Rhode Island

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The State of Rhode Island
and Providence Plantations

Flag of Rhode Island Seal of Rhode Island Nickname(s): The Ocean State, Little Rhody Motto(s): Hope
Official language(s)	None
Capital	Providence
Largest city	Providence
Area	Ranked 50th
- Total	1,214* sq mi (3,144* km²)
- Width	37 miles (60 km)
- Length	48 miles (77 km)
- % water	32.4
- Latitude	41°18'N to 42°1'N
- Longitude	71°8'W to 71°53'W
Population	Ranked 43rd
- Total (2000)	1,048,319
- Density	1,003.2/sq mi  387.34/km² (2nd)
Elevation
- Highest point	Jerimoth Hill[1] 812 ft  (247 m)
- Mean	200 ft  (60 m)
- Lowest point	Atlantic Ocean[1] 0 ft  (0 m)
Admission to Union	May 29, 1790 (13th)
Governor	Donald Carcieri (R)
U.S. Senators	Jack Reed (D) Lincoln Chafee (R) (Outgoing) Sheldon Whitehouse (D) (Senator Elect)
Time zone	Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Abbreviations	RI US-RI
Web site	www.ri.gov
* Total area in acres is approximately 776,957 acres

"RI" redirects here. For other uses, see RI (disambiguation).

The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is the smallest state by area, and it is also the state with the longest official name. Rhode (pronounced "Road") Island was the first of the thirteen original American colonies to declare independence from British rule, signaling the start of the American Revolution.

The state's common name, Rhode Island, actually refers only to the largest island in Narragansett Bay, also known as Aquidneck Island. Some historians^{[name a specific person/group]} think that the name is derived from Roodt Eylandt, old Dutch for "red island," given to the island by Dutch explorer Adriaen Block due to the red clay on the island's shore.^{[citation needed]} Other historians believe the name owes its origins to Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano, upon discovering nearby (present-day) Block Island named it Rhode Island because of its similarity in shape to the Greek island of Rhodes.^{[citation needed]} Later settlers, mistaking which island Verrazzano was referring to, gave the name to Aquidneck Island instead.

Despite most of the state being part of the mainland, the name Rhode Island leads some out-of-staters to mistakenly believe that the entire state is an island, sometimes confusing it with Long Island, New York, which is only about 100 miles southwest of Rhode Island across the Atlantic Ocean.^{[citation needed]} Rhode Island is nicknamed "Little Rhody" traditionally but the state officially adopted the nickname "The Ocean State".

Contents 1 Geography 1.1 Climate 2 History 2.1 Colonial Era 2.2 Revolution and Industrialization: 1770-1860 2.3 Civil War to Progressive Era: 1860-1929 2.4 Great Depression to Present: 1929- 3 Law and government 4 Economy 5 Demographics 5.1 Religion 6 Culture 7 Food 8 Cities and towns 9 Education 9.1 Primary and secondary schools 9.2 Colleges and universities 10 Sports 11 Miscellaneous topics 11.1 Local media 11.1.1 Newspaper 11.1.2 Television 11.1.3 Radio 11.2 Landmarks 11.3 Famous Rhode Islanders 11.4 Popular culture 12 See also 13 References 13.1 Primary sources 13.2 Secondary sources 14 External links

[edit] Geography

Further information: List of Rhode Island counties

Rhode Island covers an area of approximately 1,214 square miles (3,144  km²) and is bordered on the north and east by Massachusetts, on the west by Connecticut, and on the south by Rhode Island Sound and the Atlantic Ocean. It shares a water border with New York, but that area was originally part of Connecticut Colony. The mean elevation of the state is 200 feet (60 m). Located within the New England province of the Appalachian Region, Rhode Island has two distinct natural regions. Eastern Rhode Island contains the lowlands of the Narragansett Bay, while Western Rhode Island forms part of the New England Upland. Narragansett Bay is a major feature of the state's topography. Block Island lies approximately 12 miles (19 km) off the southern coast of the mainland. Within the Bay, there are over 30 islands. The largest is Aquidneck Island, shared by the municipalities of Newport, Middletown, and Portsmouth. Among the other islands in the Bay are Hope and Prudence.

Nicknamed the Ocean State, Rhode Island has the most oceanfront per capita as well as per land area of any United States state^{[verification needed]}, and is home to a number of oceanfront beaches

Rhode Island is mostly flat with no real mountains. Rhode Island's highest natural point is Jerimoth Hill, only 812 feet (247 m) above sea level.^[1]

[edit] Climate

Rhode Island is an example of a warm summer humid continental climate with hot rainy summers and cold snowy winters. The highest temperature recorded in Rhode Island was 105F (40°C), recorded on August 2, 1975 at Providence. The lowest temperature in Rhode Island, -13 °F (-25 °C), was recorded on February 6, 1996 at Greene. Monthly average temperatures range from a high of 82 °F (28 °C) to a low of 20 °F (-7 °C).^[2] Average yearly precipitation for Rhode Island, from 1961 to 1991, is shown on [4] from Oregon State University.

