罗得岛州小档案：
人口：约100万
面积：约3，144平方公里，排名第50位
州府：普罗维顿斯Providence
罗得岛州是简称。它的正式名称，叫做罗得岛与普洛威顿斯种植园之州State of Rhode Isiand and Providence Plantations。
1636年，英国始向本州殖民。1790年5月29日成为美国旧13州中之第13州。本州别名是“小罗地”Little Rhody。本州箴言是“希望”Hope。以紫罗兰Violet为州花。
湾口之纽保特Newport是海军基地。附近有海军作战学院Naval War College。普洛威顿斯Providence在湾头，是本州州府，并为本州最大都市，新英格兰第二大都市，仅次于波士顿。市内有罗得岛大学University of RhodeIsland及勃朗大学Brown University。前者创于1854年，后者较早，创于1764年。
本州特征有四：第一，州名最长，面积最小。在50州内列第50位。第二，人口密度每平方公里三百多人。在美国内，仅次于新泽西州。1965年以前，它列第一位，现在列第二位。第三，州府普洛威顿斯Providence是美国最著名的手饰工业及珠宝工业都市。第四，本州虽小，渔业甚盛。附近常有鲨鱼出现。
本州北与东两方面均与麻州为领，西界康涅狄格州，南隔布拉克岛海峡Block Island Sound与长岛遥对。地势为低丘陵区。南岸大海湾向北伸入，有45公里之远。这个海湾，叫做奈那干塞特湾Narragansett Bay。
本州主要物产为牛奶、马铃薯、苹果。主要工业是纺织业及机械工业。旅游业很发达。邻近各州富人，常来此地渡假。
Introduction简介
From its beginnings，Rhode Island has been distinguished by its support for freedom of conscience and action，started by Roger Williams，who was exiled（放逐，流放）by the Massachusetts Bay Colony Puritans in 1636，and was the founder of the present state capital，Providence．Williams was followed by other religious exiles who founded Pocasset，now Portsmouth，in 1638and Newport in 1639．
Rhode Island’s rebellious（造反的，反叛的），authority－defying nature was further demonstrated by the burnings of the British revenue cutters Liberty and Gaspee prior to the Revolution，by its early declaration of independence from Great Britain in May 1776，its refusal to participate（参与，参加）actively in the War of 1812，and by Dorr’s Rebellion of 1842，which protested property requirements for voting．
Rhode Island，smallest of the fifty states，is densely（浓密地）populated and highly industrialized．
The island on which Newport is located is also called Rhode Island，and both the state and this island might have been named in honor of the Greek Island of Rhodes，possibly because of the shape of the island．There seems to be no confirmation（证实）of this．The island on which Newport is located is also known as Aquidneck．This island was the first to be populated by those who left the Massachusetts Bay Colony because of religious differences．
Maps（9Kb each）showing where the state and county lines were in 1703，1729and 1862．
Providence，was founded in 1636as a settlement by English clergyman Roger Williams，after he was banished（流放）by the Massachusetts Great and General Court．Williams selected the name in gratitude for “God’s merciful（仁慈的，慈悲的）providence”that the Narragansett［（旧时美国Rhode Island 地方的）纳拉干族（人）（北美印第安人的一支）］have granted him title to the site．Anne Hutchinson was exiled from the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1638and brought more settlers who were attracted to the colony by the promise of religious freedom to establish Pocasset，now Portsmouth．William Coddington and others founded Newport in 1639．In 1643Samuel Gorton founded Shawomet，now Warwick．The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations also gave protection to Quakers in 1657and to Jews from Holland in 1658．
In 1776Rhode Island became one of the Thirteen Colonies to renounce（断绝关系）its allegiance（忠贞，效忠）to Great Britain．After the American Revolution，shipping declined，but Samuel Slater built the first successful U．S．cotton－textile mill at the falls of the Blackstone River，at what later was called Pawtucket，by Samuel Slater and ironmaster（铁工厂厂长）David Wilkinson（1790）．An abundance of water power led to the rapid development of manufacturing．Rhode Island’s political and economic life was dominated by mill－owners until well into the 20th century，when competition from the South resulted in a continuing decline in the state’s textile industry．The recent growth of new industries such as electronics has helped to revitalize（新生）the economy．
Block Island is an island off southern Rhode Island at the eastern entrance to Long Island Sound．Named for Dutch explorer Adriaen Block who visited the island in 1614．He returned to Amsterdam in October after exploring the New England coast，sailing up the Connecticut River，and mapping the coast of Manhattan［曼哈顿岛（美国纽约一区）］．Block Island was first settled in 1661．It became part of Rhode Island in 1663under the Charter．
In 1786Rhode Island farmers burned their grain，dumped（倾倒）their milk，and left their apples to rot in the orchards in a farm strike directed against Providence and Newport merchants who refused to accept the paper money that had depreciated（折旧，（使）贬值）to the point of being virtually worthless（无价值的，无益的）．The strike had little effect，since 90percent of Americans raised their own food in their gardens and let their hogs（肥（公）猪）forage in the woods for acorns（［植］橡树果，橡子）．
Rhode Island’s economy is built upon three powerful industries：Health services，tourism and manufacturing．Health services is the state’s largest industry．Growing industries include electronics，plastics，metal products，instruments，chemicals，and boat building．
Tourism is Rhode Island’s second largest industry，supporting 39，000jobs and producing tourism－related sales which topped 3．26billion in 2000．Manufacturing is the state’s third largest industry．Rhode Island is a recognized producer of jewelry and boats，and is strong in electronics and ocean technologies．Information technology and financial services are growing industries in Rhode Island．
Governor州长
Donald L．Carcieri在2003年1月7日成为罗得岛州第57任州长。他有4个孩子和13个孙子，有10个生活在罗得岛州，但Donald L．Carcieri将整个身心都放在本州的建设上，和家人相聚的时间很少。在还未就职前，他是Cookson America的执行总裁和Cookson Group Worldwide的常务董事。1997年他从此职位退位。
Governor Donald L．Carcieri was inaugurated（举行就职典礼）as Rhode Island’s 57th Governor on January 7，2003．A native Rhode Island resident（居民），his election followed a career in business that was capped with his tenure（任期，（土地）使用期限）as Chief Executive Officer of Cookson America and Joint Managing Director（常务董事）of Cookson Group Worldwide．He retired from that position in 1997．