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Louisiana

*** Shopping-Tip: Louisiana
{{Otheruses1|the U.S. State}}

{{US state | Name = Louisiana | Fullname = State of Louisiana État de Louisiane | Flag = Flag of Louisiana.svg | Flaglink = Flag of Louisiana | Seal = Louisianastateseal.jpg | Map = Map_of_USA_highlighting_Louisiana.png | Nickname = Bayou State, Child of the Mississippi, Creole State, Pelican State, Sportsman's Paradise, Sugar State | Capital = Baton Rouge, Louisiana Baton Rouge | OfficialLang = English language English and French language French | Languages = English language English 91.2%, French language French 4.8% | LargestCity = New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans at last census; probably Baton Rouge, Louisiana Baton Rouge since Hurricane Katrina | Governor = Kathleen Blanco (D)| Senators = Mary Landrieu (D) David Vitter (R) | PostalAbbreviation = LA | AreaRank = 31st | TotalArea = 134,382 | LandArea = 112,927 | WaterArea = 21,455 | PCWater = 16 | PopRank = 22nd | 2000Pop = 4,468,976 | DensityRank = 22nd | 2000Density = 39.61 | AdmittanceOrder = 18th | AdmittanceDate = April 30, 1812 | TimeZone = Central Standard Time Zone Central: UTC-6/Daylight saving time -5 | Latitude = 29°N to 33°N | Longitude = 89°W to 94°W | Width = 210 | Length = 610 | HighestElev = 163 | MeanElev = 30 | LowestElev = -2.5 | ISOCode = US-LA | Website = www.louisiana.gov }} '''Louisiana''' (pronounced {{IPA|/luːˌiːziˈænÉ™/}} or {{IPA|/ˌluːziˈænÉ™/}}) (French language French: ''Louisiane'', pronounced Image:ltspkr.pngMedia:Louisiane.ogg {{IPA|/lwizjan/}}) is a U.S. Southern States Southern U.S. state state of the United States United States of America. Geography Image:National-atlas-louisiana.PNG left|thumb|Map of Louisiana {{further|List of parishes of Louisiana}} Topography The state 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. The surface of the state may properly be divided into two parts, the uplands, and the alluvial and coast and swamp regions. 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 (1000 km) and ultimately emptying into the Gulf of Mexico, the Red River (Mississippi watershed) Red River, the Ouachita River and its branches, and other minor streams. The breadth of the alluvial region along the Mississippi is from 10 to 60 miles (15 to 100 km), and along the other streams it averages about 10 miles (15 km). The Mississippi flows upon a ridge formed by its own deposits, from which the lands incline toward the low swamps beyond at an average fall of six feet per mile (3 m/km). The lands along other streams present very similar features. These alluvial lands are never inundated save when breaks occur in the levees by which they are protected against the floods of the Mississippi and its tributaries. These floods, however, do not occur annually, and they may be said to be exceptional. With the maintenance of strong levees these alluvial lands would enjoy perpetual immunity from inundation. The uplands and contiguous hill lands have an area of more than 25,000 square miles (65,000 km2), and 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, located in northwest Louisiana. Besides the navigable rivers already named (some of which are called bayous), there are the Sabine River (Texas-Louisiana) Sabine, forming the western boundary, and the Pearl River (Mississippi-Louisiana) Pearl, the eastern boundary, the Calcasieu River Calcasieu, the Mermentau River Mermentau, the Vermilion River (Louisiana) Vermilion, the Bayou Teche Teche, the Atchafalaya River Atchafalaya, the Boeuf River Boeuf, the Bayou Lafourche Lafourche, the Courtableau River Courtableau, the Bayou D'Arbonne D'Arbonne, the Macon River Macon, the Tensas River Tensas, the Amite River Amite, the Tchefuncte River Tchefuncte, the Tickfaw River Tickfaw, the Natalbany River Natalbany, and a number of other streams of lesser note, constituting a natural system of navigable waterways, aggregating over 4,000 miles in length, which is unequalled in the United States. 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 (1300 km2). Geology The underlying Stratum strata of the state are of Cretaceous age and are covered by Sedimentation alluvial deposits of Tertiary and post-Tertiary origin. A large part of Louisiana is the creation and product of the Mississippi River. 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. Near the coast, there are many salt domes, where NaCl salt is mined and oil is often found. 