Louisiana is a state in the southern region of the US, most famously known for its largest city of New Orleans. The so-called Bayou State garners a lot of stereotypes, some of which are accurate and others are pure fiction. Here, we will venture to shed some light on fact and fiction surround the stories of Louisiana.
1 - Contrary to popular assumption, New Orleans is not the capitol city of Louisiana. Baton Rouge is.
2 - The state was named after Louis XIV, the King of France at the time the region was claimed by Rene-Robert Cavelier.
3 - The original Louisiana Territory stretched from Mobile Bay all the way up to what is now southwestern Canada.
4 - The motto of Louisiana is "Union, Justice and Confidence".
5 - The official languages are English and French.
6 - The climate of Louisiana is humid subtropical, not tropical monsoon as is widely believed.
7 - Louisiana is the only state in the US that does not have counties. Civil districts are called 'parishes'.
8 - The term used for divisions of area within Louisiana harkens back to French colonial days when a parish priest would be responsible for a particular unit of land and its people.
9 - Louisiana is the only state with a significant population of Cajuns.
10 - Cajuns are descendants of the Acadian French who were driven out of Canada.
11 - The confederate Louisiana Native Guards was the first American army to have members of African descent.
12 - The city of Rayne is known as "The Frog Capitol of the World".
13 - Louisiana has the second largest population of African Americans in the US.
14 - As of 2005 the per capita personal income in Louisiana was $30,952 - 41st in the US
15 - The seafood industry supports 16,000 jobs in Louisiana.
16 - Louisiana was the first state to offer the option of a covenant marriage, in which the couple must show cause for separation if a divorce is wanted. In a traditional marriage there is a six month no-fault period.
17 - It is illegal to marry your sibling, aunt, nephew, niece, uncle, or first cousin in Louisiana.
18 - Same-sex marriage is illegal in Louisiana.
19 - Of those claiming to have religious affiliations in Louisiana, 90% are Christian.
20 - The Magnolia is the Louisiana state flower.
21 - In 1990 the Diatonic Accordion was made the official Louisiana state musical instrument.
22 - In 1917 the first Tarzan movie was filmed in Louisiana.
23 - Louisiana is second highest producer of sugar cane in North America.
24 - The state is also the second highest producer of the sweet potato in North America.
25 - The state of Louisiana has the largest concentration of crude oil, natural gas and petrochemical production facilities in the Western Hemisphere.
26 - Louisiana has the longest coastline of any US state.
27 - The town of Jean Lafitte was named after a famous pirate, and was an avidly used hideaway for pirates.
28 - Portions of the Mississippi River that run near New Orleans, lie below sea level.
29 - The highest point in Louisiana is the summit of Driskill Mountain, at a meager 535 feet.
30 - In Louisiana, it is illegal to gargle in public.
31 - Breaux Bridge is widely known in Louisiana as the "Crawfish Capitol".
32 - The longest bridge that runs over water - in the world - is in Metairie, Louisiana. It is 24 miles long.
33 - If you steal an alligator, the Louisiana State Police will put you in prison for up to ten years.
34 - According to an article in the 2011 Louisiana Law Review, an offender is 2.6 times more likely to be given the death penalty for killing a white person than a black person.
35 - The Superdome in New Orleans is the world's largest enclosed stadium.
36 - Louisiana is home to 6.5 million acres of wetlands.
1 - Contrary to popular assumption, New Orleans is not the capitol city of Louisiana. Baton Rouge is.
2 - The state was named after Louis XIV, the King of France at the time the region was claimed by Rene-Robert Cavelier.
3 - The original Louisiana Territory stretched from Mobile Bay all the way up to what is now southwestern Canada.
4 - The motto of Louisiana is "Union, Justice and Confidence".
5 - The official languages are English and French.
6 - The climate of Louisiana is humid subtropical, not tropical monsoon as is widely believed.
7 - Louisiana is the only state in the US that does not have counties. Civil districts are called 'parishes'.
8 - The term used for divisions of area within Louisiana harkens back to French colonial days when a parish priest would be responsible for a particular unit of land and its people.
9 - Louisiana is the only state with a significant population of Cajuns.
10 - Cajuns are descendants of the Acadian French who were driven out of Canada.
11 - The confederate Louisiana Native Guards was the first American army to have members of African descent.
12 - The city of Rayne is known as "The Frog Capitol of the World".
13 - Louisiana has the second largest population of African Americans in the US.
14 - As of 2005 the per capita personal income in Louisiana was $30,952 - 41st in the US
15 - The seafood industry supports 16,000 jobs in Louisiana.
16 - Louisiana was the first state to offer the option of a covenant marriage, in which the couple must show cause for separation if a divorce is wanted. In a traditional marriage there is a six month no-fault period.
17 - It is illegal to marry your sibling, aunt, nephew, niece, uncle, or first cousin in Louisiana.
18 - Same-sex marriage is illegal in Louisiana.
19 - Of those claiming to have religious affiliations in Louisiana, 90% are Christian.
20 - The Magnolia is the Louisiana state flower.
21 - In 1990 the Diatonic Accordion was made the official Louisiana state musical instrument.
22 - In 1917 the first Tarzan movie was filmed in Louisiana.
23 - Louisiana is second highest producer of sugar cane in North America.
24 - The state is also the second highest producer of the sweet potato in North America.
25 - The state of Louisiana has the largest concentration of crude oil, natural gas and petrochemical production facilities in the Western Hemisphere.
26 - Louisiana has the longest coastline of any US state.
27 - The town of Jean Lafitte was named after a famous pirate, and was an avidly used hideaway for pirates.
28 - Portions of the Mississippi River that run near New Orleans, lie below sea level.
29 - The highest point in Louisiana is the summit of Driskill Mountain, at a meager 535 feet.
30 - In Louisiana, it is illegal to gargle in public.
31 - Breaux Bridge is widely known in Louisiana as the "Crawfish Capitol".
32 - The longest bridge that runs over water - in the world - is in Metairie, Louisiana. It is 24 miles long.
33 - If you steal an alligator, the Louisiana State Police will put you in prison for up to ten years.
34 - According to an article in the 2011 Louisiana Law Review, an offender is 2.6 times more likely to be given the death penalty for killing a white person than a black person.
35 - The Superdome in New Orleans is the world's largest enclosed stadium.
36 - Louisiana is home to 6.5 million acres of wetlands.
About the Author:
BookIt is an online travel company determined and dedicated to becoming the leader in providing travelers with the most intuitive online booking experience full of relevant information, helpful guides and travel tips. Find great deals on hotel monteleone at BookIt!