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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Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Indiana http://t.co/7n76QSgI
ruzypogeg (Alphonsa Hornberger) Fri, 20 Jan 2012 00:04:09 -0000
Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Indiana http://t.co/7n76QSgI
@michelle0823 : Blown away by this young woman's perspective. http://t.co/AEEEQPRR Via @LIVESTRONGCEO
Cassndr (Cassandra Hogue) Fri, 20 Jan 2012 00:03:58 -0000
@michelle0823 : Blown away by this young woman's perspective. http://t.co/AEEEQPRR Via @LIVESTRONGCEO
Louisiana, Rhode Island, Connecticut http://t.co/04CNg4RB
abudxi (будхи) Fri, 20 Jan 2012 00:03:34 -0000
Louisiana, Rhode Island, Connecticut http://t.co/04CNg4RB
Alabama, North Carolina, Rhode Island http://t.co/LcKTubug
ilavityjym (Runkel Muto) Fri, 20 Jan 2012 00:03:14 -0000
Alabama, North Carolina, Rhode Island http://t.co/LcKTubug
No florist in Rhode Island would send Jessica Ahlquist flowers | Blag Hag http://t.co/6GrisxRx via @addthis
mickskeptic (Mickey Richard) Fri, 20 Jan 2012 00:03:00 -0000
No florist in Rhode Island would send Jessica Ahlquist flowers | Blag Hag http://t.co/6GrisxRx via @addthis
i think if i go to rhode island ill prob end of staying !
justcallmeCAM (Cameron-James lucas) Fri, 20 Jan 2012 00:02:19 -0000
i think if i go to rhode island ill prob end of staying !

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