columbia is home to the main campus of the state's flagship university, the University of South Carolina, which was chartered in 1801 as South Carolina College and in 1906 as the University of South Carolina. The university has 350 degree programs and enrolls more than 25,500 students throughout 15 degree-granting colleges and schools. It is an urban university, located in downtown Columbia. The school has a world-renowned international business program, ranking No. 1 in the nation for its undergraduate international business program and No. 2 for its graduate international business program in the 2006 U.S. News & World Report college and graduate school guides. Columbia is also home to:
- Benedict College - Founded in 1870, Benedict is an independent co-educational college. Benedict is one of the fastest growing of the 39 United Negro College Fund schools. In addition to an increase in enrollment, Benedict has also seen an increase in average SAT scores, Honors College enrollee rates, capital giving dollars, and the number of research grants awarded.
- Columbia College - Founded in 1854, Columbia College is a private, four-year, liberal arts college for women with a coeducational Evening College and Graduate School. The College has been ranked since 1994 by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top ten regional liberal arts colleges in the South.
- Allen University - Allen University was founded in 1870 by the African Methodist Episcopal Church. It has a distinguished history and is widely recognized for its development of African-Americans who have made significant achievements and contributions in varied areas of specialization, nationally and internationally.
- Columbia International University - Columbia International University is a biblically based, private Christian institution committed to preparing men and women to know Christ and to make him known. Founded in 1923, CIU is recognized as having one of the leading ministry training programs in the world.
- Midlands Technical College - Midlands Tech is part of the nation's most renowned technical education system. It is a two-year, comprehensive, public, community college, offering a wide variety of programs in career education, four-year college-transfer options, and continuing education. Small classes, individualized instruction, and student support services are provided. Most of the college's teaching faculty holds masters and doctoral degrees.
- [http://www.ltss.edu/ Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary] - This institution, founded in 1830, is a seminary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. One of the oldest Lutheran seminaries in North America, Southern is a fully accredited graduate school of theology preparing women and men for the ordained and lay ministries of the church. The beautiful wooded 17-acre campus is situated atop Seminary Ridge in Columbia, highest point in the Midlands area (midstate), near the center of South Carolina's capital city.

Downtown revitalization

Midlands Midlands In recent years, Columbia has been experiencing a downtown renaissance that shows no signs of slowing down in the near future. The most impressive redevelopment has occurred in the [http://www.vistacolumbia.com/ historic Congaree Vista], a 1200-acre district in the heart of the city. This historic area features a high concentration of historic buildings, which have been rehabilitated with contemporary flair. Of note is the adaptive reuse of the Confederate Printing Plant, which was used to print Confederate money, bonds, and handbills during the American Civil War, into a Publix grocery store, making Columbia one of only three cities in the Carolinas to have a downtown full-service grocery store. The grocery store garnered Columbia the 2005 Special Achievement Award for Economic Development from the International Downtown Association. Restaurants and bars, art galleries and museums, unique shops and professional office space, sporting arenas and entertainment venues add up to make the Congaree Vista popular with area residents and visitors. The Colonial Center is the largest arena in the state and is home to the University of South Carolina's men's and women's basketball teams. Another significant asset in the Vista is the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center, which opened in mid-2004. This state of the art facility contains nearly 150,000 square feet of exhibit, classroom and ballroom space, and has brought much new convention and meeting business to the Vista area, even exceeding the expectations of city leaders in its first year of operation. Construction on a new Hilton convention center hotel is underway, along with an 800 space parking garage. A significant portion of the Three Rivers Greenway is located in the Congaree Vista, and the University of South Carolina's [http://www.sc.edu/research/ Innovista Research Campus] will stretch across the historic district on over 200 acres. Main Street, Lady Street, and the [http://www.fivepointscolumbia.com Five Points] neighborhood are all undergoing beautification projects, conducted block by block, replacing curbs and gutters, adding brick pavers for sidewalks, angled parking, new street lights, plantings and site furnishings. Special efforts have been aimed at Main Street, which was once the center of the city's activity but suffered decline, like many other cities, due to retailers and shoppers moving out to suburban malls. The goal is to re-establish Main Street as a vibrant commercial and residential corridor. Thus far, efforts have been successful. The Meridian building, a 17-story $62 million office tower was completed in 2004 and [http://firstcitizensonline.com/ First Citizens] bank, which is the second-largest bank in the state, is in the process of completing a new $40 million, 170,000 square foot headquarters tower on Main Street. The historic Palmetto Building, also on Main Street, is presently undergoing renovations, preparing to become a five-star Sheraton hotel. Along with recent residential development, Main Street is beginning to enjoy a renewed surge in popularity in Columbia. The Congaree Vista district and Main Street aren't the only areas in downtown benefiting from new residential development. The 178-acre former state mental hospital’s central campus, located on Bull Street, is the last and largest tract of land to come available in urban Columbia in decades. The state of South Carolina has plans to sell the site--which represents a huge opportunity for the city of Columbia. The vision is a hallmark of new urbanism, the architectural movement that focuses on higher-density residential development interspersed with green space, offices and retail. For this future development, 1,300 residential units and 500,000 square feet of retail and office space are planned. The new Bull Street neighborhood also would feature a “town center” of stores and shops near its main entrance at Bull Street and Elmwood Avenue. This project is expected to have a rather significant economic impact on the city of Columbia--something unlike the city has seen within the past 50 years, according to the [http://www.cccfsc.org Central Carolina Community Foundation]’s Bull Street Committee, which will oversee the project.

Economy

new urbanism Columbia has quite a diversified economy, with the major employers in the area being South Carolina state government, the [http://www.palmettohealth.org/ Palmetto Health] hospital system, [http://www.southcarolinablues.com/bcbs/bcbs_redo.nsf Blue Cross Blue Shield of SC], and the University of South Carolina. Columbia is also home to the headquarters of [http://www.scana.com SCANA], a Fortune 500 company which supplies energy to the Carolinas. Other major employers in the Columbia area include Fort Jackson, the U.S. Army's largest training installation, [http://www.richlandone.org/ Richland School District One], Humana/TriCare, and the United Parcel Service, which operates its Southeastern Regional Hub at the Columbia Metropolitan Airport. Major manufacturers such as Square D, SMI Steel, Spirax Sarco, Michelin, International Paper, Pirelli Cables, Honeywell, Westinghouse Electric, Harsco Track Tech, Trane Intertape Polymer Group, Union Switch & Signal, Solectron, and Bose Corporation Technology have facilities in Columbia. The business climate in the Columbia region is a very solid one. There are over 70 foreign affiliated companies and fourteen Fortune 500 companies in the region. [http://www.coloniallife.com/home/ Colonial Life Supplemental Insurance], the second-largest supplemental insurance company in the nation, is headquartered in Columbia. Columbia also serves as the home of [http://www.siemensvdo.com/aboutus/ Siemens VDO Automotive Powertrain Diesel Systems North America] headquarters, which is a leading international automotive supplier of electronics and mechatronics. [http://www.firstcitizensonline.com First Citizens] bank, the second largest bank in the state, is currently in the process of constructing a new headquarters tower downtown. Columbia's economy is set to be revolutionized within the next few years with the establishment of the University of South Carolina's research campus, dubbed [http://www.sc.edu/research/innovista/ Innovista]. Spreading out over 200 acres in the historic Congaree Vista district downtown and combining 5 million square feet of research labs, office space, mixed-use retail and affordable residential housing, research will be aimed at the emerging technologies and intellectual clusters—biomedical, environmental, nanotechnology, and future fuels—that companies will find extremely valuable in the global economy. Phase I of the campus is presently under construction and is slated to be completed in late 2007 or early 2008. Many reputable publications and institutes recognize the strength and potential of the city's economy. [http://www.entrepreneur.com Entrepreneur.com, Inc.] listed Columbia 8th of 50 mid-sized metropolitan areas nationwide in its Entrepreneur and NPRC's [http://www.entrepreneur.com/bestcities/0,5271,498-Midsize,00.html 2005 Hot Cities for Entrepreneurs] rankings. [http://www.expansionmanagement.com Expansion Management], a high profile company dedicated to helping companies evaluate future locations, recently named Columbia as one of America's top business opportunity metros out of 70 metropolitan areas nationwide. The company also ranked Columbia 21st in its "America's 50 Hottest Cities" list for business expansions and relocations. POLICOM, a company that specializes in studying the dynamics of local economies, ranked the Columbia metropolitan region 54th of the 361 U.S. Census Bureau-designated metropolitan statistical areas nationwide in its 2004 [http://www.policom.com/EconomicStrength2004.pdf economic strength rankings]. In [http://www.forbes.com/2005/05/05/05bestplaces.html Forbes] 2005 "Best Places for Business and Careers" list, Columbia ranked 68th of 150 metropolitan areas over 345,000.

