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Louisiana has a rich, colorful historical background. Early Spanish explorers were Alvárez Piñeda, 1519; Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, 1528; and Hernando De
Soto in 1541. Sieur de la Salle reached the mouth of the Mississippi and claimed all the land drained by it and its tributaries for Louis XIV of France in 1682.
Louisiana became a French crown colony in 1731, was ceded to Spain in 1763, returned to France in 1800, and was sold by Napoléon to the U.S. as part of the
Louisiana Purchase (with large territories to the north and northwest) in 1803.
In 1815, Gen. Andrew Jackson's troops defeated a larger British army in the Battle of New Orleans, neither side aware that the treaty ending the War of
1812 had been signed.
Louisiana is a leader in natural gas, salt, petroleum, and sulfur production. Much of the oil and sulfur comes from offshore deposits. The state also
produces large crops of sweet potatoes, rice, sugar cane, pecans, soybeans, corn, and cotton.
Leading manufactured items include chemicals, processed food, petroleum and coal products, paper, lumber and wood products, transportation equipment, and
apparel.
Louisiana marshes supply most of the nation's muskrat fur as well as that of opossum, raccoon, mink, and otter, and large numbers of game birds.
Major points of interest include New Orleans with its French Quarter and Superdome, plantation homes near Natchitoches and New Iberia, Cajun country in the
Mississippi Delta region, Chalmette National Historical Park, and the state capital at Baton Rouge.
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More Louisiana Statistics
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Capital: Baton Rouge
Governor: “Bobby” Jindel [R]
(to Jan 2012)
Lieutenant Governor: "Mitch" Landrieu [D]
(Second term to Jan. 2012)
Secretary of State: “Jay” Dardenne [R]
Attorney General: James D. “Buddy” Caldwell [D]
State Senators (list and links):
Senator Robert Adley, Senator John A. Alario, Jr., Senator "Jody" Amedee, Senator Sharon Weston Broome, Senator Bill Cassidy, Senator Joel T. Chaisson, II, Senator Sherri Smith Cheek, Senator Donald R. "Don" Cravins, Jr., Senator A.G. Crowe, Senator Jack Donahue, Senator Yvonne Dorsey, Senator Ann Duplessis, Senator Reggie
P. Dupre, Jr., Senator Dale M. Erdey, Senator "Nick" Gautreaux, Senator D. A. "Butch" Gautreaux, Senator Cheryl A. Gray, Senator Troy Hebert, Senator David Heitmeier, Senator Lydia P. Jackson, Senator Robert W. "Bob" Kostelka, Senator Eric LaFleur, Senator Gerald Long, Senator Robert "Rob" Marionneaux, Jr., Senator Daniel "Danny" Martiny, Senator Joe McPherson, Senator Michael J. "Mike" Michot, Senator Dan "Blade" Morrish, Senator Willie L. Mount, Senator Edwin R. Murray, Senator Ben Nevers, Senator Julie Quinn, Senator Neil Riser, Senator Stephen J. Scalise, Senator B.L. "Buddy" Shaw, Senator Derrick Shepherd, Senator John R. Smith, Senator Francis Thompson, and Senator Mike Walsworth
Treasurer: John Neely Kennedy [D]
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Entered Union (rank): April 30, 1812 (18)
Present constitution adopted: 1974
Motto: Union, justice, and confidence
Origina of name: In honor of Louis XIV of France
10 largest cities (2000): New Orleans, 484,674; Baton Rouge, 227,818; Shreveport, 200,145; Lafayette, 110,257; Lake Charles,
71,757; Kenner, 70,517; Bossier City, 56,461; Monroe, 53,107; Alexandria, 46,342; New Iberia, 32,623
Land area: 43,566 sq mi. (112,836 sq km)
Geographic center: Located in Avoyelles Parish, 3 miles southeast of Marksville
Number of parishes (counties): 64
Largest parish by population and area: Orleans, 484,674 (2000); Vernon, 1,328 sq mi.
State forests: 1 (8,000 ac.)
State parks: 30 (13,932 ac.)
2000 total population: 4,468,976
18 and over: 72.7
65 and over:
11.6
Median age: 34.0.
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Dear Guests: We have worked very hard on this site in hopes that it will educate, inform, and entertain. All donations are appreciated, once we get our
tip jar back up, but if you can’t do that, please donate a little of your time to signing the guestbook below and let us know what you think. As always, we appreciate your comments. Thanks, Gil Davis
-- Jay Barrymore
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