State of Louisiana État de Louisiane
Flag of Louisiana Seal of Louisiana Nickname(s): Bayou State Child of the Mississippi Creole State Pelican State Sportsman's Paradise Sugar State Motto(s): Union, justice, and confidence Union, justice et confiance Lunyon, justis et confyans
Official language(s)	de jure: none de facto: English & French
Spoken language(s)	English 91. The Flag of Louisiana consists of a heraldic charge called a " pelican in her piety," representing a mother Pelican wounding The Louisiana State Seal was adopted as the official state seal of Louisiana in 1902 This is a list of US state nicknames, including officially adopted Nicknames and other traditional nicknames for individual states of the United States. Here is a list of state Mottos for the states of the United States of America. The United States does not have an Official language; however the majority of the population speaks English as a native language (about 82% English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people The United States does not have an Official language; however the majority of the population speaks English as a native language (about 82% English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States 2%, French 4. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people 8%, Creole, Cajun French
Demonym	Louisianan
Capital	Baton Rouge
Largest city	New Orleans[1][2]
Largest metro area	New Orleans metro area
Area	Ranked 31st in the US
- Total	51,885 sq mi (134,382 km²)
- Width	130 miles (210 km)
- Length	379 miles (610 km)
- % water	16
- Latitude	28° 56′ N to 33° 01′ N
- Longitude	88° 49′ W to 94° 03′ W
Population	Ranked 25th in the US
- Total	4,468,976
- Density	102. Louisiana Creole is a French Creole language spoken by the mixed Louisiana Creole people of the state of Louisiana. See also [[Cajun]] Cajun French (sometimes called Louisiana Regional French) is one of three varieties or Dialects of the French language A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a People or the inhabitants of a place Washington DC has been the capital of the United States since 1800 Baton Rouge (French Bâton-Rouge ˌbætən ˈruːdʒ in English, and in French) is the capital city of Louisiana. This is a list of the largest cities of US states by population New Orleans (nʲuːˈɔrliənz nʲuːˈɔrlənz French: La Nouvelle-Orléans) is a major United States port city and the largest city in Louisiana Table of United States Metropolitan Statistical Areas|Table of United States Core Based Statistical AreasIn the United States, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB has produced New Orleans&ndashMetairie&ndashKenner is a metropolitan area designated by the US Census encompassing seven parishes in the state of Louisiana, centering on Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. This is a complete list of the states of the United States and its major territories ordered by total area, land area, and water area The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology This is a list of states of the United States by population (with inhabited non-state jurisdictions included for comparison as of July 1, 2007, according to the This article is a list of the 50 US States ordered by Population density. 59/sq mi  39. 61/km² (22nd in the US)
Elevation
- Highest point	Driskill Mountain[3] 535 ft  (163 m)
- Mean	98 ft  (30 m)
- Lowest point	New Orleans[3] -8 ft  (-2 m)
Admission to Union	April 30, 1812 (18th)
Governor	Bobby Jindal (R)
Lieutenant Governor	Mitch Landrieu (D)
U.S. Senators	Mary Landrieu (D) David Vitter (R)
Congressional Delegation	List
Time zone	Central: UTC-6/-5
Abbreviations	LA US-LA
Website	www.louisiana.gov

The State of Louisiana (IPA: /luːˌiːziːˈænə/ or /ˌluːziːˈænə/, French: État de Louisiane, pronounced [lwizjan] (help·info)) is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Wikipedia_talkFeatured_lists#Proposed_change_to_all_featured_lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below --> Driskill Mountain (also referred to as Mount Driskill is the highest natural summit in Louisiana with an elevation of 535 feet (163 meters above sea level New Orleans (nʲuːˈɔrliənz nʲuːˈɔrlənz French: La Nouvelle-Orléans) is a major United States port city and the largest city in Louisiana Wikipedia_talkFeatured_lists#Proposed_change_to_all_featured_lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->This is a list of U Events 313 - Roman emperor Licinius unifies the entire Eastern Roman Empire under his rule Year 1812 ( MDCCCXII) a leap year started on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year A governor is a governing official usually the executive (at least nominally to different degrees also politically and administratively of a non-sovereign level of government Piyush "Bobby" Jindal (born June 10 1971 is the current Republican governor of the U This is a complete and current List of United States Lieutenant Governors. Mitchell Joseph Landrieu (born August 16, 1960) is the Democratic Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana. The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives Mary Loretta Landrieu (born November 23, 1955) is the senior United States Senator from the state of Louisiana, and the only David Bruce Vitter (born May 3, 1961) is the junior United States Senator from Louisiana and a member of the Republican Party The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses These are tables of congressional delegations from Louisiana to the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives. This is a list of United States of America States by time zone The Central Time Zone observes Standard time by subtracting six hours from UTC during standard time ( UTC−6) and five hours during Daylight saving Areas using UTC−6 Single zone countries Belize Costa Rica El Salvador Guatemala Daylight saving time ( DST The traditional abbreviations for US states and territories were widely used in mailing addresses prior to the introduction of two-letter U ISO 3166-2US is an ISO standard which defines Geocodes it is the subset of ISO 3166-2 which applies to the United States of America. A website (alternatively web site or Web site, a back-construction from the Proper noun World Wide Web) is a collection of Web pages French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people A US state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of the United States of America that share Sovereignty with the federal government The Southern United States &mdashcommonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South &mdashconstitutes a large distinctive The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The capital of Louisiana is Baton Rouge. Baton Rouge (French Bâton-Rouge ˌbætən ˈruːdʒ in English, and in French) is the capital city of Louisiana. The largest city and metropolitan area is New Orleans. New Orleans (nʲuːˈɔrliənz nʲuːˈɔrlənz French: La Nouvelle-Orléans) is a major United States port city and the largest city in Louisiana The largest parish by population is Jefferson Parish, and the largest by land area is Cameron Parish. Jefferson Parish is a parish in Louisiana, United States that includes most of the Suburbs of New Orleans. Cameron Parish (Paroisse de Cameron is the Parish with the most land area in the U Louisiana is the only state divided into parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties. The US state of Louisiana is divided into 64 parishes in the same way that 48 of the other states of the United States A county of the United States is a local level of government created as a subdivision of a state by the state government or by the federal or territorial government as a subdivision Louisiana's cities have a multicultural and multilingual heritage, more strongly influenced by 18th century French, Spanish, and African cultures than most cities in the US. Originally part of New France, South Louisiana is home to many speakers of Cajun French and Louisiana Creole French. The Viceroyalty of New France (Nouvelle-France was the area colonized by France in North America during a period extending from the exploration of the See also [[Cajun]] Cajun French (sometimes called Louisiana Regional French) is one of three varieties or Dialects of the French language Louisiana Creole is a French Creole language spoken by the mixed Louisiana Creole people of the state of Louisiana. African American/Franco-African, and French/French Canadian form the two largest groups of ancestry in Louisiana's population. African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa

Namesake

Louisiana (New France) was named after Louis XIV, King of France from 1643-1715. The Viceroyalty of New France (Nouvelle-France was the area colonized by France in North America during a period extending from the exploration of the Early years Birth and ancestry Louis XIV was born in the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye on September 5 1638 and bore the Heir apparent When René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle claimed the territory drained by the Mississippi River for France, he named it La Louisiane, meaning "Land of Louis". René Robert Cavelier Sieur de La Salle, or Robert de LaSalle ( November 22, 1643 &ndash March 19, 1687) was a French The Mississippi River is the second longest River in the United States, with a length of from its source in Lake Itasca in Minnesota to Louisiana was once part of the Louisiana Territory which once stretched from present-day New Orleans to across the present day Canadian border. Louisiana Territory was a historic Organized territory of the United States from July 4, 1805 until December 11, 1812. New Orleans (nʲuːˈɔrliənz nʲuːˈɔrlənz French: La Nouvelle-Orléans) is a major United States port city and the largest city in Louisiana Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The territory was acquired in 1803 by the United States by way of the Louisiana Purchase. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the For the film see Louisiana Purchase (film. The Louisiana Purchase (French Vente de la Louisiane "Louisiana Sale" Part or all of 15 states were formed from the territory.

An alternative explanation of the name is that Louisiana is a combination of Louis XIV and his wife Anna of Austria. This, however, is false. While his mother was Anne of Austria, Louis XIV was married to Marie-Thérèse.

Geography

Map of Louisiana

Topography

Louisiana is bordered to the west by the state of Texas; to the north by Arkansas; to the east by the state of Mississippi; and to the south by the Gulf of Mexico. Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. Arkansas ( is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Mississippi ( is a state located in the Deep South of the United States The Gulf of Mexico ( Spanish: Golfo de México) is the ninth largest Body of water in the world

The surface of the state may properly be divided into two parts, the uplands and the alluvial, including coast and swamp regions. Alluvium (from the Latin, alluvius, from alluere, "to wash against" is Soil or Sediments deposited by a river or other running The alluvial regions, including the low swamps and coast lands, cover an area of about 20,000 square miles (52,000 km²); they lie principally along the Mississippi River, which traverses the state from north to south for a distance of about 600 miles (1,000 km) and ultimately empties into the Gulf of Mexico; the Red River; the Ouachita River and its branches; and other minor streams. The Mississippi River is the second longest River in the United States, with a length of from its source in Lake Itasca in Minnesota to The Gulf of Mexico ( Spanish: Golfo de México) is the ninth largest Body of water in the world For other uses see Red River. The Red River is one of several rivers with that name. The Ouachita River (ˈwɑːʃɪtɑː wash-eh-taw) is a 605-mile-long river that runs south and east through the U The breadth of the alluvial region along the Mississippi is from 10 to 60 miles (15 to 100 km), and along the other rivers it averages about 10 miles (15 km). The Mississippi flows upon a ridge formed by its own deposits, from which the lands decline toward the low swamps beyond at an average fall of six feet per mile (3 m/km). The alluvial lands along other streams present very similar features.

