Louisiana - Political   Capital Baton Rouge Largest City New Orleans Major Cities Shreveport, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Alexandria, Monroe Nicknames Pelican State Area 43,562 sq. miles Population 4,468,976

 

Louisiana - Physical features   Physical Features Mississippi Delta region (stretches from to Alexandria to the river’s delta) Bays Atchafalaya Bay, Barataria Bay, Chandeleur Sound Bodies of Water Lake Pontchartrain, Toledo Bend Reservoir, Gulf of Mexico Bayous Bayou Teche, Bayou Lafourche Rivers Mississippi, Red, Ouachita, Sabine, Atchafalaya, Calcasieu, Pearl Highest Point Driskill Mountain Islands Chandeleur Islands Bordering States Texas (west), Arkansas (north), Mississippi (east) National Parks None Key Products Cotton, Sugarcane, Petroleum products, Oil and Gas Natural Resources Timber

 

Louisiana - History   1682 Sieur De La Salle claimes region for France 1718 New Orleans settled by the French 1803 US obtains area as part of Louisiana Purchase 1812 Louisiana admitted as the 18th state Present Day Shreveport and Lake Charles are key centers for the refining and processing of petroleum.

 

Louisiana - Facts   New Orleans’s annual Mardi Gras celebration brings in millions of visitors, and thus the state’s economy booms. The celebration takes place almost anywhere in the city, and also sometimes in the French Quarter, the city’s oldest and most famous part The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, the world’s longest bridge, crossing over the lake for over 24 miles Louisiana is the only state to be divided into parishes instead of counties Louisiana’s official languages are English and French The Cajun culture still can be seen through parts of Louisiana. The Cajun, originally called Acadians, were exiled from their true homeland in present-day New Brunswick, the Maritime Provinces, and much of northern New England, known as Acadia, by the British. These Acadians headed south and settled in the swamps and marshes of present day Louisiana south of Alexandria. There they took the name "Cajun". Their homeland in southern Louisiana centered around Lafayette is termed "Acadiana". In southern Louisiana and parts of the Gulf Coast, a small, slow-moving stream or creek formed in the former bed of a river is known as a bayou Louisiana is a major in shipping and handling due to its strategic location among other states, and with its many waterways and canals. Also, New Orleans is the largest port city in the United States