The U.S. Democratic party is holding its 2008 presidential primary in South Carolina, the firs tin the south, where the two front-runners, Illinois Senator Barack Obama and New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, are vying to build their momentum before a full-scale race on "Super Tuesday" on Feb. 5
The following are some key facts about South Carolina and its democratic presidential primary:
* According to the U.S. Census board statistics in 2006, the state's population is 4,321,249, the 24th biggest state in the country, with the whites accounting for about 69 percent and the blacks 29.5 percent.
* The state center of population is located in Richland County, in the city of Columbia, where more than half of the electorate is African American.
* According to the U.S. official statistics in 2004, South Carolina's gross state product was 136 billion U.S. dollars, below the national average level.
* Due to the declining textile industry, among other manufacturing sectors, its unemployment rate was kept at about 6 percent, higher than the country's average, leaving the job creation a major issue.
* John Edwards, who was born in South Carolina and elected Senator in the neighboring North Carolina, won the 2004 South Carolina primary with 45 percent of votes, defeating Senator John Kerry, who has endorsed Obama as the party's presidential nominee.
* Bill Clinton won with approximately 69 percent of the vote in the South Carolina primary in 1992, and met no contest in the state four years later when he sought reelection.
* A poll released by MSNBC showed that economy is the most important issue to South Carolina primary and health care is ranked second, followed by Iraq war.
* The poll also showed when South Carolina democratic voters decide on candidates, 36 percent of them care about the issues, 20percent attach more importance to honesty and trustworthiness, and an equal percentage of them look for a new approach. Electability is ranked the last with only 7 percent.
Source: Xinhua
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