[edit] History

Main article: History of Rhode Island

[edit] Colonial Era

In 1614, the Dutch explorer Adriaen Block visited the island that is now called Block Island. Native American inhabitants included the Narragansett tribe, occupying most of the area, and the closely related Niantic tribe. Most of the Native Americans were decimated by introduced diseases, intertribal warfare, and the disastrous King Philip's War, but remnants of the Niantic merged into the Narragansett tribe, where they remain on a federally recognized reservation.

In 1636, Roger Williams, after being banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony for his religious views, settled at the tip of Narragansett Bay. He called the site Providence and declared it a place of religious freedom. This is the article of agreement Roger Williams and others made, and every person who decided to live in Providence had to sign it: “We, whose names are hereunder written, being desirous to inhabit the town of Providence, do promise to submit ourselves, in active or passive obedience, to all such orders or agreements as shall be made for public good by the body in an orderly way by the major consent of the inhabitance, masters of families, incorporated together into a township, and such others as they shall admit into the same only in civil things.” Rhode Island was a charter colony, Roger Williams received a charter to build the colony.

In 1637, Anne Hutchinson was banished from Massachusetts for criticizing the clergy there. She and some others, including William Coddington and John Clarke, founded the town of Portsmouth on Aquidneck Island. In 1639, Coddington left Portsmouth and founded Newport on Aquidneck Island.

In that same year a formal government was established for the island. William Coddington was the first governor and Philip Sherman was the first Secretary. In 1643, Samuel Gorton founded Shawomet, which is now called Warwick. In 1644, the name of Aquidneck Island was changed to Rhode Island.

John Clarke was granted a Charter in 1663 for Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, which effectively united the two colonies into one. Under the terms of the charter, only landowners could vote. Before the Industrial Revolution, when most people were employed as farmers, this was considered democratic. The original charter was used as the state constitution until 1842.

In 1664, the seal of the colony was adopted. It pictured an anchor and the word HOPE.

The relationship between the New Englanders and the Native Americans was at first strained, but did not result in much bloodshed. The largest tribes that lived near Rhode island were the Wampanoag, Pequots, Narragansett, and Nipmuck. One native named Squanto, from the Wampanoag tribe, stayed with the pilgrims and taught them many valuable skills needed to survive in the area. He also helped greatly with the eventual peace between the colonists and the natives.

Roger Williams had won the respect of his colonial neighbors for his skill in keeping the powerful Narragansett on friendly terms with local white settlers. In 1637, the Narragansett were even persuaded to form an alliance with the English in carrying out an attack that nearly extinguished the warlike Pequots. However, this peace did not last long. By 1670 even the friendly tribes who had greeted Williams and the Pilgrims became estranged from the colonists, and smell of war began to cover the New England countryside.

The most important and traumatic event in 17th century Rhode Island was King Philip's War, which occurred during 1675–1676. King Philip (his British nickname, his real name was Metacomet) was the chief of the Wampanoag Indians. The settlers of Portsmouth had purchased their land from his father, Massasoit. King Philip rebelled against the English. The first attacks were around Narrangansett Bay but spread throughout New England.

[edit] Revolution and Industrialization: 1770-1860

Rhode Island's tradition of independence and dissent gave it a prominent role in the American Revolution. In 1772, the first bloodshed of the American Revolution took place in Rhode Island when a band of Providence residents attacked a grounded British ship for enforcing unpopular British trade regulations in the incident which would be come to known as the Gaspee Affair. Keeping with its culture of defiance, Rhode Island was the first of the original thirteen colonies to declare its independence from England (May 4, 1776,^[3]) and the last to ratify the Constitution (which replaced the Articles of Confederation)(May 29, 1790)—doing the latter only after being threatened with having its exports taxed as a foreign nation.

As the Industrial Revolution moved large numbers of workers into the cities, a permanently landless, and therefore voteless, class developed. By 1829, 60% of the state's free white males were ineligible to vote.

Several attempts had been made to address this problem, but none passed. In 1842, Thomas Dorr drafted a liberal constitution which was passed by popular referendum. However, the conservative sitting governor, Samuel Ward King, opposed the people's wishes, leading to the Dorr Rebellion. Although this collapsed, a modified version of the constitution was passed in November, which allowed any white male to vote that he owned land or could pay a US $1 poll tax.