The higher lands and contiguous hill lands of the north and northwestern part of the state have an area of more than 25,000 square miles (65,000 km²). They consist of prairie and woodlands. The elevations above sea-level range from 10 feet (3 m) at the coast and swamp lands to 50 and 60 feet (15–18 m) at the prairie and alluvial lands. In the uplands and hills the elevations rise to Driskill Mountain the highest point in the state at only 535 feet (163 m) above sea level. Driskill Mountain (also referred to as Mount Driskill is the highest natural summit in Louisiana with an elevation of 535 feet (163 meters above sea level Only two other states in the union, Florida and Delaware, are geographically lower than Louisiana, though several other states, such as Kansas and Nebraska, are geographically flatter. Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the Delaware ( is a state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Kansas ( is a Midwestern state in the central region of the United States of America, an area often referred to as the American " Nebraska ( is a state located on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States and

Besides the navigable rivers already named (some of which are called bayous), there are the Sabine (Sah-BEAN), forming the western boundary, and the Pearl, the eastern boundary, the Calcasieu (KAL-cah-shoe), the Mermentau, the Vermilion, the Teche, the Atchafalaya, the Boeuf (beff), the Lafourche (Luff-OOSH), the Courtableau, the D'Arbonne, the Macon, the Tensas (TEN-saw), the Amite, the Tchefuncte (CHA-Funk-ta), the Tickfaw, the Natalbany, and a number of other streams of lesser note, constituting a natural system of navigable waterways, aggregating over 4,000 miles (6,400 km) in length, which is unequaled in the United States. The Sabine River (səˈbiːn is a River, 555 miles (893 km long in the U The Pearl River is a River in the US states of Mississippi and Louisiana. The Calcasieu River (KAL-kuh-shoo is a river on the Gulf Coast of southwestern Louisiana, U The Mermentau River is located in Southern Louisiana and flows between Calcasieu Lake and Vermillion Bay on the Chenier Coastal Plain of The Vermilion River (or The Bayou Vermilion is a River, 72 mi (116 km) long in southern Louisiana in the United States. The Bayou Teche is a 125-mile long waterway of great cultural significance in south central Louisiana. The Atchafalaya River is a Distributary of the Mississippi and Red rivers approximately 170 miles (270 km long in south central Louisiana The Boeuf River is a River in the United States. Its name comes from the French word boeuf, which means " Bull. Bayou Lafourche is a Bayou in southeastern Louisiana, United States, that flows into the Gulf of Mexico. The Tensas River is a river in Louisiana in the United States. The Amite River is a Tributary of Lake Maurepas in Mississippi and Louisiana in the United States. The Tchefuncte River (chuh-FUNK-tuh drains into Lake Pontchartrain in Louisiana in the United States. The Tickfaw River (tɪkfɔː in English) runs 105 miles from Amite County in southwest Mississippi to Livingston Parish in southeast The state also has 1,060 square miles (2,745 km²) of land-locked bays, 1,700 square miles (4,400 km²) of inland lakes, and a river surface of over 500 square miles (1,300 km²).

Climate

Louisiana has a humid subtropical climate (Koppen climate classification Cfa), perhaps the most "classic" example of a humid subtropical climate of all the Southeastern states, with long, hot, humid summers and short, mild winters. Baton Rouge (French Bâton-Rouge ˌbætən ˈruːdʒ in English, and in French) is the capital city of Louisiana. Lake Charles may refer to in Canada Lake Charles (Nova Scotia, a lake in the Halifax Regional Municipality in the United States New Orleans (nʲuːˈɔrliənz nʲuːˈɔrlənz French: La Nouvelle-Orléans) is a major United States port city and the largest city in Louisiana Shreveport is the third-largest city and the principal city of the third largest Metropolitan area in the U Humid subtropical climate ( Köppen Cfa or Cwa) is a climate zone characterized by hot humid summers and chilly to mild winters The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems It was developed by Wladimir Köppen, a German climatologist The subtropical characteristics of the state are due in large part to the influence of the Gulf of Mexico, which even at its farthest point is no more than 200 miles (320 km) away. The Gulf of Mexico ( Spanish: Golfo de México) is the ninth largest Body of water in the world Precipitation is frequent throughout the year, although the summer is slightly wetter than the rest of the year. There is a dip in precipitation in October. Southern Louisiana receives far more copious rainfall, especially during the winter months. Summers in Louisiana are hot and humid, with high temperatures from mid-June to mid-September averaging 90 °F (32 °C) or more and overnight lows averaging above 70 °F (22 °C). In the summer, the extreme maximum temperature is much warmer in the north than in the south, with temperatures near the Gulf of Mexico occasionally reaching 100 °F (38 °C), although temperatures above 95 °F (35 °C) are commonplace. The Gulf of Mexico ( Spanish: Golfo de México) is the ninth largest Body of water in the world In northern Louisiana, the temperatures reach above 105 °F (41 °C) in the summer.

Temperatures are generally mildly warm in the winter in the southern part of the state, with highs around New Orleans, Baton Rouge, the rest of south Louisiana, and the Gulf of Mexico averaging 66 °F (19 °C), while the northern part of the state is mildly cool in the winter with highs averaging 59 °F (15 °C). The overnight lows in the winter average well above freezing throughout the state, with 46 °F (8 °C) the average near the Gulf and an average low of 37 °F (3 °C) in the winter in the northern part of the state. Louisiana does have its share of cold fronts, which frequently drop the temperatures below 20 °F (-8 °C) in the northern part of the state, but almost never do so in the southern part of the state. Snow is not very common near the Gulf of Mexico, although those in the northern parts of the state can expect one to three snowfalls per year, with the frequency increasing northwards.

Louisiana is often affected by tropical cyclones and is very vulnerable to strikes by major hurricanes, particularly the lowlands around and in the New Orleans area. A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a low pressure center and numerous Thunderstorms that produce strong winds and Flooding New Orleans (nʲuːˈɔrliənz nʲuːˈɔrlənz French: La Nouvelle-Orléans) is a major United States port city and the largest city in Louisiana The unique geography of the region with the many bayous, marshes and inlets can make major hurricanes especially destructive. The area is also prone to frequent thunderstorms, especially in the summer. The entire state averages over 60 days of thunderstorms a year averaging more thunderstorms than any other state except Florida. Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the Louisiana averages 27 tornadoes annually. A tornado is a violent rotating column of air which is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a Cumulonimbus cloud or in rare cases the base of a Cumulus The entire state is vulnerable to a tornado strike, with the extreme southern portion of the state slightly less than the rest of the state. Tornadoes are much more common from January to March in the southern part of the state, and from February through March in the northern part of the state. ^[4]

Hurricanes

• September 24, 2005, Rita (Category 3 at landfall) struck southwestern Louisiana, flooding many parishes and cities along the coast, including, Cameron Parish, Lake Charles, and other towns. Events 622 - Prophet Muhammad completes his hegira from Mecca to Medina. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Hurricane Rita was the fourth-most intense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded and the most intense Tropical cyclone ever observed in the Gulf of Mexico Cameron Parish (Paroisse de Cameron is the Parish with the most land area in the U Lake Charles is the fifth largest incorporated City in the US state of Louisiana. The storm's winds further weakened the still damaged levees in New Orleans, re-flooding parts of the city.

• August 29, 2005, Katrina (Category 4 at landfall^[5]) struck and devastated southeastern Louisiana, while damaged levees in New Orleans allowed parts of the city to flood. Events 708 - Copper coins are minted in Japan for the first time (Traditional Japanese date: August 10, 708) Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the costliest hurricane, as well as one of the five deadliest in the history of the United States The city was virtually closed until October. It is estimated that more than two million people in the Gulf region were displaced by the hurricane, with more than 1,500 fatalities in Louisiana alone. The Gulf Coast region of the United States comprises the coasts of states which border the Gulf of Mexico. Public outcry criticized the government at the local, state, and federal levels, citing that the response was neither fast nor adequate.

Further information: Effect of Hurricane Katrina on Louisiana and Effect of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans

• August 1992, Andrew (Category 3 at landfall) struck south-central Louisiana, killing four people, knocking out power to nearly 150,000 citizens and destroying hundreds of millions of dollars of crops in the state. This article covers the Hurricane Katrina effects by region, within the United States and Canada The effects of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans were shattering and long-lasting Hurricane Andrew is the second most powerful and the last of three Category 5 hurricanes that made U

• August 1969, Camille (Category 5) had a 23. Hurricane Camille was the third and strongest tropical cyclone and second hurricane of the 1969 Atlantic hurricane season 4 ft (7. 1 m). storm surge and killed 250 people. Although Camille officially made landfall in Mississippi and the worst impacts were felt there, its effects were still felt in Louisiana. Mississippi ( is a state located in the Deep South of the United States However, New Orleans was spared from the brunt of the storm and remained dry with the exception of some mild rain-generated flooding in only the extremely low-lying areas. New Orleans (nʲuːˈɔrliənz nʲuːˈɔrlənz French: La Nouvelle-Orléans) is a major United States port city and the largest city in Louisiana

• September 9, 1965, Betsy (Category 3 at landfall) came ashore in Louisiana causing massive destruction, being the first hurricane in history to cause one billion dollars in damage (over ten billion in inflation-adjusted USD). Events 1000 - Battle of Svolder, Viking Age. 1379 - Treaty of Neuberg, splitting the Austrian Year 1965 ( MCMLXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. Hurricane Betsy was a powerful Hurricane of the 1965 Atlantic hurricane season which caused enormous damage in the Bahamas, Florida, and The storm hit New Orleans particularly hard by flooding approximately 35% of the city (including the Lower 9th Ward, Gentilly, and parts of Mid-City), pushing the death toll in the state to 76. Lower Ninth Ward is a neighborhood of the city of New Orleans. Gentilly may refer to Gentilly Township Minnesota, United States Gentilly Val-de-Marne, a commune of the

• June 1957, Audrey (Category 4) devastated southwest Louisiana, destroying or severely damaging 60–80 percent of the homes and businesses from Cameron to Grand Chenier. Hurricane Audrey was the first major hurricane of the 1957 Atlantic hurricane season. Cameron is a Census-designated place (CDP in and the Parish seat of Cameron Parish, Louisiana, United States. 40,000 people were left homeless and over 300 people were killed in the state.

