Rhode Island

Abbreviation	RI Source: United States Postal Service - Abbreviations
Capital	Providence
Population	1,052,567 Source: Resident Population Data - 2010 Census
Governor	Lincoln Chafee (Independent, to January 2015)
Entered the Union	May 29, 1790 as the 13th state
Motto	Hope
Nickname	The Ocean State
Flower	Violet (unofficial)
Bird	Rhode Island Red
Song	Rhode Island It's For Me
Professional Sports Teams	No NFL, MLB, NBA, WNBA, MLS, or NHL teams. (sports listing policy)
Origin of Name	From the Greek Island of Rhodes
Historical Sites	The Roger Williams National Memorial in Providence
Points of Interest	Samuel Slater's Mill in Pawtucket and the General Nathanael Greene Homestead in Coventry and Block Island
Bordering States	Rhode Island borders Massachusetts, the Atlantic Ocean, Connecticut, and New York (water border).
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Follow these links to read articles about Rhode Island from Encyclopedias and Almanacs:

• Britannica Online Encyclopedia
• Columbia Encyclopedia
• Information Please Almanac

Official State Links

• RI.gov: Rhode Island Government
  http://www.ri.gov/
  This is the official website for the State of Rhode Island.
• OLIS Library: Rhode Island Office of Library and Information Services
  http://www.olis.ri.gov/
  Here is the homepage for the Rhode Island State Library Agency.
• The Rhode Island Historical Society
  http://www.rihs.org/
  Here is the homepage for the Rhode Island State Historical Society.
• Heritage Harbor Museum
  http://www.heritageharbor.org/
  The Heritage Harbor Museum is a consortium of nineteen historical and cultural organizations coming together under one roof to tell the Rhode Island story. Renovation of the South Street Power Plant in Providence began in July 2000. This planned 3-D interactive lifelong learning center will become the Rhode Island State History Museum.
• Museum of Natural History and Planetarium
  http://www.providenceri.com/museum/
  Here is the homepage for the Rhode Island Museum of Natural History.
• Rhode Island State Archives and Public Records
  http://www.state.ri.us/archives/
  Here is the homepage for the Rhode Island State Archives.
• Parks and Recreation: State of Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management
  http://www.riparks.com/
  Here is the homepage for Rhode Island State Parks.
• Visit Rhode Island.com
  http://www.visitrhodeisland.com/
  Here is the official state tourism website for Rhode Island.
• Rhode Island Kids' Page
  http://www.ri.gov/kids/
  Here is the official Rhode Island state website just for kids.

Other State Links

• 50states.com: Rhode Island
  http://www.50states.com/rdisland.htm
  The site provides a wealth of information about Rhode Island. It includes everything from the highest point to county profile to climate.
• Things To Do in Rhode Island
  http://www.thingstodo.com/states/RI/index.htm
  ThingsToDo.com is an online guide to information about Rhode Island's entertainment, recreation, and travel, and includes the state's interesting facts, famous people, and special events.
• Roadside America: Rhode Island Attractions
  http://www.roadsideamerica.com/map/ri.html
  Roadside America describes itself as an online guide to offbeat attractions. This site offers reviews of "weird sites along the highway" in Rhode Island.
• What Did You Do in the War, Grandma
  http://www.stg.brown.edu/projects/WWII_Women/tocCS.html
  This site preserves an oral history of Rhode Island women during World War II, conducted and recorded in the Spring of 1989 by students of the South Kingstown (RI) High School Honors English Program.
• Rhode Island History
  http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/studteaguide/RhodeIslandHistory/rodehist.html
  This page of the Student/Teacher Guide online resource site makes available the history of Rhode Island in nine online chapters, taken from the Rhode Island Manual.
• FedStats: MapStat: United States: Rhode Island
  http://www.fedstats.gov/qf/states/44000.html
  Fast access to statistics from more than 100 federal agencies on "economic and population trends, crime, education, health care, aviation safety, energy use, farm production and more" in Rhode Island.

• RI is a primary center for jewelry manufacturing in the United States.
• Despite its dense population, 60 percent of the state is forestland.
• The largest manufacturer of silverware in the world is in Providence. The plant from the early 1800's.
• In 1524 the Florentine navigator Giovanni da Verrazano, while sailing for France, was the first European to explore Rhode Island. By comparing Block Island with the Mediterranean island Rhodes, he accidentally gave it its name.

Some Famous People from this State

• Harry Anderson (1951- ), actor and magician. He starred in the sit-com Night Court.
• H.P. (Howard Phillips) Lovecraft (1890-1937), author. He wrote the book Necronomicon and was interested in science fiction and supernatural stories.
• Bobby (Robert Leo) Hackett (1915-1976), jazz trumpeter.
• Roger Williams (1603-1683). He was a Puritan leader and the founder of Rhode Island.