The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, usually called simply Rhode Island (IPA: /od a.lnd/), is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is the smallest state by area, but the state with the longest official name. Rhode Island was the first of the thirteen original American colonies to declare independence from British rule, signaling the start of the American Revolution. Rhode Island was also the last of the original thirteen states to ratify the United States Constitution.
Despite its name, most of the state of Rhode Island lies on the North American mainland. Providence Plantations refers to the mainland, while Rhode Island was the 17th and 18th century name for Aquidneck Island (now composed of the city of Newport, and the towns of Middletown and Portsmouth).[3]
Rhode Island has long held the nickname of “Little Rhody,” though the state has officially adopted the nickname of "the Ocean State," as nearly one tenth of Rhode Island's inland area is covered by salt water, and no resident is more than a 45-minute drive from the water's edge.[4]