Geology

The underlying strata of the state are of Cretaceous age and are covered by alluvial deposits of Tertiary and post-Tertiary origin. In Geology and related fields a stratum (plural strata) is a layer of rock or Soil with internally consistent characteristics that distinguishes The Cretaceous (kriːˈteɪʃəs, usually abbreviated 'K' for its German translation "Kreide" is a geologic period and system, reaching from the end of Sedimentation describes the motion of Molecules in Solutions or particles in suspensions in response to an external force such as gravity The chuprichondira geological time interval covers roughly the time span between the demise of the non- avian Dinosaurs and beginning of the most recent Ice Age, approximately A large part of Louisiana is the creation and product of the Mississippi River. The wetlands of Louisiana are water-saturated Coastal and Swamp regions of southern Louisiana. The Mississippi River is the second longest River in the United States, with a length of from its source in Lake Itasca in Minnesota to It was originally covered by an arm of the sea, and has been built up by the silt carried down the valley by the great river. Silt is Soil or rock derived Granular material of a Grain size between sand and clay

Near the coast, there are many salt domes, where salt is mined and oil is often found. A salt dome is a type of structural dome formed when a thick bed of Evaporite minerals (mainly salt or Halite) found at depth intrudes vertically into For sodium chloride in the diet see Salt. Sodium chloride, also known as common salt, table salt, or Halite, is a salt domes also exist in North Louisiana. A salt dome is a type of structural dome formed when a thick bed of Evaporite minerals (mainly salt or Halite) found at depth intrudes vertically into

Owing to the extensive flood control measures along the Mississippi river and to natural subsidence, Louisiana is now suffering the loss of coastal land area. State and federal government efforts to halt or reverse this phenomenon are under way; others are being sought. There is one bright spot, however, the Atchafalaya River is creating new delta land in the South-Central portion of the state. The Atchafalaya River is a Distributary of the Mississippi and Red rivers approximately 170 miles (270 km long in south central Louisiana

Geographic and statistical areas

Alexandria	Baton Rouge	Bossier City	Lafayette
Lake Charles	New Orleans	Shreveport

• List of parishes in Louisiana
• Louisiana census statistical areas
• Louisiana metropolitan areas
• List of cities, towns, and villages in Louisiana
• Louisiana locations by per capita income

Louisiana is the only state in the US that has parishes instead of counties. Alexandria is a City in and the Parish seat of Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. Baton Rouge (French Bâton-Rouge ˌbætən ˈruːdʒ in English, and in French) is the capital city of Louisiana. Bossier City (Ville de Bossier is a City in Bossier Parish, Louisiana, United States. Lafayette is a City in and the Parish seat of Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States, on the Vermilion River. Lake Charles is the fifth largest incorporated City in the US state of Louisiana. New Orleans (nʲuːˈɔrliənz nʲuːˈɔrlənz French: La Nouvelle-Orléans) is a major United States port city and the largest city in Louisiana Shreveport is the third-largest city and the principal city of the third largest Metropolitan area in the U The US state of Louisiana is divided into 64 parishes in the same way that 48 of the other states of the United States The United States Census Bureau has defined 7 Combined Statistical Areas (CSAs 8 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs and 17 Micropolitan The US state of Louisiana has a total of eight Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs Metropolitan areas and Urbanized areas of Louisiana by population Cities Towns Villages Louisiana has the forty-seventh highest Per capita income in the United States of America, at $16912 (2000

Protected areas

See also: List of Louisiana state parks

Louisiana contains a number of areas which are, in varying degrees, protected from human intervention. This is a list of State parks in the US state of Louisiana. Louisiana operates a system of nineteen state parks sixteen state historic sites and In addition to several stations of the National Park Service, and a federally recognized national forest, Louisiana itself operates, among other programs, a system of state parks and recreation areas throughout the state. The National Park Service ( NPS) is the United States federal agency that manages all National Parks, many National Monuments, and other conservation "National forest" redirects here for the National Forest in England see National Forest England; for those in Brazil see List of Brazilian National Forests State Park is a term used in the United States and in Mexico for an area of land preserved on account of its natural beauty historic interest recreation or other Administered by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, the Louisiana Natural and Scenic Rivers System provides a degree of protection for 48 rivers, streams and bayous in the state.

National Park Service

Historic or scenic areas managed, protected, or otherwise recognized by the National Park Service include:

• Cane River National Heritage Area near Natchitoches
• Cane River Creole National Historical Park near Natchitoches, Louisiana. The Cane River National Heritage Area is a United States National Heritage Area in the state of Louisiana. Cane River Creole National Historical Park is located within the Cane River National Heritage Area in Natchitoches Parish Louisiana.
• Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, headquartered in New Orleans, with units in St. Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve protects significant examples of the rich natural and cultural resources of Louisiana 's Mississippi River Delta Bernard Parish, Barataria (Crown Point), and Acadiana (Lafayette)
• New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park
• Poverty Point National Monument at Epps, Louisiana. New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park is a US National Historical Park in the Treme neighborhood of New Orleans Louisiana, near the French This article is about the US National Monument in the lower Mississippi valley for the geographical feature in Massachusetts also called Poverty Point see Fairhaven
• Saline Bayou, a national wild and scenic river in northern Louisiana.

US Forest Service

• Kisatchie National Forest is Louisiana's only national forest. Kisatchie National Forest, the only national forest in Louisiana, is located in the state's old growth piney hills and hardwood bottoms of seven central It spans several hundred thousand acres in central and north Louisiana.

State parks and recreational areas

Louisiana operates a system of 19 state parks, 16 state historic sites and one state preservation area.

Transportation

Intracoastal waterway in Louisiana near New Orleans

See also: List of numbered highways in Louisiana

The Intracoastal Waterway is an important means of transporting commercial goods such as petroleum and petroleum products, agricultural produce, building materials and manufactured goods. The Intracoastal Waterway is a 4800-km (3000-mile Waterway along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States. New Orleans (nʲuːˈɔrliənz nʲuːˈɔrlənz French: La Nouvelle-Orléans) is a major United States port city and the largest city in Louisiana US and Louisiana Highways Interstate Highways Interstate 10, south Louisiana's east-west artery includes cities of New Orleans, Interstate 10, a major transcontinental Interstate Highway in the Southern U Interstate 12 (I-12 is an intrastate Interstate highway located entirely within the state of Louisiana. In Louisiana, Interstate 20 roughly parallels US 80 through the northern part of the state Interstate 49 (I-49 is an intrastate Interstate highway located entirely within the state of Louisiana in the southern United States. In Louisiana, Interstate 55 runs nearly 66 miles from south to north from Interstate 10 near Laplace - roughly 20 miles west of New Orleans In the US state of Louisiana, Interstate 59 has the shortest mileage of all the states the highway traverses Interstate 110 (abbreviated I-110) is an 889 mile spur route in Baton Rouge, running from Interstate 10 in the city's downtown area north to U Interstate 210 (abbreviated I-210) in Louisiana is a 124 mile bypass route in Lake Charles, in the southwestern part of the state Interstate 220 (abbreviated I-220) in Louisiana is an east-west loop around Shreveport Louisiana in the northwestern corner of the state Interstate 310 (abbreviated I-310) is a short Spur route of Interstate 10 near New Orleans Louisiana, United States. Interstate 510 (abbreviated I-510) is a short Spur route of Interstate 10 within in eastern New Orleans Louisiana, United States. Interstate 610 (abbreviated I-610) is an auxiliary route of Interstate 10 that lies entirely within the boundaries of New Orleans Louisiana. US Highway 90 Business (officially US Highway 90-Z and on October 1, 1999 the extension from I-310 to I-10 in New Orleans US Route 11 is a north-south United States highway extending 1645 mile US Route 51 is a north-south United States highway that runs for 1286 miles (2070 km from northern Wisconsin to the western suburbs of New Orleans Louisiana US Route 61 is the official designation for a United States highway that runs from New Orleans Louisiana, to the city of Wyoming Minnesota. US Route 63 is a 1286 mile (2070 km long north-south United States highway primarily in the Midwestern United States. US Route 65 is a north-south United States highway in the southern and midwestern United States. US Route 71 is a north-south United States highway. This original 1926 route has remained largely unchanged by encroaching Interstate highways Currently US Route 79 is a north-south United States highway. The route is actually a northeast-southwest diagonal with both east-west segments and north-south segments equally mixed US Route 80 is an east-west United States highway. As the "0" in the route number indicates it was originally a cross-country route from the Atlantic US Route 84 is an east-west United States highway. It started as a short Georgia - Alabama route in the original 1926 scheme but now extends US Route 90 is an east-west United States highway. Despite the "0" in its route number US 90 never was a full coast-to-coast route it has always ended at US Route 165 is a spur of US Highway 65. It currently runs for 412 miles (663 km from North Little Rock Arkansas, at U US Route 167 runs for 499 miles (803 km from Ash Flat Arkansas at U US Highway 171 is a north-south United States highway. This short route entirely within western Louisiana, has remained largely unchanged from its original US Route 190, also known as the Ronald Reagan memorial highway is an east-west United States highway. US Route 371 is a north-south United States highway in the US US Route 425 is a north-south United States highway, first commissioned in 1989 The Intracoastal Waterway is a 4800-km (3000-mile Waterway along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States.

