Rhode Island is one of the New England states. It is the
smallest state in the USA. It borders
Massachusetts to the north
and east, Connecticut to the west, and the Atlantic Ocean to the
south. Rhode Island (RI) is the smallest state in the United
States, located between Massachusetts and Connecticut in the New
England region. However, it has more than 400 miles (640 km) of
coastline due to islands such as Narragansett Bay and Aquidneck
Island, where the "seaside city" of Newport is located. Although
Rhode Island includes "island" in its name, most of the state's
area is not an island; the state's historic official name,
established by a royal charter granted by King Charles II in
1663, was "Rhode Island and Providence Plantations." However,
since plantations implied slavery, a referendum resulted in the
state's official name being shortened to "Rhode Island" in 2020.
Despite the sprawl of East Coast cities, both gently developed
seaside territory and farmland remain here. The origin of the
name Rhode Island is disputed. Some say it derives from the
Dutch explorer Adriaan Block, who named it "Roode Eylandt"
because of its red soil, while others say that Block Island
reminded the Italian navigator Giovanni Verrazzano of the Greek
island of Rhodes, and that subsequent explorers were confused
and It is said that Akidnek Island was renamed "Rhode Island".
The state's population is just over one million, making it the
smallest state in the nation, yet it ranks 43rd in population
and is second only to New Jersey in population density.
Rhode Island is nicknamed the "Sea State," and while there are
many other states with large coastlines, few are shaped by the
sea. All Rhode Islanders live within a 30-minute drive of the
Atlantic Ocean or Narragansett Bay, the largest estuary in New
England, and the state's population centers are close to the
ocean. Fresh seafood is on restaurant menus throughout the
state, and calamari is the state's official appetizer.
Most Rhode Islanders also have a favorite beach. Be sure to pack
warm clothes for cold days, light clothing for hot days, and
rain jackets and boots in case it rains at any time. In such a
small state, there is naturally not much difference in
temperature, but in general the coastal areas have cooler
summers and warmer winters than the inland areas. Rhode Island
can get very cold, but the coast in particular is one of the
warmest places in New England during the winter months.
1 Providence - State capital, largest city and major business
center. Home of Brown University, one of the most prestigious
(and most expensive) universities in the USA
2 Central Falls
– It only covers one square mile and is one of the most densely
populated cities in the world.
3 East Greenwich
– Founded in 1677, this historic Main Street district offers
charming shops, fine dining, and a community theater.
4
Narragansett – Best New England Beaches.
5
Newport - on
Aquidneck Island. Once the favorite city of America's elite,
it's famed for yachting, mansions and jazz. Newport was where
every coke, steel, and railroad baron had to be represented with
a castle-like mansion in the 19th and 20th centuries
6
Pawtucket - Birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution.
7 South Kingstown, including the villages of Kingston, West
Kingston, Matunuck, Peacedale and Wakefield.
8 Warwick - Home
to TF Green Airport, a shopping center and "Gaspee Days" is an
easy (and cheaper) place to land from your flight and hire a
hotel room and car.
9 Woonsocket – Once known as "Little
Quebec," it has the largest French-speaking population in Rhode
Island. French is rarely heard today: it has been replaced by
English, Spanish and Portuguese.
Fort Adams that stands in Rhode Island is one of the most impressive American forts and a true feat of military engineering.
Bellevue Avenue Historic District, Newport In the late 19th and early
20th centuries, wealthy American families built lavish summer homes
along the Newport waterfront. Called "cottages" then and now, seven of
these American palaces have been designated National Historic Landmarks,
and 11 are open to the public.
Providence Water Fire. An
environmental art form, as many as 100 bonfires float on the river that
runs through the city, accompanied by ambient music.
Bowen's Wharf
Christmas Tree Lighting in Newport.
Bright Nights Providence -
December 31 Providence. Hundreds of the best local singers, actors,
dancers, acrobats, musicians, magicians and clowns.
International
Tennis Hall of Fame at the Newport Casino in Newport. It features the
only professional tennis event on grass in North America and the world's
largest collection of tennis memorabilia.
