population. African Americans make up
more than 4 percent of the population.
Economy
Tourism is one of the state’s important
service industries. Businesses in financial
services, insurance, and real estate are
also major parts of the economy. Rhode
Island’s most notable manufactured
products are jewelry and silverware.
Harvesting shellfish and fish from the
waters off Rhode Island is a vital industry.
The most valuable shellfish are lobster
and hard-shell clams. Plants grown
in nurseries and greenhouses are Rhode
60 Rhode Island BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
Island’s leading source of income from
agriculture.
History
The Narraganset tribe was the largest
Native American group living in the area
before Europeans arrived. Portuguese,
Italian, and Dutch explorers and traders
visited the region in the early 1500s.
RogerWilliams, a minister, and his followers
founded Providence in 1636.
They had left Massachusetts in search of
religious freedom. In 1663 the king of
England granted a charter that officially
created the new colony in Rhode Island.
Before the American Revolution started
in 1775, Rhode Islanders took part in
the first violent protest against the British
government. In 1772 a group of
townspeople burned a British customs
ship that had run aground in Narragansett
Bay.
Rhode Island was one of the original 13
states of the Union. In 1790 it was the
13th, and therefore the last, state to
ratify, or officially accept, the U.S. Constitution.
The state ratified the Constitution
only after the document included
the Bill of Rights, which guaranteed
individual liberties.
Rhode Island served as an operations
center for the U.S. Navy duringWorld
War I (1914–18) andWorldWar II
(1939–45). As the home of the Naval
War College, the state continues to play
a role in military affairs.
..More to explore
Bill of Rights • Narraganset • Providence
Boats anchor in Newport Harbor in Narragansett
Bay, Rhode Island.
The Breakers mansion overlooks the Atlantic
Ocean in Newport, Rhode Island. It is one
of several grand homes that draw visitors to
the state.
Facts About
RHODE ISLAND
Flag
Population
(2000 census)
1,048,319—
rank, 43rd state;
(2008 estimate)
1,050,788—
rank, 43rd state
Capital
Providence
Area
1,545 sq mi
(4,002 sq km)—
rank, 50th state
Statehood
May 29, 1790
Motto
Hope
State bird
Rhode Island red
State flower
Violet
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Rhode Island 61
Rhododendron
Rhododendrons are plants with beautiful
flowers and glossy leaves. The name
rhododendron comes from the Greek
words for rose (rhodon) and tree (dendron).
There are more than 800 species, or
types, of rhododendron. They can be
found throughout the world except for
Africa and South America. Many are
found in the Himalayas and the mountains
of Malaysia in Asia.
Most kinds of rhododendron are evergreen,
meaning that they keep their
leaves all year. However, some kinds lose
their leaves each autumn. These kinds
are usually called azaleas. Rhododendrons
also vary greatly in size. Some are
tiny shrubs or groundcover that are only
4 inches (10 centimeters) tall. Others are
treelike plants that grow more than 40
feet (12 meters) tall.
Most rhododendrons have thick, leathery
green leaves. The leaves can be round
or oval. The flowers are usually shaped
like a tube or a funnel. They may be
white, pink, red, purple, yellow, or blue.
Some plants grow large clusters of flowers.
Others have single flowers or smaller
clusters of two or three blooms. A number
of species are known for the strong
fragrance, or smell, of their flowers.
#More to explore
Himalayas
Rhubarb
Rhubarb is a vegetable. It grows in long
stalks with large leaves at the top. There
are several species, or types, of rhubarb.
They originally grew only in Asia. The
plants are now found throughout the
world, but they grow best in places with
cool weather. Rhubarb plants are also
called pieplants.
Rhubarb plants have green, heart-shaped
leaves. Some of the leaves may have large
veins or wrinkles. The leaves grow at the
end of pink, green, red, or red-green
stalks. In some types, the stalks can
Gardeners prize rhododendrons for their
beautiful flowers.
The red stalks of a rhubarb plant can be
cooked and eaten. The leaves are poisonous.
62 Rhododendron BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
reach up to 2 feet (60 centimeters) long.
After the leaves have grown, sometimes a
separate flower stalk may appear. It may
have tiny white, yellow, or greenish red
flowers at the end of it.
Rhubarb stalks grow from a stem called
a crown that grows under the soil. The
roots also grow from the crown. Rhubarb
roots can live through the winter.
Fresh stalks will grow every year starting
in early spring.
People use rhubarb in a variety of dishes.
Only the stalks of the plant are eaten,
however, because the leaves contain a
poison. The stalks are crisp and have a
tart flavor. Rhubarb is often cooked with
sugar and used like a fruit in pies and
preserves.
Rice
Rice is a grain that is the main food of
about half the world’s population. It
belongs to the grass family. Its scientific
name is Oryza sativa. The grain known
as wild rice, despite its name, comes
from a different plant.