History

See main article: History of Louisiana

Early settlement

Louisiana was inhabited by Native Americans when European explorers arrived in the 17th century. The history of Louisiana is long and rich From its earliest settlement by Native Americans to its status as linchpin of an empire to its incorporation as a U Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States Many place names in the state are transliterations of those used in Native American dialects. Among the tribes that inhabited what is now Louisiana included the Atakapa, the Opelousa, the Acolapissa, the Tangipahoa, the Chitimacha in the southeast of the state, the Washa, the Chawasha, the Yagenechito, the Bayougoula and the Houma (part of the Choctaw nation), the Quinipissa, the Okelousa, the Avoyel and the Taensa (part of the Natchez nation), the Tunica, and the Koroa. The Atakapa (pronounced "uh-TAK-uh-paw" also spelled Attakapa, Attakapas, Attacapa, formally known as the Ishaks, pronounced The Acolapissa were a small tribe of native Americans said to originate from the shores of the Pearl River, between Louisiana and Mississippi before 1702 The Tangipahoa were a Native American tribe that lived in Louisiana just north of Lake Pontchartrain. The Chitimacha (also Chitimachan, Chetimacha) are a Native American group that lives in the U The Choctaw are a Native American people originally from the Southeastern United States ( Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana) The Quinipissa were an indigenous group living on the lower Mississippi River as reported by René-Robert Cavelier Sieur de La Salle in 1682 Avoyel or Avoyelles was a small Natchesan tribe in the neighborhood of the present Marksville, Louisiana. The Taensa are not to be confused with the Avoyel (also known in French as petits Taensas (English Little Taensa) who lived in present The Koroa were one of the groups of indigenous people who lived in Mississippi prior to the European settlement of the region Central and northwest Louisiana was home to a substantial portion of the Caddo nation and the Natchitoches confederacy consisting of the Natchitoches, the Yatasi, the Nakasa, the Doustioni, the Quachita, and the Adai. The Caddo are a nation or group of tribes of Southeastern Native Americans who in the 16th century inhabited much of what is now East Texas, western The Natchitoches or Natchitoch were one of the indigenous tribes in Louisiana of the Caddo Native Americans The Yatasi were a Native American people of Louisiana, part of the Natchitoches Native Americans who were part of that Caddo Nation who lived in the area to the south ^[6]

Exploration and colonization by Europeans

Louisiana regions

The first European explorers to visit Louisiana came in 1528. The Spanish expedition (led by Panfilo de Narváez) located the mouth of the Mississippi River. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Pánfilo de Narváez (1470 &ndash 1528 was a Spanish conqueror and soldier in the Americas. The Mississippi River is the second longest River in the United States, with a length of from its source in Lake Itasca in Minnesota to In 1541, Hernando de Soto's expedition crossed the region. Then Spanish interest in Louisiana lay dormant. In the late 17th century, French expeditions, which included sovereign, religious and commercial aims, established a foothold on the Mississippi River and Gulf Coast. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. With its first settlements, France lay claim to a vast region of North America and set out to establish a commercial empire and French nation stretching from the Gulf of Mexico to Canada.

The French explorer Robert Cavelier de La Salle named the region Louisiana to honor France's King Louis XIV in 1682. René Robert Cavelier Sieur de La Salle, or Robert de LaSalle ( November 22, 1643 &ndash March 19, 1687) was a French Early years Birth and ancestry Louis XIV was born in the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye on September 5 1638 and bore the Heir apparent The first permanent settlement, Fort Maurepas (at what is now Ocean Springs, Mississippi, near Biloxi), was founded by Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville, a French military officer from Canada, in 1699. Ocean Springs is a city in Jackson County, Mississippi ( USA) about east of Biloxi. Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville ]] (b 16 July 1661 - d (probably 9 July 1706)founder of the colony of French Louisiana, was born at By then the French had also built a small fort at the mouth of the Mississippi at a settlement they named La Balise (or La Balize), "seamark" in French. La Balize Louisiana, was the first French settlement near the mouth of the Mississippi River in what became Plaquemines Parish. By 1721 they built a 62-foot (19 m) wooden lighthouse-type structure to guide ships on the river. ^[7]

The French colony of Louisiana originally claimed all the land on both sides of the Mississippi River and north to French territory in Canada. Louisiana (La celina+mario) was the name of an administrative district of New France. The Mississippi River is the second longest River in the United States, with a length of from its source in Lake Itasca in Minnesota to Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The following States were part of Louisiana: Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota.

The settlement of Natchitoches (along the Red River in present-day northwest Louisiana) was established in 1714 by Louis Juchereau de St. Denis, making it the oldest permanent European settlement in the Louisiana Purchase territory. The French settlement had two purposes: to establish trade with the Spanish in Texas, and to deter Spanish advances into Louisiana. Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. Also, the northern terminus of the Old San Antonio Road (sometimes called El Camino Real, or Kings Highway) was at Natchitoches. The settlement soon became a flourishing river port and crossroads, giving rise to vast cotton kingdoms along the river. Over time, planters developed large plantations and built fine homes in a growing town, a pattern repeated in New Orleans and other places.

Louisiana's French settlements contributed to further exploration and outposts, concentrated along the banks of the Mississippi and its major tributaries, from Louisiana to as far north as the region called the Illinois Country, around Peoria, Illinois and present-day St. Louis, Missouri. The Illinois Country ( Pays des Illinois) was the name used in the 17th century and afterwards to refer to an undefined region centered around present day southwest Peoria Illinois (named after the Peoria tribe is the largest city on the Illinois River and the County seat of Peoria County, Illinois See also: French colonization of the Americas

Initially Mobile, Alabama and Biloxi, Mississippi functioned as the capital of the colony; recognizing the importance of the Mississippi River to trade and military interests, France made New Orleans the seat of civilian and military authority in 1722. French colonization of the Americas began in the 14th century and continued in the following centuries as France established a colonial empire in the Western New Orleans (nʲuːˈɔrliənz nʲuːˈɔrlənz French: La Nouvelle-Orléans) is a major United States port city and the largest city in Louisiana From then until the Louisiana Purchase made the region part of the United States on December 20, 1803, France and Spain would trade control of the region's colonial empire. Events 69 - Vespasian, formerly a general under Nero, enters Rome to claim the title of Emperor. 1803 ( MDCCCIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a

In the 1720s, German immigrants settled along the Mississippi River in a region referred to as the German Coast. The German Coast (French Côte des Allemands) was a region of the early Louisiana settlement located above New Orleans on the Mississippi River

Most of the territory to the east of the Mississippi was lost to the Kingdom of Great Britain in the French and Indian War, except for the area around New Orleans and the parishes around Lake Pontchartrain. The Kingdom of Great Britain, also known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain, was a State in northwest Europe, in existence from 1707 to 1800 The French and Indian War (1754&ndash1763 was the North American chapter of the Seven Years' War. New Orleans (nʲuːˈɔrliənz nʲuːˈɔrlənz French: La Nouvelle-Orléans) is a major United States port city and the largest city in Louisiana Lake Pontchartrain (ˈpɒntʃətreɪn in English Lac Pontchartrain IPA in French) is a brackish Lake The rest of Louisiana became a colony of Spain after the Seven Years' War by the Treaty of Paris of 1763. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. The Seven Years' War (1756&ndash1763 involved all of the major European powers of the period causing 900000 to 1400000 deaths The Treaty of Paris, often called the Peace of Paris, or the Treaty of 1763, was signed on February 10, 1763, by the kingdoms of Great Britain

During the period of Spanish rule, several thousand French-speaking refugees from the region of Acadia (now Nova Scotia, Canada) made their way to Louisiana following British expulsion; settling largely in the southwestern Louisiana region now called Acadiana. The Association for Computer Aided Design In Architecture ( ACADIA) is a Non-profit organization active in the area of Computer-aided architectural design Nova Scotia (ˌnəʊvəˈskəʊʃə ( Latin for New Scotland; Alba Nuadh Nouvelle-Écosse is a Canadian province located on Canada 's Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Acadiana (also called Cajun Country) (L'Acadiane is the official name given to the French Louisiana region that is home to a large Cajun population The Acadian refugees were welcomed by the Spanish, and descendants came to be called Cajuns. Cajuns ('keʒən les Cadiens are an Ethnic group mainly living in Louisiana, consisting of the descendants of Acadian exiles and peoples of other

Spanish Canary Islanders, called Isleños, emigrated from the Canary Islands of Spain to Louisiana under the Spanish crown between 1778 and 1783. Isleño (plural isleños) (Îlois is the Spanish word meaning " Islander.

In 1800, France's Napoleon Bonaparte acquired Louisiana from Spain in the Treaty of San Ildefonso, an arrangement kept secret for some two years. Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe. The Third Treaty of San Ildefonso (formally titled the Preliminary and Secret Treaty between the French Republic and His Catholic Majesty the King of Spain Concerning the Aggrandizement

Purchase by the United States

See main article: Louisiana Purchase

When the United States won its independence from Great Britain in 1783, one of its major concerns was having a European power on its western boundary, and the need for unrestricted access to the Mississippi River. For the film see Louisiana Purchase (film. The Louisiana Purchase (French Vente de la Louisiane "Louisiana Sale" As American settlers pushed west, they found that the Appalachian Mountains provided a barrier to shipping goods eastward. The Appalachian Mountains ( often called the Appalachians, are a vast system of mountains in eastern North America. The easiest way to ship produce was to use a flatboat to float it down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers to the port of New Orleans, from where goods could be put on ocean-going vessels. A Flatboat is a rectangular boat with a flat bottom and square ends used to transport Freight and passengers on inland Waterways The flatboat could be any The Ohio River is the largest Tributary by volume of the Mississippi River. The problem with this route was that the Spanish owned both sides of the Mississippi below Natchez. Natchez is the county seat of and the largest and only incorporated city within Adams County, Mississippi, United States. Napoleon's ambitions in Louisiana involved the creation of a new empire centered on the Caribbean sugar trade. The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting Sugar is a class of edible Crystalline substances mainly Sucrose, Lactose, and Fructose. By terms of the Treaty of Amiens of 1800, Great Britain returned ownership of the islands of Martinique and Guadaloupe to the French. Martinique is an Island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, having a land area of 1128 km² Guadeloupe is an island group or Archipelago located in the eastern Caribbean Sea at, with a land area of 1628 square kilometres (629  sq Napoleon looked upon Louisiana as a depot for these sugar islands, and as a buffer to U. S. settlement. In October of 1801 he sent a large military force to retake the important island of Santo Domingo, lost in a slave revolt in the 1790s. Santo Domingo de Guzmán (known as Santo Domingo population 2084852 (Metro (2003 estimated 2253437 (Metro in 2006 is the Capital and largest city in the Defeated by Haitian revolutionaries, Napoleon decided to sell Louisiana.

