<P> Rhode Island is a state located in the Northeastern United States . According to the 2010 United States Census, Rhode Island is the 8th least populous state with 7006105256700000000 ♠ 1,052,567 inhabitants and the smallest by land area spanning 1,033.81 square miles (2,677.6 km) of land . Rhode Island is divided into 39 incorporated municipalities, including 8 cities and 31 towns, grouped into 5 historic counties which have no municipal functions as the state has no county level of government . The entire area of the state is governed by town administrations except for areas within the boundaries of cities . </P> <P> Municipalities in Rhode Island can incorporate as a town or city by a special act of the state legislature and there is no minimum population requirement . Eight municipalities were re--incorporated as cities operating under a charter, while the other thirty--one remain as towns which perform similar services . Since Rhode Island has no county level of government, cities and towns provide services commonly performed by county governments in other states . Rhode Island's cities and towns may adopt one of four different forms of government: council--manager, mayor--council, town council--town meeting, or administrator--council . The primary difference between these forms of government is how the chief executive is selected . The Council--manager system involves an elected council who exercise overall control of the local government and a chief executive termed city or town manager who is generally appointed by and responsible to the council for the administration of local policies . Council--manager systems may elect a mayor but they have no formal administrative functions with the potential exception of a degree of veto power . Mayor--council systems have a similarly elected council however the mayor is elected and yields administrative power . In the town council--town meeting system, there is no full--time chief executive . There are no towns or cities in Rhode Island that use the administrator--council form of government . </P>

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