Outline of Louisiana
Louisiana, a southern state of the United States, lies where the mighty Mississippi River empties into the Gulf of Mexico. This important location has made Louisiana one of the country's busiest commercial areas. Water routes link the state with both the heart of America and lands across the sea.
The Mississippi tells the story of Louisiana's progress. In colonial days, traders and fur trappers traveled the river in canoes, hollowed-out logs, or flatboats. During the 1800's, colorful paddle-wheel steamboats brought cotton to New Orleans and Baton Rouge for shipment throughout the world. Today, tugboats push chains of river barges more than 1,000 feet (300 meters) long. New Orleans, Louisiana's largest city, ranks among the world's busiest ports. Ocean ships can travel about 250 miles (400 kilometers) up the river to Baton Rouge, the state capital.
White-columned mansions, built before the American Civil War (1861-1865), symbolize Louisiana's past glory as a leader of the Old South. Oil and natural-gas wells are a vital part of today's scene. They represent Louisiana's greatest source of wealth. Industrial growth based on these minerals began during World War II (1939-1945), and it has continued for much of the time since then. In the 1960's, Louisiana became a major space age industrial center.
The life of Louisiana is based on a mixture of many peoples, cultures, and customs. The influence of the early French and Spanish settlers can be seen throughout the state, especially in the south. There live Creoles, descendants of the original settlers, and Cajuns, some of whose French ancestors came from Canada.
Millions of tourists come to Louisiana each year. People from all parts of the United States visit New Orleans for the city's festive carnival season and famous Mardi Gras. The visitors enjoy seeing the old French and Spanish section, where delicious food is served in world-famous restaurants. Tourists also listen to New Orleans-style jazz, in the area known as the Cradle of Jazz. The state's plentiful wildlife lures many hunters and nature lovers.
The culture of the early French and Spanish settlers still has an important influence in southern Louisiana. Many of the people there speak both French and English. Until the early 1900's, state laws and official notices appeared in both languages. Some blacks living in remote areas speak a dialect (variation) of French called Gumbo or Gombo. Southern Louisiana has a reputation for fine cooking. Two major styles of cooking from that area are Creole and Cajun. Some famous dishes are blackened redfish (redfish served black in a mixture of spices), huitres en coquille a la Rockefeller (oysters baked on rock salt with spinach sauce), and pompano en papillote (pompano fish baked with shellfish sauce in a paper bag). Soups made with fish include bisque and bouillabaisse. Many New Orleanians flavor their strong, black coffee with chicory.
Millions of tourists visit Louisiana every year. New Orleans, with its famous French Quarter, or Vieux Carre (Old Square), is the chief tourist attraction. The state's many other attractions include Acadiana, the homeland of the Cajuns, and magnificent old plantation homes. Louisiana has abundant wildlife, rolling hills, and marshy lowlands to delight hunters and photographers. Fishing enthusiasts catch freshwater fish in lakes and rivers, and charter boats take them along the Gulf Coast in search of saltwater fish.
Louisiana was named by the French explorer Rene-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle. He traveled down the Mississippi River in 1682, and claimed the entire Mississippi River Valley for France. La Salle named the region Louisiana in honor of the French king, Louis XIV. A nickname for Louisiana is the Pelican State, because of the brown pelicans that were once numerous along the coast of the state. Louisiana is also known as the Bayou State, because of its many bayous (slow-moving inlets or outlets of lakes and rivers).
