Trinidad WITHOUT Tobago is the same size as the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.

Trinidad and Tobago (and their associated smaller island territories) add up to a whopping 1,987 sq mi (5,131 km²  ) while dainty Rhode Island weighs in at 1,545 sq mi(4,002 km²).
 
However, if we take out charming Tobago and  Chacachacare, Monos, Huevos, Gaspar Grande (or Gasparee), Little Tobago, and St. Giles Island., we are getting closer- "Trinidad is 1,841 sq mi(4,768 km² ) in area with an average length of 50 mi (80 km) and an average width of 37 mi (59 kilometres)".  Rhode Island is similar in shape, at a length of 48 mi (77 km), and a width of 37 mi (60 km), so I will accept Trinidad, but must clarify that we need to ignore the hell out of Tobago and the aforementioned assorted tropical islets.

Put on your ignoring hat.

This random comparison comes to us from Elkins, West Virginia, which sent a batch to teenagers to the island paradise to hassle the citizens about Jesus.

" This summer, however, a group of teenagers from Elkins decided they instead wanted to spend their time helping the less fortunate and spreading the message of Jesus Christ.
...Trinidad and Tobago is a small island off the coast of Venezuela that is roughly the size of Rhode Island ... "We were blessed to not only be able to minister in service, but also to see over 300 people raise their hands to receive salvation!""

From the West Virginia Inter-Mountain, where I would have thought they could have found plenty of folk in need locally, without travelling 1,344 miles to " minister in a school that had never been reached with the Gospel!"

Also, for the record, Rhode Island beat the hell out of Trinidad and Tobago in getting independence from Great Britain- Rhode Island was the first of the 13 colonies to declare independence on  May 4, 1776, while Trinidad and Tobago took til 1962 to kick out the limeys.

So, go Rhody. And I hope the teens of Elkins, West Virginia declare their own independence, and stop God-bothering and annoying people they don't know. I mean, yes, I realize it is a fact of life that teenagers are annoying, but it's not really fair to export them at that stage.

Marion County, Florida is very close to the size of Rhode Island.

Marion County, Florida, is pretty damn close to the size of Rhode Island.
"... since Marion is the size of Rhode Island, rainfall totals can range dramatically from one end of the county to the other and therefore lake levels in those areas reflect the amount of rain it receives."

Marion County's total area is 1,663.01 sq mi (4,307 km²), whereas Lil' Rhody clocks in at 1,545 sq mi (4,002 km²), but their total land area, when you take out those shrinking lakes, is 1,578.86 sq mi (4,089 km²). I will accept this as being close enough to count as accurate, although I am dispirited at the thought that what looks like the dark heart of Florida has any kind of kinship with our rocky and alligator-free land of quahogs and jonnycakes.

Link to original article at the jauntily named Ocala Star Banner here.

Luxembourg is NOT the size of Rhode Island, but the ex-US ambassador to it would fit right in here in lil' Rhody.

In what has to be the best news story of the day, it seems that the US Ambassador to Luxembourg, a position apparently earned by donating $500k to President Obama's campaign, has been rather extravagant and extremely difficult.

This is glorious.

Among her atrocities, she "purchased $3,400 in wine and liquor a day before the 2010 budget year ended", "spent $2,400 to fly with an aide to a Swiss "professional school" whose graduates have gone on to work for Buckingham Palace and similar places to interview candidates to replace a retired property caretaker and a fired chef,", and so distressed her employees that "at least four staffers quit or sought transfers to Iraq and Afghanistan during her tenure."

She has since resigned.

While this story is so delicious I want to eat it, investigation is called for. In the original article (which I can't recommend enough) the author states that this magnificent diplomat was assigned to the "Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, a tiny nation of 500,000 people about the size of Rhode Island."

Sadly, it is not true.

Luxembourg is a mere 998.6 sq mi , (2,586.4 km²),  while Rhode Island is a whopping 1,545 sq mi (4,002 km²).

However, given Ambassador Stroum's skill set and leadership tactics, I am sure that if she were willing to relocate to Rogue Island, she would find kindred spirits in abundance.



Link to Seattle Times article here. Does Rhode Island really mean that much more than Luxembourg to readers in Seattle????

Louisiana's latest FUBAR disaster is NOT the size of Rhode Island. It's bigger.

A surprising number of sources pointed this one out to me- thanks people! ;)

"An oil spill the size of Rhode Island"
There's a story here, which uses the phrase, but it was apparently used earlier on msnbc.com, who have since changed their phraseology, as well they should.

