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Louisiana became a state on April 30, 1812 and was the 18th state admitted to the Union.  It is appropriately nicknamed the Pelican State because of the many Brown Pelicans that pepper the Gulf Shore to the South.

The first European explorers to visit Louisiana came in 1528 when a Spanish expedition led by Panfilo de Narváez located the mouth of the Mississippi River. In 1542, Hernando de Soto's expedition skirted to the north and west of the state and then followed the Mississippi River down to the Gulf of Mexico in 1543. In 1682, the entire Mississippi River region was claimed for France by the famous explorer Robert Cavelier de La Salle who named it after his King, Louis XIV!  Many Americans pronounce the name Lu-weeze-e-ana  but the locals are known to say Loos-i-ana!

The capital city is Baton Rouge, but the real attraction is down in New Orleans.  Rich with many different European traditions such as Spanish, French, and English - New Orleans is known for the Mardi Gras party, swampy bayous, jazz, the French Creole people, and seafood!  There are approximately 4.5 million people spanning an area of about 43,562 square miles.  The major waterways are the Mississippi, the Red, and the Sabine Rivers.  The bayou adds an additional way of traveling throughout the southern part of the state where slow moving canals and waterways weave their way through mangrove trees and other plants to become stagnant, creating a marshy area that can be accessed by mudboat.

A brief history of Arizona. Drag the time line to see more events and click on the titles to see a description.

Download the State of Louisiana Reference Map

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