In addition to industrialization, Rhode Island was heavily involved in the slave trade during the post-revolution era. Slavery was extant in RI as early as 1652, and by 1774, the slave population of RI was 6.3%, nearly twice as high as any other New England Colony. In the late Eighteenth century, several Rhode Island merchant families began actively engaging in the triangle slave trade. Notable among these was the Brown family, for whom Brown University is named, although some important Browns became prominent abolitionists. In the years after the Revolution, Rhode Island merchants controlled between 60 and 90% of the American trade in African slaves.^[4][5]

[edit] Civil War to Progressive Era: 1860-1929

During the Civil War, Rhode Island was one of the Union states. Rhode Island furnished 25,236 fighting men, of which 1,685 died. On the home front, Rhode Island, along with the other northern states, used its industrial capacity to supply the Union Army with the materials it needed to win the war. Rhode Island's continued growth and modernization led to the creation of an urban mass transit system, and improved health and sanitation programs. After the war, in 1866, Rhode Island abolished racial segregation throughout the state.^[6] Post-war immigration increased the population. From the 1860s to the 1880s, most of the immigrants were from England, Ireland, Germany, Sweden, and Quebec. Towards the end of the century however, most immigrants were from South and Eastern Europe, and the Mediterranean.^[7] At the turn of the century, Rhode Island had a booming economy, which fed the demand for immigration. In the years that lead up to World War I, Rhode Island's constitution remained reactionary, in contrast to the more progressive reforms that were occurring in the rest of the country. The state never ratified the 18th Amendment establishing national Prohibition of alcohol. ^[8] During World War I, Rhode Island furnished 28,817 troops, of whom 612 died. After the war, the state was hit hard by the Spanish Influenza.^[9]

[edit] Great Depression to Present: 1929-

Since the Great Depression, the Rhode Island Democratic Party has dominated local politics. For years, the Speaker of the House, always a Democrat, has been one of the most powerful figures in government. The Democratic Party's core of support is in the urban areas of the state and immediate suburbs. While known for old school politics and corruption, Rhode Island also has comprehensive health insurance for low-income children, the RITE CARE program, as well as a large social safety net. Despite this, many urban areas still have a high rate of children in poverty. Due to an influx of residents from Boston, increasing housing costs have resulted in more homeless in Rhode Island (from about 3,000 individuals in 1999 to over 6,000 today), as well as a doubling of the cost of an average home.

The Republican Party, virtually non-existent in the state legislature, has sucessfully put forward occasional state-wide "good government" reform candidates who criticize the state's high taxes and the excesses of the Democratic Party. Stephen Laffey current Mayor of Cranston, current Governor Donald Carcieri of East Greenwich, and former Mayor Vincent A. "Buddy" Cianci of Providence (who later became an independent, political boss, and was convicted on RICO charges) ran as Republican reform candidates.

Prominent State Democrats include House Speaker William Murphy, Senate President Joseph Montalbono, Providence Mayor David Cicilline, Secretary of State A Ralph Mollis, Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Paiva-Weed, and Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts. In recent years, the former Speaker of the House John Harwood, State Senator John Celona, and State Senate President William Irons were forced to resign in scandals.

[edit] Law and government

Main article: Government of Rhode Island

The capital of Rhode Island is Providence. The state's current governor is Donald Carcieri (R) and its United States Senators are Jack Reed (D) and Lincoln Chafee (R). In the 2006 election for U.S. Senate on November 7, 2006, Senator Chafee was defeated by Attorney General Sheldon Whitehouse. Senator-elect Whitehouse will replace Senator Chafee as United States Senator from Rhode Island after the swearing in of the one hundred and tenth United States Congress on January 3, 2007. Rhode Island's two United States Congressmen are Patrick J. Kennedy (D-1) and Jim Langevin (D-2).

Further information: List of Rhode Island Governors

The state legislature is the Rhode Island General Assembly, consisting of the 75-member state House of Representatives and the 38-member Senate. Both houses of the bicameral body are currently dominated by the Democratic Party.

Federally, Rhode Island is one of the most reliably Democratic states during presidential elections, regularly giving the Democratic nominees one of their best showings. In 1980, Rhode Island was one of only 6 states to vote against Ronald Reagan. In the 1984 Reagan landslide, Rhode Island provided Walter Mondale with his 3rd best performance. Rhode Island was the Democrats' best state in 1988 and 2000 and 2nd best in 1996 and 2004. The state was devoted to Republicans until 1908, but has only strayed from the Democrats 7 times in the 24 elections that followed. In 2004, Rhode Island gave John Kerry a greater than 20 percentage point margin of victory (the third highest of any state) with 59.4% of its vote. All but two of Rhode Island's 39 cities and towns voted for the Democratic candidate. The only exceptions were East and West Greenwich.

[edit] Economy

Rhode Island is known as the "birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution". It was in Pawtucket, Rhode Island that Samuel Slater set up his first mill in 1790, using the waterpower of the Blackstone River to power his mill. For a while, Rhode Island was one of the leaders in textiles. However, with the Great Depression, most textile factories relocated to the American South. Textiles still constitute a part of the Rhode Island economy, but does not have the same power that it once had. An interesting by-product of the textile industry is the amount of abandoned factories - many of them now are used for low-income or elderly housing or have been converted into offices. In Pawtucket, these abandoned mills are used as housing for artists.