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. National Park Service Areas under the management and protection of the National Park Service include: *Cane River National Heritage Area near Natchitoches *Cane River Creole National Historical Park in Natchez, Louisiana Natchez *Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve in New Orleans *New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park *Poverty Point National Monument at Epps, Louisiana Epps History Louisiana was inhabited by Native Americans in the United States Native Americans when European explorers arrived in the 17th century. Settlement and colonization began in the 18th century. Some current place names, including Atchafalaya, Natchitouches (now spelled Natchitoches), Caddo, Houma, Tangipahoa, and Avoyel (Avoyelles), are from Native American dialects. Several native tribes inhabited the region (using current parish boundaries to describe approximate locations):{{ref|sturdevent-67}} *The '''Atakapa''' in southwestern Louisiana in Vermilion, Cameron, Lafayette, Acadia, Jefferson Davis, and Calcasieu parishes. *The '''Chitimacha''' in the southeastern parishes of Iberia, Assumption, St Mary, lower St. Martin, Terrebonne, Lafourche, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Bo St. Charles, Jefferson, Orleans, St. Bernard, and Plaquemines. *The '''Bayougoula''', part of the '''Choctaw''' nation, in areas directly north of the Chitimachas in the parishes of St. Helena, Tangipahoa, Washington, East Baton Rouge, West Baton Rouge, Livingston, and St. Tammany. *The '''Houma''' in East and West Feliciana, and Pointe Coupee parishes (about 100 miles (160 km) north of the town named for them). *The '''Avoyel''', part of the '''Natchez''' nation, in parts of Avoyelles and Concordia parishes along the Mississippi River. *The '''Tunica''' in northeastern parishes of Tensas, Madison, East Carroll and West Carroll. *The remainder of central and north Louisiana was home to a substantial portion of the '''Caddo''' nation. Exploration and settlement The first Europe European explorers to visit Louisiana came in 1528. The Spain Spanish expedition (led by Panfilo de Narváez) located the mouth of the Mississippi River. In 1541, Hernando de Soto (explorer) Hernando de Soto's expedition crossed the region. Then Spanish interest in Louisiana lay dormant. In the late 17th century, France French expeditions, which included sovereign, religious and commercial aims, established a foothold on the Mississippi River and Gulf Coast. 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 Louis XIV of France France's King Louis XIV in 1682. The first permanent settlement, Fort Maurepas (at what is now Ocean Springs, Mississippi, near Biloxi, Mississippi Biloxi), was founded by Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville, a French military officer from Canada, in 1699. The Louisiana (New France) French colony of Louisiana originally claimed all the land on both sides of the Mississippi River and north to French territory in Canada. 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 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. 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. ''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. 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. 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 rest of Louisiana became a colony of Spain by the Treaty of Fontainebleau of 1762. Although Spain presided over Louisiana for about the same amount of time as France, Spain held the territory during its later, more rapid development. Still, French immigration and cultural influences had a lasting effect. During the period of Spanish rule, several thousand French-speaking refugees from the region of Acadia made their way to Louisiana following British expulsion; settling largely in the southwestern Louisiana, the Acadian refugees were welcomed by the Spanish, and descendants came to be called Cajuns. In 1800, France's Napoleon I of France Napoleon Bonaparte acquired Louisiana from Spain in the Third Treaty of San Ildefonso Treaty of San Ildefonso, an arrangement kept secret for some two years. Then in 1803, Bonaparte sold the territory to the United States, which (''see Louisiana Purchase'') divided it into two territories: the Orleans Territory (which became the state of Louisiana in 1812) and the District of Louisiana (which consisted of all the land not included in Orleans Territory). The Florida Parishes were annexed from Spanish West Florida by proclamation of President James Madison in 1810. The western boundary of Louisiana with Spanish Texas remained in dispute until the Adams-Onís Treaty in 1819, with the Sabine Free State serving as a neutral buffer zone as well as a haven for criminals. Louisiana was a slave state. It also had one of the largest free black populations in the United States. Some free blacks in Louisiana were themselves slave owners; some accounts say the state's population of slave-owning blacks was among the largest in the country. In the American Civil