While this is a story much more fittin' for my other, more depressing blog, Lexacat's Guide To The Doom, my duty to defend Rhode Island from being used as an arbitrary measuring unit calls.

The oil spill is apparently now "an expanding area about 48 miles long and 80 miles wide, but with uneven borders, making it difficult to calculate its area in square miles," according to MSNBC's updated story, which makes it significantly larger than Rhode Island, which is a mere 37 miles by 48 miles. The oil spill is way bigger than Rhode Island. Hard to wrap your head around that, isn't it?

They're planning on lighting it on fire, which I'm sure will lead to excited reporters giddily talking about the fire the size of Rhode Island, and then to even more excited reporters dementedly talking about the pile of dead marine life the size of Rhode Island.

The Yellowstone caldera IS the size of Rhode Island!

"Researchers believe the Yellowstone volcano, the size of Rhode Island, erupts every 600,000 years. There are 200 hot springs and geysers in this region with molten lava bubbling below the surface." Original article here.

Oh frabjous day, callooh callay, somebody got it right!!! Although, once again, does "the size of Rhode Island" mean a lot to people from outside Rhode Island? I hardly ever measure things in Delawares, or try to tell people "oh, so and so is about the size of Wales" (although, if I wanted to, a like minded maniac with better programming skills has made it easier to measure things in Wales at Size of Wales, should you get the urge.)

ANYWAY, the caldera at Yellowstone Supervolcano is damn close to the size of Rhode Island. If that thing gets frisky, we are so DOOMED. " The major features of the caldera measure about 34 miles (55 km) by 45 miles (72 km),"*, and Rhode Island is 37(60 km) miles by 48 miles (77 km), so that seems more than fair to me.


*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellowstone_Caldera

Iceland? I don't think so. Grr!

This absurd volcano-drama related headline has taunted me into exploding and raining my ash and lava of persnicketty-ness over the fool who wrote it.

"Iceland is the Disneyland of volcanoes, with 35 active volcanoes on or around the island. The island is about 100 miles long and 60 miles wide, about the size of Rhode Island."

(The wildly inaccurate article can be found here)

WRONG, on so many levels.

Iceland, for one, is not about 100 miles long and 60 miles wide. Neither is Rhode Island, clocking in at about 48 miles long by 37 miles wide, if you're keeping track. Iceland, rather, is approximately 285 miles long by 174 miles wide. *

Rhode Island is 1,545 sq miles in total land area. Iceland is 39,770 sq miles in total land area. Icleand is 25.7 times larger than Rhode Island.

Despite these epic differences in scale, and a mutual love of hákarl (Icelandic for "fermented shark"- tasty! and a favored Rhode Island snack!), the only other real shared attribute of Iceland and Rhode Island is their historical anarchism, as exemplified by the Icelandic Commonwealth (930–1262) Rhode Island (1636–1648.* God, I love the internet.




* http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/David_Oddsson.aspx
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_anarchist_communities

Olympic shout-out, courtesy of Bob Costas. Andorra is 1/6th the size of Rhode Island.

The hideously loquacious Bob Costas dropped this nugget during the parade of athletes on the Olympic Opening Ceremonies. "Andorra is one-sixth the size of Rhode Island", he said. He and Matt Lauer then talked, interminably, for hours. Was he right about this, the most important factoid of the evening?

According to Wikipedia, Andorra has "an area of 468 km2 (181 sq mi)".


Rhode Island, as we should all know by now, has an area of 4,002 km²(1,545 sq mi).
Bob Costas is sadly and unsurprisingly wrong. Andorra is about 1/10th the size of Rhode Island. Bob Costas is WRONG. Bob Costas should have to go to Rhody Joe's and eat their food and spin that ridiculous wheel and pole dance as punishment, but there is no justice in this cruel world.

Ammonia refrigeration units AND Rhode Island

Wait, what?



"I worked on tractors, cars, trucks, combines, ammonia refrigeration units the size of Rhode Island (Rhode Island is the size of Rhode Island), various farm implements like manure spreaders (not affiliated with any political party), Boeing 747s, and lawn mowers."

Ok, this is very suspicious. First the fellow claims that these ammonia refrigeration units are the size of Rhode Island, and then offers this tidbit - "Rhode Island is the size of Rhode Island." Did he know I was waiting here with the clamrake of accuracy swinging in the air to bash him? Why offer up that little treat? O life is terrible strange and wondrous.