Louisiana state welcome sign

Thomas Jefferson, third President of the United States, was disturbed by Napoleon's plans to re-establish French colonies in America. Thomas Jefferson (April 13 1743 – July 4 1826 was the third President of the United States (1801–1809 the principal author of the Declaration of Independence With the possession of New Orleans, Napoleon could close the Mississippi to U. S. commerce at any time. Jefferson authorized Robert R. Livingston, U. S. Minister to France, to negotiate for the purchase of the City of New Orleans, portions of the east bank of the Mississippi, and free navigation of the river for U. S. commerce. Livingston was authorized to pay up to $2 million.

An official transfer of Louisiana to French ownership had not yet taken place, and Napoleon's deal with the Spanish was a poorly kept secret on the frontier. On October 18, 1802, however, Juan Ventura Morales, Acting Intendant of Louisiana, made public the intention of Spain to revoke the right of deposit at New Orleans for all cargo from the United States. Events 1009 - The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, a Christian church in Jerusalem, is completely destroyed by the Fatimid Year 1802 ( MDCCCII) was a Common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar or a Common year starting on Wednesday of the The closure of this vital port to the United States caused anger and consternation. Commerce in the west was virtually blockaded. Historians believe that the revocation of the right of deposit was prompted by abuses of the Americans, particularly smuggling, and not by French intrigues as was believed at the time. President Jefferson ignored public pressure for war with France, and appointed James Monroe special envoy to Napoleon, to assist in obtaining New Orleans for the United States. James Monroe (April 28 1758 – July 4 1831 was the fifth President of the United States (1817–1825 Jefferson also raised the authorized expenditure to $10 million.

On April 11, 1803, Talleyrand, the French Foreign Minister, asked Robert Livingston how much the United States was prepared to pay for the entirety of Louisiana. Events 491 - Flavius Anastasius becomes Byzantine Emperor, with the name of Anastasius I. 1803 ( MDCCCIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord 1st Sovereign Prince of Beneventum (2 February 1754 17 May 1838 the Prince of Diplomats, was a French Livingston was confused, as his instructions only covered the purchase of New Orleans and the immediate area, not the entire territory. James Monroe agreed with Livingston that Napoleon might withdraw this offer at any time. To wait for approval from President Jefferson might take months, so Livingston and Monroe decided to open negotiations immediately.

By April 30, they closed a deal for the purchase of the entire 828,000 square miles (2,145,000 km²) Louisiana territory for 60 million Francs (approximately $15 million). Events 313 - Roman emperor Licinius unifies the entire Eastern Roman Empire under his rule The franc (represented by the franc sign ₣ or more commonly just F) is a former Currency of France. Part of this sum was used to forgive debts owed by France to the United States. The payment was made in United States bonds, which Napoleon sold at face value to the Dutch firm of Hope and Company, and the British banking house of Baring, at a discount of 87 1/2 per each $100 unit. A government bond is a bond issued by a national government denominated in the country's own Currency. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands Hope & Co is the name of a famous Dutch bank that spanned two and a half centuries Barings Bank (1762 to 1995 was the oldest Merchant bank in London until its collapse in 1995 after one of the bank's employees Nick Leeson, lost £827 As a result, France received only $8,831,250 in cash for Louisiana. Dutiful banker Alexander Baring conferred with Marbois in Paris, shuttled to the United States to pick up the bonds, took them to Britain, and returned to France with the money - and Napoleon used these funds to wage war against Baring's own country.

When news of the purchase reached the United States, Jefferson was surprised. He had authorized the expenditure of $10 million for a port city, and instead received treaties committing the government to spend $15 million on a land package which would double the size of the country. Jefferson's political opponents in the Federalist Party argued that the Louisiana purchase was a worthless desert, and that the Constitution did not provide for the acquisition of new land or negotiating treaties without the consent of the Senate. The Federalist Party (or Federal Party) was an American political party in the period 1792 to 1816 with remnants lasting into the 1820s What really worried the opposition was the new states which would inevitably be carved from the Louisiana territory, strengthening Western and Southern interests in Congress, and further reducing the influence of New England Federalists in national affairs. President Jefferson was an enthusiastic supporter of westward expansion, and held firm in his support for the treaty. Despite Federalist objections, the U. S. Senate ratified the Louisiana treaty in the autumn of 1803.

A transfer ceremony was held in New Orleans on November 29, 1803. Events 1777 - San Jose California, is founded as el Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe 1803 ( MDCCCIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Since the Louisiana territory had never officially been turned over to the French, the Spanish took down their flag, and the French raised theirs. The following day, General James Wilkinson accepted possession of New Orleans for the United States. James Wilkinson ( 24 March, 1757 &ndash December 28, 1825) was a U A similar ceremony was held in St. Louis on March 9, 1804, when a French tricolor was raised near the river, replacing the Spanish national flag. Events 590 - Bahram Chobin is crowned as king Barham VI of Persia. Year 1804 ( MDCCCIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a The following day, Captain Amos Stoddard of the First U. See " Captain " for other versions of this rank In the uniformed services of the United States, captain is a federal Amos Stoddard (October 26 1762 — May 11 1813 was the only commandant of Upper Louisiana for the French Republic and the only commandant for the District of Louisiana S. Artillery marched his troops into town and had the American flag run up the fort's flagpole. The Louisiana territory was officially transferred to the United States government, represented by Meriwether Lewis. Meriwether Lewis ( August 18, 1774 &ndash October 11, 1809) was an American Explorer, Soldier, and public administrator

The Louisiana Territory, purchased for less than 3 cents an acre, doubled the size of the United States overnight, without a war or the loss of a single American life, and set a precedent for the purchase of territory. It opened the way for the eventual expansion of the United States across the continent to the Pacific, and its consequent rise to the status of world power.

Demographics

Louisiana Population Density Map

As of July 2005 (prior to the landfall of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita), Louisiana has an estimated population of 4,523,628, which is an increase of 16,943, or 0. 4%, from the prior year and an increase of 54,670, or 1. 2%, since 2000. This includes a natural increase since the last census of 129,889 people (that is 350,818 births minus 220,929 deaths) and a decrease due to net migration of 69,373 people out of the state. Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 20,174 people, and migration within the country produced a net loss of 89,547 people.

The center of population of Louisiana is located in Pointe Coupee Parish, in the city of New Roads [6]. In Demographics, the center of population of a region is the geographical point nearest to all the inhabitants of that region on average Pointe Coupee Parish, pronounced "Pwent Koo-Pay" and (pronounced "Point Coo-Pea" in English) (Paroisse de la Pointe-Coupée is a Parish New Roads (Ville des Nouvelles-Rues is a city in and the Parish seat of Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana, United States.

The oldest Louisianan ever was Addie Cook. Cook, a lifetime New Orleanian, was born on August 27, 1867 and died on December 3, 1978, at the age of 111 in a New Orleans nursing home. Events 479 BC - Greco-Persian Wars: Persian forces led by Mardonius are routed by Pausanias, the Spartan Year 1867 ( MDCCCLXVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Events 1800 - War of the Second Coalition: Battle of Hohenlinden, French Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) New Orleans (nʲuːˈɔrliənz nʲuːˈɔrlənz French: La Nouvelle-Orléans) is a major United States port city and the largest city in Louisiana

According to the 2000 U.S. Census, 4. 66% of the population aged 5 and over speak French or Cajun French at home, while 2. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people See also [[Cajun]] Cajun French (sometimes called Louisiana Regional French) is one of three varieties or Dialects of the French language 53% speak Spanish [7].

Seven Main Ancestries in Louisiana:
French
Spanish
African
British
German
Irish
Italian

Cajun and Creole Population

Cajuns and Creoles of French ancestry are dominant in much of the southern part of the state. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Cajuns ('keʒən les Cadiens are an Ethnic group mainly living in Louisiana, consisting of the descendants of Acadian exiles and peoples of other This article is about an ethnic culture in Louisiana USA For uses of the term "Creole" in other countries and cultures see Creole (disambiguation. Legal residents and citizens To be French according to the first article of the Constitution is to be a citizen of France regardless of one's origin race or religion ( Louisiana Cajuns are the descendants of French-speaking Acadians from colonial French Acadia, which is now present day Nova Scotia. Cajuns ('keʒən les Cadiens are an Ethnic group mainly living in Louisiana, consisting of the descendants of Acadian exiles and peoples of other This article is about the Acadian people and culture The Acadians (Acadiens are the descendants of the seventeenth-century French The Association for Computer Aided Design In Architecture ( ACADIA) is a Non-profit organization active in the area of Computer-aided architectural design Nova Scotia (ˌnəʊvəˈskəʊʃə ( Latin for New Scotland; Alba Nuadh Nouvelle-Écosse is a Canadian province located on Canada 's The Acadians themselves were originally from west central France. The Creole people of Louisiana are split into two racial divisions. For the languages see Creole language. For other meanings see Creole (disambiguation. White French Creoles and Black Creoles, also known as Creoles of Color. White French Creoles generally are of French and Spanish descent, but may be part Italian, Irish, or German. Legal residents and citizens To be French according to the first article of the Constitution is to be a citizen of France regardless of one's origin race or religion ( The' Italian people' are a Southern European Ethnic group located primarily in Italy, Switzerland, France and by virtue of a wide-ranging The Irish people ( Irish: Muintir na hÉireann, na hÉireannaigh, na Gaeil) are a Western European Ethnic group who originate The German people (Deutsche are an Ethnic group, in the sense of sharing a common German culture, descent and speaking the German language as Black Creoles, or Creoles of Color, are generally a mix of African, French, Spanish and Native American heritage. Legal residents and citizens To be French according to the first article of the Constitution is to be a citizen of France regardless of one's origin race or religion ( Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States

African American and Franco-African Population

Louisiana's population has the second largest proportion of black Americans (32. 5%) in the United States, behind neighboring Mississippi (36. 3%).

