Rhode Island, officially The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, constituent state of the United States of America. It was one of the original 13 states and is one of the six New England states. With an area of 1,212 square miles (3,139 square kilometres), it is the smallest state in the Union and is only about 48 miles (77 kilometres) long and 37 miles (60 kilometres) wide. It is, however, one of the most densely populated states in the nation. The extreme compactness of area, large population, and economic activity have tied Rhode Island closely to its neighbours—Connecticut on the west and Massachusetts on the north and east. The Rhode Island Sound on the south is the basis of the state's fishing industry. The capital is Providence.
The name Rhode Island owes its origin to the 16th-century Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano, who compared the size of Block Island to the Mediterranean island of Rhodes. The earliest settlers thought that Verrazzano had referred to the island which the Indians called Aquidneck and thus began calling it Rhode Island. In the state's official name—The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations—lies a clue to its founding. The first settlement was made by the minister Roger Williams and a few followers at Providence, near the head of Narragansett Bay, in 1636. They were either under edict of banishment from Massachusetts Bay colony—Williams for advocating freedom of conscience in religion—or were in trouble with the authorities there. In 1638 a group of Bostonians, in similar difficulties, purchased the island of Aquidneck, now Rhode Island, from Indians and settled Portsmouth. Factional strife split this settlement, and William Coddington and his adherents moved to the southern end of the island, where they founded Newport, leaving Anne Hutchinson and her followers in Portsmouth. In 1643 Samuel Gorton and a dissident group settled Warwick.
The western two-thirds of the state is part of the New England Upland, with hills rising as high as 800 feet (240 metres) above sea level. The Narragansett, or Seaboard, Lowland comprises coastal lowlands and islands that are less than 200 feet (61 metres) in elevation. The highest point in the state is Jerimoth Hill, 812 feet (247 metres), near North Foster.
Several river systems drain Rhode Island. The most important are the Blackstone, the Pawtuxet, and the Pawcatuck. The Blackstone River and its tributaries drain the northern part of the state. Originating in Massachusetts, the Blackstone once provided waterpower for the textile mills built at Woonsocket, Pawtucket, and a dozen villages in between. The Pawtuxet River drains the central part of the state. Its north branch was flooded when Providence built a dam at the village of Kent. The resulting Scituate Reservoir is now the state's largest body of fresh water, supplying Providence and its neighbouring communities. The Pawcatuck River flows west across the southern part of the state into Block Island Sound south of Westerly.
Since the mid-20th century, high taxes, high energy costs, and low wages have combined to keep the Rhode Island economy from expanding. In 1985 the state passed legislation to reduce the tax burden and overhaul unemployment and worker's compensation programs. In the same year, the legislature created the Business Action Center, a problem-solving agency designed to help businesses with their concerns. Narragansett Bay has also attracted the U.S. Navy. The Naval War College has operated at Newport since 1884; the naval presence grew through World War II until the closing of the Quonset Point Naval Air Station and the reassignment of ships in 1974. The navy, however, has continued as the second largest employer in Rhode Island, after state government.
Many recreational activities are centred on the state's water. For many years the waters off Newport have been the site of the yacht races for the America's Cup. An annual tuna tournament is held in Rhode Island and Block Island sounds. Newport Casino, one of the early centres of tournament tennis, has an annual grass-court tournament of national importance. The International Lawn Tennis Hall of Fame and Tennis Museum in the Newport Casino building give Newport an extraordinary and varied cultural heritage.
Amtrak, Conrail, and the Providence and Worcester Railroad serve the state's rail needs. The major arteries for road travel are Interstate Highways 95 and 295 (the Providence bypass), which offer connections to cities in Connecticut and Massachusetts as well as between communities in Rhode Island. A limited-access connector road links I-95 to the state's main air terminal, T.F. Green State Airport, in Warwick. General aviation is also served by state airports at Smithfield, Newport, Westerly, Block Island, and Quonset. The Rhode Island Port Authority and Economic Development Corporation operates port facilities for ocean-borne commerce at Providence and Davisville/Quonset Point. The port of Providence, at the head of Narragansett Bay, handles petroleum, automobiles, scrap iron, lumber, and steel. The Davisville/Quonset Point facility (formerly the Quonset Point Naval Air Station) is part of a large industrial park with rail and air connections.