War, Louisiana seceded from the Union on January 26, 1861. New Orleans was captured by Federal troops on April 25, 1862. Because a large part of the population had Union sympathies (or compatible commercial interests), the Federal government took the unusual step of designating the areas of Louisiana under federal control as a state within the Union, with its own elected representatives to the U.S. Congress. Louisiana in the 21st Century {{further|Effect of Hurricane Katrina on Louisiana and Effect of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans}} On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck and devastated southeastern Louisiana, while damaged levees in New Orleans flooded the city. The city was essentially closed until October. Estimates are that more than two million people in the Gulf region were displaced by the hurricane, with more than a thousand storm fatalities in Louisiana. The next month, southwestern Louisiana was struck by Hurricane Rita. Demographics {| class="toccolours" align="right" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin:0 0 1em 1em; font-size: 95%;" |- ! colspan=2 bgcolor="#ccccff" align="center"| Historical populations |- ! align="center"| Census year !! align="right"| Population |- | colspan=2| |- | align="center"| 1810 || align="right"| 76,556 |- | align="center"| 1820 || align="right"| 153,407 |- | align="center"| 1830 || align="right"| 215,739 |- | align="center"| 1840 || align="right"| 352,411 |- | align="center"| 1850 || align="right"| 517,762 |- | align="center"| 1860 || align="right"| 708,002 |- | align="center"| 1870 || align="right"| 726,915 |- | align="center"| 1880 || align="right"| 939,946 |- | align="center"| 1890 || align="right"| 1,118,588 |- | align="center"| 1900 || align="right"| 1,381,625 |- | align="center"| 1910 || align="right"| 1,656,388 |- | align="center"| 1920 || align="right"| 1,798,509 |- | align="center"| 1930 || align="right"| 2,101,593 |- | align="center"| 1940 || align="right"| 2,363,880 |- | align="center"| 1950 || align="right"| 2,683,516 |- | align="center"| 1960 || align="right"| 3,257,022 |- | align="center"| 1970 || align="right"| 3,641,306 |- | align="center"| 1980 || align="right"| 4,205,900 |- | align="center"| 1990 || align="right"| 4,219,973 |- | align="center"| United States 2000 Census 2000 || align="right"| 4,468,976 |} Image:Louisiana_population_map.png left|thumb|Louisiana Population Density Map As of July 2005 (pre-Katrina/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 the year 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. As of 2003, the state's population included approximately 215,000 native French language French-speakers. The racial makeup of the state is: *62.5% Whites White *32.5% Blacks Black *2.4% Hispanics Hispanic *1.2% Asian American Asian *0.6% Native Americans in the United States Native American *1.1% Mixed race The five largest ancestries in the state are: African American and Franco-African (32.5%), France French/French Canadian (16.2%), United States American (10.1%), German-American German (7.1%), Ireland Irish (7%). The U.S. Census, which continues to use race as a determinant, does not recognize that much of Louisiana's African-American heritage is, in fact, distinctly Franco-African with a sizable number designating themselves not as African-American but as Louisiana Creole people Creole, which to many of them is a non-racial term. Ancestors of both Franco-Africans and African-American blacks, who long made up the majority of the state's population in slavery days, dominate much of the southeast, central, and northern parts of the state, particularly those parishes along the Mississippi river valley. But, in recent years, the percentage of whites has experienced a growth due to all of the predominantly white senior citizens that have begun to relocate there because of the friendly atmosphere, mild winters, and beautiful scenery. Creoles of West-African descent, French people French and Spanish people Spanish ancestry and Cajuns of French-Canadian ancestry are dominant in much of the southern part of the state. Whites of Southern United States Southern U.S. background predominate in the hillier areas of northern Louisiana. As of 2000, 91.2% of Louisiana residents age 5 and older speak English language English at home and 4.8% speak French language French. Spanish language Spanish is the third most spoken language at 2.5%, followed by Vietnamese language Vietnamese at 0.6% and German language German at 0.2%. Among the states, Louisiana has a unique culture, owing to its French colonisation of the Americas French colonial heritage. While the state has no declared "official language," its law recognizes both English language English and French language French. Religion Like