Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is located in the southern part of the United States, bordering Arkansas, Mississippi, Texas, and the Gulf of Mexico. Louisiana was named after Louis XIV of France. Sieur de la Salle claimed the territory drained by the Mississippi River for France and called it La Louisane, meaning “Land of Louis.” There are still remnants of French influence throughout Louisiana, seen in the food, architecture, and the high number of French speaking locals.
Louisiana is the only state in the US with the political subdivisions known as parishes, which are local governmental separations akin to counties. The largest parish is East Baton Rouge. Many of the more urban environments of Louisiana have an extremely multicultural and multilingual heritage, recalling 18th century French, Spanish, Native American, and African cultures.
Louisiana is also the home of New Orleans, which is well known for its distinct French Creole architecture, as well as its cross-cultural and multilingual heritage. New Orleans is famous for its cuisine, music (particularly as the birthplace of jazz and its most famous patriarch, Louis Armstrong), and its annual celebrations and festivals, most notably, Mardi Gras. The city is often referred to as the “most unique” in America.
