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Break from the Grind November 16, 2010
TRIVIAL PURSUITS: Which State Has the Longest Name?
November 16, 2010 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Which of the United States has the longest name?
Reported by Nevin E. Adams
Answer: Rhode Island – more precisely the “State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations”, which is the longest official name of any state in the United States – and for what happens to be the smallest state (by area).
On June 25, 2009, the state’s General Assembly voted to allow the people to decide whether to keep the name or drop “Providence Plantations” due to the misperception that the name relates to slavery. That referendum was put to a vote during the November 2, 2010 elections – where people overwhelmingly voted (78% to 22%) to keep the original name.
More information is available at http://sos.ri.gov/library/history/name/