Louisiana General Information

The state of Louisiana is located in the southern United States and lies on the Gulf of Mexico. It is a rather small state and is bordered by its neighboring states Arkansas, Mississippi and Texas. Even if Baton Rouge is the capital of Louisiana, New Orleans is the most important city in the state. Everything that characterizes Louisiana is embodied in this single city. The heraldic bird of the state is the pelican, which is why it is often called “Pelican State”. Its impressive landscape, which is characterized by large forested areas, numerous bodies of water and swampy areas (so-called bayous), has also given it the nickname “Bayou State”.

Abbreviated as LA on ABBREVIATIONFINDER.ORG, Louisiana is different, unlike any other state, especially the southern states. The only thing that Louisiana has in common with the rest of the south is the passion for music and the beautiful antebellum architecture, which is particularly evident in the mansions along the Mississippi River. A subtle touch of southern flair can be felt in the north, but the area in the south and the Mississippi Delta make this state an extraordinary travel destination. Louisiana is the epitome of the perfect mix of American, Caribbean, French, Spanish and African influences. In contrast to the other US states, Louisiana does not have the classic counties, but is divided into so-called parishes.
As a colony, Louisiana was under French rule for a long time and under Spanish rule only for a short time. But the French roots cannot be denied and the residents of Louisiana do not want that at all. They pride themselves on being something special, something unique. The French heritage is reflected everywhere, both in the mentality, as well as in the language, the food and of course the music. The name Louisiana is derived from the French King Louis XVI. from. Louisiana’s cuisine, with its Creole and Cajun influences, is considered one of the best in the world. Fish and seafood lovers in particular will find a real Mecca here. Dishes with catfish, shrimp and crawfish should not be missed.

GENERAL

Louisiana (abbreviation: LA), also known as the “Pelican State”, is a state in the United States of America. Louisiana is located in the southern United States, at the confluence of the Mississippi in the Gulf of Mexico and has a size of 112,836 km².

Nickname

Pelican State

Capital

Baton Rouge

Biggest town

New Orleans

Area

Rank (within the US): 31st out of 50 states

Total: 134,382 km²

Land: 112,927 km

Water (%): 21,455 km² (16%)

Residents

Rank (within the US): 22nd out of 50 states

Total (2000): 4,468,976

Density: 33 / km²

State membership

Place: 18th

Since: April 30, 1812

GEOGRAPHY

Time zone: Central: UTC –6 / –5

Latitude: 29 ° N to 33 ° N

Longitude 89 ° W to 94 ° W

Width: 210 km

Length: 610 km

Highest position: 163 m

Average location: 30 m

Lowest position: –2.5 m

Louisiana is located in the southern United States, at the confluence of the Mississippi in the Gulf of Mexico and has a size of 112,836 km².

HISTORY

The name was chosen in honor of King Louis XIV. Louisiana was discovered early; the Spaniard de Soto explored the Mississippi area from 1539–1542, the French de la Salle continued this research in 1681, whereupon France claimed the area for itself and in 1699 settled it for the first time permanently. The ownership structure changed several times over the years: after Louisiana did not have the desired strategic value for France, the western part came to Spain in 1762, the eastern part to Great Britain a year later, which had to give it to the USA in 1783. In 1800 Napoleon I bought back the Spanish share.

On April 30, 1803, US President Thomas Jefferson bought Louisiana from Napoleon I for $ 15 million (Louisiana Purchase). The US is doubling its national territory in one fell swoop. What was then “Louisiana” still comprised large areas of the American Midwest. Louisiana was officially handed over to the United States on March 10, 1804, but only became the 18th state of the United States on April 30, 1812.

During the American Civil War (1861-1865) the country belonged to the Southern Union of the Confederate States of America. The capital of Louisiana is Baton Rouge, the largest and most famous city is New Orleans.

POPULATION

Louisiana has no official language. Due to the strong presence of French, official documents were issued in both English and French until the American Civil War. The constitution of 1845 and a law of 1847 ensured bilingualism. Louisiana has 4,468,976 residents (as of April 2000). Another linguistic minority are the Islenos, who emigrated from the Canary Islands to Louisiana in the 18th century.