the other Southern states, Louisiana is mostly Protestant; however there is also a large native Catholic population in the state, particularly in the southern part of the state, which makes Louisiana unique among Southern states. The current religious affiliations of the people of Louisiana are shown in the table below: *Christianity Christian — 90% **Protestantism Protestant — 60% ***Baptist — 38% ***Methodism Methodist — 4% ***Pentecostalism Pentecostal — 2% ***Other Protestant – 16% **Roman Catholicism in the United States Roman Catholic — 30% **Other Christian — 1% *Other Religions — <1% *Non-Religious — 10% The New Orleans area has a small but significant Judaism Jewish community. Economy Image:wiki_louisiana.jpg thumb|275px|Greetings from Louisiana The total gross state product in 2003 for Louisiana was US$140 billion. Its per capita personal income was US$26,312, forty-third in the United States. The state's principal agricultural outputs include seafood (It is the biggest producer of crayfish in the world), cotton, soybeans, cattle, sugarcane, poultry and eggs, dairy products, and rice. Its industrial outputs include chemical products, petroleum and coal products, food processing, transportation equipment, paper products, and tourism. Louisiana has 3 personal income tax brackets, ranging from 2 percent to 6 percent. The sales tax rate is 4 percent: a 3.97 percent Louisiana sales tax and a .03 percent 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 percent to be distributed by the Department of Revenue to local governments. Property taxes are assessed and collected at the local level. Transportation {{further|List of Louisiana numbered highways}} Interstate highways: *Interstate 10 **Interstate 110 (Louisiana) Interstate 110 (Baton Rouge downtown spur) **Interstate 210 (Louisiana) Interstate 210 (Lake Charles Loop) **Interstate 310 (Spur connecting Houma-area to 10) **Interstate 510 (Spur connecting New Orleans East and Chalmette to 10) **Interstate 610 (Louisiana) Interstate 610 (New Orleans Downtown Bypass) **Interstate 910 (Unofficial designation of West Bank Expressway, future 49) *Interstate 12 (Baton Rouge to Slidell, New Orleans Bypass) *Interstate 20 **Interstate 220 (Louisiana) Interstate 220 (Shreveport/Bossier City bypass) *Interstate 49 *Interstate 55 *Interstate 59 There are proposed plans to extend Interstate 69 to the Texas/Mexico border, which will go through north-eastern Louisiana. Also, Interstate 49 is slated to be expanded north into Arkansas and east along Interstate 10 to New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans, replacing part of U.S. Highway 90. The city of Lake Charles has an east-west loop called Interstate 210 (Louisiana) Interstate 210, which provides interstate highway access throughout the city. United States highways: ''North-south routes'' ''East-west routes'' *U.S. Highway 11 *U.S. Highway 425 *U.S. Highway 51 *U.S. Highway 61 *U.S. Highway 65 *U.S. Highway 165 *U.S. Highway 167 *U.S. Highway 71 *U.S. Highway 171 *U.S. Highway 371 *U.S. Highway 79 *U.S. Highway 80 *U.S. Highway 84 *U.S. Highway 90 *U.S. Highway 190 Law and government {{further|List of Louisiana Governors}} Image:Louisiana quarter, reverse side, 2002.jpg 150px|Louisiana State Quarter From its time as a possession of France, Louisiana retains a civil law (legal system) civil law legal system, based on the Louisiana Civil Code, which is similar to (and often confused with) the Napoleonic Code (like France, and unlike the rest of the United States, which uses a common law legal system derived from England). Also derived from French governance is the use of the term "parishes" in place of "county counties" for the subdivisions of government. In 1849 the state moved the capital from New Orleans to Baton Rouge. Donaldsonville, Louisiana Donaldsonville, Opelousas, Louisiana Opelousas, and Shreveport, Louisiana Shreveport have briefly served as the seat of Louisiana state government. The current Louisiana governor is Kathleen Babineaux Blanco (United States Democratic Party Democrat), and its two U.S. senators are Mary Landrieu (United States Democratic Party Democrat) and David Vitter (United States Republican Party Republican). Louisiana has seven Members of Congress: five United States Republican Party Republicans and two United States Democratic Party Democrats. Louisiana is the only state whose legal system is based on Roman, Spanish, and French civil law (legal system) civil law as opposed to English common law. Technically, it is known as "Civil Law," or the "Civilian System." It is often incorrectly referred to as the "Code Napoleon I of France Napoléon" or The Napoleonic Code. It is important to note that the Louisiana Civil Code and the French Civil Code, often referred to as