The Fortune 500 companies CVS and Textron are based in Woonsocket, Rhode Island and Providence, Rhode Island respectively. FM Global, Hasbro, American Power Conversion, Nortek, and Amica Mutual Insurance are all Fortune 1000 companies based in Rhode Island. The GTECH Corporation is headquartered in Providence.

Rhode Island's 2000 total gross state product was $33 billion, placing it 45^th in the nation. Its 2000 per capita Personal Income was $29,685, 16^th in the nation.

Health services are Rhode Islands largest industry. Second is tourism, supporting 39,000 jobs, with tourism related sales at $3.26 billion in the year 2000. The third largest industry is manufacturing. Its industrial outputs are fashion jewelry, fabricated metal products, electric equipment, machinery, shipbuilding and boatbuilding. Rhode Island's agricultural outputs are nursery stock, vegetables, dairy products, and eggs.

[edit] Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1790	68,825	-
1800	69,122	0.4%
1810	76,931	11.3%
1820	83,059	8.0%
1830	97,199	17.0%
1840	108,830	12.0%
1850	147,545	35.6%
1860	174,620	18.7%
1870	217,353	24.5%
1880	276,531	27.2%
1890	345,506	24.9%
1900	428,556	24.0%
1910	542,610	26.6%
1920	604,397	11.4%
1930	687,497	13.7%
1940	713,346	3.8%
1950	791,896	11.0%
1960	859,488	8.5%
1970	946,725	10.1%
1980	947,154	0.0%
1990	1,003,464	5.9%
2000	1,048,319	4.5%

Demographics of Rhode Island (csv)
By race	White	Black	AIAN	Asian	NHPI
AIAN is American Indian or Alaskan Native   -   NHPI is Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
2000 (total population)	90.96%	6.45%	1.07%	2.74%	0.19%
2000 (Hispanic only)	7.14%	1.42%	0.18%	0.08%	0.07%
2005 (total population)	90.16%	7.07%	1.09%	3.07%	0.21%
2005 (Hispanic only)	9.12%	1.49%	0.22%	0.08%	0.08%
Growth 2000-2005 (total population)	1.76%	12.52%	4.91%	15.09%	9.93%
Growth 2000-2005 (non-Hispanic only)	-0.75%	13.80%	1.03%	15.44%	8.90%
Growth 2000-2005 (Hispanic only)	31.21%	7.98%	24.03%	3.78%	11.64%

The center of population of Rhode Island is located Providence County, in the city of Cranston [5].

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2005, Rhode Island has an estimated population of 1,076,189, which is a decrease of 3,727, or 0.3%, from the prior year and an increase of 27,870, or 2.7%, since the year 2000. This includes a natural increase since the last census of 15,220 people (that is 66,973 births minus 51,753 deaths) and an increase due to net migration of 14,001 people into the state. Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 18,965 people, and migration within the country produced a net decrease of 4,964 people.

The five largest ancestry groups in Rhode Island are: Italian (19%), Irish (18.4%), French-Canadian (17.3%),^[10] English (12%), Portuguese (8.7%).

6.1% of Rhode Island's population were reported as under 5, 23.6% under 18, and 14.5% were 65 or older. Females made up approximately 52% of the population.

Rhode Island has a higher percentage of Italian-Americans (concentrated in the city of Providence) and a higher percentage of Americans of Portuguese ancestry (who dominate Bristol county) than any other state in the nation. French Canadians form a large part of Northern Providence county whereas Irish-Americans have a strong presence 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."

[edit] Religion

^{[citation needed]}

The religious affiliations of the people of Rhode Island are:

• Christian – 81%
  • Roman Catholic – 56%
  • Protestant – 28%
    • Episcopal – 8%
    • Baptist – 6%
    • Other Protestant – 10%
  • Other Christian – 1%
• Jewish – 2%
• Other Religions – 1%
• Non-Religious – 16%

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

Rhode Island has the highest percentage of Catholics in the nation mainly due to large Irish, Italian and French Canadian immigration and to a lesser extent Portuguese, Puerto Rican, and Cape Verdean communities in the state.

[edit] Culture

Rhode Island has a unique and fascinating culture that distinguishes its people not only from other regions, but also from neighboring New England states.

Rhode Islanders speak with a distinct accent that many compare to a "Brooklyn" or a cross between a New York and Boston accent. The residents of this state also speak with a unique vernacular that many have dubbed "Rhode Islandese" or "Rhode Islander". The letter 'r' is often dropped at the end of a word, ("water" becomes "wata"). The letter 'r' is also added in to the ending of words ("soda" becomes "soder", "idea" becomes "idear"). Utilization of the word "wicked" is also very common among Rhode Islanders, especially young ones, to provide greater emphasis on something (e.g., "That's wicked funny" is a relatively common phrase).