Link to The Albert Lea Tribune, Minnesota

Fort Benning, Georgia

Wrong.



"The population of trained soldiers at Fort Benning — which is about the size of Rhode Island — will increase from 111,052 in 2008 to 144,770 in 2011."

According to wikipedia, Fort Benning is "covers 182,000 acres (737 km²), while Rhode island is 4,002 km², so, um, no.

Link to The News Enterprise, serving Harding County, Kentucky, who I don't expect to know better, sadly.

Alex Rodriguez's elbow pad

Wrong.

"The Steroid Twins: First impression of Alex Rodriguez's ballyhooed return Friday came not with him hammering the first pitch he saw over the fence for a three-run homer, but in the seconds right before as he stepped into the Camden Yards batter's box.

He was wearing, as always, an elbow pad the size of Rhode Island."


While I understand that sportswriters, being the sad magpies of the journalistic community, are always looking for a colorful phrase, may I suggest that using "THE SIZE OF RHODE ISLAND" wins no points for originality or style.
If bloody Alex Rodriguez was such a freaking giant, he'd be off destroying Manhattan like that beastie from Cloverfield, rather than loping about Fenway. For God's sake, people.

Link to CBS Sports, whose writing is bleak, to say the least.

The area of timberlands purchased by Weyerhauser in 1900

It might be the size of Rhode Island.
"Bruce Amundson, a spokesman for Weyerhaeuser, said the cut was the lowest ever for the company, which got its start in 1900 when German immigrant Frederick Weyerhaeuser bought timberlands in Washington state the size of Rhode Island. The company now has 6.4 million acres of U.S. timberlands."

Well, I believe it for one, but without epic (and heart-rending) research, I'm not going to go into the nitty-gritty to verify this one. All I can say is that on a Washington state driving trip, we drove longer through Weyerhaeuser land than I've ever driven through Rhode Island, tip to tip and getting lost all day as I do. It was like, leave the Sea-Tac area, enter Weyerhaeuser land, and stay on their land until Oregon. Crazy.

Link to Bloomberg, who generally know their news.

This guy's father's oil stain

Wrong

"Eventually, my father got tired of pressure-washing an oil stain the size of Rhode Island off the driveway every month and exclaimed to me one day, “Son, it’s time for you to get a newer car.” "

Well, call me a cynic, but I bet this is wrong. I am sick of this nonsense, sick, I tell you.

Link to the Boston Herald, who (like most of Massachusetts- or, as the residents are often known, Massholes) has it out for us Rhodys.

The battle space involved in some part of the Iraq war

What?

"“The way the Osprey collapsed the battle space in al Anbar — in fact, indeed throughout all of Iraq — is really something that amazed those who saw it perform,” he said. “The aircraft has tremendous range, and [impressive] speed with which it moves around the operational area.”
For example, Trautman said one of his commanders told him that when the Osprey arrived in Iraq, it turned his battle space from the size of Texas into the size of Rhode Island"

This doesn't even make sense to me, so I have no freaking idea if it is true or not.

Link to Elite TV - and who the hell are they?

The Copper River Watershed Area, Alaska

Wildly wrong.


"Each of the communities in our watershed, from Mentasta Lake down to Cordova, are connected by the glaciers, tributaries, rivers and salmon of the Copper River watershed, an area roughly the size of Rhode Island, with a population of only 4,782, according to information on the state’s Division of Community Affairs Web site."

This is wrong as wrong gets, pretty much. On the Copper River Watershed Projects home page, they say "26,500 square miles". Rhode Island is 1,545 square miles.

Link to The Cordova Times, Alaska

Basque Country, Spain

Wrong.


"Wine expert Jancis Robinson writes that since the 1990s Txakolina has improved “noticeably.” For the first-time, Txakolina, once a little wine made in homes, exploded internationally. Basque country is only about the size of Rhode Island. A little more than 400 acres produce wine."

Well, Basque country is 7,234 km², and li'l Rhody is a mere 4,002 km², so the little wine region that could is almost twice the size of Rhode Island.

Link to Sonoma Sun, California paper

North Cascades National Park Washington

Wrong, but not horribly wrong!




This is almost true. North Cascades National Park is 1069 sq mi, and lovely Rhody is 1,545 sq mi. Rhody is ridiculously small.

" North Cascades, a vast wilderness area about the size of Rhode Island with jagged high peaks and more than 300 glaciers, is the only U.S. national park where stocking nonnative fish still occurs for recreation purposes, Park Superintendent Chip Jenkins said."

