Did You Know?

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State Flag  

Adopted in 1877

The flag of the state shall be white, five feet and six inches fly and four feet and ten inches deep on the pike, bearing on each side in the center a gold anchor, twenty-two inches high, and underneath it a blue ribbon twenty-four inches long and five inches wide, or in these proportions, with the motto "Hope" in golden letters thereon, the whole surrounded by thirteen golden stars in a circle. The flag shall be edged with yellow fringe.  The pike shall be surmounted by a spearhead and the length of the pike shall be nine feet, not including the spearhead.

Rhode Island was the 13th state in the USA; it became a state on May 29, 1790 .

State Abbreviation - RI

State Capital - Providence

Largest City - Providence

Area - 1,045 square miles square miles (not including Narragansett Bay) or 1,545 square miles square miles (including Narragansett Bay) [either way, Rhode Island is the smallest state in the USA]

Population - 1,048,319 (as of 2000) [Rhode Island is the 43rd most populous state in the USA]

Name for Residents - Rhode Islanders

Major Industries - textiles, jewelry, rubber products, machinery, tourism

Major Rivers - Sakonnet River

Major Lakes - Scituate Reservoir

Highest Point - Jerimoth Hill - 812 feet (247 m) above sea level.  Jerimoth Hill is located in Foster, Rhode Island, bordering Connecticut.

Number of Counties - 5

Providence County

Kent County

Newport County

Bristol County

Washington County

Rhode Island has 8 cities and 31 towns.

Arms of the State

Adopted in 1882

The arms of the state are a golden anchor on a blue field, and the motto thereof is the word "Hope".

State Bird: Rhode Island Red

In 1954, a state bird election was sponsored by the Audubon Society of Rhode Island, the Rhode Island Federation of Garden Clubs, and the Providence Journal Company. The Rhode Island Red beat out its closest competitors, the osprey and ruby-throated hummingbird, and became Rhode Island's official state bird at noon on May 3, 1954. "The Rhode Island Red," Governor Dennis J. Roberts said, upon signing the bill into law, "has become a symbol of Rhode Islanders all over the world."

Adopted on May 3, 1954

State Drink: Coffee Milk ...Adopted on July 29, 1993

Coffee Milk is similar to chocolate milk but is made with coffee syrup. A coffee “cabinet” is coffee milk with ice cream (a coffee flavored milk shake). The main ingredient of this shake is "coffee milk," first introduced to Rhode Islanders in the early 1920's. Coffee milk became so popular in Rhode Island that in 1993 the Rhode Island state legislature voted coffee milk as the official state drink. It's called a “cabinet” because its originator kept his blender in a “kitchen cabinet.” Autocrat Coffee Syrup is the preferred syrup in Rhode Island. Autocrat of Rhode Island is a leading provider of premium coffee, syrup, and coffee extract since 1895.

State Fish: Striped Bass (Morone saxatilis)

Adopted on July 13, 2000

The fish commonly known as the "Striped Bass" (morone saxatilis) is designated as the official state fish.

State Flower: Violet (viola sororia) 

Adopted on March 11, 1968

The violet was voted as the state flower by school children and announced on Arbor Day in 1897. But it wasn't until March 11, 1968 that the flower was officially adopted as the state flower. Rhode Island was the last state to adopt an official state flower.

State Tree: Red Maple (acer rubrum)

Adopted on March 6, 1964

The Red Maple was voted as the state tree by school children in the 1890's. But it wasn't officially adopted as the state tree until 1964. In the fall, the leaves turn gold, purple, and scarlet, adding to the beauty of Rhode Island’s forests.

State Fruit: Rhode Island Greening Apple

Adopted on June 20, 1991

Developed in Rhode Island around 1796, greening apples retain their sharp taste in cooking. Their flesh is crisp and colored yellow-green.

Rhode Island State Song Lyrics

I’ve been to every state we have,

but I think I’m inclined

to say that Rhody stole my heart.

You can have the forty-nine.

Herring gulls that dot the sky,

blue waves that paint the rocks,

water rich with Neptune’s life,

the boats that line the docks.

I see the lighthouse flickering

to help the sailors see.

There’s a place for everyone,

Rhode Island it’s for me.

I love the fresh October days,

the buzz on College Hill,

art that moves an eye to tear,

a jewelers special skill.

Icicles refract from the sun,

snow falling gracefully.

Some search for a place that’s warm

Rhode Island it’s for me!

The skyline piercing Providence,

the State House dome so rare.

Residents who speak their minds,

no longer unaware.

Roger Williams would be proud to see his colony,

so don’t sell short this precious port.

Rhode Island it’s for me!

Rhode Island, oh, Rhode Island,

surrounded by the sea.

There’s a place for everyone,

Rhode Island it’s for me!

By the way, the Rhode Island state song was written by Charlie Hall.  We've all heard of

Charlie Hall.