the Napoleonic Code, came into existence at roughly the same time. Louisiana was never governed by the Napoleonic Code. Great differences still exist between Louisiana Civil Law and the Common Law found in her 49 sister states. While some of these differences have been bridged due to the strong influence of the Common Law in the United States,[http://www.kinsellalaw.com/publications/kinsella_civil-common-law-dictionary.pdf] 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 are still mostly based on traditional Roman law Roman legal thinking. In contrast, criminal law is entirely based on the Anglo-American Common Law. Louisiana is unique among U.S. states in its method for state, local, and congressional elections. All candidates, regardless of party affiliation, run in an Run-off primary election open primary on Election Day. 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 runoff 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 the First Past the Post electoral system to elect Senators, Representatives, and statewide officials. Louisiana has a statewide police force, the [http://www.lsp.org Louisiana State Police]. 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. Troopers are also responsible for investigating the casino and gaming industry, all hazardous material incidents, anti-terrorism training and general criminal, narcotics and insurance fraud investigations. Louisiana is the only state that calls its subdivisions ''parishes'', rather than ''counties''. 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 parish. Orleans Parish is an another exception to this rule as 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. 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 [http://www.lsa.org LA Sheriff's Association],[http://www.lpgov.org LA Parish Government]'' Important cities and towns {{further|List of cities, towns, and villages in Louisiana}} '''Cities with a population of over 10,000:''' {| width=100% |- valign=top |width=33%| ;Population > 10,000 (urbanized area) *Hammond, Louisiana Hammond *New Iberia, Louisiana New Iberia *Luling, Louisiana Luling *Opelousas, Louisiana Opelousas *Morgan City, Louisiana Morgan City *West Monroe, Louisiana West Monroe *Ruston, Louisiana Ruston *Thibodaux, Louisiana Thibodaux *Natchitoches, Louisiana Natchitoches *Plaquemine, Louisiana Plaquemine *Abbeville, Louisiana Abbeville *Leesville, Louisiana Fort Polk (Leesville) *Bastrop, Louisiana Bastrop *Crowley, Louisiana Crowley *Donaldsonville, Louisiana Donaldsonville *Franklin, Louisiana Franklin *Bogalusa, Louisiana Bogalusa *Minden, Louisiana Minden *Eunice, Louisiana Eunice *De Ridder, Louisiana De Ridder *New Roads, Louisiana New Roads *Tallulah, Louisiana Tallulah *Jennings, Louisiana Jennings *Sulphur, Louisiana Sulphur |width=33%| ;Population > 100,000 (urbanized area) *Alexandria, Louisiana Alexandria *Baton Rouge, Louisiana Baton Rouge *Shreveport, Louisiana Shreveport *Lafayette, Louisiana Lafayette *Lake Charles, Louisiana Lake Charles *Houma, Louisiana Houma *Monroe, Louisiana Monroe ;Population > 1,000,000 (urbanized area) *New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans ;New Orleans suburbs *Chalmette, Louisiana Chalmette *Slidell, Louisiana Slidell *Harvey, Louisiana Harvey *Covington, Louisiana Covington *Folsom, Louisiana Folsom *Mandeville, Louisiana Mandeville *Madisonville, Louisiana Madisonville *Kenner, Louisiana Kenner *Laplace, Louisiana Laplace *Marrero, Louisiana Marrero *Hahnville, Louisiana Hahnville *Metairie, Louisiana Metairie *Terrytown, Louisiana Terrytown |} *'''Five most populous parishes in Louisiana''' #Orleans Parish, Louisiana Orleans Parish: pop.473,681 #Jefferson Parish, Louisiana Jefferson Parish: pop.452,789 #East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana East Baton Rouge Parish: pop.412,008 #Caddo Parish, Louisiana Caddo Parish: pop.251,145 #St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana St. Tammany Parish: pop 201.462 *'''Five least populous parishes in Louisiana''' #Tensas Parish, Louisiana Tensas Parish: pop.6,493 #East Carroll Parish, Louisiana East Carroll Parish: pop.9,421 #Red River Parish, Louisiana Red River Parish: pop.9,592 #Cameron Parish, Louisiana Cameron Parish: pop.9,644 #St. Helena Parish, Louisiana St. Helena Parish: pop.10,403 *'''Parishes with highest Latino Population''' #Jefferson Parish, Louisiana Jefferson Parish 7.12% #Vernon Parish, Louisiana Vernon Parish 5.92% #St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana St. Bernard Parish 5.09% #Allen Parish, Louisiana Allen Parish 4.50% #Bossier Parish, Louisiana Bossier Parish 3.15% *'''Parishes with highest White non-Hispanic Population''' #Livingston Parish, Louisiana Livingston Parish 94.35% #Cameron Parish, Louisiana Cameron