People and culture

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there are 116,278 people in the city proper, organized into 42,245 households, and 22,136 families. The population density is 358.5/km² (928.6/mi²). There are 46,142 housing units at an average density of 142.3/km² (368.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 49.22% White, 45.98% Black or African American, 1.73% Asian, 0.25% Native American, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 1.36% from other races, and 1.36% from two or more races. 3.03% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. There are two synagagues in Columbia which are located within a few hundred yards of each other on the same street. At last count, there are 661 places of worship in the city. 42,245 households out of which 25.4% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 31.5% are married couples living together, 17.6% have a female householder with no husband present, and 47.6% are classified as "nonfamilies", which consist of persons living alone, roommate situations, and other non-traditional families. 37.0% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.8% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.21 and the average family size is 2.97. In the city the population is spread out with 20.1% under the age of 18, 22.9% from 18 to 24, 30.1% from 25 to 44, 16.6% from 45 to 64, and 10.3% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 29 years. For every 100 females there are 96.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 93.4 males. Some notable Columbians include; Julian Harris, Trevor Weatherhead, Jay Knisley, and Brian Bellinger.

Neighborhoods

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- [http://www.columbiadevelopment.org/arsenal_cdc.asp?sub1=nd&sub2=ah Arsenal Hill]
- [http://www.midnet.sc.edu/cottontown/ Cottontown/Bellevue Historic District]
- [http://www.columbiasc.net/cofc_aac_neighborhood_earlewood.html Earlewood]
- [http://www.eauclairecommunity.com/ Eau Claire]
- [http://www.historicelmwoodpark.org/ Elmwood Park]
- [http://www.forest-hills.org/ Forest Hills]
- Granby Mill Village
- Heathwood
- [http://www.midnet.sc.edu/hrhna/ Hollywood-Rose Hill]
- [http://www.oldshandon.org/ Old Shandon]
- Olympia Mill Village
- [http://www.rosewoodcommunity.net/ Rosewood]
- [http://www.columbiasc.net/neighborhoods/sherwoodforest/sforest.htm Sherwood Forest]
- [http://www.columbiasc.net/una/una.htm University Hill]
- Wales Garden
- [http://www.columbiasc.net/neighborhood_waverly_home.htm Historic Waverly]
- Wheeler Hill
- [http://www.columbiasc.net/neighborhoods/yorkshire.htm Yorkshire]
- Northeast Columbia

Visual & performing arts, libraries, and museums

married couples married couples
- Town Theatre is the country's oldest community theatre in continuous use. Located a block from the University of South Carolina campus, its playhouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Since 1917, the theatre has produced plays and musicals of wide general appeal.
- Trustus Theatre is Columbia's professional theatre company. Founded 10 years ago, Trustus brought a new dimension to theatre in South Carolina's capital city. Patrons enjoy a relaxed Soho-style setting as they watch new shows directly from the stages of New York as well as classic shows rarely seen in Columbia.
- Columbia Marionette Theatre has the distinction of being the only free standing theatre in the nation devoted entirely to marionette arts. Young and old alike enjoy the one-of-a-kind marionette productions presented at the theatre.
- The South Carolina Shakespeare Company performs the plays of Shakespeare and other classical works throughout the state. Audiences are always full, proving the Bard's words remain as delightful today as they did centuries ago.
- The South Carolina State Museum is a comprehensive museum with exhibits in science, technology, history and the arts. It is the state's largest museum and one of the largest museums in the Southeast.
- The Columbia Museum of Art features changing exhibits throughout the year. Located at the corner of Hampton and Main Streets, the museum offers amazing art, lectures, films and guided tours.
- EdVenture is the South's largest children's museum. Its state-of-the-art facility is located next to the South Carolina State Museum on Gervais Street. This delightful museum allows children to explore and learn while having fun.
- McKissick Museum is located on the University of South Carolina campus. The museum features changing exhibitions of art, science, regional history and folk art.
- The Confederate Relic Room and Museum showcases a relic collection from the Colonial period to the space age. The museum houses a wonderful collection of relics from the South Carolina confederate period.
- The Richland County Public Library, named the 2001 National Library of the Year, serves area citizens through its main library and nine branches. The spectacular 242,000 square foot main library has an outstanding book collection, provides reference services, utilizes innovative technology, houses a wonderful children's collection and displays distinct artwork.
- The South Carolina State Library provides library services to all citizens of South Carolina through the interlibrary loan service utilized by the public libraries located in each county. Individuals are also welcome to visit the State Library to use materials from the collection.
- The Columbia City Ballet is Columbia's internationally renowned ballet. Artistic Director William Starrett, formerly of the New York City Ballet, runs the company. The Columbia City Ballet specializes in top quality productions, including a Columbia favorite, Dracula.
- The South Carolina Philharmonic Orchestra is Columbia's resident orchestra. Under the direction of Maestro Nicholas Smith, the Philharmonic produces a full season of outstanding orchestral performances each year. World-renowned musicians come to Columbia to perform as guest artists with the orchestra.
- The Columbia City Jazz Company operates under the auspices of the Columbia City Ballet. Despite being a young company, Columbia City Jazz has already made themselves well known locally and regionally through exhibitions at competitions and community functions.
- The South Carolina Symphonic Chorale has been performing throughout the community since 1930. Under the direction of Dr. Timothy Koch, the group strives to stimulate and broaden interest in musical activities and to actively engage in the rehearsal and rendition of choral music.

