The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, is the official name of the state, but it is usually just called Rhode Island. It is placed in the north eastern part of the United States of America. Rhode Island was the first of the thirteen original American colonies to decree independence from British rule, initiating the start of the American Revolution. Also, it was the last of the original thirteen states to confirm to the United States Constitution. ...more

The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, is the official name of the state, but it is usually just called Rhode Island. It is placed in the north eastern part of the United States of America. Rhode Island was the first of the thirteen original American colonies to decree independence from British rule, initiating the start of the American Revolution. Also, it was the last of the original thirteen states to confirm to the United States Constitution.

Rhode Island is surrounded on the north and east by Massachusetts, on the west by Connecticut, and on the south by the Rhode Island Sound and the Atlantic Ocean. It shares a water border with New York, between Block Island and Long Island. Rhode Island is also called the Ocean State because as you can see by its borders, it is home to a number of oceanfront beaches.

Rhode Island has a warm, summer humid continental climate with summers that are rainy and hot, while the winters are cold and snowy.

For a while, Rhode Island was one of the leaders in textile production. However, with the Great Depression, most textile factories relocated to the American South. Now it does not have the same power that it once had. This generated a significant amount of abandoned factories that are now being used for low-income or elderly housing or converted into offices or stylish condos. Others located in Pawtucket and Providence mills are now used as housing for artists. Nowadays, much of its economy is based in services such as healthcare, education and manufacturing.

The main industry of Rhode Island is Health services. . Second is tourism, with around 39,000 jobs and tourism correlated sales at $3.26 billion in the year 2000. Manufacturing is the third principal industry. Its industrial outputs are fashion jewellery, fabricated metal products, electric equipment, machinery, shipbuilding and boatbuilding.

The most populated city of Rhode Island is Providence County, located in the city of Cranston. Rhode Island has a high fraction of Italian-Americans (concentrated in the city of Providence) and of Americans of Portuguese heritage (who dominate Bristol County). Its population also includes Portuguese Americans and Cape Verde Americans. French-Canadians form a large fraction of northern Providence County while Irish-Americans have a strong incidence in Newport and Kent counties. Yankees of English ancestry still have a presence in the state as well, especially in Washington County, and are often referred to as "Swamp Yankees."

Rhode Island is home to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence and the Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island.

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