Official Census statistics do not distinguish among people of African ancestry. Consequently, no distinction is made between those in Louisiana of English-speaking heritage and those of French-speaking heritage.

Creoles of color, Black Americans in Louisiana with French, African, and Native American ancestry, predominate in the southeast, central, and northern parts of the state, particularly those parishes along the Mississippi River valley.

Southern White Population

Whites of Southern U.S. background predominate in northern Louisiana. The Southern United States &mdashcommonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South &mdashconstitutes a large distinctive These people are predominantly of English, Welsh, and Scots Irish backgrounds, and share a common, mostly Protestant culture with Americans of neighboring states. The English people (from the adjective in Englisc) are a Nation and Ethnic group native to England who predominantly speak English The Welsh people ( Welsh: Cymro ("Welshman" Cymraes ("Welsh woman" Cymry ("Welshmen/women" Cymry

Other Europeans

Before the Louisiana Purchase, some German families had settled in a rural area along the lower Mississippi valley, then known as the German Coast. The German Coast (French Côte des Allemands) was a region of the early Louisiana settlement located above New Orleans on the Mississippi River They assimilated into Cajun and Creole communities. In 1840 New Orleans was the third largest and most wealthy city in the nation and the largest city in the South. Its bustling port and trade economy attracted numerous Irish, Italian, and German immigrants, of which the first two groups were totally Catholic, and some Germans were, adding to Catholic culture in southern Louisiana. Irish Americans (Gael-Mheiriceánach are citizens of the United States who can claim ancestry originating in Ireland. An Italian American is an American of Italian descent and/or dual citizenship German Americans ( German: Deutschamerikaner) are citizens of the United States of Ethnic German ancestry

Asian Americans

Louisiana's Asian American population includes the descendants of Chinese workers who arrived in the nineteenth and early twentieth century, often from the Caribbean. Asian Americans are Americans of Asian ancestry. They include sub-ethnic groups such as Chinese Americans Filipino Americans Indian Chinese Americans ( Chinese: 华裔美国人 are Americans of Chinese descent In the 1970s and 1980s, numerous Vietnamese and other southeast Asian refugees came to the Gulf Coast to work in the fishing and shrimping industries. A Vietnamese American (người Mỹ gốc Việt is a resident of the United States who is of Vietnamese heritage About 95% of Louisiana's Asian population resides in New Orleans.

In 2006 it was estimated that 50,209 people of Asian descent live in Louisiana.

Economy

Louisiana was the first site of oil drilling over water in the world, on Caddo Lake in the northwest corner of the state. The oil and gas industry as well as its subsidiary industries such as transport and refining, have dominated Louisiana's economy since the 1940s. Beginning in 1950, Louisiana was sued several times by the U. S. Interior Department, in efforts by the Federal Government to strip Louisiana of its submerged land property rights. These control vast stores of reservoirs of oil and natural gas.

When oil and gas boomed in the 1970s, so did Louisiana's economy. Likewise, when the oil and gas crash occurred in the 1980s, in large part due to monetary policy set by the Federal Reserve, Louisiana real estate, savings and loans, and local banks fell rapidly in value. The Louisiana economy as well as its politics of the last half-century cannot be understood without thoroughly accounting for the influence of the oil and gas industries. Since the 1980s, these industries have consolidated in Houston.

The total gross state product in 2005 for Louisiana was US168 billion, placing it 24th in the nation. Gross state product (or gross regional product) is a measurement of the economic output of a state or Province. Its per capita personal income is US$30,952, ranking 41st in the United States. ^[8]

The state's principal agricultural products include seafood (it is the biggest producer of crawfish in the world, supplying approximately 90%), cotton, soybeans, cattle, sugarcane, poultry and eggs, dairy products, and rice. Crayfish, crawfish, crawdads, or crodgers are freshwater Crustaceans resembling small Lobsters to which they are closely Industry generates chemical products, petroleum and coal products, food processing and transportation equipment, and paper products. Petroleum ( L petroleum, from Greek πετρέλαιον, lit Tourism is an important element in the economy.

The Port of South Louisiana, located on the Mississippi between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, is the largest volume shipping port in the Western Hemisphere and 4th largest in the world. The Port of South Louisiana is the largest volume shipping Port in the Western Hemisphere and 9th largest in the world The Western Hemisphere, also Western hemisphere or western hemisphere, is a geographical term for the half of the Earth that lies West It is the largest bulk cargo port in the world. ^[9]

New Orleans and Shreveport are also home to a thriving film industry. New Orleans (nʲuːˈɔrliənz nʲuːˈɔrlənz French: La Nouvelle-Orléans) is a major United States port city and the largest city in Louisiana Shreveport is the third-largest city and the principal city of the third largest Metropolitan area in the U State financial incentives and aggressive promotion have put the local film industry on a fast track. In late 2007 and early 2008, a 300,000-square-foot (28,000 m²) film studio will open in Treme, with state-of-the-art production facilities, and a film training institute. ^[10] Shreveport has been given the moniker "Hollywood South" for the number of films being shot here. These have included Mr. Brooks, Premonition, and Factory Girl. Mr Brooks is a 2007 thriller film directed by Bruce A Evans and starring Kevin Costner, Demi Moore, Dane Cook, and Premonition refers to a situation when future events are foreknown or forecast or foretelling This article is about the film Factory Girl See Factory Girl (song for the Rolling Stones song

Tabasco sauce, which is marketed by one of the United States' biggest producers of hot sauce, the McIlhenny Company, originated on Avery Island. Tabasco sauce is a brand of Hot sauce made from Tabasco peppers ( Capsicum frutescens var The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Tabasco sauce is a brand of Hot sauce made from Tabasco peppers ( Capsicum frutescens var Avery Island is a Salt dome located in Iberia Parish Louisiana, United States, about three miles (5 km inland from Vermilion Bay, which in ^[11]

Louisiana has three personal income tax brackets, ranging from 2% to 6%. The sales tax rate is 4%: a 3. A sales tax is a Consumption tax charged at the Point of purchase for certain goods and services 97% Louisiana sales tax and a . 03% Louisiana Tourism Promotion District sales tax. Political subdivisions also levy their own sales tax in addition to the state fees. The state also has a use tax, which includes 4% to be distributed by the Department of Revenue to local governments. A use tax is a type of Excise tax levied in the United States. Property taxes are assessed and collected at the local level.

Tourism and culture are major players in Louisiana's economy, earning an estimated $5. 2 billion dollars per year. ^[12] Louisiana also hosts many important cultural events, such as the World Cultural Economic Forum, which is held annually in the fall at the New Orleans Convention Center. ^[13]

Law and government

Further information: List of Louisiana Governors and Louisiana law

Louisiana State Capitol

Louisiana Governor's Mansion

In 1849, the state moved the capital from New Orleans to Baton Rouge. Colonial period (French and Spanish governors See also List of colonial governors of Louisiana United States territorial period Law in the State of Louisiana is based in part on civil law. Louisiana is the only U Baton Rouge (French Bâton-Rouge ˌbætən ˈruːdʒ in English, and in French) is the capital city of Louisiana. Donaldsonville, Opelousas, and Shreveport have briefly served as the seat of Louisiana state government. Donaldsonville is a city in and the Parish seat of Ascension Parish, Louisiana, United States, along the west bank of the Mississippi Opelousas is a city in and the Parish seat of St Landry Parish, Louisiana, United States. Shreveport is the third-largest city and the principal city of the third largest Metropolitan area in the U The Louisiana State Capitol and the Louisiana Governor's Mansion are both located in Baton Rouge. The Louisiana State Capitol ( French: Capitole de l'Etat de Louisiane) building is the capitol building of the state of Louisiana, located in Baton The Louisiana Governor's Mansion is the official residence of the Governor of Louisiana and his or her family

The current Louisiana governor is Bobby Jindal, the first Indian American to be elected governor. Piyush "Bobby" Jindal (born June 10 1971 is the current Republican governor of the U The current U.S. senators are Mary Landrieu (Democrat) and David Vitter (Republican). The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives Mary Loretta Landrieu (born November 23, 1955) is the senior United States Senator from the state of Louisiana, and the only David Bruce Vitter (born May 3, 1961) is the junior United States Senator from Louisiana and a member of the Republican Party Louisiana has seven congressional districts and is represented in the U.S. House of Representatives by four Republicans and three Democrats. A congressional district is an electoral Constituency that elects a single member of a Congress. The United States House of Representatives is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress; the other is the Senate. Louisiana has nine votes in the Electoral College. The Electoral College consists of 538 popularly elected representatives who formally select the President and Vice President of the United States.

Civil Law

The Louisiana political and legal structure has maintained several elements from the time of French governance. One is the use of the term "parish" in place of "county" for administrative subdivision. A civil parish in the United Kingdom is a unit of local government. A county is a Land area of Regional Government within a larger State. Another is the legal system of civil law based on French, German and Spanish legal codes and ultimately Roman law—as opposed to English common law. Civil law or Romano-Germanic law or Continental law is the predominant system of law in the world. A Code is a type of legislation that purports to exhaustively cover a complete system of laws or a particular area of law as it existed at the time the code was enacted by a Roman law is the legal system of Ancient Rome. As used in the West the term commonly refers to legal developments prior to the Roman/Byzantine state's adopting England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Common law refers to law and the corresponding legal system developed through decisions of courts and similar tribunals rather than through legislative statutes or executive Common law is "judge-made" law based on precedent, and is the basis of statutes in all other U. In Common law legal systems, a precedent or authority is a Legal case establishing a principle or rule that a Court or other judicial S. states. Louisiana's type of civil law system is what the majority of nations in the world use, especially in Europe and its former colonies, excluding those that derive from the British Empire. It is incorrect to equate the Louisiana Civil Code with the Napoleonic Code. The Napoleonic Code, or Code Napoléon (originally called the Code civil des Français) is the French Civil code, established under Although the Napoleonic Code strongly influenced Louisiana law, it was never in force in Louisiana, as it was enacted in 1804, after the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. For the film see Louisiana Purchase (film. The Louisiana Purchase (French Vente de la Louisiane "Louisiana Sale" While the Louisiana Civil Code of 1870 has been continuously revised and updated since its enactment, it is still considered the controlling authority in the state. Differences still exist between Louisianan civil law and the common law found in the other U. S. states. While some of these differences have been bridged due to the strong influence of common law tradition, [8] it is important to note that the "civilian" tradition is still deeply rooted in most aspects of Louisiana private law. Thus property, contractual, business entities structure, much of civil procedure, and family law, as well as some aspects of criminal law, are still mostly based on traditional Roman legal thinking. Roman law is the legal system of Ancient Rome. As used in the West the term commonly refers to legal developments prior to the Roman/Byzantine state's adopting Model Codes, such as the Uniform Commercial Code, which are adopted by most states within the union including Louisiana, are based on civilian thought, the essence being that it is deductive, as opposed to the common law which is inductive. In the civilian tradition the legislative body agrees a priori on the general principles to be followed. When a set of facts are brought before a judge, he deduces the court's ruling by comparing the facts of the individual case to the law. In contrast, common law, which really does not exist in its pure historical form due to the advent of statutory law, was created by a judge applying other judges' decisions to a new fact pattern brought before him in a case. The result is that historically English judges were not constrained by legislative authority.