Parks and outdoor recreational opportunities

Dracula Dracula One of the best known parks in the state of South Carolina, Finlay Park has hosted just about everything from festivals and political rallies to road races and Easter Sunrise services. This beautiful 18-acre park has had two lives; first dedicated in 1859 as Sidney Park, named in honor of Algernon Sidney Johnson, a Columbia City Councilman, the park experienced an illustrious but short tenure. The park fell into disrepair after the Civil War and served as a site for commercial ventures until the late 1900's. In 1990, the park was reopened and has become a beautiful diamond in the downtown area, offering a green oasis in contrast to the glass, asphalt and concrete in the urban environment. It serves as the site for such events as Kids Day, The Summer Concert Series, plus many more activities. In 1992, the park was renamed Finlay Park, in honor of Kirkman Finlay, Mayor of Columbia who had a vision to reenergize the area known as the Vista, between Main Street and the river, and recreate the beautiful site known as Sidney Park. Granby Park opened in November 1998 as a gateway to the rivers of Columbia, adding another access to the many river activities available to residents. Granby is part of the Three Rivers Greenway, a system of green spaces along the banks of the rivers in Columbia, adding another piece to the long-range plan and eventually connecting to the existing Riverfront Park . Granby is a 24 acre linear park with canoe access points, fishing spots, bridges and 1/2 mile of nature trail along the banks of the Congaree River. Memorial Park is a four-acre tract of land in the Congaree Vista between Main Street and the river. The property is bordered by Hampton, Gadsden , Washington and Wayne Streets and is one block south of Finlay Park. This park was created to serve as a memorial to those who served their county and presently has monuments honoring the USS Columbia warship and those that served with her during WWII, the China-Burma-India Theater Veterans of WWII, causalities of the Pearl Harbor attack of December 7, 1941 who were from South Carolina, and the State Vietnam War Veterans. The park was dedicated in November 1986 along with the unveiling of the South Carolina Vietnam Monument . In June 2000, the Korean War Memorial was dedicated at Memorial Park. In the [http://www.fivepointscolumbia.com/ Five Points] district of downtown Columbia is the park dedicated to the legacy and memory of one of the major civil rights leaders in America, Martin Luther King Jr. Park. The park features a beautiful water sculpture and a community center. One of Columbia's greatest assets is Riverbanks Zoo & Garden. Riverbanks is home to more than 2,000 magnificent and fascinating animals and one of the nation's most beautiful and inspiring botanical gardens. The lush 170-acre site features dynamic natural habitat exhibits, scenic river views, spectacular valley overlooks and significant historic landmarks. For more than 30 years, Riverbanks has provided individuals, families and groups with a common place to connect with and learn about the world's wildlife and wild places. Twice awarded the Governor's Cup for South Carolina's Most Outstanding Tourist Attraction, Riverbanks is the premier family choice for education and recreation in the Southeast. Situated along the meandering Congaree River in central South Carolina, Congaree National Park is home to champion trees, primeval forest landscapes, and diverse plant and animal life. This 22,200-acre park protects the largest contiguous tract of old-growth bottomland hardwood forest remaining in the United States. Known for its giant hardwoods and towering pines, the park’s floodplain forest includes one of the highest canopies in the world and some of the tallest trees in the eastern United States. Congaree National Park provides a sanctuary for plants and animals, a research site for scientists, and a place for you to walk and relax in a tranquil wilderness setting. In November 1996, the [http://www.riveralliance.org/3rg.htm River Alliance] proposed that a 12-mile linear park system be created to link people to their rivers. This was named the Three Rivers Greenway, and the $18 million estimated cost was agreed to by member governments (the cities of Cayce, Columbia, and West Columbia) with the proviso that the Alliance recommend an acceptable funding strategy. While the funding process was underway, an existing City of Columbia site located on the Congaree River offered an opportunity to be a pilot project for the Three Rivers Greenway. The Alliance was asked to design and permit for construction by a general contractor this component. This approximately one-half mile segment of the system was opened in November 1998. It is complete with 8-foot wide concrete pathways, vandal-proof lighting, trash receptacles, water fountains, picnic benches, overlooks, bank fishing access, canoe/kayak access, a public restroom and parking. These set the standards for the common elements in the rest of the system. Eventually, pathways will run from Granby to the Riverbanks Zoo. Boaters, sportsmen, fishermen will have access to the area, and additional recreational uses are being planned along the miles of riverfront.

Festivals


- [http://www.scstatefair.org The South Carolina State Fair] is held annually in Columbia in the month of October. Rides, food and games attract local and widespread attendants. Exhibits featuring art, crafts, flowers and livestock cover the fairgrounds.
- St. Patrick’s Day Festival in Five Points is certainly a Columbia favorite. Held each March, this event features live bands, arts and crafts and a smorgasbord of tasty delights.
- Riverfest Celebration is an annual festival held in early spring. The celebration includes a 5K River Run, musical entertainment, arts and crafts and food vendors.
- Earth Day at Finaly Park is held each spring. This event brings together environmental booths and vendors as well as traditional festival favorites.
- [http://www.3riversmusicfestival.org/board.htm Three Rivers Music Festival] is a three-day event that provides a wide array of national and regional musical acts. The festival also offers a variety of foods and beverages to enjoy while listening to the music.
- The Greek Festival is held annually in September at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Columbia. Traditional Greek dances, ceremonies, music, theatre, food and beverages are all part of this four-day festival.
- The Irmo Okra Strut is a two-day festival held during the last weekend in September. The festival features a street dance, 10K road race, golf tournament, arts and crafts, rides, food and South Carolina’s largest festival parade.
- Main Street Jazz brings world-renowned performers to Columbia each spring. Elegant dining is available on Main Street to compliment the music of some of the world’s greatest jazz musicians.
- Vista Lights is held each year in Mid-November. Open house walking tours and receptions, entertainment by local musicians and carriage rides through Columbia’s antique district are all highlights of this festival.
- Jubilee: Festival of Heritage is a one-day event held at the historic Mann-Sims Cottage to recognize African-American heritage. The festival includes arts and crafts, storytelling and music and dance performances.

Venues

Congaree River Congaree River The Colonial Center, which opened in 2002, is South Carolina's premiere arena and entertainment facility. Seating 18,000 for college basketball, it is the largest arena in the state of South Carolina and the tenth largest on-campus basketball facility in the nation, serving as the home of the men's and women's USC Gamecocks basketball teams. Located on the University of South Carolina campus, this one-of-a-kind facility features 41 suites, four entertainment suites, and the Frank McGuire Club, a full-service hospitality room that will have a capacity of 300. The state-of-the-art facility also features plush seating, a technologically advanced sound system, and a four-sided video scoreboard. The Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center, which opened in September 2004, is a 142,500 square foot, modern, state-of-the-art facility designed to host a variety of meetings and conventions. Located in the historic Congaree Vista district, this facility is close to restaurants, antique and specialty shops, art galleries, and a vibrant nightlife. The main exhibit hall contains almost 25,000 square feet of space; the Columbia Ballroom over 18,000 square feet; and the five meeting rooms ranging in size from 1500 to 4000 square feet add another 15,000 square feet of space. The facility is located next to the Colonial Center. Williams-Brice Stadium is the home of the USC Gamecocks football team and is one of the largest college football stadiums in the nation. It seats 80,250 persons and is located just south of downtown Columbia. The stadium was built in 1934 with help of federal Works Progress Administration funds and initially seated 17,600. The original name was Carolina Stadium but on September 9, 1972 it was renamed to honor the families Williams and Brice. Mrs. Martha Williams-Brice had left much of her estate to the University for stadium renovations and expansions. Her late husband, Thomas H. Brice played football for the University from 1922 to 1924. The Koger Center for the Arts provides Columbia with theatre, music and dance performances from around the world. The facility seats 2,500 persons. The center is named for philanthropists Ira and Nancy Koger, who made a substantial donation from personal and corporate funds for construction of the $15 million center. The first performance at the Koger Center was given by the London Philharmonic Orchestra and took place on Saturday, January 14, 1989. The facility is known for hosting diverse events, from The State of the State Address to the South Carolina Body Building Championship, and the South Carolina Science Fair. [http://coliseum.sc.edu/main.asp The Carolina Coliseum], which opened in 1968, is a 12,400-seat facility which initially served as the home of the USC Gamecocks basketball teams. The arena is also easily adapted to serve other entertainment purposes, including concerts, car shows, circuses, ice shows, and other popular events. The versatility and quality of the Coliseum also have allowed the University to use the facility for performing arts events such as the Boston Pops, Chicago Symphony, Feld Ballet and other performances by important artists. An acoustical shell and a state-of-the-art lighting system assist the Coliseum in presenting such activities. The Township Auditorium seats 3,200 persons and is located in downtown Columbia. It hosts a variety of events, including plays, concerts, musicals, and many other types of shows.