Parish 93.65% #St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana St. Bernard Parish 88.29% #La Salle Parish, Louisiana La Salle Parish 86.13% #Grant Parish, Louisiana Grant Parish 85.43% *'''Parishes with highest African American population''' #East Carroll Parish, Louisiana East Carroll Parish 67.29% #Orleans Parish, Louisiana Orleans Parish 67.25% #Madison Parish, Louisiana Madison Parish 60.45% #Tensas Parish, Louisiana Tensas Parish 55.38% #St. Helena Parish, Louisiana St. Helena Parish 52.42% *'''Ten richest places in Louisiana''' {{further|Richest places in Louisiana}} *'''Ranked by per capita income''' #Mound, Louisiana Mound: $92,200 (population 12, as of the United States Census, 2000 2000 census) #Oak Hills Place, Louisiana Oak Hills Place: $34,944 #Elmwood, Louisiana Elmwood: $34,329 #Eden Isle, Louisiana Eden Isle: $31,798 #Gilliam, Louisiana Gilliam: $30,264 #Shenandoah, Louisiana Shenandoah: $29,722 #Westminster, Louisiana Westminster: $28,087 #River Ridge, Louisiana River Ridge: $27,088 #Prien, Louisiana Prien: $26,537 #Mandeville, Louisiana Mandeville: $26,420 Education ''Further information:'' *List of school districts in Louisiana *:Category:Universities and colleges in Louisiana Universities and colleges in Louisiana Professional sports teams As of 2005 Louisiana is nominally the least populous state with more than one major professional sports league franchise. However, the effects of Hurricane Katrina have forced the National Basketball Association's New Orleans Hornets to play their games in Oklahoma City for the 2005-06 season. The National Football League's New Orleans Saints played three of their 2005 regular season games in San Antonio, with four games in Baton Rouge. The long-term future of that franchise is uncertain. Football =National Football League = *New Orleans Saints =Arena Football League = *New Orleans VooDoo =NWFL = *New Orleans Spice =NIFL = *Southwest Louisiana Swashbucklers (Lake Charles, Louisiana Lake Charles) - National Indoor Football League NIFL =AF2 = *Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings - AF2 =SAFL = *Baton Rouge, Louisiana Baton Rouge Riverboat Bandits - SAFL *Lake Charles RiverKats - SAFL *Minden, Louisiana Minden RoughRiders - SAFL *Lafayette, Louisiana Lafayette Bayou Bulls - SAFL *Ruston, Louisiana Ruston Rage - SAFL *Shreveport Steamers - SAFL *Greater New Orleans Gladiators - SAFL *Hammond, Louisiana Hammond Headhunters - SAFL *Louisiana (Houma, Louisiana Houma) Blazing Bulldogs - SAFL *Central Louisiana Warriors - SAFL *Slidell, Louisiana Slidell Steelsharks - SAFL =Defunct teams = *Shreveport Bombers - IPFL *Louisiana Bayou Beast - IPFL Baseball *minor league baseball Minor League baseball teams **New Orleans Zephyrs **Shreveport Sports **Alexandria Aces **Baton Rouge River Bats **Houma, Louisiana Houma Hawks **New Orleans Pelicans (1887-1959) **Baseball/New Orleans Creoles New Orleans Creoles (Negro League baseball Negro League) (dates?) Hoops *National Basketball Association: **New Orleans Jazz (1974) team moved to Salt Lake City and became the Utah Jazz in 1979 **The Charlotte Hornets moved to New Orleans in 2002 to become the New Orleans Hornets - Now known as The New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets (at least for 2005-06). Hockey *Minor League Hockey **Louisiana IceGators (1995 - 2005) - East Coast Hockey League ECHL **Baton Rouge Kingfish (1996 - 2003) - East Coast Hockey League ECHL **New Orleans Brass (1997 - 2003) - East Coast Hockey League ECHL **Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs - CHL Miscellaneous topics For almost 20 years there was only one small amusement park in Louisiana, called Hamel's Amusement Park in Shreveport, which is now mostly closed. There is now a Six Flags in New Orleans East. Since Louisiana is under constant threat from hurricanes, the Louisiana State Police are sponsoring a contraflow lane reversal program in order to evacuate the New Orleans metropolitan area as quickly as possible. Louisiana's license plates depict a brown pelican and include the motto "Sportsman's Paradise," which emphasizes the state's opportunities for hunting, fishing, and other outdoor activities. The motto is often used in state tourism campaigns. State symbols *State dog : Catahoula Leopard Dog *List of U.S. state birds State bird : Brown Pelican Eastern Brown Pelican *State flower : Magnolia *State fossil : Petrified palmwood *State tree : Taxodium distichum Bald Cypress *State mammal : Louisiana Black Bear *State wildflower : Louisiana Iris *State reptile : American Alligator *State insect: Honeybee *State crustacean : Crayfish Crawfish *State amphibian: Green Tree Frog *State food: Gumbo *State songs: "You Are My Sunshine," "Every Man a King," and "Give Me Louisiana" - State