It is a fairly common stereotype that Rhode Islanders are very superstitious, although this has not been scrutinized statistically. However, the belief in vampires, especially in the rural parts of the state, was widespread up until the late 19th century. There are several well-documented cases in which families disenterred deceased relatives, then removed and burned their hearts in the belief that the deceased was a vampire who was responsible for illness and misfortune that the family had been suffering. The most famous of these cases is that of 19-year-old Mercy Brown who died in Exeter, Rhode Island in 1892. It is believed that this widely-reported event inspired much of Bram Stoker's novel Dracula.

The Fox show Family Guy takes place in a fictional town in Rhode Island named Quahog.

The state was notorious for organized crime activity from the 1950s into the 1990s when the Patriarca crime family held sway over most of New England from their Providence headquarters. Although the power of organized crime has greatly diminished in Rhode Island over the last 20 years, its residents are still stigmatized by popular perceptions of rampant graft and corruption that have haunted the state for decades.

Rhode Islanders developed a unique style of architecture in the 17th century, called the stone-ender.

[edit] Food

Rhode Island is known for being one of the biggest coffee-drinking states. According to a Providence Journal article, Providence features the highest number of coffee/donut shops per capita in the country, with over 100 Dunkin' Donuts locations in the state alone. It is common belief that more coffee ice cream is sold here per-capita than any other state. The Official State Drink of Rhode Island is coffee milk,^[11] a beverage created by mixing milk with coffee syrup. This unique syrup was invented in the state and is bottled and sold in most Rhode Island supermarkets. Frozen lemonade, a mixture of ice-slush, lemons and sugar is also immensely popular in the summer, especially Del's Frozen Lemonade, a company based in Cranston.

Several foods and dishes are unique to Rhode Island. "Wieners," which are sometimes called "gaggers" or "weenies" are smaller than a standard hot dog but are covered in a meat sauce, chopped onions, mustard, and celery salt. The most common way the word is spelled on menus is "weiner." Submarine sandwiches are referred to as "grinders" in Rhode Island with a popular version being the Italian grinder, which is made with Italian cold cuts (usually ham, prosciutto, capicola, salami, and Provolone cheese). Chouriço (a spicy Portuguese sausage) and peppers, eaten with hearty bread, is also popular among the state's large Portuguese community. "Dynamites" are most popular in Woonsocket and are similar to a sloppy joe, except served with peppers and onions in a torpedo roll.

The Ocean State's tradition of seafood is one of the most celebrated in the country. Shellfish is extremely popular, with clams being used in multiple ways. The Quahog (whose shell is Rhode Island's state shell) is a large clam which is mixed with stuffing and spicy minced sausage and then baked in the shell to form a "Stuffie." Steamed clams are also a very popular dish. Fried squid, or "calamari," are fried squid rings and are most popular in Italian restaurants.

Rhode Island, like the rest of New England, has a long tradition of clam chowder. While both the White "New England" variety and the Red "Manhattan" variety are popular, Rhode Island makes a clear chowder, affectionately known as "Rhode Island Clam Chowder."

Perhaps the most peculiar culinary tradition in Rhode Island is the "clamcake." The clamcake is a deep fried ball of buttery dough with chopped bits of clam inside of it. They are sold in most seafood restaurants around the state, and usually come by the half-dozen or dozen. The quintessential summer meal in Rhode Island is "chowder and clam cakes."

It is also said that clams casino originated in Rhode Island after being "invented" by Julius Keller, the maitre d' in the original Casino next to the seaside Towers in Narragansett. Clams Casino resemble the beloved stuffed quahog but are generally made with the smaller littleneck or cherrystone clam and are unique in their use of bacon as a topping.

[edit] Cities and towns

There are 39 cities and towns in Rhode Island.

The cities are Providence, East Providence, Newport, Warwick, Cranston, Central Falls, Pawtucket and Woonsocket.

The towns are Barrington, Bristol, Burrillville, Charlestown, Coventry, Cumberland, East Greenwich, Exeter, Foster, Glocester, Hopkinton, Jamestown, Johnston, Lincoln, Little Compton, Middletown, Narragansett, New Shoreham (Block Island), North Kingstown, North Providence, North Smithfield, Portsmouth, Richmond, Scituate, Smithfield, South Kingstown, Tiverton, Warren, West Greenwich, West Warwick, and Westerly.

See also: Rhode Island locations by per capita income

[edit] Education

[edit] Primary and secondary schools

Further information: Rhode Island schools

[edit] Colleges and universities

Rhode Island has several colleges and universities:

Brown University Bryant University Gibbs College Johnson & Wales University Naval War College New England Institute of Technology Community College of Rhode Island

Providence College Rhode Island College Rhode Island School of Design Roger Williams University Salve Regina University University of Rhode Island Zion Bible Institute

[edit] Sports

• Pawtucket Red Sox, AAA (minor league baseball) affiliate of the Boston Red Sox
• Providence Bruins, AHL (minor league hockey) affiliate of the Boston Bruins
• Newport Gulls, NECBL (New England Collegiate Baseball League)

The Providence Grays won the first World Championship in baseball history in 1884. The team played their home games at the old Messer Street Field in Providence. The Grays played in the National League from 1878 to 1885. They defeated the New York Metropolitans of the American Association in a best of five game series at the Polo Grounds in New York. Providence won three straight games to become the first champions in major league baseball history.