Sister cities

Currently, the city of Columbia has four sister cities:
- Kaiserslautern, Germany
- Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Plovdiv, Bulgaria
- Chelyabinsk, Russia

External links


- [http://www.columbiasc.net City of Columbia]
- [http://www.columbiasc.net/cofc_pd.html Columbia Police Department]
- [http://www.columbiasc.net/fire/ Columbia Fire Department]
- [http://www.columbiacvb.com Columbia Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau]
- [http://www.gcbn.com Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce]
- [http://www.citycentercolumbia.sc Downtown Columbia City Center]
- [http://www.columbiadevelopment.org Columbia Development Corporation]
- [http://www.makeovercolumbia.com Makeover Columbia]
- [http://www.vistacolumbia.com The Congaree Vista District]
- [http://www.mostlivable.org/cities/columbia/home.html Columbia, SC: One of America's Most Livable Communities] Category:Cities in South Carolina Category:Richland County, South Carolina Category:U.S. state capitals

South Carolina

South Carolina is a state in the Southern region of the United States. The Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that revolted against British rule in the American Revolution. It was the first state to secede from the Union to found the Confederate States of America. The state is named after King Charles II of England, as Carolus is Latin for Charles. As of 2004, the state's population is 4,198,068. Several ships in the United States Navy have been named USS South Carolina in honor of this state.

History and government

Main article: History of South Carolina The colony of Carolina was settled by English settlers sent by the Lords Proprietors in 1670, followed by French Huguenots. The Carolina upcountry was settled largely by Scotch-Irish migrants from Pennsylvania and Virginia. Carolina became a royal colony in 1712. North Carolina was split off in 1729. The state declared its independence from Great Britain and set up its own government on March 15, 1776. On February 5, 1778 South Carolina became the first state to ratify the first constitution of the United States, the Articles of Confederation. South Carolina seceded from the United States on December 20, 1860. The rest of the Southern states seceded in the following months; together, they organized themselves as the Confederate States of America. President James Buchanan took little action, preferring to let the newly elected President Abraham Lincoln decide the matter. On April 12, 1861, Confederate batteries began shelling Fort Sumter, which stands on an island in Charleston harbor, thus precipitating the Civil War. Students from The Citadel were among those firing the first shots of the war, though Edmund Ruffin is usually credited with firing the first shot. After the American Civil War, South Carolina was reincorporated into the United States during Reconstruction. The state became a hotbed of racial and economic controversy during the Populist and Agrarian movements of the late 1800s. In the 20th century, South Carolina developed a thriving textile industry, converted its agricultural base from cotton to more profitable crops, attracted large military bases and, most recently, attracted European manufacturers.

State Government

South Carolina's state government consists of the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches. The Governor, elected for a (once) renewable four-year term, heads the Executive branch (some officers of which are elected). The bicameral South Carolina General Assembly consists of the 46-member Senate and the 124-member House of Representatives. The two bodies meet in the South Carolina State House. The Judicial Branch consists of the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals, the Circuit Court, Family Court, and other divisions.

Judicial Branch

The Family Court deals with all matters of domestic and family relationships, as well as generally maintaining exclusive jurisdiction over cases involving minors under the age of seventeen, excepting traffic and game law violations. Some criminal charges may come under Circuit Court jurisdiction. The Circuit Court is the general jurisdiction court for South Carolina, comprised of the Civil Court, the Court of Common Pleas, and the Court of General Sessions, which is the criminal court. The court maintains limited appelate jurisdiction over the Probate Court, Magistrate's Court, Municipal Court, and the Administrative Law Judge Division. The state has sixteen judicial circuits, each with at least one resident circuit judge. The Court of Appeals handles Circuit Court and Family Court appeals, excepting appeals that are within the seven classes of exclusive Supreme Court jurisdiction. The Court of Appeals is selected by the General Assembly for staggered, six-year terms. The Court is comprised of a Chief Judge, and eight associate judges, and may hear cases as the whole Court, or as three panels with three judges each. The Court may preside in any state county. The Supreme Court is South Carolina's highest court. Comprised of the Chief Justice, and four Associate Justices, Supreme Court judges are appointed to ten year terms by the General Assembly. Terms are staggered, and there are no limits on the number of terms a justice may serve. See also List of Governors of South Carolina

Demographics

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2003, South Carolina's population was estimated at 4,147,152 people. The racial makeup of the state is:
- 66.1% White
- 29.5% Black
- 2.4% Hispanic
- 0.9% Asian
- 0.3% Native American
- 1.0% Mixed race The five largest ancestry groups in South Carolina are African American (29.5%), American (13.9%), German (8.4%), English (8.4%), Irish (7.9%). It is probable that most of those claiming American ancestry are descended from the early Scots-Irish settlers of the upstate region. For most of its history, black slaves made up a large majority of South Carolina's population (as much as 75%). African-Americans still dominate most of the Lowcountry (especially the inland Lowcountry) and much of the Piedmont; areas where cotton, rice, and indigo plantations once dominated the landscape. Whites, primarily of American and British ancestry, live in much of the upstate and in certain urban and suburban areas. 6.6% of South Carolina's population were reported as under 5, 25.2% under 18, and 12.1% were 65 or older. Females made up approximately 51.4% of the population.

Religion

South Carolina, like most other Southern states, is overwhelmingly Protestant Christian, and has a significantly lower percentage of non-religious people than the national average. The religious affiliations of the people of South Carolina are as follows:
- Christian – 92%
  - Protestant – 84%
    - Baptist – 45%
    - Methodist – 15%
    - Presbyterian – 5%
    - Other Protestant – 19%
  - Roman Catholic – 7%
  - Other Christian – 1%
- Other Religions – 1%
- Non-Religious – 7%

