Rhode Island is the smallest of
the 50 United States.
Just over 1 million people live in an area of 1545 mi²
(3144 km²).
Over 50% of Rhode Island's
square mileage is wooded.
Almost 10% of Rhode Island's inland
area is covered by salt water.
The state can be divided into 2 geographic regions;
the Coastal Lowland in the south and east,
and the Eastern New England Upland in the northwest.
Rhode Island is bordered on
the north and east by Massachusetts,
on the west by Connecticut,
and on the south by Rhode Island Sound and the Atlantic Ocean.
It shares a water border with New York.
Rhode Island was
the 1st of the 13 original American colonies to
declare independence from British rule, but the last to ratify
the United States Constitution,
on May 29, 1790.
The official state name is
"The State of Rhode Island & Providence Plantations",
the longest of all the states.
The state has 2 slogans!
The 1st, "The Ocean State", refers to the fact that
between the shores of the great islands, the many coves,
shores and smaller bays,
and the long coastline of Rhode Island,
the state boasts over 400 miles of Atlantic shoreline!
Their 2nd slogan,
"The Biggest Little State in the Union",
is no brag, just fact! No smaller space contains
as much diversity in the entire world.
WEATHER
Rhode Island
has a humid continental climate.
The winters are cold and snowy.
The summers are hot, rainy and short.
The weather is highly changeable, with storms and hurricanes
on occasion.
The average annual temperature is 50 ° F (10 ° C).
The record high is 104 ° F (40 ° C).
The record low is –23 ° F (–31 ° C).
Average annual precipitation was 46.5 in (118 cm).
Snowfall averages 37 in (94 cm) per year.
ECONOMY
Samuel Slater
set up a cotton mill in 1793,
in Pawtucket.
This has earned Rhode Island
the reputation as the "Birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution".
The textile industry is still part of the Rhode Island economy,
but not so important.
Much of the state economy today is in the service sector.
Healthcare, education, tourism, finance, and manufacturing
provide most of the jobs.
Rhode Island's largest industry
is health services.
Industrial outputs include electrical equipment,
fabricated metal products & machinery,
shipbuilding & boatbuilding,
and jewelry.
Agriculture is relatively unimportant to the economy.
Principal crops are nursery and greenhouse items.
Most of the farmland is used for
dairying and poultry raising.
Commercial fishing is an important but declining industry.
No part of Rhode Island
is more than a 1/2 hour drive from ocean water.
Shellfish, flounder and porgy are the main catches.
Rhode Island has the
lowest level of energy consumption per capita of any state.
The state's taxes are higher than neighboring states.
The Rhode Island Treasury Department
's
mission is to protect the state's assets through sound
financial investments, to strengthen the state’s
financial position, to assist families in investing
funds for their children's higher education and
to ensure Rhode Island receives superior service
through all the programs the Treasury manages.
The Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation is the full service,
official economic development organization for the state
of Rhode Island.
The Corporation serves as a government and community resource to
promote and streamline business expansion and relocation.
Help is available with commercial real estate,
business financing, workforce training and other relevant issues.
The Business Development Company of Rhode Island
provides short, medium, and long~term financing
to help businesses in Rhode Island
grow and expand employment through
direct and gap funding.
They are a non~bank lender which provides debt and equity
assistance to promising, but often under~capitalized, companies.
SCHOOLS
Rhode Island has made many wise
investments in building an education system based on high standards
and accountability.
The mission of the Rhode Island Department of Education is
to lead and support schools and communities in
ensuring that all students achieve at the high levels
needed to lead fulfilling and productive lives,
to compete in academic and employment settings,
and to contribute to society.
To fulfill this mission, the Department has outlined 7 priorities:
• Alignment: Aligning curriculum, teaching, and testing for all learners to agreed~upon expectations or standards.
• Quality: Continuously improving the skills and performance of the education workforce in Rhode Island
• Information: Promoting information-based decisions to improve public~education outcomes.
• Accountability: Through support and intervention, holding adults and schools accountable for student results.
• Efficiency: Making our education system more equitable, effective, and efficient.
• Engagement: Engaging families and communities in the improvement of public schools.
• Safety: Providing safe and supportive environments for students and staff members in schools.
For more details please contact the
Rhode Island Department of Education.
HOSPITALITY
Like much of New England,
Rhode Island is notable for
natural beauty, cultural offerings, and social history,
a place
where, even today, the towns and farms resemble a page out of
Colonial America.
From swimming to skiing, from farms to factories,
from villages to major cities, it's all right there within an
hour's drive.
There are world class restaurants throughout,
the world famous Rhode Island
School of Design museum,
working and historic farms, and beaches, beaches, beaches.
Rhode Island is a
winter wonderland during the snowy season,
with plenty of winter events to keep kids and kids~at~heart
entertained during the most wonderful time of the year.
For the athletic and adventurous, Rhode Island is laced
with good trails.
The foliage is spectacular and the camping is great.
53 State Parks for every recreational pursuit, the most
per~capita of any New England state.
From hiking and biking to fishing, swimming and boating,
outdoors is one great place to be in Rhode Island.
For more details please contact
Rhode Island Tourism.
NEWS
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