Map of Louisiana State which lies in the south region of the USA
| State | Louisiana |
| State Capital | Baton Rouge |
| Largest City | New Orleans |
| Coordinates | 31°N 92°W |
| Nickname(s) | “Bayou State”, “Creole State”, “Pelican State” (official) |
| Postal Abbreviation | LA |
| Area | 52,069.13 sq. mi (135,382 sq. km) |
| Highest Point | Driskill Mountain, 535 ft (163 m) |
| Number of Counties | 64 parishes |
| Neighboring States | Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi |
| Population | 4,659,978 (2018) |
| Date of Entering the Union | April 30, 1812 |
| State Anthem | “Give Me Louisiana”, “You Are My Sunshine”, “State March Song”, “Gifts of the Earth” |
| Governor | John Bel Edwards (Democratic Party) |
| Lieutenant Governor | Billy Nungesser (Republican) |
| U.S. Senators | Bill Cassidy (Republican), John Kennedy (Republican) |
| U.S. House Delegation | 5 Republicans, 1 Democrat |
| GDP (Millions of Dollars) | 257288 |
| Demonym | Louisianian, Louisianais (Cajun or Creole heritage), Luisiano (Spanish descendants during rule of New Spain) |
| Time Zones | UTC-06:00 (Central), Summer (DST) UTC-05:00 (CDT) |
Louisiana (the 18th state that was admitted to the union on April 30, 1812) is located in the Deep South region of the South Central USA. It shares its borders with Mississippi to the east, Texas to the west and Arkansas to the north. To its south, the Gulf of Mexico is present.
The US state of Louisiana is spread across a total area of 52,069.13 sq. mi (135,382 sq. km), making it the 31st largest state in the United States. The land area of Louisiana is 43,601 sq. mi (112,927 sq. km) and the water area of the state is 8,283 sq. mi (21,455 sq. km). Water covers a large part of the state, which is around 17.5% of the total area.
Louisiana is around 380 mi (611.6 km) long and 130 mi (209.2 km) wide. The state has a coastline that is approximately 7,721 mi (12,425.8 km) long. However, rising sea level and increasing human activity is heavily degrading the coastline, at the extent of 25 sq mi (64.7 sq km) per year.
The state’s mean elevation is just 100 ft (30.5 m) above sea level. While Driskill Mountain at 535 ft (163.1 m) above sea level is the highest elevation point, 8 ft (2.4 m) “below” sea level in New Orleans is the lowest elevation point. Some of the significant mountains in Louisiana are Driskill Mountain, Gentry Hill, Jordan Mountain, Delaney Mount, Mossy Hill, Duncan Hill, Bull Hill, Giddens Hill, Eagle Hill and Negro Foot Hill.
The major rivers in the state are Mississippi River, Red River, Ouachita River, Sabine River, Pearl River, Bayou Bartholomew, Bayou Macon, Boeuf River, Calcasieu River and Tensas River. Lake Pontchartrain, Toledo Bend Reservoir, Lake Claiborne, Caddo Lake, Cross Lake, and Lake Kincaid are some of the major lakes.
This South Central state in the US has three distinct geographic land regions: East Gulf Coastal Plain, Mississippi Alluvial Plain, and West Gulf Coastal Plain.
The East Gulf Coastal Plain is located north of Lake Pontchartrain and to the east of the Mississippi River. It is a low land and marshlands are located near the river. As you move towards the north, the land rises to form rolling hills.
The second major geographical region is the Mississippi Alluvial Plain, which is located along the Mississippi River. While it starts in Arkansas in the north, it stretches to the Gulf of Mexico in the south. Ridges and hollows are the characteristic features of this geographical region. The “frontlands” (the fields that are situated on the top of the ridges along the Mississippi River) slopes down to the “backlands” (the area of land comprising clay and slit).
At the mouth of the Mississippi River, the Mississippi Delta is located. This delta is spread across an area of around 13,000 sq mi (33,669.8 sq km), which occupies about 1/4th of Louisiana. Mostly silt deposit is found in the Mississippi Delta, making it the most fertile land in the state.
The third important region in Louisiana is the West Gulf Coastal Plain, which is located in the west of the Mississippi Alluvial Plain. Barrier beaches are found along the gulf in the southern part. Marshes extending to 20 mi (32.2 km) north into Louisiana’s interior are located behind the barrier beaches along the gulf. The Louisiana Prairies (situated to the north of the marshlands) has a gently rolling landscape that rises gradually towards Arkansas in the north.
The climate of Louisiana is subtropical, thanks to its location along the Gulf of Mexico. Continental weather patterns also affect the vast Mississippi-Missouri river valley that is located around half the way between the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean.
While the winters are mild, the summers are hot and humid.
However, frequent afternoon thundershowers temper the hot and humid weather in summer. Tropical storms and hurricanes pass through Louisiana during June-November.
The average annual temperature in the extreme north is 64 °F (18 °C). However, at the mouth of the Mississippi River, the average temperature hovers around 71 °F (21 °C). The monthly average temperature ranges from the high of 82 °F (28 °C) in July to a low of 50 °F (10 °C) in January.
Humidity is more intense than the heat in the subtropical climates. The average level of rainfall in the state ranges within 45 inches (1,140 mm) at Shreveport to over 56 inches (1,420 mm) at New Orleans. The average number of days in the growing season revolves within 220-to-320 days.
The total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Louisiana was US$257,287.8 million in 2018, an increase from US$215,068.9 million in 2008. In terms of GDP, it is the 24th largest economy among the states and territories in the US.
The median household income in Louisiana has increased from US$39,563 to US$49,973 during 2008-18. The Per Capita, Personal Income in the state, has grown from US$37,891 in 2008 to US$46,242 in 2018.