Famous People from South Carolina


- Shelton Benjamin (1976—) Born and raised in Orangeburg, SC, Shelton Benjamin is an American professional wrestler and former amateur wrestler now working for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)'s RAW brand.
- John C. Calhoun (1782–1850) Born near Abbeville, SC, John Caldwell Calhoun was an American statesman and political philosopher. From 1811 until his death, Calhoun served in the federal government successively as congressman, secretary of war, vice president, senator, secretary of state and again as senator. He has been declared one of the five greatest senators of all time.
- Wilson Casey (1954—) Born in Woodruff, SC of Spartanburg County. Trivia Guinness World Record Holder. Nationally Syndicated Newspaper Trivia Columnist. Appeared as contestant on NBC's "Weakest Link".
- Stephen Colbert has been a correspondent for Comedy Central's The Daily Show for several years. In 2005 he became host of The Colbert Report on the same network. A native of Charleston, he attended Porter Gaud Academy.
- Kevin Garnett The famous "go-to" main man (nicknamed "The Big Ticket") for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the (NBA) National Basketball Asociation was born and raised in Greenville County (Mauldin), SC.
- [http://www.LeezaGibbons.com Leeza Gibbons] of Entertainment Tonight and other Hollywood news shows grew up in Irmo, SC, near the capital of Columbia.
- Andrew Jackson(1767-1845) Born near Lancaster, Jackson was the hero of the Battle of New Orleans and seventh President of the United States 1829 to 1837
- Jesse Jackson Famous political figure that followed in the footsteps of the famous Atlantan Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is originally from Greenville, SC.
- Dr. Ronald McNair (1950–1986) Born in Lake City, SC, Dr. Ronald McNair, was one of the seven astronauts to die when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded shortly after take-off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on January 28, 1986.
- Melanie Thornton (1967–2001 Plane Crash) R&B/Pop/Dance Singer (former La Bouche), born in Charleston, died near Bassersdorf (Zurich), (Switzerland).
- Strom Thurmond (1902–2003) Born in Edgefield, SC, in 1902. He was South Carolina governor from 1947–1951, and in 1954 became the first and only United States Senator to be elected by a write-in vote. In 1997, Sen. Thurmond became the oldest and longest serving member of the U.S. Senate. In January 2003, at age 100, Thurmond retired from public service after his eighth term. He returned to his hometown of Edgefield, where he died June 26, 2003.
- Aaron Tippin grew up in Greenville, SC and started singing as a way to pass time while plowing on his family’s farm. He is now a country music star with several country hits to his credit.
- Shawn Weatherly was Miss Universe 1980, the second woman from SC and fifth from USA to win the title. She also played Jill Riley in Season 1 of Baywatch.
- Vanna White Wheel of Fortune game show hostess since 1982, hails from North Myrtle Beach, SC.
- Althea Gibson(1927-2003) was born in Silver; she was the first black female tennis player to win the Wimbledon singles title.
- Darius Rucker(1966-) Lead singer of Hootie and the Blowfish was born in Charleston, SC.
- Francis Marion (1732-1795) Also knows as the "Swamp Fox", he was an American Brigadier General in the American Revolutionary War. The main character in the movie The Patriot is based largely on his exploits. Marion was born in Georgetown, SC.
- Joe Frazier The 1964 Olympic heavyweight champion and the world heavyweight champ 1970-73. Frazier fought Muhammad Ali for the heavyweight title three times. He is most remembered for the fight at Madison Square Garden in March 1971, where he defeated Ali to become the undisputed heavyweight champ. Frazier was born in Beaufort, SC on January 12, 1944.
- Dizzy Gillespie (1917-1993) John Birks 'Dizzy' Gillespie is considered by some as the greatest jazz trumpeter of all time. He was born in Cheraw, SC.
- 'Shoeless' Joe Jackson (1887–1951) Considered to be one of the most outstanding hitters in the history of baseball. His career .356 batting average is the third highest in history, after Ty Cobb and Rogers Hornsby. He was born in Brandon Mills, SC.
- Eartha Kitt (1927- ) Actress and singer, she is one of only a handful of performers to be nominated twice for both a Tony Award and a Grammy Award as well as for an Emmy. She hails from North, SC.
- Edwin McCain Recording Artist who reached Platinum status with his hit single "I'll Be" from his second album Misguided Roses in 1998. McCain was born in Greenville, SC.
- Andie McDowell American Film Actress and model, most well-known for her roles in Four Weddings and a Funeral,Michael, and Green Card. She was born in Gaffney, SC.
- William Perry Better known as "The Refrigerator", he became a household name after helping lead the Chicago Bears to the Super Bowl in the 1985/86 season. He played college football at Clemson University. He continues to live in his hometown of Aiken, SC.
- Charles Townes (1915-) Physicist and astronomer from Greenville, SC. Graduated from Furman University (Greenville, SC). Winner of the 1964 Nobel Prize for Physics for his contributions to the invention of the laser and maser. He is Professor Emeritus of Physics at the University of California-Berkeley.

Geography

Charles Townes South Carolina is bounded to the north by North Carolina, to the south and west by Georgia, located across the Savannah River, and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. The capital and largest city is Columbia. Other important cities are Charleston, Greenville, Spartanburg, Sumter, and Florence. South Carolina is composed of four geographic areas, whose boundaries roughly parallel the northeast/southwest Atlantic coastline. The lower part of the state is the Coastal Plain, which is nearly flat, composed entirely of recent sediments such as sand, silt, and clay. Areas with better drainage make excellent farmland, though some land is swampy. The coastline contains many salt marshes and estuaries, as well as natural ports such as Georgetown and Charleston. An unusual feature of the coastal plain is a large number of Carolina bays, the origins of which are uncertain, though one prominent theory suggests that they were created by a meteor shower. The bays tend to be oval, lining up in a northwest to southeast orientation. Just west of the coastal plain is the Sand Hills region, which is thought to contain remnants of old coastal dunes from a time when the land was sunken, or the oceans were higher. Carolina bays] The Piedmont area contains the roots of an ancient, eroded mountain chain. It tends to be hilly, with thin, stony clay soils, and contains few areas suitable for farming. Much of the Piedmont was once farmed, with little success, and is now reforested. At the edge of the Piedmont is the fall line, where rivers drop to the coastal plain. The fall line was an important early source of water power, and mills built to harness this resource encouraged the growth of several cities, including the capital, Columbia. The larger rivers are navigable up to the fall line, providing a trade route for mill towns. The upper part of the Piedmont is also known as the Foothills. The Cherokee Parkway contains a scenic driving route through this area. Highest in elevation is the Upcountry, containing an escarpment of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which continue into North Carolina and Georgia, as part of the southern Appalachian chain. Sassafras Mountain, South Carolina's highest point (elevation 3560 ft.) is located in this area. Also located in the Upcountry is Table Rock State Park and Caesar's Head State Park. The Chattooga River, located on the border between South Carolina and Georgia, is a favorite whitewater rafting destination. See: List of South Carolina counties.

Higher Education


- See :Category:Universities and colleges in South Carolina

Further reading


- Bass, Jack. Porgy Comes Home: South Carolina After 300 Years,. Sandlapper, 1970.
- Bass, Jack and Jack Nelson.The Orangeburg Massacre,. Mercer University Press, 1992.
- Bass, Jack and Marilyn W. Thompson. Ol' Strom: An Unauthorized Biography of Strom Thurmond,. Longstreet Press, 1998.
- Carter, Luther F. and David Mann, eds. Government in the Palmetto State: Toward the 21st Century,. University of South Carolina, 1993.
- Cohodas, Nadine. Strom Thurmond and the Politics of Southern Change,. Simon & Schuster, 1993.
- Danielson, Michael N. Profits and Politics in Paradise: The Development of Hilton Head Island,. University of South Carolina Press, 1995.
- Edgar, Walter. South Carolina: A History, , USC Press, 1998.
- Graham, Cole Blease and William V. Moore. South Carolina Politics and Government. Politics and Governments of the American States, Univ. of Nebraska Press, 1994.
- Hollings, Ernest F. The Case Against Hunger: The Need for a National Policy,. Cowles Book Co., 1970.
- Huff, Jr., Archie Vernon. Greenville: The History of the City and County in the South Carolina Piedmont, University of South Carolina Press, 1995.
- Jordan, Jr., Frank E. The Primary State - A History of the Democratic Party in South Carolina, 1876-1962, Columbia, SC, 1967
- Keyserling, Harriet. Against the Tide: One Woman's Political Struggle. University of South Carolina Press, 1998. Foreward by Richard W. Riley.
- Moore, John Hammond. Columbia and Richland County: A South Carolina Community, 1740-1990, University of South Carolina Press, 1993.
- Moredock, Will. Banana Republic: A Year in the Heart of Myrtle Beach,. Frontline Press, 2003.
- Robertson, Ben. Red Hills and Cotton,. USC Press (reprint), 1991.
- Rogers Jr. by George C. and C. James Taylor. A South Carolina Chronology, 1497-1992, 2nd Ed.,. University of South Carolina Press, Columbia, SC, 1994.
- Tyer, Charlie. ed. South Carolina Government: An Introduction,. USC Institute for Public Affairs, 2002.

