The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations (commonly known as Rhode Island) is the smallest state by land area in the United States, and the state with the longest official name. Rhode (pronounced "Road") Island is part of the New England region, and 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 to the largest island in Narragansett Bay, also known as Aquidneck Island, on which the city of Newport is located. Aquidneck Island is also locally referred to as Newport - though it in fact has three distinct townships on it. The origin of the name is unclear. Some historians think that Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano, upon discovering Block Island, just southwest in the Atlantic Ocean, named it Rhode Island because of its similarity in shape to the Greek island of Rhodes. Later settlers, mistaking which island Verrazzano was referring to, gave the name to Aquidneck Island instead. Other historians believe 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.

Despite most of the state being part of the mainland, the name Rhode Island leads some out-of-staters to believe—mistakenly—that the entire state is an island. Rhode Island is nicknamed "The Ocean State".

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is rooting for her son, Will and the Rhode Island Rams as they play their season opener tonight! <3
loveroflanguage (Maria Housden) Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:36:01 -0000
is rooting for her son, Will and the Rhode Island Rams as they play their season opener tonight! <3
See Boondock Saints II this weekend in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Hartford, Rhode Island or L.A.-added http://lnk.ms/2wZCB @BoondockII
wendyshepherd (Wendy Shepherd) Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:33:10 -0000
See Boondock Saints II this weekend in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Hartford, Rhode Island or L.A.-added http://lnk.ms/2wZCB @BoondockII
goin to rhode island to johnson and wales .
JessMes (Jessica Mescavage) Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:28:50 -0000
goin to rhode island to johnson and wales .
Showtime here in Providence, . Adalius Thomas, Matt Light, Junior Seau and many other #Patriots at the #Rhode Island Convention Center
d4sm (d4sm) Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:28:48 -0000
Showtime here in Providence, . Adalius Thomas, Matt Light, Junior Seau and many other #Patriots at the #Rhode Island Convention Center
Providence, Rhode Island - Staff Pharmacist Job at Soliant Health (Providence, RI) http://ff.im/-b6Jay
RhodeIsland_Job (Rhode Island Jobs) Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:28:41 -0000
Providence, Rhode Island - Staff Pharmacist Job at Soliant Health (Providence, RI) http://ff.im/-b6Jay
Rhode Island SLP Job at Soliant Health (Providence, RI) http://ff.im/-b6JaE
RhodeIsland_Job (Rhode Island Jobs) Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:28:40 -0000
Rhode Island SLP Job at Soliant Health (Providence, RI) http://ff.im/-b6JaE

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