Rhode Island State Facts and History

Rhode Island Quick Facts

• Current Governor: Gina Raimondo (Democrat)
• Capital: Providence
• Population:1,059,361 (2019 est.)
• Land Area: 1,033.81 sq km
• Water Area: 511.07 sq km
• Total Area: 1,544.89 SQ KM
• State Motto: “Hope”
• Nickname: Little Rhody
• Electoral votes: 4
• Seats in U.S. House of Representatives: 2 (of 435)
• State Song: “Rhode Island It’s for Me”
• Date of Statehood: May 29, 1790
• Time Zone: Eastern (GMT − 5 hours)
• Official Website of Rhode Island: ri.gov
• State abbreviation/Postal code: Ri
• Origin of name: This state was named by Dutch explorer Adrian Block. He named it “Roodt Eylandt” meaning “red island” in reference to the red clay that lined the shore.

State Symbol of Rhode Island

State Appetizer	Calamari
State Bird	Rhode Island red
State Drink	Coffee milk
State Flower	Violet
State Fish	Striped bass
State Fruit	Rhode Island greening apple
State Insect	American burying beetle
State Mineral	Bowenite
State Motto	Hope
State Nickname	The Ocean State
State Rock	Cumberlandite
State Shell	Quahaug
State Symbol of American Folk Art	The Charles I.D. Looff Carousel
State Tall Ship and Flagship USS	Providence
State Tree	Red maple
State Yacht	Courageous, US-12/26

College & Universities

Brown University

Bryant University

Community College of Rhode Island

Empire Beauty School-Providence

Empire Beauty School-Warwick

International Yacht Restoration School

Johnson & Wales University-Providence

Lincoln Technical Institute-Lincoln

New England Institute of Technology

New England Tractor Trailer Training School

Newport School of Hairdressing

Newport School of Hairdressing-Main Campus

Paul Mitchell the School-Rhode Island

Providence College

Rhode Island College

Rhode Island School of Design

Roger Williams University

Roger Williams University School of Law

Salve Regina University

Sanford-Brown Institute-Cranston

Sawyer School

St Joseph School of Nursing

University of Rhode Island

Popular Tourist Attractions

1. Block Island Ferry
2. WaterFire
3. Newport Cliff Walk
4. Roger Williams Park Zoo
5. Watch Hill
6. RISD Museum
7. Narragansett Beach
8. Marble House
9. Sachuest Beach
10. Colt State Park
11. Yawgoo Valley
12. Wright’s Dairy Farm and Bakery
13. Prudence Island
14. Rosecliff
15. Providence Athenaeum
16. Misquamicut State Beach
17. International Tennis Hall of Fame
18. Fort Adams State Park
19. Beavertail Lighthouse

Famous Natives and Residents

Name	Profession
Harry Anderson	actor;
George M. Cohan	dramatist;
Eddie Dowling	actor and producer;
Nelson Eddy	baritone;
Ann Smith Franklin	publisher;
Bobby Hackett	trumpeter;
David Hartman	TV newscaster;
Ruth Hussey	actress;
Anne Hutchinson	religious leader;
Wilbur John	Quaker leader;
Van Johnson	actor;
Galway Kinnell	poet;
Oliver La Farge	writer;
H. P. Lovecraft	author;
Cormac McCarthy	writer;
Matthew C. Perry	naval officer;
Oliver Hazard Perry	naval officer;
Anthony Quinn	actor;
Gilbert Stuart	painter;
Sarah Helen (Power) Whitman	poet;
Jemima Wilkinson religious	leader;
Roger Williams	founder
Leonard Woodcock	labor official;
James Woods	actor.

Famous Actors And Actresses

1. Nicholas Colasanto
2. Jason Marsden
3. Mena Suvari

Map of Rhode Island