Interesting facts about Rhode Island

rhode island flag

Rhode Island is a state in the New England region of the United States.

Officiall name of the state is the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantation. It is the longest official name of any state.

The state is bordered by Connecticut to the west, Massachusetts to the north and east, and the Atlantic Ocean to the south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Island Sound. It also shares a small maritime border with New York.

rhode island map

As of November 2018, the population of Rhode Island was estimated to be about 1.1 million people. It is the 43rd most populous state in the United States.

Rhode Island is the smallest state in the United States in terms of total area with 3,144 square kilometers (1,214 square miles).

Providence is the state capital and most populous city in Rhode Island. It is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The city was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

providence

Rhode Island is only 60 kilometers (37 miles) wide and 77 kilometers (48 miles) long.

Much of Rhode Island is woodland; lowlands in the south and rolling hills in the north and the west. The state can be divided into two geographic regions; the Coastal Lowland in the south and east, and the Eastern New England Upland in the northwest.

The state’s highest natural point is Jerimoth Hill at 247 meters (812 feet) above sea level.

jerimoth hill

Rhode Island has a tidal shoreline on Narragansett Bay and the Atlantic Ocean of 618 kilometers (384 miles). It is nicknamed the Ocean State and has a number of oceanfront beaches.

Narragansett Bay is a major feature of the state’s topography. There are more than 30 islands within the bay; the largest is Aquidneck Island which holds the municipalities of Newport, Middletown, and Portsmouth. The second-largest island is Conanicut, and the third is Prudence.

narragansett bay

Rhode Island has 2 national parks and 9 state parks.

Fort Adams State Park is a public recreation and historic area preserving Fort Adams, a large coastal fortification located at the harbor mouth in Newport, Rhode Island, that was active from 1841 through the first half of the 20th century.

fort adams state park

The Breakers is a Vanderbilt mansion located on Ochre Point Avenue, Newport, Rhode Island. The building became a National Historic Landmark in 1994 and is a contributing property to the Bellevue Avenue Historic District. It is owned and operated by the Preservation Society of Newport County and is open for visitation on a year-round basis.

the breakers

Marble House is a Gilded Age mansion in Newport, Rhode Island. Designed as a summer cottage for Alva and William Kissam Vanderbilt by the society architect Richard Morris Hunt, it was unparalleled in opulence for an American house when it was completed in 1892. Its temple-front portico, which also serves as a porte-cochère, resembles that of the White House. Located at 596 Bellevue Avenue, it is now open to the public as a museum run by the Preservation Society of Newport County.

marble house

The Newport Cliff Walk is considered one of the top attractions in Newport, Rhode Island. It is a 5.6-km (3.5-mile) public access walkway that borders the shore line. It has been designated a National Recreation Trail.

newport cliff walk

The Roger Williams Park Zoo of Providence, Rhode Island contains more than 150 animals from around the world in natural settings. In 1986, it became the first Zoo in New England to earn accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. It was founded in 1872, and is one of the oldest zoos in the nation.

roger williams park zoo

Rhode Island was founded by Roger Williams in 1636, who had been banished fromthe Massachusetts colony for hisadvocacy ofreligious tolerance and the separation of church and state.

On May 4, 1776, the Colony of Rhode Island was the first of the Thirteen Colonies to renounce its allegiance to the British Crown, and it was the fourth among the newly independent states to ratify the Articles of Confederation on February 9, 1778.

rhode-island-map-2

Rhode Island is the only state that still celebrates Victory Day (the end of WWII) as an official state holiday.

A rare type of rock called Cumberlandite is found only in Rhode Island (specifically in the town of Cumberland) and is the state rock.

The state is known for making silverware and fine jewelry.

Rhode Island is home to the Tennis Hall of Fame.

The Touro Synagogue is the oldest synagogue in North America. Built in 1763 the synagogue houses the oldest torah in North America.