Providence, also known as the Renaissance City, is the capital and the biggest city of Rhode Island (America’s smallest state). It is located in Providence County, near the Narragansett Bay with the Providence River running through the centre of the city.
It is the second largest city in New England and has a population of approximately 200,000 inhabitants. Also, a smoking ban in public places since 2005 ensures lower levels of pollution.
The economy here is largely sustained by retail and services industry.
Founded in 1636 as one of the Thirteen Colonies of the United States, it was one of the first cities to industrialize in the US and earned the sobriquet of ‘The Renaissance City’ in the 1990s. It is renowned for its jewellery and silverware design and manufacturing.
The city is accessible by all modes of transport from other parts of the US. The Logan Airport at Boston is used for international flights, while the T.F. Green Airport at Warwick handles domestic flights.
Providence is a compact, typical eastern seaboard city; its architecture is a confluence of Federal, Victorian as well as modernist styles.
The city is characterised by a continental climate, with hot summers (18°C–28°C) and cold winters(–7°C–3°C). Humidity levels are extremely high almost all the year through.
|