<P> Rhode Island has one of the highest proportions of Roman Catholic residents of any state, mainly due to large Irish, Italian, and French - Canadian immigration in the past; recently, significant Portuguese and various Hispanic communities have also been established in the state . Though it has one of the highest overall Catholic percentages of any state, none of Rhode Island's individual counties ranks among the 10 most Catholic in the United States, as Catholics are very evenly spread throughout the state . </P> <P> The Jewish community of Rhode Island is centered in the Providence area, and emerged during a wave of Jewish immigration predominately from Eastern Europeans shtetls between 1880 and 1920 . The presence of the Touro Synagogue in Newport, the oldest existing synagogue in the United States, emphasizes that these second - wave immigrants did not create Rhode Island's first Jewish community; a comparatively smaller wave of Spanish and Portuguese Jews immigrated to Newport during the colonial era . </P> <P> Rhode Island is divided into five counties but it has no county governments . The entire state is divided into municipalities, which handle all local government affairs . </P> <P> There are 39 cities and towns in Rhode Island . Major population centers today result from historical factors; development took place predominantly along the Blackstone, Seekonk, and Providence Rivers with the advent of the water - powered mill . Providence is the base of a large metropolitan area . </P>

What is the origin of the name rhode island