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(Utterly and irredeemably off-topic)
From the Official Rhode Island website:
The official name of Rhode Island is State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. It was formed as the merger of two colonies though we now just refer to it by the island's name. Rhode Island the actual island is known locally as Aquidneck Island to avoid confusion. The source above suggests the name is a corruption of the Dutch Roodt Eylandt. However, there is a monument on the island which gives a different story:
Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/28/Verrazzano_monument.jpg
The other half of the state's name is "Providence Plantations", named by Roger Williams, who was banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony for his religious views. He named it "Providence" in thanks to God and the term "Plantations" just means "colony" in contrast to the slave plantations of the South and Caribbean.
Thank you for the information.
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