Rhode Island, one of the 13 original colonies and the smallest in area of the 50 states, is bounded on the north and east by Massachusetts, on the south by Rhode Island Sound, and on the west by Connecticut. The state is almost cut in two parts by \TNarragansett Bay\t, which penetrates 45 km (28 mi) to the state capital of Providence. Within the bay are 36 islands; Block Island lies 16 km (10 mi) offshore. The official name, the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, refers to early settlements on Aquidneck Island (later known as Rhode Island) and the Proprietors' Company for Providence Plantations on the mainland. Since settlement, Rhode Island has had a significant and varied history. It was the first colony to declare its independence from Great Britain and was a pioneer industrial state in the new nation. With increased competition from larger states with broader resource bases, Rhode Island has been forced to search for different paths leading to economic prosperity. LAND AND RESOURCES Rhode Island's two physiographic regions are the eastern lowlands and the western uplands. The eastern lowland, including the bay shores and islands, is gently rolling. Within Narragansett Bay the largest islands are Conanicut, Dutch, Prudence, and Rhode Island. The second region, the western upland, occupies the western half of the mainland. It has steep slopes and rocky outcrops and encompasses about 20 hills exceeding 180 m (590 ft) in elevation. The effects of glaciation can be seen in the extensive areas of glacial outwash, disarranged drainage, swamps, and ponds. Soils Rhode Island has four major soil regions. The highest upland area has deep, poorly drained soils, whereas the largest portion of the mainland is covered by deep, well-drained podzols. Sandy and gravelly soils are found near Narragansett Bay and in scattered valley locations. Occasional marshes interrupt the well-drained soils of the lower west bay shores and the bay islands. Drainage The northern half of the state drains into Narragansett Bay via the Blackstone, Pawtuxet, Seekonk, and Woonasquatucket rivers. The Pawcatuck drains much of the south. Climate Rhode Island's basically humid continental climate is modified by the state's proximity to the ocean, but variability is the dominant characteristic. The average annual temperature is 10 deg C (50 deg F). The coldest months are January and February, with mean temperatures of -2 deg C (29 deg F); July, the hottest month, has a mean temperature of 23 deg C (73 deg F). The annual precipitation averages 1,016 mm (40 in). Vegetation and Animal Life About 60% of Rhode Island's land area is wooded. Because of the state's transitional location between northern and southern forests, hemlock, white pine, birch, maple, and several varieties of oak are present. In Rhode Island's highly urbanized environment, small animals survive in limited locations. Many mammal and bird species can be found within the state. Block Island, on the Atlantic flyway, is known for its diverse bird population. A wide variety of freshwater fish and amphibians inhabit inland waters in addition to the many finfish and shellfish found offshore. Resources Water is Rhode Island's major resource. Rivers furnished power for early mills and continue to supply water for homes and factories today. Potential supplies of ground and surface water are estimated to be about three times present use. The largest mineral deposits are those of sand and gravel. Westerly granite once was economically important, but now only limestone continues to be profitably mined. Environmental Protection Public and private groups are working to overcome environmental problems brought about by Rhode Island's dense population and long industrialization. Water pollution and flooding problems are the foremost concerns of this ocean-oriented state. The fragile environments of marsh and wetland areas are protected by law. PEOPLE The smallest of the 50 states has the second highest population density in the nation. In 1990 the 7 cities with more than 25,000 residents accounted for about half of the total population. \TCranston\t, \TPawtucket\t, \TProvidence\t, \TEast\t \TProvidence\t, and \TWarwick\t had more than 50,000 people. Rhode Island's metropolitan population is about 90%, one of the highest urban percentages in all of the states. After a population decline from 1970 to 1980, Rhode Island rebounded, recording a growth rate of nearly 6% from 1980 to 1990. The 1990 census enumeration counted 38,861 blacks, 3.9% of the state's population. In 1910 the state had the highest percentage of foreign born residents in the nation--30%. Most recent immigrants are Hispanics, who, at 4.6% of the population constitute the fastest-growing and largest minority group. Although the early populations were overwhelmingly Protestant, Roman Catholics now make up the largest single religious denomination. Education Public education dates from the Henry Barnard School Law of 1845. Today the state board of regents for education and its subboards have policymaking power over all public schools. Rhode Island has 240 (1987-88) public elementary schools and 58 public senior and vocational schools in addition to various private and parochial schools. Institutions of higher education in the state include two state-supported 4-year institutions (see \TRhode Island, state