Portal:Louisiana
Bienvenue !
The Louisiana Portal
The State of Louisiana is located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge, and its largest city is New Orleans. As of the 2010 Census the New Orleans population was 343,800, an increase of 88,800 people since the Census Bureau's count in July 2006. The population within the city limits of Baton Rouge was 224,000 pre-Katrina and according to the Census Bureau the population increased to about 232,000 in the year following Katrina. Other data suggest that even with its many post-Katrina problems, New Orleans is repopulating faster than Baton Rouge.
Louisiana is the only state that is divided into parishes; most other states are divided into counties. The largest parish by population is Jefferson Parish and largest by area is Terrebonne Parish ). The New Orleans metropolitan area is Louisiana's largest metropolitan area.
Louisiana has a unique multicultural and multilingual heritage. Originally part of New France, Louisiana is home to many speakers of Louisiana French and Louisiana Creole French. African American and Franco-African, and Acadian, French / French Canadian form the two largest groups of ancestry in Louisiana's population. (read more . . . )
Selected article
Gumbo is a spicy, hearty stew or soup, found typically on the Gulf of Mexico in the United States,in the state of Louisiana, in which it is native to that state. It is also found in other areas such as, Southeast Texas, southern Mississippi and the Lowcountry around Charleston, South Carolina, and down past Brunswick, Georgia due to it being brought from Louisiana to those areas. It is eaten year round, but is usually found in kitchens more during the colder months. This is due to the warmness and heartiness it brings to the body in the winter months, like hot soups and stews in many cold areas.
Gumbo usually consists of shellfish, and sausage along with the Holy Trinity of vegetables for a seafood Gumbo and is usually made in large batches. A chicken and Sausage Gumbo would contain just that with the "Trinity" of vegetables. Tomatoes and/or tomato paste is usually added to Seafood Gumbo in Southeast Louisiana, but never to Chicken and Sausage Gumbo. These Gumbos from Southeast Louisiana are typically known as "Creole" Gumbos, meaning "from the City Of New Orleans." Cajun Gumbos of South Louisiana never contain tomatoes in any variety. Left-over Gumbo can be frozen for later use, but that is not common. Usually it will stay on the back burner of a stove, and eaten on all day. If some is left over, it is usually refrigerated until it is consumed entirely. Rice is made fresh daily. The rice is prepared separately from the stew, and the two are mixed only in the serving bowl.
The gumbo broth/gravy can contain seafood (typically crab and shrimp from the Gulf of Mexico, or fowl (usually duck, quail, chicken), and other meats, used as seasoning; tasso (Cajun smoked pork), Cajun-style andouille (smoked sausage), and other smoked or preserved meats. Crawfish is rarely used, if used at all for this dish. A traditional lenten variety called Gumbo Z'Herbes pronounced like "Gumbo Zab," Zab sounding like the word jab. From the French Gumbo Aux Herbes), it is essentially a gumbo of smothered greens thickened with roux. (read more . . .)
Selected picture
Credit: Infrogmation
Chef Menteur Pass with the Highway 90 Bridge.
Selected biography
Piyush "Bobby" Jindal (born June 10, 1971, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana) is a Louisiana politician. Jindal was elected as a Republican to the United States House of Representatives on November 2, 2004, from Louisiana's First Congressional District, based in the suburbs of New Orleans.
Jindal was born in Baton Rouge to recently arrived Indian immigrants who were attending graduate school. Jindal was a Hindu but converted to Catholicism as a teenager. He is the only Indian-American currently serving in Congress, and the second in congressional history after Dalip Singh Saund, a Democrat who represented California's 29th District from 1957 to 1963.
He was chosen by Scholastic Update magazine as "one of America's top 10 extraordinary young people for the next millennium." He was India Abroad Person of the Year 2005. In 1997, he married Supriya Jolly (born 1972). The couple has three children, Selia, Shaan, and Slade. On Tuesday, August 15, 2006, Jindal assisted in delivering his third child when his wife awoke, in labor. The child was born before ambulances had time to respond.
On Monday, January 22, 2007, Jindal announced his candidacy for Governor of Louisiana in the upcoming election. (read more . . . )
Did you know...
- ...that the mayor of tiny Logansport, Louisiana, worked for 16 years to keep a new bridge over the Sabine River a high priority?
- ...More than one-half of the species of birds in North America are resident in Louisiana or spend a portion of their migration there?
- ...Louisiana has the greatest concentration of crude oil refineries, natural gas processing plants and petrochemical production facilities in the Western Hemisphere?
- ...Louisiana is the only state with a large population of Cajuns, descendants of the Acadians who were driven out of Canada in the 1700s because they wouldn't pledge allegiance to the King of England?
- ...The town of Jean Lafitte was once a hideaway for pirates?
- ...Because of its many bays and sounds, Louisiana has the longest coastline (15,000 miles) of any state and 41 percent of the nation's wetlands?
