Louisiana
Louisiana is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 20th in land area and the 25th in population, with roughly 4.6 million residents. Reflecting its French heritage, Louisiana is the only U.S. state with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are equivalent to counties, making it one of only two U.S. states not subdivided into counties. Baton Rouge is the state's capital, and New Orleans, a French Louisiana region, is its largest city with a population of about 383,000 people. Louisiana has a coastline with the Gulf of Mexico to the south; a large part of its eastern boundary is demarcated by the Mississippi River.
Some of the key events about Louisiana
- 1803The Louisiana Purchase doubled the size of the United States
- 1803The Louisiana Purchase transferred control of the territory from France to the United States without consulting its inhabitants
- 1811The largest slave revolt in U.S. history occurred in the German Coast area of Louisiana
- 1812Louisiana was admitted as the 18th state of the United States
- 1815A major battle of the War of 1812 was fought in New Orleans after the peace treaty had already been signed
- 1825The completion of the Erie Canal boosted New Orleans' economy
- 1840The New Orleans Mint began producing coins
- 1861Louisiana seceded from the Union and joined the Confederate States of America
- 1884The World's Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition was held in New Orleans
- 1901Oil was discovered in Louisiana, leading to an economic boom
- 1927The Louisiana State Capitol building was completed in Baton Rouge
- 1927The Great Mississippi Flood devastated much of the state, displacing hundreds of thousands of people
- 1935Politician Huey Long was assassinated in the State Capitol building in Baton Rouge
- 1947The first offshore oil well out of sight of land was completed in the Gulf of Mexico
- 1965Hurricane Betsy caused extensive damage and flooding in New Orleans and southeastern Louisiana
- 1975The Louisiana Superdome, one of the largest indoor arenas in the world, opened in New Orleans
- 1980Lake Peigneur drained into an underlying salt mine, creating a massive sinkhole and environmental disaster
- 2005The New Orleans Saints NFL team won their first playoff game in franchise history
- 2005Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, causing over 1,800 deaths and $125 billion in damage
- 2010The Deepwater Horizon oil spill released millions of barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, severely impacting Louisiana's coast
Disclaimer: This material is written based on information taken from open sources, including Wikipedia, news media, podcasts, and other public sources.