External links


- [http://sc.gov/ SC.gov] - The new official website of South Carolina
- [http://www.myscgov.com My SC] - The current official website of South Carolina
- [http://www.discoversouthcarolina.com/ Discover South Carolina] - The official tourism website of South Carolina
- [http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/45000.html US Census Bureau]
- [http://www.southcarolinacountymaps.com/ South Carolina County Maps] Full color maps. List of cities, towns and county seats
- Category:States of the United States ko:사우스캐롤라이나 주 ja:サウスカロライナ州 simple:South Carolina



County seat

A county seat is an administrative center for a county. In the U.S. New England states and the Canadian Maritime Provinces, the term "shire town" is also used, but officially so only in Vermont. In England, Wales and Ireland, the term county town is used. This term is probably still used colloquially in Scotland and Northern Ireland, but today neither are divided into counties - instead being divided, respectively, into regions and districts. Counties are called "parishes" in Louisiana and Alaska is divided into "boroughs" (here, meaning a very large district or region of the state). Their seats of county government are called "parish seat" and "borough seat," respectively. The Canadian province of Ontario, in addition to counties, also has territorial districts, regional muncipalities, and at least one metropolitan municipality, which are effectively different types of counties in that they perform county government functions. In America as in England and Canada, a county is an administrative division of a state which has no sovereign jurisdiction of its own, so it would not be correct to say that a county seat is equivalent to a capital city since it's just an administrative centre. (See also the article, Counties of the United States.) Counties administer state or provincial law at the local level as part of the decentralisation of state/provincial authority. In many U.S. states, state government is further decentralised by dividing counties into townships, to provide local government services to residents of the county who do not live in incorporated cities or towns. A county seat is often, but not always, an incorporated municipality. The county courthouse and county administration are usually located in the county seat, but some functions may also be conducted in other parts of the county, especially if it is geographically large. Most counties have only one county seat. However, some counties in Arkansas, Iowa, Kentucky, Massachusetts, and Mississippi have two or more county seats, usually located on opposite sides of the county. An example is Harrison County, Mississippi, which lists both Biloxi and Gulfport as county seats. The practice of multiple county towns dates from the days when travel was difficult. There have been few efforts to eliminate the two-seat arrangement since a county seat is a source of pride (and jobs) for the towns involved. In Virginia, all cities are independent cities, which are legally distinct from the counties that surround them. An independent city interacts with the commonwealth (state) government directly whereas villages and other local government authorities do so through the county government apparatus. However, many of Virginia's independent cities act as the county seat for their neighbouring counties. For example, the City of Fairfax is separate from Fairfax County, but is still the county's seat. Uniquely, because it was formerly part of the District of Columbia, Arlington County, Virginia, which is the smallest county in the United States, has no county seat - because it has no muncipalities within its boundaries. Prior to their retrocession to Virginia during the nineteenth century, Arlington and the neighboring independent city of Arlington were, respectively, Arlington County and Alexandria County - two of the three counties of the District of Columbia. The District as currently drawn was coextensive with the County of Washington, which disappeared in the twentieth century following the amalgamation of Tenley, Anacostia and the other rural and semi-rural towns and villages of Washington County, D.C., to the City of Washington.

References

Category:Capitals Category:U.S. counties ja:郡庁所在地

Richland County

Richland County is the name of several counties in the United States:
- Richland County, Illinois
- Richland County, Montana
- Richland County, North Dakota
- Richland County, Ohio
- Richland County, South Carolina
- Richland County, Wisconsin ---- See also: Richland Parish, Louisiana.

Metropolitan area

A metropolitan area is a large population center consisting of a large city and its adjacent zone of influence, or of several neighboring cities or towns and adjoining areas, with one or more large cities serving as its hub or hubs. A metropolitan area usually combines an agglomeration (the contiguous built-up area) with peripheral zones not themselves necessarily urban in character, but closely bound to the centre by employment or commerce; these zones are also sometimes known as a commuter belt, and may extend well beyond the urban periphery depending on the definition used. The core cities in a polycentric metropolitan area need not be physically connected by continuous built-up development, distinguishing the concept from conurbation, which requires urban contiguity. In a metropolitan area, it is sufficient that central cities together constitute a large population nucleus with which other constituent parts have a high degree of integration. In practice the parameters of metropolitan areas, in both official and unofficial usage, are not consistent. Sometimes they are little different from an urban area, and in other cases they cover broad regions that have little relation to the traditional concept of a city as a single urban settlement. Thus all metropolitan area figures should be treated as interpretations rather than as hard facts. Metro area population figures given by different sources for the same place can vary by millions, and there is a tendency for people to promote the highest figure available for their own "city". However the most ambitious metropolitan area population figures are often better seen as the population of a "metropolitan region" than of a "city". The term metropolitan area is sometimes abbreviated to 'metro', for example in Metro Manila and Washington, DC Metro Area, and in that case should not be mistaken to mean the metro rail system of the city. In France the term for a metropolitan area is an aire urbaine (urban area). In Japan, individual cities form metropolitan areas or conurbations such as the capital zone of Tokyo-Kawasaki-Yokohama (the Keihin area) or Osaka-Kobe, with which Kyoto is sometimes included as part of the wider Keihanshin zone. If several metropolitan areas are located in succession, metropolitan areas are sometimes grouped together as a megalopolis (plural megalopoleis, also megalopolises). A megalopolis consists of several interconnected cities (and their suburbs), between which people commute, and which are so close together that suburbs can claim to be suburbs of more than one city. This concept was first proposed by the French geographer Jean Gottmann in his book Megalopolis, a study of the northeastern United States. One famous example is the BosWash megalopolis consisting of Boston, Hartford, New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, and vicinity. Other megalopoleis are Tokyo and Osaka, the Ruhr Area and parts of the Low Countries. Africa's first megalopolis is said to be situated in the urban portion of Gauteng Province in South Africa, comprising the conurbation of Johannesburg, and the metropolitan areas of Pretoria and the Vaal Triangle, otherwise known as the PWV. It has been suggested that the whole of south-eastern, Midland and parts of northern England will evolve into a megalopolis dominated by London. Clearly when usage is stretched this far, it is remote from the traditional conception of a city. Megacity is a general term for agglomerations or metropolitan areas usually with a total population in excess of 10 million people. In Canada, megacity can also refer informally to the results of merging a central city with its suburbs to form one large municipality. A Canadian "megacity", however, is not necessarily an entirely urban area, as many cities so named have both rural and urban portions, and do not necessarily constitute a large metropolis. Their definition is thus close to the metropolitan area concept.

See also


- Megacity
- Metroplex
- Ecumenopolis
- List of the 100 largest metropolitan areas in the world
- List of the 25 largest metropolitan areas in the United States
- List of the 59 largest urban areas of the European Union
- Largest European metropolitan areas
- Largest metropolitan areas in the Americas
- List of metropolitan areas that overlap multiple countries
- Metropolitan cities of India
- List of fifteen largest metropolitan areas of France
- Metropolitan areas in ROC (Taiwan)
- Metropolitan Regions of Germany
- Metropolitan Regions of Norway
- Metropolitan Areas of Sweden
- Metropolitan Areas of Mexico
- Census Metropolitan Area (Canada)
- List of the 100 largest metropolitan areas in Canada

External links


- [http://www.metropolis.org/ metropolis.org] - An organisation of world metropolises Category:Urban studies and planning ja:都市圏

1999

1999 (MCMXCIX) is a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations.