- ...Louisiana is the nation's largest handler of grain for export to world markets and that more than 40 percent of the U.S. grain exports move through Louisiana ports?
- ...The site of the oldest known Louisiana civilization is Poverty Point in West Carroll Parish, where an Indian village existed 2, 700 years ago?
- ...Louisiana has 2,482 islands, covering nearly 1,300,000 acres (5,300 km2)?
- ...The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, with a length of 23.87 miles (38.42 km), is the world's longest bridge built entirely over water?
- ...Baton Rouge was the site of the only battle fought outside of the original 13 colonies during the American Revolution?
- ...Louisiana produces more furs (1.3 million pelts a year) than any other state?
WikiProjects
 |
You are invited to participate in WikiProject Louisiana, a WikiProject dedicated to developing and improving articles about Louisiana. |
State symbols
| Flower | Magnolia | 
|
|---|---|---|
| Motto | Union, justice, and confidence | |
| Nickname | The Pelican State | |
| Tree | Bald Cypress | |
| Bird | Brown Pelican |
Louisiana news
- August 27: Tropical Storm Isaac creates worries across US gulf states
- June 16: FanFiction.Net adult content purge felt across fandom two weeks on
- June 12: Louisiana State University loses spot in college world series
- May 20: Wikinews interviews John Wolfe, Democratic Party presidential challenger to Barack Obama
- May 5: On the campaign trail, April 2012
- April 4: On the campaign trail, March 2012
- February 23: Buddy Roemer ends Republican presidential bid to seek Reform Party nomination
- December 1: Campaign manager: 100 percent chance Buddy Roemer will run for Americans Elect presidential nomination
- October 30: Wikinews interviews Buddy Roemer, U.S. Republican Party presidential candidate
- October 17: 'Homer Simpson' contributes to U.S. presidential candidate Buddy Roemer
Categories
Web resources
| Official State of Louisiana website |
- Louisiana State Government
- History and Culture of Louisiana
- Census Statistics on Louisiana
- U.S. Census Bureau
- USDA Louisiana Statistical Facts
- USGS real-time, geographic, and other scientific resources of Louisiana
- Louisiana Geographic Information Center
- Photos of Louisiana - Dept. of Culture, Recreation, and Tourism
Spotlight city
The city of Plaquemine is the parish seat of Iberville Parish, in the US state of Louisiana. Plaquemine was noted to be settled as early as 1775. Due to its location at the juncture of Bayou Plaquemine with the Mississippi River, the village soon began to prosper and grow. By 1838, the town was incorporated, electing Zenon LaBauve as its first mayor. Plaquemine continued to grow in the antebellum era. Massive plantations were constructed in nearby regions. The town has been the seat of Iberville Parish government since its incorporation. The former Parish Courthouse on Railroad Avenue has been serving as City Hall since 1985.
The Plaquemine Lock, constructed from 1895-1909, was a vitally important link between the Mississippi River and the Intracoastal Canal, of which Bayou Plaquemine served as its northern terminus. Its design served as the proto-type for the upcoming Panama Canal locks. The locks were shut in 1961. Today, it is operated as a state park. (read more . . . )
Louisiana Topics
Topics: Louisianans - Constitution - Governors - Attorneys General - Legislature - Supreme Court
Cities: Alexandria - Baton Rouge - Bossier City - Houma - Kenner - Lafayette - Lake Charles - Monroe - New Iberia - New Orleans - Opelousas - Ruston - Shreveport - Slidell - Sulphur
Geography: Lakes - Parks - North Louisiana - South Louisiana
Education: Elementary schools - Middle schools - High schools - UIL
People: Actors - Writers - Musicians - Cajun people - Creole people - People from Baton Rouge - Native American Tribes
Industries: Agriculture - Oil - University of Louisiana System
Metros: Alexandria - Baton Rouge - Houma‑Bayou Cane‑Thibodaux - Lafayette - Lake Charles - Monroe - New Orleans - Shreveport‑Bossier City
Parishes: Acadia - Allen - Ascension - Assumption - Avoyelles - Beauregard - Bienville - Bossier - Caddo - Calcasieu - Caldwell - Cameron - Catahoula - Claiborne - Concordia - De Soto - East Baton Rouge - East Carroll - East Feliciana - Evangeline - Franklin - Grant - Iberia - Iberville - Jackson - Jefferson - Jefferson Davis - La Salle - Lafayette - Lafourche - Lincoln - Livingston - Madison - Morehouse - Natchitoches - Orleans - Ouachita - Plaquemines - Pointe Coupee - Rapides - Red River - Richland - Sabine - St. Bernard - St. Charles - St. Helena - St. James - St. John the Baptist - St. Landry - St. Martin - St. Mary - St. Tammany - Tangipahoa - Tensas - Terrebonne - Union - Vermilion - Vernon - Washington - Webster - West Baton Rouge - West Carroll - West Feliciana - Winn
Statistics: Population
Things you can do
 |
Here are some tasks you can do:
|