Marriage

In 1997, Louisiana became the first state to offer the option of a traditional marriage or a covenant marriage [9]. In some parts of the United States a covenant marriage is a legally distinct kind of Marriage, in which the marrying couple agree to obtain pre-marital counseling In a covenant marriage, the couple waives their right to a "no-fault" divorce after six months of separation, which is available in a traditional marriage. To divorce under a covenant marriage, a couple must demonstrate cause. Marriages between ascendants and descendants and marriages between collaterals within the fourth degree (i. e. , siblings, aunt and nephew, uncle and niece, first cousins) are prohibited. ^[14]Same-sex marriages are prohibited. ^[15]

Elections

Main article: Elections in Louisiana

Louisiana is unique among U. Elections in Louisiana traditionally use an open primary, where all the Candidates for an Office run together in one election S. states in using a system for state and local elections that is similar to that of modern France. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. All candidates, regardless of party affiliation, run in a nonpartisan blanket primary (or "jungle primary") on Election Day (which is usually on a Saturday). A nonpartisan blanket primary (also known as a Louisiana If no candidate has more than 50% of the vote, the two candidates with the highest vote total compete in a runoff election approximately one month later. This run-off does not take into account party identification; therefore, it is not uncommon for a Democrat to be in a runoff with a fellow Democrat or a Republican to be in a runoff with a fellow Republican. All other states use single-party primaries followed by a general election between party candidates, each conducted by either a plurality voting system or runoff voting, to elect Senators, Representatives, and statewide officials. The plurality voting system is a Single-winner voting system often used to elect executive officers or to elect members of a legislative assembly which is based on single-member The two-round system (also known as the second ballot or runoff voting) is a Voting system used to elect a single winner Congressional races have also been held under the jungle primary system. Beginning in 2008 they will be run under a closed primary system limited to registered party members. From 1898-1965, after Louisiana had effectively disfranchised African Americans and poor whites by provisions of a new constitution, it essentially was a one-party state dominated by elite white Democrats. The franchise for whites was expanded somewhat during the decades, but blacks remained essentially disfranchised until the Civil Rights Movement, culminating in passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Background See also [[Disfranchisement after the Civil War]] The 13th Amendment, ratified in 1865 after the Civil War, abolished and prohibited In multiple acts of resistance, blacks left the segregation, violence and oppression of the state to seek better opportunities in northern and western industrial cities during the Great Migrations of 1910-1970, markedly reducing their proportion of population in Louisiana. Since the 1960s, when civil rights legislation was passed under President Lyndon Johnson to protect voting and civil rights, most African Americans in the state have affiliated with the Democratic Party. In the same years, many white conservatives have moved to support Republican Party candidates in national and gubernatorial elections. David Vitter is the first Republican in Louisiana to be popularly elected as a U. David Bruce Vitter (born May 3, 1961) is the junior United States Senator from Louisiana and a member of the Republican Party S. Senator. The previous Republican Senator, John S. Harris, who took office in 1868, was chosen by the state legislature. John Spafford Harris ( December 18, 1825 - January 25, 1906) an American politician for the state of Louisiana and member of Louisiana sends seven members to the US House of Representatives, of whom four are Republicans and three Democrats. Louisiana is not classified as a "swing state" for future presidential elections. A swing state (also battleground state or purple state) in United States

Law Enforcement

Louisiana's statewide police force is the Louisiana State Police. The Louisiana State Police (French La Police d'État de la Louisianne is the State police department of Louisiana, which has Jurisdiction anywhere It began in 1922 and its motto is "courtesy, loyalty, service. " Its troopers have statewide jurisdiction with power to enforce all laws of the state, including city and parish ordinances. Each year, they patrol over 12 million miles (20 million km) of roadway and arrest about 10,000 impaired drivers. However, Orleans parish is the only parish in which troopers don't maintain primary patrol responsibility. New Orleans Police Dept. The New Orleans Police Department or NOPD has primary responsibility for law enforcement in New Orleans Louisiana. has immediate jurisdiction of Orleans Parish. Troopers are also responsible for investigating the casino and gaming industry, all hazardous material incidents, and general criminal, narcotics and insurance fraud; and conducting anti-terrorism training. Each parish in Louisiana has an elected sheriff, with the exception of Orleans Parish. It has two elected sheriffs - one criminal and one civil. The sheriffs are responsible for general law enforcement in their respective parishes. Orleans Parish is an exception, as here the general law enforcement duties fall to the New Orleans Police Department. The sheriff also controls and manages the parish jail and/or correctional facility. The sheriff is also the tax collector for each parish. In 2006 a bill was passed which will consolidate the two sheriffs' departments into one in 2010. Most parishes are governed by a Police Jury. Eighteen of the sixty-four parishes are governed under an alternative form of government under a Home Rule Charter. They oversee the parish budget and operate the parish maintenance services. This includes parish road maintenance and other rural services. See also List of law enforcement agencies in Louisiana

Education

Further information:

• List of school districts in Louisiana
• List of colleges and universities in Louisiana
• French immersion in Louisiana

Sports teams

As of 2005 Louisiana is nominally the least populous state with more than one major professional sports league franchise: the National Basketball Association's New Orleans Hornets, the Arena Football League's New Orleans VooDoo, and the National Football League's New Orleans Saints. This is a list of law enforcement agencies in the state of Louisiana. List of school districts in Louisiana Each parish operates its own school district The following is a list of Colleges and universities in the U French immersion is a form of Bilingual education in which a child who does not speak French as his or her first language receives instruction in school in French The New Orleans Hornets are a professional Basketball team based in New Orleans Louisiana, United States. The Arena Football League (AFL was founded in 1987 as an American football indoor league. The New Orleans VooDoo is a team in the Arena Football League, and is owned in part by Tom Benson, who also owns the National Football League New Orleans The National Football League ( NFL) is the largest professional American football league. The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans Louisiana. Louisiana also has a AAA Minor League baseball team, the New Orleans Zephyrs. The Zephyrs, currently affiliated with the New York Mets, became the only Louisiana professional team to win a Championship, when they won the AAA World Series in 1998.

Louisiana also has a proportionally high number of collegiate NCAA Division I sports for its size; the state has no Division II teams and only one Division III team. The National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA, often pronounced "N-C-Double-A" is a voluntary association of about 1200 institutions conferences organizations ^[16] Louisiana is also home to the 2008 NCAA Football Champion, Louisiana State University. Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, generally known as Louisiana State University or LSU, is a public, Coeducational

See also: List of Louisiana sports teams

Culture

Dishes typical of Louisiana Creole cuisine. This is an incomplete list of Louisiana 's sports teams. Professional sports teams American football National Football League Louisiana Creole cuisine is a style of Cooking originating in Louisiana (centered on the Greater New Orleans area that blends French,

Louisiana is home to many, especially notable are the distinct culture of the Creoles and Cajuns.

Creole culture is a cultural amalgamation that takes a little from each of the French, Spanish, Italian, German, Irish, African, and Native American cultures. For the languages see Creole language. For other meanings see Creole (disambiguation. The Creole culture is part of White Creoles' and Black Creoles' culture. Originally Créoles referred to native-born whites of French-Spanish descent. Later the term also referred to descendants of the white men's relationships with African or African-American women, many of whom were educated free people of color. Many of the wealthy white men had quasi-permanent relationships with women of color outside their marriages, and supported them as "placées". If a woman was enslaved at the beginning of the relationship, the man usually arranged for her manumission, as well as that of any of her children. Manumission is the act of freeing a slave, done at the will of the owner

Creoles became associated with the New Orleans area, where the elaborated arrangements flourished. Most wealthy planters had houses in town as well as at their plantations. Popular belief that a Creole is a mixed Black/French person came from the "Haitian" connotation of an African French person. There were many immigrants from Haiti to New Orleans after the Revolution. Although a Black Creole is one type of Creole, it is not the only type, nor the original meaning of Creole. All of the respective cultures of the groups that settled in southern Louisiana have been combined to make one "New Orleans" culture. The creative combination of cultures from these groups, along with Native American culture, was called "Creole" Culture. It has continued as one of the dominant social, economic and political cultures of Louisiana, along with Cajun culture, well into the 20th century. Some believe it has finally been overtaken by the American mainstream.