Events


- Kosovo War
- Y2K preparation was a major event in 1999 both in actual events and in media over-reporting.
- The human population of the world surpassed six billion. The United Nations Population Fund designated October 12 as the approximate date for this event.

January


- January 1 - Euro currency introduced.
- January 1 - An avalanche destroys a school gymnasium during New Year celebrations in Kangiqsualujjuaq in far northern Quebec, killing nine.
- January 2 - A brutal snowstorm smashes into the Midwestern USA, causing 14 inches (359 mm) of snow at Milwaukee, Wisconsin and 19 inches (487 mm) at Chicago, Illinois. In Chicago, temperatures plunge to -13°F (-25°C), and 68 deaths are reported.
- January 4 - Gunmen open fire on Shiite Muslims worshipping in an Islamabad mosque killing 16 people and injuring 25.
- January 12 - The remains of Christina Marie Williams were found three miles (5 km) from her home on the old Fort Ord military base.
- January 20 - The China News Service announces new government restrictions on Internet use aimed especially at Internet cafes.
- January 21 - War on Drugs: In one of the largest drug busts in American history, the United States Coast Guard intercepts a ship with over 9,500 pounds (4.3 t) of cocaine aboard. The ship was headed for Houston, Texas.
- January 25 - A 6.0 Richter scale earthquake hits western Colombia killing at least 1,000

February


- February 4 - Unarmed West African immigrant Amadou Diallo is shot dead by four plainclothes New York City police officers on an unrelated stake-out, inflaming race-relations in the city.
- February 5 - Mike Tyson is sentenced to a year's imprisonment, fined $5,000, and ordered to serve 2 years probation and perform 200 hours of community service for the August 31, 1998 assault on two people after a car accident.
- February 7 - King of Jordan, Hussein of Jordan, dies from cancer. His son Abdullah II then inherits the throne, and becomes King of Jordan.
- February 10 - Avalanches in the French Alps near Geneva kill at least ten.
- February 11 - Pluto, a planet with an irregular orbit, changes from the eighth to ninth planet furthest from the Sun. It had been the eighth furthest since 1979, and will become again in 2231.
- February 12 - President Bill Clinton is acquitted by the United States Senate in his impeachment trial
- February 12 - John Myatt and John Drewe are sentenced for art forgery for one and six years, respectively.
- February 16 - In Uzbekistan a bomb explodes and gunfire is heard at the government headquarters in an apparent assassination attempt against President Islam Karimov.
- February 16 - Across Europe, Kurdish rebels take over embassies and hold hostages after Turkey arrested one of their rebel leaders, Abdullah Öcalan.
- February 16 - In Jasper, Texas, testimony begins in the trial of John William King who is accused of dragging African American James Byrd Jr. to death in an apparent hate crime. King was later convicted and sentenced to the death penalty.
- February 22 - Moderate Iraqi Shiite cleric Mohammad Sadeq al-Sadr is assassinated.
- February 23 - Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Öcalan is charged with treason in Ankara, Turkey.
- February 23 - White supremacist John William King is found guilty of kidnapping and killing African American James Byrd Jr by dragging him behind a truck for two miles (3 km).
- February 23 - An avalanche destroys the Austrian village of Galtür, killing 31.
- February 24 - LaGrand Case: The State of Arizona executes Karl LaGrand, a German national involved in an armed robbery that led to a death. Karl's brother Walter is executed a week later, in spite of Germany's legal action in the International Court of Justice to attempt to save him.
- February 27 - While trying to circumnavigate the world in a hot air balloon, Colin Prescot and Andy Elson set a new endurance record after being in a hot air balloon for 233 hours and 55 minutes.
- February 27 - Olusegun Obasanjo becomes Nigeria's first elected president since mid-1983.

March


- March 1 - One of four bombs detonated in Lusaka, Zambia, destroys the Angolan Embassy.
- March 1 - Rwandan Hutu rebels kill and hack to pieces eight foreign tourists at the Buhoma homestead, Uganda
- March 1 - The Convention on the Prohibition of Anti-Personnel Mines comes into force.
- March 3 - Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones begin their attempt to circumnavigate the world in a hot air balloon without stopping. Their journey ended in success on March 21.
- March 4 - Monica Lewinsky's book detailing her affair with Bill Clinton goes on sale in the United States
- March 4 - In a military court, Captain Richard Ashby of the United States Marines is acquitted of the charge of reckless flying which resulted in the deaths of 20 skiers in the Italian Alps when his low-flying jet hit a gondola cable.
- March 12 - Hungary, Poland and Czech Republic join NATO.
- March 15 - The European Commission under the presidency of Jacques Santer resigns over allegations of corruption.
- March 17 - The [http://www.roth-401k-forum.com/ Roth 401k] is introduced by Sen Roth Jr., William V.
- March 20 - Serbs launch an offensive in Bosnia
- March 21 - Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones become the first to circumnavigate the Earth in a hot air balloon.
- March 22 - US pro-euthanasia doctor Jack Kevorkian goes on trial for murder in Pontiac, Michigan. He is later convicted of second-degree murder
- March 23 - Gunmen assassinate Paraguay's Vice President Luis María Argaña
- March 24 - NATO launches air strikes in Federal Republic of Yugoslavia which was refusing to sign a peace treaty. This marks the first time NATO attacked a sovereign country
- March 24 - Fire in the Mont Blanc Tunnel kills 39 people, closing the tunnel for nearly 3 years.
- March 26 - The Melissa worm attacks the Internet.
- March 26 - A jury in Michigan finds Dr. Jack Kevorkian guilty of second-degree murder for administering a lethal injection to a terminally ill man (the incident was videotaped and aired on September 17, 1998 edition of 60 Minutes)
- March 29 - For the first time, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closes above the 10000 mark at 10006.78.

April


- April 1 - Nunavut, an Inuit homeland, part of the Northwest Territories becomes Canada's third territory.
- April 5 - Two Libyans suspected of bringing down Pan Am flight 103 in 1988 are handed over to Scottish authorities for eventual trial in the Netherlands. The United Nations suspends sanctions against Libya
- April 5 - In Laramie, Wyoming, Russell Henderson pleads guilty to kidnapping and felony murder in order to avoid a possible death penalty conviction for the apparent hate crime killing of Matthew Shepard
- April 7 - Kosovo War: Kosovo's main border crossings are closed by Serbian forces to prevent ethnic Albanians from leaving
- April 7 - Bomb explodes in the Valley of the Fallen church in Spain - GRAPO claims responsibility
- April 9 - Ibrahim Baré Maînassara, president of Nigeria, is assassinated
- April 17 - A nail bomb explodes in the middle of a busy market in Brixton, South London
- April 18 - "The Great One" Wayne Gretzky plays his final game in the NHL.
- April 20 - Two Littleton, Colorado teenagers named Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold open fire on their teachers and fellow students. The teenagers killed 12 students and 1 teacher, and then killed themselves. See Columbine High School massacre.
- April 25 - End of term for Tuanku Jaafar ibni Almarhum Tuanku Abdul Rahman as the 10th Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia.
- April 26 - Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Hisamuddin Alam Shah Al-Haj, Sultan of Selangor becomes the 11th Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia.
- April 28 - The first comic of Sexy Losers (then called "The Thin H Line") goes online. This webcomic would go on to be one of the most popular webcomics ever made, with a sustained level of unique IP address hits of approximately 1 million a week. It would also popularize the word "fap" as an onomatopoeia for masturbation, a sound effect widely used in anime-themed comics since.
- April 30 - Cambodia joins the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) bringing the total members to 10.
- April 30 - A third nail bomb (see April 17) explodes in the Admiral Duncan pub in Old Compton Street, Soho, London, killing a pregnant woman and two friends and injuring 70 others, including her husband. This was part of a hate campaign against ethnic minorities and gay people by David Copeland

