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Copyright 2001. The Lazy 'C' - All rights reserved.
history
In 1912, the Louisiana State Legislature officially adopted the present state flag. It depicts the state bird, the Eastern Brown Pelican and the state motto: Union, Justice and Confidence.
Nickname: The Pelican State.
Capital: Baton Rouge.
Constitution: The 18th State.
Statehood: April 30th 1812.
Motto: Union, Justice and Confidence
History:
When Spanish explorers arrived in the Louisiana area during the mid-1500's, about 12,000 Indians lived there. In 1682, the French explorer Rene-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle, claimed the entire Mississippi Valley for his country.
France sold the area to the United States in 1803 (LOUISIANA PURCHASE).
Louisiana seceded (withdrew) from the Union in 1861 and was readmitted in 1868.
Engineers dredged the mouth of the Mississippi River in 1879 so that large ocean ships could reach New Orleans. From 1961 onwards, Louisiana played a major role in the U.S. space programme. In the mid 1980's, a drop in oil prices led to a severe economic decline in Louisiana.
Bird:
Louisiana's state bird is the Eastern Brown Pelican. The lower portion of the pelican's large bill is a pouch that can be greatly extended. Pelicans eat fish, catching them by scooping up salt water with their pouch. The average one-month-old pelican eats about five pounds of fish a day! The pelican is featured on Louisiana's flag and state seal, and one of Louisiana's nicknames is "The Pelican State."
Economy:
Agriculture: Seafood, cotton, soybeans, cattle, sugarcane, poultry and eggs, dairy products, rice.
Industry: Chemical products, petroleum and coal products, food processing, transportation equipment, paper products, tourism.
Flower:
The state flower of Louisiana is the magnolia. In the summer, the state's thousands of magnolia flowers have an especially rich fragrance. The blooms are very large and creamy white. The magnolia tree is an evergreen.
Origin of state's name:
Named in honour of France's King Louis XIV.
Tree:
About half of Louisiana is covered with timber of various kinds. The bald cypress (Taxodium distichum), the Louisiana state tree, is a beautiful hardwood that grows all over the state, especially in swampy areas. Many houses and building built of cypress over a hundred years ago still stand today in Louisiana, and are almost as good as new.
When Spanish explorers arrived in the Louisiana area during the mid-1500's, about 12,000 Indians lived there. In 1682, the French explorer Rene-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle, claimed the entire Mississippi Valley for his country.
France sold the area to the United States in 1803 (LOUISIANA PURCHASE).
Louisiana seceded (withdrew) from the Union in 1861 and was readmitted in 1868.
Engineers dredged the mouth of the Mississippi River in 1879 so that large ocean ships could reach New Orleans. From 1961 onwards, Louisiana played a major role in the U.S. space programme. In the mid 1980's, a drop in oil prices led to a severe economic decline in Louisiana.
Bird:
Louisiana's state bird is the Eastern Brown Pelican. The lower portion of the pelican's large bill is a pouch that can be greatly extended. Pelicans eat fish, catching them by scooping up salt water with their pouch. The average one-month-old pelican eats about five pounds of fish a day! The pelican is featured on Louisiana's flag and state seal, and one of Louisiana's nicknames is "The Pelican State."
Economy:
Agriculture: Seafood, cotton, soybeans, cattle, sugarcane, poultry and eggs, dairy products, rice.
Industry: Chemical products, petroleum and coal products, food processing, transportation equipment, paper products, tourism.
Flower:
The state flower of Louisiana is the magnolia. In the summer, the state's thousands of magnolia flowers have an especially rich fragrance. The blooms are very large and creamy white. The magnolia tree is an evergreen.
Origin of state's name:
Named in honour of France's King Louis XIV.
Tree:
About half of Louisiana is covered with timber of various kinds. The bald cypress (Taxodium distichum), the Louisiana state tree, is a beautiful hardwood that grows all over the state, especially in swampy areas. Many houses and building built of cypress over a hundred years ago still stand today in Louisiana, and are almost as good as new.