Cajun Culture. The ancestors of Cajuns came from west central France to the provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, Canada, known as Acadia. Cajuns ('keʒən les Cadiens are an Ethnic group mainly living in Louisiana, consisting of the descendants of Acadian exiles and peoples of other New Brunswick ( French: Nouveau-Brunswick /nuvobʁɔnzwik/ is one of Canada 's three Maritime provinces and is the only constitutionally Nova Scotia (ˌnəʊvəˈskəʊʃə ( Latin for New Scotland; Alba Nuadh Nouvelle-Écosse is a Canadian province located on Canada 's Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The Association for Computer Aided Design In Architecture ( ACADIA) is a Non-profit organization active in the area of Computer-aided architectural design When the British won the French and Indian War, the British forcibly separated families and evicted them because of their long-stated political neutrality. The French and Indian War (1754&ndash1763 was the North American chapter of the Seven Years' War. Most captured Acadians were placed in internment camps in England and the New England colonies for 10 to 30 years. Many of those who escaped the British remained in French Canada. Once freed by England, many scattered, some to France, Canada, Mexico, or the Falkland Islands. The majority found refuge in south Louisiana centered in the region around Lafayette and the LaFourche Bayou country. Lafayette is a City in and the Parish seat of Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States, on the Vermilion River. Until the 1970s, Cajuns were often considered lower-class citizens, with the term "Cajun" being derogatory. Once flush with oil and gas riches, Cajun culture, food, music and their infectious "joie de vivre" lifestyle quickly gained international acclaim.

A third distinct culture in Louisiana is that of the Isleños, who are descendants of Spanish Canary Islanders who migrated from the Canary Islands of Spain to Louisiana under the Spanish crown beginning in the mid-1770s. Isleño (plural isleños) (Îlois is the Spanish word meaning " Islander. The Canary Islands ( English pronunciation kəˈnæriː ˈaɪləndz Spanish: Islas Canarias, ˈizlas kaˈnarjas are a Spanish They settled in four main settlements, but many relocated to what is modern-day St. Bernard Parish, where the majority of the Isleño population is still concentrated. St Bernard Parish (Paroisse de Saint-Bernard is a parish located southeast of New Orleans in the U An annual festival called Fiesta celebrates the heritage of the Isleños. St Bernard Parish has an Isleños museum, cemetery and church, as well as many street names with Spanish words and Spanish surnames from this heritage. Isleño identity is an active concern in the New Orleans suburbs of St. Bernard Parish, LA. Some members of the Isleño community still speak Spanish - with their own Canary Islander accent. Numerous Isleño identity clubs and organizations, and many members of Isleños society keep contact with the Canary Islands of Spain.

Languages

As of 2000, 91. 2% of Louisiana residents age 5 and older speak English at home and 4. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States 8% speak French. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people Spanish is spoken by 2. 5% of the population, Vietnamese is spoken by 0. Vietnamese ( tiếng Việt, or less commonly Việt ngữ) formerly known under French colonization as Annamese ( see Annam) 6% and German by 0. The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. 2%.

Among the states, Louisiana has a unique culture, owing to its Spanish and French colonial heritage. French colonization of the Americas began in the 14th century and continued in the following centuries as France established a colonial empire in the Western While the state has no declared "official language," its law recognizes both English and French. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people

There are several unique dialects of French, Creole and English spoken in Louisiana. First, there are three unique dialects of the French language: Cajun French, Colonial French, and Napoleonic French. See also [[Cajun]] Cajun French (sometimes called Louisiana Regional French) is one of three varieties or Dialects of the French language Colonial Louisiana French (more commonly Colonial French) also known as Plantation Society French, is one of three French dialects traditionally recognized For the Creole language, there is Louisiana Creole French. Louisiana Creole is a French Creole language spoken by the mixed Louisiana Creole people of the state of Louisiana. There are also two unique dialects of the English language: Cajun English, a French-influenced variety of English, and what is informally known as Yat, which resembles the New York City dialect, particularly that of historical Brooklyn, as both accents were influenced by large communities of immigrant Irish and Italian, but the Yat dialect was also influenced by French and Spanish. Cajun English is the dialect of English spoken by Cajuns living in southern Louisiana and to some extent in eastern Texas. Yat refers to a unique collection of Dialects of English spoken in New Orleans Louisiana. The New York dialect of the English language is spoken by most European Americans and some non-European Americans who were raised in New York City and The Yat dialect is the principal dialect of the Caucasians of the New Orleans Metropolitan Area. Yat refers to a unique collection of Dialects of English spoken in New Orleans Louisiana. New Orleans&ndashMetairie&ndashKenner is a metropolitan area designated by the US Census encompassing seven parishes in the state of Louisiana, centering on Blacks of the New Orleans Metropolitan Area speak with an accent that closely resembles other southern U. New Orleans&ndashMetairie&ndashKenner is a metropolitan area designated by the US Census encompassing seven parishes in the state of Louisiana, centering on S. dialects of English.

Religion

Like the other Southern states, Louisiana is mostly Protestant, which stems mostly from northern and most of central Louisiana. Because of French descendants, known as Cajun and French Creole, and later Irish, Italian, and German immigrants, there is also a large native Catholic population in the state, particularly in the southern part of the state. Catholics have also traditionally been well represented in the politics. Most of the early governors were Catholic. ^[17] in the era when the predominantly Catholic south had a greater population advantage over the mostly Protestant north. Despite no longer outnumbering Protestants, Catholics continue to play important roles in Louisiana's politics; for example as of 2007 both Senators and the Governor are Catholic. The importance of the Catholic population makes Louisiana unique among Southern states. The current religious affiliations of the people of Louisiana are shown in the table below:

• Christian — 80%
  • Protestant — 50%
    • Baptist — 38%
    • Methodist — 4%
    • Pentecostal — 2%
    • Other Protestant – 16%
  • Roman Catholic — 30%
  • Other Christian — 1%

• Other Religions — 10%
  • Islam - 1%^[18]
  • Judaism - 0. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Baptist is a term describing individuals belonging to a Baptist church or a Baptist denomination. Methodism is a movement within Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations Pentecostalism is a renewalist religious movement within Christianity that places special emphasis on the direct personal experience of God through the Baptism Roman Catholicism in the United States has grown dramatically over the country's history from being a tiny minority faith during the time of the Thirteen Colonies For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut 5%^[19]

• Non-Religious — 10%

According to www. Adherents.com, a leading and respected worldwide web authority on religious affiliation, Roman Catholicism remains the largest single church body in the state of Louisiana according to the most recent, certifiable, statistical figures available. Adherentscom is a website that aims to collect and present information about Religion including "churches denominations religious bodies Faith groups

A number of cities in Louisiana are also home to Jewish communities, notably Baton Rouge, and New Orleans. Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut ^[20] The most significant of these is the Jewish community of the New Orleans area, with a pre-Katrina population of about 12,000. The presence of a significant Jewish community already well established by the early 20th century also makes Louisiana unique among Southern states.

Music

See Music of Louisiana

Nicknames

• The Pelican State
• The Bayou State
• The Sugar State
• The Child of the Mississippi
• The Creole State
• Sportsman's Paradise
• Fisherman's Paradise
• The Holland of America
• The Birth Place of Jazz

See also

• List of Louisiana-related topics

References

Bibliography

• Yiannopoulos, A. N. , The Civil Codes of Louisiana (reprinted from Civil Law System: Louisiana and Comparative law, A Coursebook: Texts, Cases and Materials, 3d Edition; similar to version in preface to Louisiana Civil Code, ed. by Yiannopoulos)
• Rodolfo Batiza, The Louisiana Civil Code of 1808: Its Actual Sources and Present Relevance, 46 TUL. L. REV. 4 (1971); Rodolfo Batiza, Sources of the Civil Code of 1808, Facts and Speculation: A Rejoinder, 46 TUL. L. REV. 628 (1972); Robert A. Pascal, Sources of the Digest of 1808: A Reply to Professor Batiza, 46 TUL. L. REV. 603 (1972); Joseph M. Sweeney, Tournament of Scholars Over the Sources of the Civil Code of 1808,46 TUL. L. REV. 585 (1972).
• The standard history of the state, though only through the Civil War, is Charles Gayarré's History of Louisiana (various editions, culminating in 1866, 4 vols. Charles Etienne Arthur Gayarre (1805-1895 was an American Historian born in New Orleans Louisiana, on 9 January 1805. , with a posthumous and further expanded edition in 1885).
• A number of accounts by 17th and 18th century French explorers, among whom the following at least should be cited: Jean-Bernard Bossu, François-Marie Perrin du Lac, Pierre-François-Xavier de Charlevoix, Dumont (as published by Fr.  Mascrier), Fr. Louis Hennepin, Lahontan, Louis Narcisse Baudry des Lozières, Jean-Baptiste Bénard de La Harpe, and Laval. Father Louis Hennepin, OFM baptized Antoine, ( 12 May, 1626 &ndash c In this group, the explorer Antoine Simon Le Page du Pratz may be considered the first historian of Louisiana with his Histoire de la Louisiane (3 vols. , Paris, 1758; 2 vols. , London, 1763)
• François Xavier Martin's History of Louisiana (2 vols. François Xavier Martin (March 17 1762 – December 11 1846 American jurist and author was born in Marseilles, France, of Provençal descent , New Orleans, 1827–1829, later ed. by J.  F.  Condon, continued to 1861, New Orleans, 1882) is the first scholarly treatment of the subject, along with François Barbé-Marbois' Histoire de la Louisiane et de la cession de colonie par la France aux Etats-Unis (Paris, 1829; in English, Philadelphia, 1830). François Barbé-Marbois, marquis de Barbé-Marbois ( January 31 1745 — February 12 1837) was a French politician
• Alcée Fortier's A History of Louisiana (N. Y. , 4 vols. , 1904) is the most recent of the large-scale scholarly histories of the state.
• The official works of Albert Phelps and Grace King should also be mentioned among the more important, as well as the publications of the Louisiana Historical Society and several works on the history of New Orleans (q.v.), among them those by Henry Rightor and John Smith Kendall. Grace Elizabeth King (1852-1932 was an American Author of Louisiana stories history and biography and a leader in historical and literary activities The history of New Orleans, Louisiana traces its development from its founding by the French, through its period under Spanish control then

External links

• Official State of Louisiana website
• Louisiana State Databases - Annotated list of searchable databases produced by Louisiana state agencies and compiled by the Government Documents Roundtable of the American Library Association.
• Census Statistics on Louisiana
• USDA Louisiana Statistical Facts
• USGS real-time, geographic, and other scientific resources of Louisiana
• Louisiana Geographic Information Center
• Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities