 Rhode
Island Information
Capital
City: Providence
Economy: Manufacturing,
tourism, health-care services, electronics, fishing, boat-building.
Language Description:
English
Population: 987,429
Religion: Christian
(Roman Catholic, Protestant), though other major religions are represented.
Time Zone: 5
hours behind Greenwich Mean Time (-5 GMT). Daylight Saving Time
is observed from the beginning of April to the end of October
Rhode Island's
Flag: Placed on a white field is a circle of thirteen
gold stars representing the first thirteen states. The stars surround
a gold ship's anchor. The states motto " Hope" is on a
blue ribbon below the anchor.
History
of Rhode Island: From its beginnings, Rhode Island
has been distinguished by its support for freedom of conscience
and action, started by Roger Williams, who was exiled by the Massachusetts
Bay Colony Puritans in 1636, and was the founder of the present
state capital, Providence. Williams was followed by other religious
exiles who founded Pocasset, now Portsmouth, in 1638 and Newport
in 1639. Rhode Island's rebellious, authority-defying nature was
further demonstrated by the burnings of the British revenue cutters
Liberty and Gaspee prior to the Revolution, by its early declaration
of independence from Great Britain in May 1776, its refusal to participate
actively in the War of 1812, and by Dorr's Rebellion of 1842, which
protested property requirements for voting. Rhode Island, smallest
of the fifty states, is densely populated and highly industrialized.
It is a primary center for jewelry manufacturing in the U.S. Electronics,
metal, plastic products, and boat and ship construction are other
important industries. Non-manufacturing employment includes research
in health, medicine, and the ocean environment. Providence is a
wholesale distribution center for New England. Two of New England's
fishing ports are at Galilee and Newport. Rural areas of the state
support small-scale farming, including grapes for local wineries,
turf grass, and nursery stock. Tourism is one of Rhode Island's
largest industries, generating over a billion dollars a year in
revenue. Newport became famous as the summer capital of society
in the mid–19th century. Touro Synagogue (1763) is the oldest
in the U.S. Other points of interest include the Roger Williams
National Memorial in Providence, Samuel Slater's Mill in Pawtucket,
the General Nathanael Greene Homestead in Coventry, and Block Island.
Other Rhode Island Links:
General
Rhode Island Municipality Information
Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation
Rhode Island Economic Policy Council
Rhode Island State Library
Visit Rhode Island
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