FACTBOX: South Carolina voting is first in South

(Reuters) - Voters in South Carolina are casting ballots in a Republican primary on Saturday and Democrats will go to the polls in a week.

Here are some facts about the state, the first in the U.S. South to hold a nominating contest.

* Since 1980, the Republican winner in the South Carolina primary election has gone on to capture the nomination to run for president.

* South Carolina is the nation's 11th fastest-growing state. Its 2007 population of 4.4 million grew 9.9 percent between 2000 and 2007. The U.S. population grew by 7.2 percent during that same time period.

* South Carolina has a higher percentage of blacks, 29 percent, a lower percentage of Hispanics, 3.5 percent, and a lower percentage of foreign-born residents, 4.1 percent, than the nation as a whole, according to U.S. Census Bureau statistics.

* South Carolina is bleeding manufacturing jobs, especially due to competition from low-cost imports from China. The continuing losses pushed the state's jobless rate to 5.8 percent in December (compared with a national average of 5 percent), according to the Alliance for American Manufacturing.

* South Carolina's beach areas depend heavily on tourism, where jobs tend to be low-paying, so raising the minimum wage is a big issue.

* The military is also a significant employer -- the state is home to 15 major military installations and has a substantial veteran population.

* Republican candidate Sen. John McCain, who won in New Hampshire, saw his 2000 presidential bid crippled by a bitter loss to George W. Bush in South Carolina. He has spent much of the past few years trying to mend fences with his old foes in the state.

(Editing by Xavier Briand)