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Rhode Island Overview
Home » Rhode Island » Rhode Island Overview and History » Rhode Island OverviewCan you imagine driving from one end of a state to the other in just 45 minutes? In the state of Rhode Island, which is the smallest state in the United States, it is possible to drive through the entire state in 45 minutes. With an area of just 1,214 square miles, its distance north to south is 48 miles and 37 miles east to west. However, it offers over 400 miles of coastline with the heart of Rhode Island being the beautiful Narragansett Bay. Rhode Island is bordered on the north and east by Massachusetts, on the west by Connecticut, and the magnificent Atlantic Ocean is on the south.
It may be the smallest state but it has the longest official name which is Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. Rhode Island is part of the New England region and was the first of the 13 original American colonies to declare independence from Great Britain. It was the last of the 13 colonies to become a state, doing so only after being threatened that its exports would be taxed as a foreign nation. Rhode Island was heavily involved in slave trade during the post-revolution area, but in 1774 was the first state to pass laws against slavery.
The capital of Rhode Island is Providence. The Democratic Party has dominated the local politics since the great depression and consistently votes democratic in presidential elections. The state nickname for Rhode Island is the ocean state. The state bird is the Rhode Island Red Hen, and the state flower is the violet.
Rhode Island is one of the sailing capitals of the world. It is considered an outdoor lover’s paradise in the summertime with more than 100 beautiful beaches, fresh and saltwater fishing, old fashioned clambakes, surfing, and music festivals.
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