Babe Ruth played for the minor league Providence Grays of 1914 and hit his only official minor league home run for that team before being recalled by the Grays parent club, the Boston Red Stockings.

[edit] Miscellaneous topics

• State motto: Hope
• State bird: Rhode Island Red (A breed of chicken)
• State flower: Violet
• State tree: Red Maple
• State fish: Striped Bass
• State fruit: Rhode Island greening (Apple)
• State nicknames: The Ocean State, Little Rhody, The Littlest State, The Thirteenth State
• State rock: Cumberlandite
• State mineral: Bowenite (a variety of serpentine)
• State shellfish: Quahog
• State drink: Coffee milk
• State song: "Rhode Island, It's For Me"

[edit] Local media

[edit] Newspaper

• The Cranston Herald
• Newport Daily News
• The Pawtucket Times
• Providence Journal
• The Providence Phoenix
• The Warwick Beacon
• The Woonsocket Call
• The Coventry Courier
• Johnston Sunrise
• The Westerly Sun
• The South County Independent
• The Narragansett times
• The Valley Breeze
• The Call

[edit] Television

• 6/WLNE-Providence (ABC)
• 10/WJAR-Providence (NBC)
• 12/WPRI-TV-Providence (CBS)
• 36/WSBE-TV-Providence (PBS)
• 50/WRIW-LP-Providence (Telemundo)
• 64/WNAC-TV-Providence (FOX/My Network TV)
• 69/WPXQ-Block Island (i)

28/WLWC-New Bedford (CW) is part of the Providence/New Bedford TV market, but has production facilities in sister stations WBZ-TV and WSBK-TV in Boston, Massachusetts.

[edit] Radio

• 550/WDDZ Pawtucket: Radio Disney
• 630/WPRO-AM Providence: (NewsTalk 630 WPRO): News/Talk
• 790/WSKO-AM Providence: (SportsRadio The Score): Sports
• 920/WHJJ Providence: (TalkRadio 920 WHJJ): News/Talk
• 990/WALE-Greenville: Spanish
• 1110/WPMZ East Providence: (Poder 1110): Spanish (Daytime only)
• 1180/WCNX Hope Valley: News
• 1220/WRIB Providence: Brokered Religion/Spanish
• 1230/WXNI Westerly: simulcast of WRNI-Providence
• 1240/WOON Woonsocket: Full service
• 1290/WRNI Providence: National Public Radio
• 1380/WNRI Woonsocket: News/Talk
• 1450/WLKW West Warwick: Adult Standards
• 1540/WADK Newport: Full service
• 1590/WARV Warwick: Religion
• 88.1/WELH Providence: Spanish, Classic Soul, Student radio (Wheeler School/Brown University)
• 88.3/WQRI Bristol: Rock (Roger Williams University)
• 88.7/WJMF Smithfield: College (Bryant University)
• 90.3/WRIU Kingston: College (Univ. of RI)
• 90.7/WXIN Providence: College (RI College)
• 90.7/WJHD Portsmouth: High school (Portsmouth Abbey)
• 91.3/WDOM Providence: College (Providence College)
• 91.5/WCVY Coventry: High school (Coventry H.S.). On air M-F 1400-2200 only.
• 92.3/WPRO-FM Providence: (92ProFM): Top 40
• 93.3/WSNE Taunton-Providence: (Coast933): Hot AC
• 94.1/WHJY Providence: (94-HJY): Rock
• 95.5/WBRU College: Brown University
• 95.9/WCRI Block Island: Classical
• 96.5/W243AI Newport: translator for WMVY Martha's Vineyard, Ma.
• 96.9/WBLQ-LP Ashaway: Varied
• 98.1/WCTK New Bedford-Providence: (Cat Country 98.1): Country
• 99.3/WJZS Block Island: Swing/Jazz
• 99.7/WSKO-FM Wakefield-Peacedale: (SportsRadio The Score): Sports
• 100.3/WKKB Middletown: (Latina 100.3): Spanish
• 101.5/WWBB Providence: (Big Hits B101): Oldies
• 102.7/WAKX Narragansett Pier: Jazz
• 103.7/WEEI-FM Westerly: (Simulcasts WEEI-AM: Boston): Sports
• 105.1/WWLI Providence: (LiteRock105): Adult Contemporary
• 105.9/WXHQ-LP Newport: Jazz
• 106.3/WWKX Woonsocket-Providence: (Hot106) Rhythmic Top 40/Hip-Hop

Other radio stations from Connecticut & Massachusetts can be heard in parts of or all of Rhode Island. These include, but not limited to: 980/WSUB, 1320/WARL, 1350/WINY, 1400/WHTB, 1480/WSAR, 91.1/WSMU, 97.3/WJFD-FM, 99.1/WPLM-FM, 101.9/WCIB, 102.3/WXLM, 102.5/WCRB, 105.7/WROR, 107.1/WFHN, 107.3 WAAF & 107.7/WWRX.