Link to Associate Press, who should really learn to fact check.

Aiken County, South Carolina

Close but no chowdah!

"Aiken County is the size of Rhode Island and has 22 volunteer fire departments protecting the lives and property of its residents."

And more points to them. When I think about living in a state where one county is nearly the size of Rhode Island, it makes me twitch. I am the kind of Rhode Islander (South County style) who gets to Providence maybe a couple of times a year.

They are also, somewhat surprisingly, almost right about this size thing, although why people in South Carolina would bother measuring things in Rhode Islands is beyond me.

Anyhoo, Aiken county is 1,073 sq mi, while Rhode Island is 1,545 sq mi. Interestingly, Aiken County seems to have a real issue with l'il Rhody- on the official Aiken County website, they claim that "Aiken is the fourth largest South Carolina county by land area, and its size of 1,073 square miles is 28 square miles larger than the state of Rhode Island." They are wrong, but it is still so much closer to right than most usages, and they are Southern, so I'll cut them some slack. They might have measured Aiken County wrong for all I know.

Link to Aiken Standard, South Carolina

Nancy Pelosi's heart (or airplane)

Wrong.

"Nancy "it's all for the little people" Pelosi has a heart the size of Rhode Island; or is Rhode Island the size of the new plane that she's demanding?"

I know, I know! Neither! Rhode Island is not the size of Nancy Pelosi's new plane, and unless some horrible mutation has struck her (which I'm sure would make the news), her heart is NOT the size of Rhode Island.

Link to The Daily Journal, covering Vineland, Millville, and Greater Cumberland County N.J.

Alonzo Mourning's Basketball Jersey

Wrong.

"On Monday night, a jersey the size of Rhode Island donning the No. 33 was raised to the rafters in American Airlines Arena to honor not only a great basketball player, but a pillar of the Dade County community and a positive influence on people of all ages."

Link to OpenSports, who I'm sure meant no disrespect.

The scoreboard at Yankee Stadium

Wrong.

"He was particularly impressed by the scoreboard — after all, it’s only the size of Rhode Island — and was awed by the space in the airy visiting clubhouse."

This is an exagerration. The scoreboard is actually "is nearly 101 feet wide and 59 feet tall", not nearly the size of Rhode Island.

Link to NYT blogger, who should know better.

The ice chunk coming off Antarctica

It might be the size of Rhode Island.

"An Antarctic ice shelf is at risk of losing a chunk the size of Rhode Island after a retaining ice bridge began to break up....As much as 3,700 square kilometers of ice shelf may break off as a result, said Angelika Humbert, a glaciologist at Muenster University in Germany. "

Well, if the 3,700 km² figure is accurate, that's pretty close to RI's 4,002 km² - the problem here is varying reports about the size of the ice chunk that has now, actually, broken off. Most other reports suggest that the ice chunk is " is roughly the size of Jamaica," (Jamaica being 11,100 km²) "is about the size of Connecticut" (14,356 km²), or, more exotically (and even harder for most people to picture) "almost half the size of Wales" (10,365 km²) depending on who you read.

It's all too depressing anyway.

Link to Dallas News - why would they be measuring in Rhode Islands, anyway?

Dubai

True!

"Dubai, the tiny emirate the size of Rhode Island, is packed with more of the world’s biggest attractions than one could imagine. World’s tallest building is one of the attractions."

True! Yay for this one- at least this over-used phrase is accurate.

Link to Khaleej Times

The dissapeared wetlands at the mouth of the Colorado River

It might be true.

"The mouth of the Colorado River was once the continent's biggest coastal wetlands, an area the size of Rhode Island. Today the Colorado is dry at its mouth and the wetlands are Mexican desert."

Hm. I guess this might be true?

Link to Santa Monica Mirror

The area of Chevron's "worst oil catastrophe on the planet"

It might be the size of Rhode Island. "That report found the oil giant could be liable for up to $27 billion in damages for creating what experts believe is the worst oil-related catastrophe on the planet, covering an area the size of Rhode Island. "

I think I'll believe that Chevron destroyed an area of Amazon the size of Rhode Island- everyone's doing it.

Link to MarketWatch

Destroyed Rain Forest

It might be the size of Rhode Island.
"He met a young lawyer planning to take oil giant Chevron to court, and he heard countless stories about how pollution had destroyed an area of rain forest the size of Rhode Island, causing high rates of cancer, leukemia and birth defects among the people living there."

Pretty vague- no way to fact-check.

Link to Columbia Daily Tribune