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Louisiana has a rich, colorful historical
background. Early Spanish explorers were Alvárez Piñeda, 1519;
Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, 1528; and Hernando de Soto in 1541.
Sieur de la Salle reached the mouth of the Mississippi and
claimed all the land drained by it and its tributaries for Louis
XIV of France in 1682.
Louisiana became a French crown colony in 1731 but was ceded to
Spain in 1763 after the French and Indian Wars. (The portion
east of the Mississippi came under British control in 1764.)
Louisiana reverted to France in 1800 and was sold by Napoleon to
the U.S. in 1803. The southern part, known as the territory of
Orleans, became the state of Louisiana in 1812.
During the Civil War, Louisiana joined the Confederacy, but New
Orleans was captured by Union Adm. David Farragut in April 1862.
The state's economy suffered during Reconstruction; however, the
situation improved at the turn of the 20th century, with the
discovery of oil and natural gas and the growth of industry.
Louisiana is a leader in natural gas, salt, petroleum, and
sulfur production. Much of the oil and sulfur comes from
offshore deposits. The state also produces large crops of sweet
potatoes, rice, sugar cane, pecans, soybeans, corn, and cotton.
Leading manufactured items include chemicals, processed food,
petroleum and coal products, paper, lumber and wood products,
transportation equipment, and apparel.
The state has become a popular tourist destination. New Orleans
is the major draw, known particularly for its picturesque French
Quarter and the annual Mardi Gras celebration, held since 1838.
Other major points of interest include the Superdome in New
Orleans, historic plantation homes near Natchitoches and New
Iberia, Cajun country in the Mississippi Delta Region, Chalmette
National Historic Park, and the state capital at Baton Rouge.
On Aug. 29, 2005, Louisiana was hit by Hurricane Katrina,
devastating New Orleans, and killing hundreds elsewhere in the
state, particularly in the parishes of Jefferson and St.
Bernard. As of Jan. 2006, the unofficial Louisiana Katrina death
toll was 1,100. Federal and local officials were widely
criticized for their slow and inadequate response to the initial
disaster and subsequent recovery programs. |
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