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Rhode
Island, or the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, as it’s
officially knows, is the United State’s smallest state but has the longest
name. It was one of the 13 original colonies to
 break from Britain. The state
capital and largest city is Providence, whose metro area has a higher population
than the entire state in which it’s located.
Not
actually an island, Rhode Island is located in the New England region of the
country, a little south of Boston, MA. The state has the state of Massachusetts
as a neighbor to the north, Connecticut to the west, and the Atlantic Ocean to
the southeast. The state covers about 1,200 square miles. The state is fairly
flat, with the highest point, Jerimoth Hill, rising only 812 feet above sea
level.
In 1636,
Roger Williams was banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony because of his
religious views, so he founded Providence on the tip of Narragansett Bay as a
haven of religious freedom. He secured a title to the land from the
Narragansett tribe that made its home in the area. Rhode Islanders were among
the first involved in fighting British control in the colonies, and were among
the first to declare independence. After the war, Rhode Island was among the
first states to begin industrializing, and by the mid 1800s the manufacturing
sector was among the largest in the economy. Immigrants from Europe poured in
until the Depression, which hit the state particularly hard. The economy has
since been restructured to focus more on service industries.
The
largest industry in Rhode Island currently is health services, with tourism and
manufacturing also providing large amounts of jobs. In Providence, education
and government services are also very important. The state still has some
manufacturing, especially jewelry and shipbuilding, but it’s not as important as
it once was. The state’s gross product in the year 2000 was $33 billion, and
the GDP was $29,685, which ranked it 16th in the United States.
Rhode
Island has a moderate climate, helped greatly by its proximity to the Atlantic
Ocean. Temperatures are typically much more temperate than those in the inland
parts of New England, though “Nor’easter” snow storms are knows to blow
 through
in the winter. The summers are typically hot and humid, and the winters snowy.
The
state’s income tax system has five brackets with a top rate of 9.9%, making it
the second highest nationally. Sales tax in the state is set at 7%. Property
taxes are also fairly high.
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Fast Facts
State Sales Tax Rate: 7%
Motto: Hope
Nickname: The Ocean State
Entered Union (rank):
July 26, 1788 (13)
State Seal: The seal
features an anchor with a banner declaring the state’s motto, “Hope” above it.
It has the state’s official name and 1636, the date Providence was founded.
Population (2000):
1,048,319
Land Area: 1,214 sq mi
Borders: Massachusetts,
Connecticut, Atlantic Ocean
Longest River: Blackstone
River
State Parks: 29
Largest Cities by
Population:
Providence- 173,618
Warwick- 85,808
Cranston- 79,629
Climate:
Record high: 104 in
Providence in 1975
Record Low: --25 in Greene in 1996
Average Yearly
Precipitation: Around 45 inches
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