Louisiana

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Louisiana
State
State of Louisiana
État de Louisiane (French)
Nickname(s): 
Bayou State • Creole State • Pelican State (official)
Sportsman's Paradise • The Boot
Motto(s): 
Union, Justice, Confidence
Anthem: "Give Me Louisiana"
"You Are My Sunshine"
"State March Song"
"Gifts of the Earth"
Map of the United States with Louisiana highlighted
Map of the United States with Louisiana highlighted
CountryUnited States
Before statehoodTerritory of Orleans
Admitted to the UnionApril 30, 1812 (18th)
CapitalBaton Rouge
Largest cityNew Orleans[1][2][3]
Largest metroGreater New Orleans
Government
 • GovernorJohn Bel Edwards (D)
 • Lieutenant GovernorBilly Nungesser (R)
LegislatureState Legislature
 • Upper houseState Senate
 • Lower houseHouse of Representatives
U.S. senatorsBill Cassidy (R)
John Kennedy (R)
U.S. House delegation5 Republicans
1 Democrat (list)
Area
 • Total52,069.13 sq mi (135,382 km2)
 • Land43,601 sq mi (112,927 km2)
 • Water8,283 sq mi (21,455 km2)  15%
Area rank31st
Dimensions
 • Length379 mi (610 km)
 • Width130 mi (231 km)
Elevation
100 ft (30 m)
Highest elevation535 ft (163 m)
Lowest elevation−8 ft (−2.5 m)
Population
 (2019)
 • Total4,648,794
 • Rank25th
 • Density93.8/sq mi (34.6/km2)
 • Density rank24th
 • Median household income
$49,973[6]
 • Income rank
48th
Demonym(s)Louisianian
Louisianais (Cajun or Creole heritage)
Luisiano (Spanish descendants during rule of New Spain)
Language
 • Official languageNo official language
 • Spoken languageAs of 2010[7]
Time zoneUTC−06:00 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−05:00 (CDT)
USPS abbreviation
LA
ISO 3166 codeUS-LA
Trad. abbreviationLa.
Latitude28° 56′ N to 33° 01′ N
Longitude88° 49′ W to 94° 03′ W
Websitelouisiana.gov
Louisiana state symbols
Flag of Louisiana.svg
Seal of Louisiana.svg
Living insignia
BirdBrown pelican
Dog breedCatahoula Leopard Dog
FishWhite perch
FlowerMagnolia
InsectHoneybee
MammalBlack bear
ReptileAlligator
TreeBald cypress
Inanimate insignia
BeverageMilk
FossilPetrified palmwood
GemstoneAgate
InstrumentDiatonic accordion
State route marker
Louisiana state route marker
State quarter
Louisiana quarter dollar coin
Released in 2002
Lists of United States state symbols

Louisiana (pronounced /lōō-ē'zē-ăn'ə/)[8] is a state in the Southern United States of America. It had a population of about 4,533,372 people in 2010. The state has a total area of about 51,885 sq mi (134,382 km2). Louisiana is the 25th largest state by population and the 31th largest state by area. Louisiana is also known by its nickname, The Pelican State. The land that would become Louisiana was bought in the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. Louisiana became a state on April 30, 1812. It was the 18th state to become part of the United States. The people who live in the state are known as Louisianans.[9] The state's capital is Baton Rouge, and its largest city is New Orleans.

Louisiana has coastal plains, marshs, and low ridges. All of the state is in the Sun Belt. Louisiana is in a sub tropical region, and has a diverse ecosystem. The climate of Louisiana Louisiana has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa). It has long, hot, humid summers and short, mild winters.

One third of the adults in Louisiana are obese. This is the highest rate in the United States.[10]

Louisiana was settled by France and the influence of French culture is still a big part of Louisiana today. The French Quarter in New Orleans is one of the best known attractions in the state. It is known today for its special culture, unique food, as well as the holiday Mardi Gras which is most famous in New Orleans.

Louisiana was very badly damaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Much of the New Orleans area lies below sea level making flooding a serious problem.

Cities[change | change source]

Rank City Parish Population (2018)
1 New Orleans Orleans 393,292
2 Baton Rouge East Baton Rouge 225,374
3 Shreveport Caddo 192,036
4 Lafayette Lafayette 126,848
5 Lake Charles Calcasieu 77,117
6 Bossier City Bossier 68,554
7 Kenner Jefferson 67,451
8 Monroe Ouachita 48,371
9 Alexandria Rapides 47,334
10 Houma Terrebonne 33,278

Related pages[change | change source]

References[change | change source]

  1. ↑ "New Orleans a 'ghost town' after thousands flee Gustav: mayor", AFP, August 31, 2008, archived from the original on May 16, 2013
  2. ↑ "Expert: N.O. population at 273,000". WWL-TV. August 7, 2007. Archived from the original on September 26, 2007. Retrieved August 14, 2007.
  3. ↑ "Relocation". Baton rouge. Connecting U.S. Cities. May 3, 2007. Archived from the original on February 9, 2014.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Elevations and Distances in the United States". United States Geological Survey. 2001. Archived from the original on October 15, 2011. Retrieved October 21, 2011.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Elevation adjusted to North American Vertical Datum of 1988.
  6. ↑ "Median Household Income in Louisiana". Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Archived from the original on September 21, 2019. Retrieved October 9, 2019.
  7. ↑ "United States". Modern Language Association. Archived from the original on December 1, 2007. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
  8. ↑ The Tormont Webster's Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary. United States of America: Tormont Publications Inc. 1990. p. 998. ISBN 2921171325. Retrieved February 26, 2011.
  9. ↑ "WordNet Search - 3.0". wordnetweb.princeton.edu. 2011 [last update]. Retrieved February 26, 2011. Check date values in: |year= (help)
  10. ↑ "Obesity and Overweight for Professionals: Data and Statistics: U.S. Obesity Trends | DNPAO | CDC". cdc.gov. 2011 [last update]. Retrieved February 27, 2011. Check date values in: |year= (help)


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