Tartan *State drink: Milk *State instrument: Diatonic Accordian *State freshwater fish: White Perch Sac-au-Lait *State Gemstone: Agate *State Soil: Ruston *State Colors: Blue, White, Gold *State Pledge: ''I pledge allegiance to the flag of the state of Louisiana and to the motto for which it stands: A state, under God, united in purpose and ideals, confident that justice shall prevail for all of those abiding here.'' Culture Louisiana is home to two distinct cultures: the non-Anglo Creole and the French-speaking Cajun. The ancestors of Creoles came to Louisiana before the Louisiana Purchase (1803) from Western Europe France, Germany, Spain, and from Senegal (West Africa) and settled along the major waterways in the State. The blending of these disparate lifestyles is called "Creole" and continued as the dominant cultural, social, economic and political lifestyle of Louisiana well into the 20th Century when it would finally be overtaken by the Anglo-American mainstream. The ancestors of the Cajuns are the Acadians, a French-speaking people of what are now New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, Canada. When the British won the French and Indian War, the British forcibly separated families and evicted them (today called ethnic cleansing) because of their long-stated political neutrality. 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, the Falkland Islands, with the majority finding final refuge in south Louisiana centered in the region around Lafayette, Louisiana Lafayette and the LaFourche Bayou country. Until the 1970s, Cajuns were often considered lower class citizens with the term "Cajun" being derogatory. But, once flush with oil & gas riches, Cajun culture, food, music and their infectious "joie de vivre" lifestyle quickly gained international acclaim. There is also a distinct Spanish-descended group in Louisiana. The ''Islenos'' are direct descendants of Canary Islands Canary Islanders forced to migrate by the Spanish King beginning in the mid-1770s. There were intended to help guard the eastern approaches to New Orleans from invasion by the British. They settled in what is modern-day St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana St. Bernard Parish, in the river passes east of the city, along an old mouth of the Mississippi River which they named Terre aux Boeufs (literally "Land of Cattle" for the cattle living there). Many of their descendants remained insulated from the city, and continued to speak an archaic version of Spanish well into the 20th Century. They still maintain contacts with the Canary Islands, and have an annual "Caldo" festival named for a native dish. References #{{note|sturdevent-67}}Sturdevent, William C. (1967): [http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/united_states/early_indian_east.jpg Early Indian Tribes, Cultures, and Linguistic Stocks], Smithsonian Institution Map (Eastern United States). *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). *Kinsella, N. Stephan, [http://www.kinsellalaw.com/publications/kinsella_civil-common-law-dictionary.pdf A Civil Law to Common Law Dictionary], 54 Louisiana Law Review 1265 (1994) Historical 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., with a posthumous and further expanded edition in 1885). A number of travel relations 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. 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., 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). 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 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 history of New Orleans the history of New Orleans (q.v.), among them those by Henry Rightor and John Kendall Smith. See also {{commonscat|Louisiana}} *List of people from Louisiana *List of bands from Louisiana *List of Louisiana musicians *Music of Louisiana External links - Official State of Louisiana website - U.S. Census Bureau - History of Louisiana - Photos of Louisiana - Terra Galleria - Louisiana Politics & News - Parish Maps Louisiana Louisiana parish maps cities towns full color - Louisiana Authors and Literature from the Southern Literary Review {{Louisiana}} {{United_States}} Category:Louisiana * Category:States of the United States Category:1812 establishments af:Louisiana ang:Louisiana ar:لويزيانا bg:Луизиана ca:Louisiana cs:Louisiana da:Louisiana de:Louisiana et:Louisiana osariik es:Luisiana eo:Luiziano eu:Louisiana fa:لویزیانا fr:Louisiane ga:Louisiana gd:Louisiana gl:Luisiana - Lousiana ko:루ì?´ì§€ì• ë‚˜ 주 id:Louisiana is:Louisiana it:Louisiana he:לו×?×™×–×™×?× ×” ka:ლუიზიáƒ?ნáƒ? kw:Louisiana la:Ludoviciana lv:LuiziÄ?na lt:Luiziana lb:Louisiana hu:Louisiana mk:Луизијана nl:Louisiana (staat) ja:ルイジアナ州 no:Louisiana nn:Louisiana os:Луизианæ pl:Luizjana pt:Louisiana ru:Луизиана sq:Louisiana simple:Louisiana sl:Louisiana sr:Луизијана fi:Louisiana sv:Louisiana th:มลรัà¸?