The production of crops generated around 60% of the agricultural income in Louisiana. The remaining 40% of the revenue is generated by the production of livestock and livestock products. The top-5 most important agricultural products of Louisiana are sugar, rice, cattle and calves, soybeans, and cotton. The leading farm product in the state is sugar cane.
Production of chemicals (including pharmaceuticals, petrochemicals, fertilizers, pesticides, paint, soap, plastics, etc.) is the leading manufacturing activity in the economy of Louisiana. Other manufacturing industries in the state are petroleum or coal processing, petroleum refineries, paper production (including the production of food containers, cardboard tubes, and corrugated boxes), shipbuilding, truck trailers, missile parts, automobile and truck parts. Other economic activities in Louisiana are mining, fishing, and other services.
Louisiana ranked 5th, 17th, and 1st among the 50 US states in 2018 in terms of the total value of exports, imports, and trade balance. In 2018, its total export and import value were US$67,297,074,920 and US$40,019,312,797 respectively, resulting in a trade balance of US$27,277,762,123.
Since 1976, the lowest unemployment rate in Louisiana was 4.1% in October 2007. However, since April 2008, the unemployment rate increased by leaps and bounds from 4.3% to 6.9% in June 2009. It went on increasing until it reached a peak of 8.4% in November 2010. After this, it started dropping gradually, and in November 2019 the rate dropped to 4.7%.
As the data released by the US Census Bureau, the rate of poverty in Louisiana dropped from 19.7% in 2017 to 18.6% in 2018. The rate was not only higher than the national average of 11.8%, but it was also the 3rd most impoverished state among the 50 states in the US (behind only to Mississippi and New Mexico).
Louisiana has a vast network of roadways, including interstate, state, and US highways. The principal state highways are LA 1 to LA 99, LA 100 to LA 199, LA 300 to LA 399, LA 400 to LA 499, LA 500 to LA 599, LA 600 to LA 699, LA 700 to LA 799, LA 800 to LA 899, LA 900 to LA 999, LA 1000 to LA 1099, LA 1100 to LA 1199, LA 1200 to LA 1299, LA 3000 to LA 3099, LA 3100 to LA 3199, and LA 3200 to LA 3299.
The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (La DOTD) constructs and maintains around 2,490.851 mi (4,008.636 km) of mainline highway routes as well as 107.785 mi (173.463 km) of special routes in the state. Some of them are US 11, US 51, US 61, US 63, US 65, US 71, US 79, US 80, US 84, US 90, US 165, US 167, US 171, US 190, US 371, US 425, etc.
La DOTD also maintains around 933.84 mi (1,502.87 km) of Interstate Highways in Louisiana. Some of the major ones are I-10, I-12, I-20, I-49, I-55, I-59, etc.
The major airports in Louisiana are Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (in New Orleans), Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport (in Baton Rouge), Shreveport Regional Airport (in Shreveport), Lafayette Regional Airport (in Lafayette), Alexandria International Airport (in Alexandria), Monroe Regional Airport (in Monroe) and Lake Charles Regional Airport (in Lake Charles).
The ports of South Louisiana, New Orleans, and Baton Rouge are not only the most essential in Louisiana but also among the largest in the world (in terms of total trade and dollar value).
Louisiana got its name in honor of King Louis XIV, who was the King of France during 1643-1715. The territory of land drained by the Mississippi River got the name La Louisiane when René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle claimed the territory.
Brown Pelicans are found in abundance in the coastal areas of Louisiana. Brown Pelican is the state bird. It appears on the state flag, great seal, and the official state painting. That’s the reason why Louisiana is also called the “The Pelican State”.
The other nicknames of the state are “The Bayou State”, “The Sugar State”, “The Child of the Mississippi”, “The Creole State”, “Sportsman’s Paradise”, “Fisherman’s Paradise”, “The Holland of America”, etc.
New Orleans’ French Quarter (including famous Bourbon Street for jazz, nightlife, and music and Jackson Square), National WWII Museum, Mardi Gras, Melrose Plantation, Old State Capitol, Laura Plantation, Vermilionville, Sci-Port Discovery Center, USS Kidd and Veterans Memorial, Rosedown Plantation and Gardens, St. Martin de Tours Catholic Church
1) The official nickname of Louisiana is the “Pelican State”.
2) The capital of Louisiana is Baton Rouge and the largest city is New Orleans.
3) The official insect is the Honeybee.
4) The State has two official flowers: Louisiana Iris and Magnolia Grandiflora.
5) The official bird of Louisiana is the Pelican.
6) The official colors of the state of LA are white, blue, and gold. They were adopted in 1972.
7) There are two official songs of the state and they are “You Are My Sunshine” and “Give Me Louisiana”. Other than these, there is an official ecological song, “The Gifts of Earth” and official parade song, “Louisiana My Home Sweet Home”.
8) The official freshwater fish is the White Perch.
9) The official tree is Cypress.
10) The official mammal is the Black Bear.
11) The official dog is the Catahoula Leopard Dog.
12) The official crustacean is the Crawfish.
13) The official reptile of Louisiana is the Alligator.
14) The official amphibian is the Green Frog.
15) The official beverage is Milk.
16) The official gemstone and state fossil are Agate and Petrified Palm wood.
17) The state was admitted to the Union on April 30, 1812 and became the 18th state of the U.S.
18) With an elevation of 535 feet, the Driskill Mountain is the tallest point of Louisiana.
19) The official musical instrument is the Cajun Accordion.
20) The neighboring states of Louisiana are Texas, Arkansas, and Mississippi.
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