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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@TwiSisterhood Rhode Island.I live in Florida where its hella warm, so not used to this cold weather anymore =)
alison4828 (Alison S) Tue, 29 Dec 2009 05:00:48 -0000
@TwiSisterhood Rhode Island.I live in Florida where its hella warm, so not used to this cold weather anymore =)
What are your suggestions for some fun things to do in Rhode Island during the colder months? I'd love to hear them!
NikkiGroom (Nikki Groom) Tue, 29 Dec 2009 04:46:09 -0000
What are your suggestions for some fun things to do in Rhode Island during the colder months? I'd love to hear them!
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market1plus (Good Choice) Tue, 29 Dec 2009 04:29:19 -0000
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rshirazie (Raza Shirazie) Tue, 29 Dec 2009 04:29:01 -0000
RT @RidaZehra: @shahryar rhode island dental association comes w/my name :( http://lmgtfy.com/?q=rida
@shahryar rhode island dental association comes w/my name :( http://lmgtfy.com/?q=rida
RidaZehra (Rida_Zehra) Tue, 29 Dec 2009 04:27:24 -0000
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@shahryar rhode island dental association comes up w/my name:(
RidaZehra (Rida_Zehra) Tue, 29 Dec 2009 04:26:44 -0000
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