Penguin Plunge in Jamestown
- January 1. Hundreds of tuxedo-clad swimmers plunge into the icy waters
for charity.
Beavertail Lighthouse Museum, Jamestown. Located on the
southern edge of Jamestown, this museum contains information and
artifacts about the third oldest lighthouse in North America. The
lighthouse overlooks Narragansett Bay.
Conanicut Battery, Jamestown
Located off Battery Lane in the southern part of the island, this
earthen fort was built in 1776. During their four-year occupation of
Newport, the British rebuilt the earthwork into its present form.
St.
Patrick's Day Parade - Newport is a fitting place for St. Patrick's Day.
Bristol 4th of July Parade, Bristol The oldest Independence Day
celebration in the country, this parade attracts marching bands from all
over the country.
Fort Wetherill State Park, Jamestown A former
coastal defense battery and training camp on top of 100-foot granite
cliffs is known for its spectacular views of Newport Harbor and the East
Passage of Narragansett Bay. Families and groups can enjoy picnicking,
boating, fishing, and hiking.
Woonsocket Labor and Culture Museum -
Exhibits recount Woonsocket's unique labor story: the rise of
independent textile unions that grew to dominate every aspect of city
life.
Jamestown Museum at the Jamestown Historical Society on
Narragansett Ave. was built in 1886 as a one-room schoolhouse in town.
Exhibits change seasonally.
Jamestown Windmill. Located on North Road
overlooking the Newport Pell Bridge, this windmill was built in 1787
with a hand-hewn chestnut frame and cobblestone exterior. The mill is
maintained in operating condition. The grounds are open year-round and
tours are offered in the summer.
Seabee Museum and Memorial Park in
North Kingstown. Located on the site of the former home of the U.S. Navy
Seabees, the museum historic features Quonset huts, military equipment,
memorabilia, the world's largest concrete chapel, and the largest Seabee
statue.
Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence. This zoo has parks,
dinosaur exhibits, and combines history and culture with animals in each
area.
Six vineyards and wineries - regular tours and tastings
available. Diamond Hill Vineyards offers custom labeling of wines.
Rhode Island is a small state with a wide variety of activities. The
coast is one of the best-kept secrets in the East. Rhode Island is home
to many cultures, including the Rhode Island School of Design and the
Johnson and Wales Culinary Institute. The region has a distinctive
dialect, and you may need to repeat or have some words explained to you.
The four seasons are distinct and temperatures vary widely. The Atlantic
coast offers many outdoor adventure activities, such as spending time on
the beach, chasing lighthouses, and experiencing the delicious food and
music facilities.
Autumn Fest Held annually in Woonsocket on
Columbus Day weekend (October), this five-maple leaf festival is one of
New England's "Little Canadas," attracting a diverse crowd of locals and
out-of-state visitors alike.
Stadium Theater Performing Arts Center
in Woonsocket. Renowned for its acoustics, intimacy, and décor, the
Stadium Theater has been a center for the performing arts since 1926; it
ceased operations in the 1970s, but a grassroots project and strong
corporate support in the 1990s raised over $3 million for its
restoration. It has been in operation ever since.
Rhode Island's
premier shopping center in downtown Providence, with three floors of
shopping and restaurants and another dedicated to entertainment,
visitors can spend an entire day in the same place without having to
visit twice.
Providence's Dunkin' Donuts Center "The Dunk" is home to
the Providence Bruins and Providence College Friars, Stars on Ice,
Ringling Brothers & Barnum & Bailey Circus, "Contender" finalists, Peter
Mann The event will feature a variety of attractions, including a boxing
match between the Fred Jr.
Pawtucket Red Sox at McCoy Stadium - McCoy
Stadium in Pawtucket is a popular destination for families looking for
cheap fun on a summer night.
Newport Folk Festival - Where Bob Dylan
first performed electric music. Part of the Festival Network.
Newport
Jazz Festival - Held every August in Newport, this festival attracts the
biggest names in jazz. 1954, it was the first outdoor music festival
dedicated to jazz and is now known worldwide. Recommended for music
lovers.
Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence. This
multi-purpose facility of approximately 100,000 square feet can be used
for most events, from dog shows to trade shows. Services include rental
space, catering, parking, A/V, exhibitor services, business center, and
weddings.
Ryan Center in South Kingstown, University of Rhode Island
sports, concerts, and events.
Performing Arts Center in Providence. A
world-class facility that hosts top-notch Broadway touring shows, plays,
contemporary acts, concerts, and more.
Late Night Christmas Shopping
on Block Island - December 20.
Mardi Gras Ball in Cranston. The only
authentic Louisiana Mardi Gras celebration in New England.
Golf -
Rhode Island has over 50 golf courses, including oceanfront and PGA
courses.
Newport Cliff Walk - Enjoy three miles of ocean views and
the grandeur of some of the most magnificent homes in America. Admission
is free and open 365 days a year.
Crescent Park Carousel in East
Providence.
Blackstone River Bikeway in Cumberland. A 17.1-mile-long
scenic bike path along the Blackstone River. It will connect to the East
Bay Bike Path.
Scituate Arts Festival in Scituate, Rhode Island. Held
annually during Columbus Day Weekend in October, more than 400 painters,
artists, and craftspeople sell their work in the scenic New England
historic village of North Scituate. The three-day arts weekend,
featuring paintings, antiques, arts and crafts, music, and food,
attracts more than 200,000 visitors over the three-day period.
The
rustic Tri-View Drive-In in North Smithfield. Seasonal outdoor movies
like the good old days. One of the last drive-in theaters still in
existence in the U.S., it still draws large crowds each summer.
Slater Mill Historic Site in Pawtucket. A museum complex that showcases
America's industrial heritage.
Blackstone River Theater in
Cumberland. Carrying on the folk traditions of the Blackstone River
Valley.
Blackstone Valley Polar Express in Cumberland. A live story
of the Polar Express, based on the children's book by renowned Rhode
Island author Chris Van Allsburg.
Christmas at the Newport Mansion
and the Newport Winter Festival in Newport.
By Airplane.
Theodore Francis Green State Airport (PVD IATA),
Warwick, Central Rhode Island; T.F. Green Airport is served by major
U.S. airlines with direct or spoke flights. From Canada, the airport
serves Toronto Airport. Toronto Airport is a small, accessible airport
served by many airlines. It is the most convenient airport to spend time
in Rhode Island. Terminals C and E have direct telephone boards that
connect all car rental companies to local facilities and worldwide
reservation centers. Each car rental company has a complimentary shuttle
bus that runs between the terminal and their rental facilities.
Boston's Logan International Airport (BOS IATA) is much larger and is
generally used for international flights.
By Train
Amtrak
(from the south) ☏ +1-800-USA-RAIL (872-7245) Rhode Island is served by
Providence (PVD) (downtown), Kingston (KIN) (located in South Kingstown,
near the University of Rhode Island and the Narragansett beaches),
Westerly (WLY) (Rhode Island's westernmost town, along the Connecticut
border). Providence is also served by Amtrak's Acela Express and
Northeast Regional Routes, which connect Boston to Washington and
Virginia via the South and West. The Acela train will take less than
three hours to Penn Station, New York, on its way further south. From
Boston, it is more economical to take the MBTA Commuter Rail.
MBTA
(from Boston)☏ +1 617-222-5000 runs from Boston's South Station via the
T commuter rail Attleboro/Stoughton line to Providence's AMTRAK station
(100 Gaspee St). Trains operate seven days a week. Warwick Intermodal
Station provides commuter rail/train service from T.F. Green Airport to
Boston via Providence By bus
By bus
Megabus
Greyhound Bus
Peter Pan Bus
By ferry
Vineyard Fast Ferry, ☏ +1 401-295-4040.
between North Kingstown (Quonset Point) and Oak Bluffs on Martha's
Vineyard Island.
By Car
The car is probably the easiest form of transportation, as
there is no elaborate public transportation system in the state other
than bus routes, although you can travel from the top of the state to
the bottom in about an hour. Rental cars are available at Down City in
Providence, T.F. Green Airport in Warwick, and elsewhere in the state.
At intersections, local customs often take precedence over
traditional traffic laws. Be aware that locals casually ignore turn
signals, stop signs, and red lights, and drive defensively.
