Rhode Island Summary

The \”State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations\” is the smallest state in America, but it has the longest official name. Between Connecticut, Massachusetts, and the Atlantic Ocean, it is about 48 miles long and 42 miles wide, and covers just 1,231 square miles. It includes many islands, one of which is in fact Rhode Island, but most of the state is in mainland New England.

Its population – 1,048,319 – ranks 43rd, but Rhode Island is the second most densely populated state, after New Jersey, and its relatively mild summers and opportunities for recreation have made it a popular vacation destination. Its highest point, Jerimoth Hill, is 812 feet above sea level. It has a humid climate, with temperatures moderated by the Atlantic and Narragansett Bay.

When Italian seaman Giovanni da Verrazano arrived at Narragansett Bay in 1524, five Algonquian-speaking native groups occupied Rhode Island. They were decimated by European diseases. Puritan minister Roger Williams established the first permanent European settlement, Providence, in 1636. From the outset, Rhode Island was a haven for people who advocated religious and political freedom. Beginning as a farming, fishing, and shipbuilding area, Rhode Island was later part of the trade in slaves, rum, and molasses. The state industrialized in the 1800s, with textile mills. After World War II, jewelry, silverware, and machinery were its primary manufactured products. The state was hit hard in the 1970s when two US Navy bases were closed. Recovery began in 1993, focusing on service industries and higher education.

The main auto routes are I-95/295; US-1, 6, and 44; and State Routes 146 and 114. Theodore Francis Green State Airport provides service to and from Providence. There is rail service to Rhode Island on the Washington DC-New York-Boston line. Ferries link the mainland to the islands, and bus service is widely available.