May

David Copeland
- May 2 - Oliver Reed, British actor famous for starring in The Three Musketeers, The Four Musketeers, and The Assassination Bureau, dies of a heart attack in Malta while filming Gladiator.
- May 2 - Norman J. Sirnic and Karen Sirnic are murdered by Angel Maturino Resendiz in a parsonage in Weimar, Texas. They were his fourth and fifth victims in his fourth incident.
- May 3 - Photo driver licences and banknotes made out of polymer substrate are introduced to New Zealand.
- May 3 - A F5 tornado slams in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma killing 38 people. This was the strongest tornado ever. (See Oklahoma Tornado Outbreak)
- May 3 - The Dow Jones Industrial Average closes above 11,000 for the first time. It closes at 11,014.70.
- May 6 - Elections are held in Scotland and Wales for the new Scottish Parliament and National Assembly for Wales
- May 7 - A jury finds The Jenny Jones Show and Warner Bros liable in the shooting death of Scott Amedure after the show purposely deceived Jonathan Schmitz to appear on a secret same-sex crush episode.
- May 7 - Kosovo War: In Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, three Chinese embassy workers are killed and 20 wounded when a NATO aircraft mistakenly bombs the Chinese embassy in Belgrade
- May 7 - In Guinea-Bissau, President João Bernardo Vieira is ousted in a military coup
- May 8 - Nancy Mace becomes the first female cadet to graduate from The Military College of South Carolina.
- May 12 - David Steel becomes the first Presiding Officer (speaker) of the modern Scottish Parliament
- May 13 - in Italy Carlo Azeglio Ciampi is elected President of the republic
- May 17 - Ehud Barak is elected prime minister of Israel.
- May 19 - Star Wars: The Phantom Menace is released in theaters.
- May 20 - Bluetooth announced.
- May 23 - In Kansas City, Missouri, Owen Hart (Blue Blazer) falls 90 feet (30 m) to his death while being lowered into a World Wrestling Federation ring
- May 26 - Indian Air Force launches attack on intruding Pakistan backed militants in Kashmir sparking the Kargil War.
- May 26 - Manchester United win the UEFA Champions League at the Nou Camp stadium, Barcelona, beating Bayern Munich to lift their third major trophy in their unprecedented Treble, after winning the English Premier League and FA Cup.
- May 26 - Madejczyk Massacre Averted, Bridgman, Michigan school shooting plot
- May 26 - first Welsh Assembly for over 600 years opens in Cardiff
- May 27 - The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in The Hague, Netherlands indicts Slobodan Milošević and four others for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Kosovo
- May 28 - In Milan, Italy, after 22 years of restoration work, Leonardo de Vinci's newly-restored masterpiece "The Last Supper" is put back on display.

June


- 'solid - the socialist youth is formed in Hannover, Germany
- June 2 - After decades of fighting off outside technological influences like television, the King of Bhutan allows television transmissions to commence in the Kingdom for the first time, coinciding with the King's silver jubilee (see Bhutan Broadcasting Service).
- June 5 - The AIS, the armed wing of FIS, agrees in principle to disband in Algeria.
- June 6 - In Brazil, 345 prisoners escape from Putim prison through the front gate
- June 7 - Garfield daily strips in colour.
- June 8 - The government of Colombia announces it will include the estimated value of the country's illegal drug crops, exceeding half a billion US dollars, in its gross national product.
- June 9 - Kosovo War: Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and NATO sign a peace treaty.
- June 10 - Kosovo War: NATO suspends its air strikes after Slobodan Milošević agrees to withdraw Serbian forces from Kosovo.
- June 12 - Kosovo War: Operation Joint Guardian begins - NATO-led United Nations peacekeeping force KFor enter the province of Kosovo in Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Texas Governor George W. Bush announces his intention to seek the Republican Party's nomination for President of the United States.
- June 15 - George Morber Senior and Carolyn Frederick are murdered by Angel Maturino Resendiz in Gorham, Illinois. They are his eighth and ninth victims, in his seventh and final incident.
- June 19 - Torino is picked as the host city of the 2006 Winter Olympics.

July


- July 4 - David Beckham and Victoria Adams are married.
- July 11 - India recaptures Kargil as Pakistan pulls out its troops and militants after international condemnation. India claim victory in the two-month conflict.
- July 16 - Off the coast of Martha's Vineyard, a plane piloted by John F. Kennedy Jr. crashes with his wife Carolyn Bessette Kennedy and her sister Lauren Bessette on board. All three are killed in the crash
- July 20 - Mercury program: Liberty Bell 7 is raised from the Atlantic Ocean.
- July 23 - Mohammed VI becomes King of Morocco.
- July 23 to July 25 - Woodstock 99 festival held in New York.
- July 23 - Hijack of ANA Flight 61 in Tokyo.
- July 25 - Lance Armstrong wins first Tour de France.
- July 27 - 21 die in a canyoning disaster near Interlaken, Switzerland.
- July 31 - Mark O. Barton kills 9 in Atlanta, Georgia
- July 31 - NASA intentionally crashes the Lunar Prospector spacecraft into the Moon, thus ending its mission to detect frozen water on the moon's surface.

August


- August 8 - The first edition of the Callatis Festival, the largest music &culture festival in Romania.
- August 9 - Russian President Boris Yeltsin fires his Prime Minister, Sergei Stepashin, and for the fourth time fires his entire cabinet
- August 10 - Buford O. Furrow, Jr. attempts a mass murder in Los Angeles
- August 10 - Atlantique Incident occurs as an intruding Pakistan navy plane is shot down in India. The incident sparks tensions between the two nations, coming just a month after the end of the Kargil War.
- August 11 - Total eclipse in Europe and Asia
- August 11 - An F-2 tornado rips through downtown Salt Lake City, Utah, killing one person and injuring over 100.
- August 17 - A 7.4-magnitude earthquake strikes Istanbul and northwestern Turkey, killing more than 17,000 and injuring 44,000. This earthquake was the first of a long series of unrelated but frequent earthquakes throughout the world during the years 1999 and 2000. Some connected the earthquake to the fact that the Umbra of the solar eclipse of August 11, was right above Istanbul.
- August 19 - In Belgrade, tens of thousands of Serbians rally to demand the resignation of Yugoslav President Slobodan Milošević

September


- September 7 - Earthquake strikes Athens resulting to more than 100 dead and 672 homes destroyed. It was not clear if it was related to the earlier earthquake of Turkey. That earthquake was the worst in Athens after 20 years. Both disasters were noted for resulting to a mutual assistance and better climate between the two 'rivalling' countries.
- September 8 - first of the series of Russian apartment bombings. The subsequent occurred on September 13, 16, and 22 (failed).
- September 9 - Sega released the Dreamcast worldwide. Breaking video game and other entertainment sales record in its first 24 hours of availability.
- September 21 - Chi-Chi earthquake occurred in central Taiwan, caused about 2,400 people dead.

October


- October - NASA loses one of its Mars probes, the Climate Orbiter
- October 5 - Thirty-one people die in the Ladbroke Grove rail crash, west of L