Many
state roads, especially in urban areas, are extremely poorly marked, and
some are completely unmarked. Since we are in New England, there is no
road network. Best to carry a map or GPS.
By Bus
Rhode Island
Public Transit Authority (RIPTA), +1 401-781-9400, serves 38 of RI's 39
cities and towns, centered at Kennedy Plaza in Providence; RIPTA
operates public transportation seven days a week and has a program
called RIde, especially for the elderly and disabled. It offers
park-and-ride service at 27 locations throughout the state and operates
special seasonal routes to southern beaches for $2. On an average day,
$2.00 will get you from one end of the state to the other, or $.50 if
you need to transfer.
Ferries
RIPTA offers seasonal ferry
service from Providence to Newport (mid-May to mid-October).
Railroads
Amtrak operates trains throughout the state, stopping in
Providence, West Kingstown (a village in South Kingstown a few miles
from the University of Rhode Island), and Westerly.
By foot
Walking, rather than driving, is the best way to get to Providence.
There is no overnight on-street parking in Providence (although a pilot
program is changing on-street parking in some areas). Federal Hill, Down
City, and most of the East Side are fairly walkable and served by many
bus routes. As in any city, use common sense when walking alone or at
night.
Bicycle.
Rhode Island has miles of bike paths. Maps are
available at local bike stores or from the RI Department of
Transportation.
There is a wide variety of culinary offerings, from diners to themed
establishments to the most formal dining options. Johnson & Wales
University's School of Culinary Arts provides a steady supply of trained
chefs to the area.
The Federal Hill neighborhood of Providence
has some excellent Italian restaurants that live up to its tradition,
but there is excellent Italian food throughout the state. If you happen
to be in the area on St. Joseph's Day (March 19), stop by an Italian
bakery and join the locals for zeppoli (a type of cream puff).
Unique
clam dishes can be found along the beaches of RI, especially at the
"clam shacks" in South County. Chowder (sometimes pronounced and spelled
"chowder" in the local dialect) is often controversial but always
delicious. There are three varieties: traditional white (with cream),
Manhattan red (with tomatoes), and Rhode Island clear (with neither
cream nor tomatoes). Add quahog (stuffed clams), clam cakes (fried dough
with pieces of clams), and a summer beer and you are guaranteed the
perfect trip to the coast in any weather.
Coffee milk is the official
beverage of RI and can be ordered at most local restaurants. It is sweet
like chocolate milk and tastes almost like coffee.
Del's Lemonade
When coffee milk was chosen as the state drink, a minority complained
that it should have been Del's Lemonade. Once delivered only in small
"ice cream truck"-style vehicles, it is now sold in more than 25 fixed
locations and comes in six flavors besides the original lemon.
Rhode Island has a few great bars, a few blue pubs, a few vineyards,
and a brewery or two.
Newport is home to the Newport Storm
Brewery, and there are many places in RI to try this great local brew.
Pawtucket has emerged as the state's brewing hub.
Rhode Island
law requires that beer and wine be sold only in liquor stores, not
supermarkets or convenience stores, although liquor stores are open on
Sundays.
RI is generally safe in most areas where you would intentionally go.
The most dangerous part is driving, as locals tend to ignore red lights,
change lanes without warning, and leave parking lots with little regard
for oncoming traffic. Locals are also known to ignore stop signs. Many
accidents are the result of failing to signal properly when changing
lanes or ignoring red lights and stop signs.
Providence is
relatively safe, but caution should be exercised when walking around the
capital at night. Unless you know where you are going, areas to be
cautious are Camp Street on the East Side, South Providence, and
Providence's Olneyville neighborhood. Broad Street and Elmwood Avenue on
the south side of Providence are also areas that require caution.
When swimming in the ocean, watch out for rip currents. Make sure
you are confident before you go out.
Rhode Island is one of the most gay-friendly states in the nation,
with numerous bars and entertainment venues in Providence and a visible
"out" community in smaller towns and villages.
