Welcome to Rhode Island
"The Ocean State" Officially known as Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, this tiny state was originally founded as a colony in 1663. One of the few settlements to maintain a largely peaceful relationship with the native populations, the colony, and later the state, was a land of firsts. Rhode Island enacted the first law prohibiting slavery in the colonies, in 1652, and was the first colony to declare independence from Britain. Strongly pro-Union, Rhode Island was the first state to send troops for the Union cause at the start of the Civil War. The first American synagogue was founded in Newport, and the first Baptist Church in Providence. The Blackstone River Valley is known as the "birthplace of the Industrial Revolution," thanks to the founding of Slater's Mill in 1793. Today Rhode Island's population, although largely Caucasian, offers an interesting mix of cultural backgrounds. The state has the largest percentage of Portuguese Americans and Liberian immigrants in the country, as well as a significant French-Canadian population. Religious practice, however, is more monolithic. More than 60 percent of Rhode Islanders identify as Roman Catholic, making Rhode Island the only state save Utah where the majority of residents are members of a single religious institution. Still, Rhode Island's historically inclusive culture underscores the fact that here, as always, anyone is welcome to call Rhode Island home. State Name: Rhode Island  State Nickname: "The Ocean State" State Motto: "Hope" Name for Residents: Rhode Islander Abbreviation: RI Time Zone: Eastern, GMT/UTC -5 / -4 (Daylight Savings Time) Capital City: Providence Date of Statehood: May 29, 1790 Statehood Rank: 13th State Area: 1,545 square miles (4,002 km²) Area Rank: 50 of 50 Number of Counties: 5 State Population: 1,050,788 (2008 estimate) Largest Cities:     Providence - 175,255 (2008)     Warwick - 85,925 (2008)     Cranston - 81,479 (2008) Major Rivers:     Pawcatuck River - Length: 30 mi (48 km)     Sakonnet River- Length: 23 mi (14 km)     Pawtuxet River - Length: 18 mi (11 km) Highest Point: Jerimoth Hill, 812 ft (247 m) Lowest Point: Atlantic Ocean (sea level) Bordering States and Countries:     Massachusetts (North)     Massachusetts (East)     Connecticut (West) Record High Temperature:     104°F (40°C)     August 2, 1975 at Providence Record Low Temperature:     -25°F (-32°C)     January 11, 1942 at Kingston
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	Author: World Trade Press