university and college of\t). There are eight private 4-year, degree-granting schools, including \TBrown University\t, \TBryant College\t, and \TRhode Island School of Design\t. Cultural Activities and Historic Sites Rhode Island's past is preserved in its many museums and historic sites. In \TNewport\t, Touro Synagogue (1763), the oldest synagogue building in the United States, has been designated a national historic site. Of the state's many buildings dating from colonial times, a number have been named national historic structures. The \TAmerica's Cup\t competition was held in Newport from 1930 to 1983, the most famous of the many yachting races held offshore. Among the state's theatrical companies, the Trinity Repertory Company in Providence is the most famous. Recreation Many of Rhode Island's recreational opportunities are associated with its coastline, where boating, sailing, and fishing dominate. Inland, freshwater swimming and fishing from stocked streams are popular. Communications Rhode Island is served by 7 daily, 2 Sunday, and 16 weekly newspapers. Broadcasting facilities include 22 radio stations and 2 television stations. ECONOMIC ACTIVITY The economy of Rhode Island has developed around its skilled work force. About 60% of all employees are engaged in nonmanufacturing activities, particularly insurance, printing and publishing, wholesale and retail trade, education, and government. Growing tourism has provided opportunities for many service jobs. AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY, AND FISHING Agriculture has steadily declined in importance, with only a small percentage of the labor force engaged in farming. Specialty crops and produce for nearby urban markets are still grown. In 1988 agricultural income totaled $78 million. Dairy products, livestock, and poultry accounted for a significant percentage of the total. Potatoes were the major field crop. About 90% of the state's forestland is privately owned. Much is low-value growth, but oak and white pine are of commercial value. Unlike other New England areas, the state's fishing industry is prospering. The relatively new trawler fleet and the Point Judith Fisherman's Cooperative are significant to the industry's growth. Industrial fish rank first in weight of total catch, but a wide variety of table fish and shellfish are also caught. Manufacturing Rhode Island was among the first industrial states in the nation. Ships were its earliest products, but they have fallen in economic importance. In 1988 value added by manufacture reached $4.9 billion. The leading industries manufacture jewelry and silverware, textiles, machinery, fabricated metals, rubber, and plastics. Tourism The income from tourism in 1975 was estimated at $129 million. Once the playground of the rich, Newport has many mansions open to visitors. Increased investments have resulted in expanded accommodations and enlarged boating facilities. Camping and recreational areas have been developed inland. Transportation Interstate 95, linking New York and Boston, traverses Rhode Island and is an essential route for the state's industries and residents. More than 8,000 km (5,000 mi) of intrastate roads serve the people. The Newport Bridge (1969) replaced the last major ferry link in the lower bay. The main line of the Amtrak system is reached by independent feeder lines. Providence's deepwater port accommodates supertankers. The state operates seven airports. Energy Although Rhode Island produces little of its power, electrical power is available through participation in the New England Power Grid. Rhode Island is dependent on imported fuels; the port of Providence handles 13.6 million metric tons (15 million U.S. tons) of petroleum and gas each year. Offshore drilling for petroleum has been initiated. GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS The governor and four elected state officers--lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, and general treasurer--serve 2-year terms. The General Assembly consists of the 100-member House of Representatives and the 50-member Senate. The state's 5 counties serve only as judicial districts under the chief justice of the State Supreme Court. Superior, district, and family courts hold sessions in several locations. The state's municipalities consist of 8 cities and 31 towns comparable to townships outside of New England. \TDorr's Rebellion\t, protesting a legislative apportionment that favored rural areas and opposing suffrage for propertied men only, resulted in the Constitution of 1842. The document remains in effect. From the Civil War period until the 1920s, Rhode Island favored the Republican party in U.S. presidential elections. Since that time, however, the state has supported more Democrats than Republicans. On the federal level, the two parties have shown almost equal strength at the polls. HISTORY At the time of the first white settlement in Rhode Island four Indian tribes lived in the area: the \TNarragansett\t, \TWampanoag\t, Niantic, and Nipmuck--all members of the Algonquian linguistic group. In 1511, Miguel Corte Real, a Portuguese navigator, is believed to have sailed along Rhode Island's coast. Narragansett Bay was explored by Giovanni da Verrazano in 1524, and at the beginning of the 17th century Dutch traders--including Adriaen Block--sailed through the offshore waters. Colonial