[edit] Landmarks

The state capitol building is made of white Georgian marble. On top is the world's fourth largest self-supported marble dome.^[12] It houses the Rhode Island Charter of 1663 and other state treasures.

Providence is home to the First Baptist Church in America, the oldest Baptist church in the Americas, which was founded by Roger Williams in 1638.

The seaside city of Newport is home to many famous mansions, including The Breakers, Marble House and Belcourt Castle. It is also home to the Touro Synagogue, the oldest lasting synagogue within the United States. The synagogue showcases the religious freedoms that were established by Roger Williams as well as impressive architecture in a mix of the classic colonial and Sephardic style. The Newport Casino is a National Historic Landmark building complex that presently houses the International Tennis Hall of Fame and features an active grass-court tennis club.

Rhode Island is home to the famous roadside attraction Nibbles Woodaway, the Big Blue Bug, the world's largest termite.

Fort Adams, on Narragansett Bay, was the setting for the finish of Eco-Challenge 1995.

"The Towers" in Narragansett, is a large stone arch that scenic route 1A (Ocean rd.) travels through. It was once the entrance to the famous Narragansett casino that burned down in 1900. The towers now serve as a tourist information center and also a banquet hall for events like weddings and birthday parties.

[edit] Famous Rhode Islanders

• Robert Aldrich, film director, born in Cranston
• Harry Anderson, comedian, born in Newport
• Rocco Baldelli, baseball player, born in Woonsocket
• Donnie Bennett, Professional Realtor, Radio Host and Executive Producer with X-MIX.com, Providence
• Bryan Berard, Professional Hockey Player, Woonsocket
• Ambrose Burnside, general and governor but not a native
• Ruth Buzzi, actress in 1960s TV program Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, born in Westerly
• John Cafferty, lead singer of John Caffery And The Beaver Brown Band, Narragansett
• Keith E. Carney, Professional Hockey player, Pawtucket
• Charles V. Chapin, pioneering epidemiologist and a forefather of the public health movement, Providence
• Vincent "Buddy" Cianci, Jr., convicted former mayor of Providence
• Mike Cloud, running back for the 3-time Super Bowl champions the New England Patriots, Portsmouth
• George M. Cohan, dramatist, born in Providence
• Nicholas Colasanto, actor who played Coach Ernie Pantusso on Cheers, Westerly
• Bill Conti, film composer (Rocky, The Right Stuff)
• Jill Craybas, professional women's tennis player, born in Providence
• Vin Di Bona, creator of America's Funniest Home Videos, born in Central Falls
• Nelson Eddy, entertainer, born in Providence
• Eileen Farrell, opera singer, grew up in Woonsocket
• Bobby Farrelly, writer, director born in Cumberland
• Peter Farrelly, writer, director born in Cumberland
• Brad Faxon, professional golfer, raised in Barrington
• Claire Waters Ferguson, first woman president of the United States Figure Skating Association
• Billy Gilman, Country singer, born in Hope Valley
• Spalding Gray, writer, actor born in Barrington
• Nathanael Greene, Revolutionary War general, second in command to Washington, born in Potowomut, Warwick
• Seth McFarlane, Creator of "Family Guy" and "American Dad" attended RISD
• Shephard Fairey, Famous urban artist most known for his OBEY the GIANT works. Attended RISD
• Bobby Hackett, trumpet player, born in Providence
• Jeff Jillson, Professional Hockey player, North Smithfield
• David Hartman, television newscaster, born in Pawtucket
• Gabby Hartnett, professional baseball player, Woonsocket
• David Hedison, actor in film, television and theater, born in Providence
• Kristin Hersh, with half-sister Tanya Donelly and Rogers High School schoolmate David Narcizo: founding members of the band Throwing Muses
• Raymond Mathewson Hood, Architect of Rockefeller Center, born in Pawtucket
• Ruth Hussey, actress, born in Providence
• Richard Jenkins, actor, although born in Illinois, resided in Rhode Island for years as director of the state's Trinity Repertory Theater.
• Van Johnson, entertainer, born in Newport
• Paul Konerko, baseball player, born in Cranston
• Napoleon Lajoie, baseball player, born in Woonsocket
• Jesse Leach, former lead singer of Killswitch Engage and current lead singer of Seemless, resides on the Cranston/Providence border
• Irving R. Levine, journalist and foreign correspondent, born in Pawtucket
• Davey Lopes, baseball player, born in East Providence
• H. P. Lovecraft, author, born in Providence
• Peter Manfredo, Jr., TV series The Contender 2nd place finalist, Federal Hill, Providence
• Debra Messing, actress, raised in East Greenwich
• Edwin O'Connor, Pulitzer Prize novelist, grew up in the state.
• Oliver Hazard Perry, naval officer, born in South Kingstown
• Gilbert Stuart, painter, born in Saunderstown
• Mena Suvari, actress, born in Newport
• Meredith Vieira, television personality, born in East Providence
• Abraham Whipple, prominent naval commander during the American Revolution
• Roger Williams (theologian), co-founder of colony and early proponent of religious freedom and separation of church and state
• James Woods, film actor, Warwick