Every year around
June, a gay pride festival is held in downtown Providence. Many people
from all over town attend this festival. For the most part, Providence
is a fairly open-minded place, so things rarely happen (except for the
weather) that would negatively impact the festival. The festival has
many attractions that many people enjoy. On the day of the festival,
there are many food stalls to see and buy from.
Many Rhode Islanders speak with a distinctly eastern New England
accent, similar to Boston's famous broad a and droppdr. For example,
some say idear instead of idea. The closer you get to Providence, the
more likely you are to encounter this accent. Words you may hear during
your visit "bubbler" (water fountain), "grinder" (submarine sandwich),
"cabinet" (milkshake), etc.
Rhode Islanders lovingly complain
that any place more than a 30-minute drive is too far away. A popular
bumper sticker features an anchor and the words "I never leave Rhode
Island."
Natives also name certain landmarks. For example, the
Henderson Bridge, a mini freeway/bridge in the Providence area, is
affectionately called the "Little Red Bridge" because of the red wooden
bridge that was built before the current bridge was constructed. Central
Falls and East Providence are called CF and EP, respectively, especially
in newspapers. Barrington is sometimes called Bollington because there
used to be no liquor stores (a town ordinance banned them, but this
changed in 2012).
Local fun in Rhode Island is politics, which
can get very emotional here. Rhode Island has the only surviving
parliamentary democracy in the United States. Combine this with the
"everybody knows everyone" mentality and you have Rhode Island politics
in a nutshell.
It has an area of 4,002 km². It is bordered by Massachusetts to the
north and east, and by Connecticut to the west. On the southern border
is an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean that it shares with the state of New
York.
Nicknamed the Ocean State, it is home to numerous beaches.
It is mostly flat, the average altitude is 60 m above sea level. n. m.
The highest point in the state is Jerimoth Hill, 247 meters above sea
level. n. m.
It is located in the New England province of the
Appalachian region and has two distinct natural regions. Eastern Rhode
Island, containing the Narragansett Bay lowlands. And Western Rhode
Island, which is part of the New England Highlands. Narragansett Bay is
very characteristic of the topography of the State. Block Island is 9 km
from the southern coast of the State. Inside the bay there are
approximately 30 islands. The largest is Aquidneck Island, which shares
municipalities with Newport, Middletown and Portsmouth. The second
largest is Conanicut, the third Providence.
A very rare type of
rock called cumberlandite can be found in Rhode Island. Initially, there
were two known mineral deposits in the State, but since they could be
exploited through the use of gunpowder, one of the deposits was almost
completely exhausted during the Civil War.
It has a continental oceanic climate, which combines warm, rainy summers with very cold winters. The average temperature ranges between 28 °C and -7 °C. The highest temperature recorded was 42°C in June 2006, in Providence. The lowest was -25°C in Coventry on 6 February 1996.
Its name originally applied to the largest island in Narragansett
Bay, also known as Aquidneck. The most widespread explanation considers
that the name is due to the Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano who,
upon discovering the nearby Block Island, called it Rhode Island, due to
its similarity in shape with the Greek island of Rhodes. Later
explorers, mistaking the island, applied it to Aquidneck Island.
Another hypothesis holds that the name comes from Roodt Eylandt, "Red
Island" (in 17th century Dutch), given to the island by the Dutch
explorer Adriaen Block due to the reddish color of its land.
In 1524, the Italian navigator Giovanni da Verrazzano crossed the
mid-Atlantic coast of North America, in search of a completely aquatic
route that would allow him to reach China through North America. During
that year, he left what is now New York Harbor and headed east until he
discovered what was later called Block Island. The natives directed him
to what is now known as Newport Harbor. He remained there for two weeks
while his team examined the bay and the surrounding continent. In early
May 1524, Verrazzano set out to renew his search for a Northwest
Passage.
In 1614, Dutch explorer Adriaen Block discovered the
island known today as Block Island, home of the Narragansett Indians and
the Niantics. Most of the indigenous people were decimated by new
diseases, inter-tribal fighting, and King Philip's War. The last members
of the Niantic tribe joined the Narragansett, who today form a federal
reservation.
Since its founding, Rhode Island was the first
place, in what is now the United States, that allowed religious freedom.