Period In 1636 the first permanent white settlement was founded by Roger \TWilliams\t. He had left Boston and traveled overland, settling at present-day East Providence. In 1638 he and 12 other settlers on the mainland formed the Proprietors' Company for Providence Plantations. In that same year William \TCoddington\t and John Clarke were ordered to leave Massachusetts because of their support for the religious leader Anne \THutchinson\t. The two obtained an Indian deed to Aquidneck Island in Narragansett Bay and settled the northern end of the island at present-day Portsmouth. Because of a 1639 dispute between Coddington and Hutchinson, the former moved south and established Newport. In 1644, Aquidneck was renamed Rhode Island. Williams returned from England that same year with a charter for the colony that united the three settlements into "The Incorporation of Providence Plantations in the Narragansett Bay in New England." The colony's first legislative session was held in May 1647, at which time the Warwick colony of Samuel \TGorton\t was included with the larger incorporation. In 1663 a royal charter recognizing Rhode Island's religious freedom and self-government was granted by the English king \TCharles II\t; the document remained in effect until the state constitution was drawn up in 1842. Rhode Islanders maintained good relations with the Indians, but they were forced to flee to Newport when colonists in Connecticut and Massachusetts instigated \TKing Philip's War\t (1675-76). The maritime era arrived when surplus agricultural products enabled farmers to take to the seas. Large plantations on Rhode Island and in the southern part of the mainland grew corn, practiced animal husbandry, and processed wool, meat, and cheese for export. Foreign trade developed with the West Indies, the ports of Europe, and the Pacific via South America or Africa. Maritime activities included privateering against the enemies of Britain, slave trading, and whaling. Newport and several other towns were the main beneficiaries of trade. Disputes with Britain over trade and British determination to collect taxes resulted in the assignment of a fleet of armed revenue ships to Narragansett Bay. Increased hostility and violence resulted, including the burning (1772) of the \TGaspee\t. On May 4, 1776, Rhode Island became the first colony to declare independence, and Rhode Islanders fought in every Revolutionary War battle. Gen. Nathanael \TGreene\t of Coventry, R.I., was second in command to George Washington. Newport was occupied by the British from December 1776 to October 1779, during which time 5,000 patriots fled and 500 houses were destroyed. The town did not recover quickly. Activity shifted to Providence, where maritime ventures initiated trade with China in 1787. Rhode Island was the last of the 13 colonies to ratify (1790) the constitution, a delay brought about by its citizens' apprehensions at yielding power to the federal government. The Era of Manufacturing The factory system in America was introduced when Samuel \TSlater\t and Moses Brown established (1793) the first cotton textile mill in Pawtucket. The skills developed in colonial forges were used in making machinery. The gold-plating technique of Nehemiah Dodge (1794) and the establishment (1831) of a silver factory by Jabez Gorham were milestones in jewelry-silverware production. As foreign commerce decreased in the 1840s, rubber manufacture began. By 1890 the Providence area had become the largest producer of woolen goods in the United States. Many villages developed around the textile mills, which were located at waterpower sites. The tide of immigrants supplied the necessary laborers for the factories. Whaling, once an important part of Rhode Island's economy, declined after the mid-19th century when whale oil for illumination was supplanted by other fuels. Beginning in the 1920s the textile industry began to move to the South, lured by cheaper labor and modern equipment. Local prosperity increased, however, with the development of defense-related industries. In World War I the Torpedo Station at Newport was a major employer. From World War II until its closing in 1973, the Naval Air Station at Quonset Point remained the largest civilian employer in the state. Also in 1973 the U.S. Navy moved 5,000 families from the Newport area because of ship reassignments. Electrical machinery, fabricated metals, and plastics manufacturing have strengthened the postwar economy. Another factor that enabled Rhode Island to rebound strongly from the national recession of the early 1980s is diversification of economic activity. Increasing numbers of Rhode Islanders work in the fields of insurance, printing and publishing, wholesale and retail trade, and government. The expanding tourist industry, with perennial attractions such as Newport, provides jobs in a variety of service positions. Marion I. Wright Bibliography: Bates, Frank G., Rhode Island and the Formation of the Union (1898; repr. 1967); Chapin, Howard M., Documentary History of Rhode Island, 2 vols. (1916-19); Coleman, P. J., Transformation of Rhode Island, 1790-1860 (1963); James, Sydney V., Colonial Rhode Island: A History (1975); Lovejoy, David S., Rhode Island Politics and the American Revolution, 1760-1776 (1958; repr. 1969); McLoughlin, William G., Rhode Island: A Bicentennial History (1978).