CULTURE

Life in Louisiana is shaped by numerous cultures, manners and customs, including the voodoo cult. The French influence can still be felt today. Another special feature is that Louisiana is the only US state to use Roman civil law as the basis of the legal system, not Anglo-Saxon common law.

CITIES

New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Shreveport, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Kenner, Bossier City, Monroe, Alexandria, New Iberia

Louisiana Parishes and Administrative Cities

According to Countryaah, there are a total of 64 counties in the state of Louisiana.

1. Acadia Parish (County Seat: Crowley)
2. Allen Parish (County Seat: Oberlin)
3. Ascension Parish (County Seat: Donaldsonville)
4. Assumption Parish (County Seat: Napoleonville)
5. Avoyelles Parish (County Seat: Marksville)
6. Beauregard Parish (County Seat: De Ridder)
7. Bienville Parish (County Seat: Arcadia)
8. Bossier Parish (County Seat: Benton)
9. Caddo Parish (County Seat: Shreveport)
10. Calcasieu Parish (County Seat: Lake Charles)
11. Caldwell Parish (County Seat: Columbia)
12. Cameron Parish (County Seat: Cameron)
13. Catahoula Parish (County Seat: Harrisonburg)
14. Claiborne Parish (County Seat: Homer)
15. Concordia Parish (County Seat: Vidalia)
16. De Soto Parish (County Seat: Mansfield)
17. East Baton Rouge Parish (County Seat: Baton Rouge)
18. East Carroll Parish (County Seat: Lake Providence)
19. East Feliciana Parish (County Seat: Clinton)
20. Evangeline Parish (County Seat: Ville Platte)
21. Franklin Parish (County Seat: Winnsboro)
22. Grant Parish (County Seat: Colfax)
23. Iberia Parish (County Seat: New Iberia)
24. Iberville Parish (County Seat: Plaquemine)
25. Jackson Parish (County Seat: Jonesboro)
26. Jefferson Parish (County Seat: Gretna)
27. Jefferson Davis Parish (County Seat: Jennings)
28. La Salle Parish (County Seat: Jena)
29. Lafayette Parish (County Seat: Lafayette)
30. Lafourche Parish (County Seat: Thibodaux)
31. Lincoln Parish (County Seat: Ruston)
32. Livingston Parish (County Seat: Livingston)
33. Madison Parish (County Seat: Tallulah)
34. Morehouse Parish (County Seat: Bastrop)
35. Natchitoches Parish (County Seat: Natchitoches)
36. Orleans Parish (County Seat: New Orleans)
37. Ouachita Parish (County Seat: Monroe)
38. Plaquemines Parish (County Seat: Pointe a la Hache)
39. Pointe Coupee Parish (County Seat: New Roads)
40. Rapides Parish (County Seat: Alexandria)
41. Red River Parish (County Seat: Coushatta)
42. Richland Parish (County Seat: Rayville)
43. Sabine Parish (County Seat: Many)
44. St. Bernard Parish (County Seat: Chalmette)
45. St. Charles Parish (County Seat: Hahnville)
46. St. Helena Parish (County Seat: Greensburg)
47. St. James Parish (County Seat: Convent)
48. St. John the Baptist Parish (County Seat: Edgard)
49. St. Landry Parish (County Seat: Opelousas)
50. St. Martin Parish (County Seat: St. Martinville)
51. St. Mary Parish (County Seat: Franklin)
52. St. Tammany Parish (County Seat: Covington)
53. Tangipahoa Parish (County Seat: Amite)
54. Tensas Parish (County Seat: St. Joseph)
55. Terrebonne Parish (County Seat: Houma)
56. Union Parish (County Seat: Farmerville)
57. Vermilion Parish (County Seat: Abbeville)
58. Vernon Parish (County Seat: Leesville)
59. Washington Parish (County Seat: Franklinton)
60. Webster Parish (County Seat: Minden)
61. West Baton Rouge Parish (County Seat: Port Allen)
62. West Carroll Parish (County Seat: Oak Grove)
63. West Feliciana Parish (County Seat: St. Francisville)
64. Winn Parish (County Seat: Winnfield)