In 1636 Roger Williams, after being expelled from the Massachusetts Bay
Colony for his religious beliefs, settled at one end of Narragansett
Bay. This place was called Providence, and was declared a religious
freedom zone. Williams had maintained friendly agreements between the
settlers and the Narragansett tribe, who became allies of the English in
1637 against the Pequots. Despite this, peace did not last, as conflicts
soon arose between the settlers and the Indians.
In 1637, Anne
Hutchinson was banished from Massachusetts for criticizing the local
clergy. Ella Anne, along with William Coddington and John Clarke among
others, founded the city of Portsmouth on Aquidneck Island. In 1639,
Coddington left the city to found Newport on the same island. That same
year a formal government was established for the island, with Coddington
as governor and Philip Sherman as Secretary. In 1643, Samuel Gorton
founded Shawomet, present-day Warwick. In 1644 the name of Aquidneck
Island was changed to Rhode Island. Quakers began arriving in strong
waves during the 1650s and 1660s seeking freedom to practice their
religion, while Sephardic Jewish immigrants from Barbados settled in
Newport, home to the oldest synagogue in the United States still in use.
.
In 1663, King Charles II granted a new charter to the colony.
John Clarke received this Charter of Rhode Island and the Providence
Plantations, which guaranteed religious freedom and established the
boundaries the state has today. According to this document, which was
used as the state Constitution until 1842, only landowners had the right
to vote.
Relations between the New Englanders and the Indians
became strained, sometimes even leading to bloodshed. On December 19,
1675, a settler militia from Connecticut, Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth,
and Rhode Island massacred about 350 Narragansett Indians at the Battle
of the Great Swamp. The tribes that lived around Rhode Island were the
Wampanoag, the Pequots, the Narragansett, and the Nipmuck. A native,
named Squanto, helped pacify hostilities between the natives and the
settlers, and taught the latter how to survive in the area.
The
most important event in Rhode Island of the 17th century was King
Philip's War (1675–1676). King Philip (nickname for the Wampanoag tribal
chief, Metacomet) decided to rebel against the English, who had
purchased the tribe's land from his father. The first attacks were
around Narragansett Bay, but they gradually spread throughout New
England.
Rhode Island's tradition of independence and dissent gave it a
prominent role in the American Revolutionary War. The first bloodshed
occurred in 1772, when a band of Providence residents attacked a British
ship over the imposition of certain trade regulations. On May 4, 1776,
it declared its independence from Great Britain, but was the last of the
13 colonies to ratify the Constitution.
The Industrial Revolution
displaced large numbers of workers to major cities. These workers did
not own land, and therefore could not vote. In 1829, about 60% of the
state's white men did not have the right to vote. There were several
attempts to fix this problem, but they were unsuccessful. In 1842,
Thomas Dorr drafted a state Constitution approved by popular referendum.
Opposition by the governor, Samuel Ward King, led to the Dorr Rebellion.
Although the revolt was unsuccessful, an amended version of the state
Constitution was passed, granting the right to vote to white men who
owned land or paid a dollar poll tax.
Rhode Island was also
involved in the slave trade after the American Revolutionary War.
Slavery in the state dates back to 1652. In 1774, the population
percentage of slaves was 6.3%, almost double that of any other New
England colony. At the beginning of the 18th century, several merchant
families became interested in the slave trade. The Brown family stands
out, who gave their name to the famous university. After independence,
merchants controlled 60 to 90 percent of the African slave trade.
During the American Civil War (1861–1865), the state sided with the Union and provided 25,236 recruits, of whom 1,685 died. Rhode Island, along with other Union states, used its industrial capacity to supply the abolitionist army with the materials necessary to win the war. Progress and modernization led to the creation of an urban transportation system, and the improvement of its health services. After the war, racial segregation was abolished throughout the state. Postwar immigration caused the population to grow. From the 1860s to the 1880s, most immigrants were originally from England, Ireland, Germany, Sweden, and Quebec. Ten years later, the origin of the immigrants had moved to the south and east of Europe. This entire flow of migration fueled the state's thriving economy at the turn of the century. In the years before World War I, Rhode Island's constitution retained its reactionary character, in contrast to the more progressive reforms that were being carried out in the rest of the country. The state never ratified the 18th Amendment prohibiting alcoholic beverages. During World War I, it sent 28,817 recruits, of whom 612 died. After the war, the state was severely affected by the 1918 flu epidemic.
In the 20th century, the state continued its economic growth,
although the decline of heavy industry devastated large areas. The old
industrial areas were especially affected, along with the rest of the
urban areas, by the construction of interstate highways over urban
centers and the suburbanization resulting from the “G.I.” Act, which
greatly benefited war veterans.
After industrial reconversion,
and due to the influx of Boston residents in recent years, prices in the
real estate sector have grown spectacularly. Since the Great Depression
of 1929, the Rhode Island Democratic Party has dominated local politics,
although there are exceptions, such as Buddy Cianci or Vincent A. mayor
of Providence.
Rhode Island has 1,052,567 inhabitants (as
of the 2010 census), of which 81.4% are white, 5.7% African American,
12.4% Central or Latin American, 2.9% Asian and 0.6% Indians.
Rhode Island is struggling with a declining population. As of the 2010
US Census, only Michigan had a population decline. In Rhode Island, the
population increased by only 0.4% or 4,248 people in 10 years. US
officials now estimate that between April 1, 2010 (census) and July 1,
2011, the population decreased by 0.1 percent, or 1,265 people. This
ends the phase of population growth, some of which lasted well over 100
years, for many states on the east coast.
Religion
The religious affiliation of the people of Rhode Island
is:
Religion in 2019
Christians 45%
Catholics 30%
atheists
20%
other 5%
Population by religion
Catholics - 443 940
Protestants - 348 810
No religion - 211 400
Other religions -
52,850
Rhode Island is home to the Catholic Diocese of Providence
and the Anglican Diocese of Rhode Island. It has the highest percentage
of Catholics in the nation, due mainly to the massive immigration of
Dominicans, Irish, Italians and French Canadians and to a lesser extent
of Portuguese, Puerto Ricans and Cape Verdean communities. It is
interesting to note that given the number of Catholics indicated, there
is no county among the 24 counties with the highest percentage of
Catholics in the country. This is because Catholics are spread
throughout the State. Along with Utah, they are the only States in which
the majority of their population belongs to a single religious cult.
Rhode Island's constitution dates from 1842 and has been amended many times. At the head of the executive branch is the governor, who is elected for four-year terms. The Rhode Island legislature (General Assembly) consists of a 38-member Senate and a 75-member House of Representatives. Both are elected for two years.
List of Governors of Rhode Island
List of Lieutenant
Governors of Rhode Island
Rhode Island and Federal Politics
Rhode Island has two members of the United States House of
Representatives and four presidential electors. Relative to its area,
Rhode Island has the highest density of electors.
For a long
time, Senator Lincoln Chafee was by far the most liberal Republican in
the Senate until he was voted out in favor of Sheldon Whitehouse in
2006. Chafee later resigned from the Republican Party and won the
November 2010 gubernatorial election in Rhode Island as an independent
candidate. He was a member of the Democratic Party from 2013 to 2019.
Real gross domestic product per capita (per capita real GDP) was USD
54,365 in 2016 (national average for the 50 US states: USD 57,118;
national ranking: 24 out of 50). The unemployment rate was 4.3% in
November 2017 (national average: 4.1%).
Economic sectors are
toolmaking, textile industry, metalworking industry, plastics industry,
shipbuilding, tourism, medical research, oceanic research institutions,
fishing and agriculture (2%).
air traffic
The state
has a number of airports, with major American airlines serving Theodore
Francis Green State Airport in the city of Providence.
railroad
The only railroad company in Rhode Island is the Providence and
Worcester Railroad. It operates the former New Haven route from New
York, N.Y. to Boston, Massachusetts and the route to Worcester
(Massachusetts).
Amtrak has established its high-speed Northeast
Corridor service on this route with the Acela Express. The only stop on
the Acela Express trains in Rhode Island is Providence. Amtrak's other
trains (called Northeast Regional) also stop in Westerley and Kingston.