ลุยเซียนา tr:Louisiana uk:Луїзіана zh:路易斯安那州 {| class="toccolours" align="center" width=94% style="margin:0.5em 1em; clear:both" ! Image:Flag of Louisiana.svg 100px|Flag of Louisiana !bgcolor="#ccccff"| U.S. state State of Louisiana |- |align=center|'''Regions of the United States Regions:''' || Acadiana .html">Florida Parishes Greater New Orleans | Northwest Louisiana | River Parishes |- |align=center| '''List of cities, towns, and villages in Louisiana Largest cities:''' || Alexandria, Louisiana Alexandria | '''Baton Rouge, Louisiana Baton Rouge (List of U.S. state capitals Capital)''' | Bossier City, Louisiana Bossier City | Houma, Louisiana Houma | Kenner, Louisiana Kenner | Lafayette, Louisiana Lafayette | Lake Charles, Louisiana Lake Charles | Metairie, Louisiana Metairie | Monroe, Louisiana Monroe | New Iberia, Louisiana New Iberia | New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans | Shreveport, Louisiana Shreveport |- |align=center| '''Metropolitan Area Metropolitan Areas:''' || Baton Rouge .html">Greater New Orleans Shreveport|Shreveport-Bossier City | Lafayette, Louisiana Lafayette-New Iberia | Lake Charles Lake Charles-Sulfur | Monroe, Louisiana Monroe-West Monroe | Alexandria Alexandria-Pineville | Baton Rouge, Louisiana |- |align=center| '''List of parishes of Louisiana Parishes:''' || Acadia Parish, Louisiana Acadia | Allen Parish, Louisiana Allen | Ascension Parish, Louisiana Ascension | Assumption Parish, Louisiana Assumption | Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana Avoyelles | Beauregard Parish, Louisiana Beauregard | Bienville Parish, Louisiana Bienville | Bossier Parish, Louisiana Bossier | Caddo Parish, Louisiana Caddo | Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana Calcasieu | Caldwell Parish, Louisiana Caldwell | Cameron Parish, Louisiana Cameron | Catahoula Parish, Louisiana Catahoula | Claiborne Parish, Louisiana Claiborne | Concordia Parish, Louisiana Concordia | De Soto Parish, Louisiana De Soto | East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana East Baton Rouge | East Carroll Parish, Louisiana East Carroll | East Feliciana Parish, Louisiana East Feliciana | Evangeline Parish, Louisiana Evangeline | Franklin Parish, Louisiana Franklin | Grant Parish, Louisiana Grant | Iberia Parish, Louisiana Iberia | Iberville Parish, Louisiana Iberville | Jackson Parish, Louisiana Jackson | Jefferson Parish, Louisiana Jefferson | Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana Jefferson Davis | La Salle Parish, Louisiana La Salle | Lafayette Parish, Louisiana Lafayette | Lafourche Parish, Louisiana Lafourche | Lincoln Parish, Louisiana Lincoln | Livingston Parish, Louisiana Livingston | Madison Parish, Louisiana Madison | Morehouse Parish, Louisiana Morehouse | Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana Natchitoches | New Orleans, Louisiana Orleans | Ouachita Parish, Louisiana Ouachita | Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana Plaquemines | Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana Pointe Coupee | Rapides Parish, Louisiana Rapides | Red River Parish, Louisiana Red River | Richland Parish, Louisiana Richland | Sabine Parish, Louisiana Sabine | St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana St. Bernard | St. Charles Parish, Louisiana St. Charles | St. Helena Parish, Louisiana St. Helena | St. James Parish, Louisiana St. James | St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana St. John the Baptist | St. Landry Parish, Louisiana St. Landry | St. Martin Parish, Louisiana St. Martin | St. Mary Parish, Louisiana St. Mary | St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana St. Tammany | Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana Tangipahoa | Tensas Parish, Louisiana Tensas | Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana Terrebonne | Union Parish, Louisiana Union | Vermilion Parish, Louisiana Vermilion | Vernon Parish, Louisiana Vernon | Washington Parish, Louisiana Washington | Webster Parish, Louisiana Webster | West Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana West Baton Rouge | West Carroll Parish, Louisiana West Carroll | West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana West Feliciana | Winn Parish, Louisiana Winn |} Louisiana is a state in the United States. Category:States of the United States Category:Southern United States bg:КатегориÑ?:Луизиана de:Kategorie:Louisiana fr:Catégorie:Louisiane ko:분류:루ì?´ì§€ì• ë‚˜ 주 nl:Categorie:Louisiana ja:Category:ルイジアナ州 no:Kategori:Louisiana pt:Categoria:Louisiana fi:Luokka:Louisiana sv:Kategori:Louisiana, USA *** Shopping-Tip: Louisiana

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