"Keeweechic's Louisiana" a Louisiana Travel Page by keeweechic

Louisiana's past has probably been the most colourful and the most varied than any other State in America. It has been home to Native American Indians, Spanish conquistadors, French fur traders, English merchants, African slaves and of course Americans. The state has been governed under 10 different flags - the first beginning in 1541. At the outbreak of the Civil War, Louisiana became an independent republic for six weeks before joining the Confederacy. Every culture and every tradition has left its mark making Louisiana one of the most unusual states in America. 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. It is also the only state in the union that does not have counties. The political subdivisions are called parishes.

Much of Louisiana's early history was a trading and financial centre. The richness of the land and the production of indigo, tobacco, sugar and cotton made the area one of the wealthiest regions in America. Louisiana has become a major American producer of oil and natural gas. It is the centre of petroleum refining and petrochemicals manufacturing.

Other nationalities who have now settled in Louisiana are the Hungarians who became harvesters in the Albany area with Strawberry and other crops and the Yugoslavians who have built up successful oyster farming along the Gulf Coast.

Louisiana is divided up into 5 regions. Cajun Country, Crossroads, Greater New Orleans, Plantation Country and Sportsman's Paradise.

Cajun Country covers much of Southern Louisiana. The origins of the people are French speaking Acadians who were driven from their homes in Nova Scotia in 1755.

The Crossroads region cuts across the centre of the state. The people are of Franco-African, Indian, Acadian French and Spanish descent.

Greater New Orleans curves around the bend of the Mississippi. There is a very big French influence here although a lot of the architecture is Spanish.

Plantation Country is the heart of The Blues which was sung by the slaves as they worked. The Capital of Louisiana, Baton Rouge, sits in Plantation Country. Many wonderful old plantation homes can be found extending down to New Orleans.

Sportsman?s Paradise is more the northern part of Louisiana whose settlers were not French and Spanish but Anglo-Saxon pioneers who moved west from other southern states. The heritage and accents are different as is the cuisine.

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