Aiken, city (2020 pop. 32,025), seat
of Aiken co., W S.C.; inc. 1835. A resort and polo center and a training area for
Thoroughbreds, Aiken has apparel, printing and publishing, drug, and chemical industries.
Agricultural products include poultry, livestock, grain, peanuts, cotton, and peaches. Kaolin
mines are nearby. A branch of the Univ. of South Carolina is in the city. Nearby is the U.S.
Department of Energy's Savannah River Plant, which long manufactured nuclear weapons and is
now the site of a controversial plant processing nuclear wastes.
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