[edit] Popular culture

• The Justice League of America's first headquarters was despicted in the comic books as be in a cave in the fictional district of Happy Harbor, in Rhode Island.
• The Showtime series Brotherhood is set in Providence, Rhode Island.
• The animated sitcom Family Guy (1999 – 2002; 2005 – present) is set in the fictional town of Quahog, Rhode Island.
• Outside Providence (Movie, 1999), Directed by Michael Corrente, starring Alec Baldwin.
• There's Something About Mary (Movie 1998), Directed by the Farrelly brothers, starring Cameron Diaz and Ben Stiller, romantic comedy partially set in Providence, Cumberland and Barrington
• Providence (A TV Series originally seen on the NBC network)
• Providence, a 1991 American/Canadian movie with Keanu Reeves
• Dumb and Dumber (Movie)
• Me, Myself and Irene (Movie, 2000), Directed by the Farrelly brothers, starring Jim Carrey who plays a Rhode Island State Trooper with multiple personalities.
• Doctor Doctor (TV-Series set in Providence, 1989-1991)
• The Last Shot (Movie, 2004) , starring Alec Baldwin and Mathew Broderick
• Getting Out of Rhode Island (Movie, 2003)
• Federal Hill (Movie, 1994)
• The Witches of Eastwick (Movie, 1987) Directed by George Miller, starring Jack Nicholson, Cher, Susan Sarandon, Michelle Pfeiffer. Set in the fictional town of Eastwick, Rhode Island.
• On FOX's popular X-Files (1993 – 2001) TV series, character Fox Mulder's family lives in Chepachet, a small town in the Northern area of the state.
• The massively multiplayer online game City of Heroes is set in the fictional city of Paragon City, Rhode Island.
• The popular videogame Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem Is focused around the happenings in a mansion in Rhode Island.
• In the movie "The Cat in the Hat", The Cat mentions that you never see Rhode Island license plates.

[edit] See also

• The size of Rhode Island
• Scouting in Rhode Island
• Benedict Arnold
• WaterFire Providence
• Convergence art festival
• First Night Providence
• Trinity Repertory Company
• Newport Jazz Festival
• Fort Thunder
• Terrastock 2006
• List of people from Rhode Island
• List of Governors of Rhode Island
• Family Guy
• Rhode Island State Police

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• RI.gov, Official State Government site
• U.S. Census Bureau
• Rhode Island laws
• Scituate Art Festival
• Rhode Island State Facts
• Detailed Historical Article from the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica
• Directory of filming locations in the state
• Interactive Rhode Island Map Server

	State of Rhode Island
Topics	Culture · Geography · Government · History · Images
Capital	Providence
Regions	Blackstone Valley · Block Island · East Bay · Newport County · Providence · South County · Warwick/West Bay
Counties	Bristol · Kent · Newport · Providence · Washington
Cities	Central Falls · Cranston · East Providence · Newport · Pawtucket · Providence · Warwick · Woonsocket
Towns	Barrington · Bristol · Burrillville · Charlestown · Coventry · Cumberland · East Greenwich · Exeter · Foster · Glocester · Hopkinton · Jamestown · Johnston · Lincoln · Little Compton · Middletown · Narragansett · New Shoreham (Block Island) · North Kingstown · North Providence · North Smithfield · Portsmouth · Richmond · Scituate · Smithfield · South Kingstown · Tiverton · Warren · West Greenwich · West Warwick · Westerly
Reservations	Narragansett Indian Tribe

	Political divisions of the United States
Capital	District of Columbia
States	Alabama | Alaska | Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Connecticut | Delaware | Florida | Georgia | Hawaii | Idaho | Illinois | Indiana | Iowa | Kansas | Kentucky | Louisiana | Maine | Maryland | Massachusetts | Michigan | Minnesota | Mississippi | Missouri | Montana | Nebraska | Nevada | New Hampshire | New Jersey | New Mexico | New York | North Carolina | North Dakota | Ohio | Oklahoma | Oregon | Pennsylvania | Rhode Island | South Carolina | South Dakota | Tennessee | Texas | Utah | Vermont | Virginia | Washington | West Virginia | Wisconsin | Wyoming
Insular areas	American Samoa | Guam | Northern Mariana Islands | Puerto Rico | Virgin Islands
Minor outlying islands	Baker Island | Howland Island | Jarvis Island | Johnston Atoll | Kingman Reef | Midway Atoll | Navassa Island | Palmyra Atoll | Wake Island

Coordinates: 41°42′N 71°35′W