Geography of Louisiana

Introduction to Geography of Louisiana

Louisiana, one of the southern states of the United States. It is bounded by Arkansas, Mississippi, and Texas on land, and by the Gulf of Mexico. Louisiana is shaped roughly like a boot. Most of the state is west of the Mississippi River; part of the toe of the boot lies east of the Mississippi. The state's total area is 51,843 square miles (134,275 km 2 ).

Louisiana is a state of great diversity and economic vitality. It produces a major share of the nation's petroleum and natural gas and has huge industrial complexes. New Orleans is one of the nation's chief ports for domestic and international shipping. Louisiana also has small bayou towns, swamps and marshes with abundant wildlife, and vast areas of rich farmland. To many, the state is best known for pre-Civil War mansions, for jazz and the annual Mardi Gras festival in New Orleans, and for Cajun and Creole culture and cuisine.

Physical Geography

The state lies entirely within the Gulf Coastal Plain region of the United States and is one of the lowest and flattest areas in the country. The surface has an average elevation of about 100 feet (30 m) above sea level. From the north the land slopes gently downward toward the coast. The coastal section is greatly indented with bays and inlets and is dotted by marshes, shallow brackish lakes, and lagoons. Much of southern Louisiana, including the Mississippi Delta south of New Orleans, is extremely low-lying and marshy and is largely uninhabited. Numerous islands and sandbanks lie offshore. The largest island is Marsh Island.

The state's highest elevations are in the northwest, where some of the land is hilly. The state's highest point, Driskill Mountain, reaches 535 feet (163 m) above sea level. The Mississippi and Red River valleys and their floodplains occupy much of the rest of northern and central Louisiana.

Louisiana has a variety of water features. The state is crossed by numerous rivers. Bayous (sluggish small streams) wind through the land, especially in the south, where the surface is flattest and lowest. Rivers are often bordered by swamps, marshes, oxbow lakes, and levees.

The principal river is the Mississippi. Flowing southward along the Louisiana-Mississippi state line, it crosses southern Louisiana and empties into the Gulf of Mexico through multiple channels in its delta. Because of levees built along its banks, many of the rivers that once flowed into the Mississippi now follow different courses to the Gulf.

Most of northern Louisiana is drained by the Red River and its tributaries, particularly the Ouachita-Black river system. The Red River once flowed entirely into the Mississippi, but it has been diverted before its junction with the Mississippi and now flows chiefly into the Atchafalaya River and on to the Gulf. In addition to the Atchafalaya, the large rivers of southern Louisiana include the Bayou Lafourche, Bayou Teche, Calcasieu, Pearl, and Sabine.

Lake Pontchartrain, a brackish lake, is the state's largest natural lake; New Orleans is on its southern shore. Toledo Bend Reservoir on the Sabine River, an artificial lake shared by Louisiana and Texas, is the largest freshwater lake.

The climate is subtropical and varies mainly with distance from the Gulf of Mexico. Summers are hot and humid; winters are mild. July temperatures average from 81° to 83° F. (27° to 28° C.) throughout the state; average January temperatures range from 53º F. (12º C.) in the south to 47º F. (8º C.) in the north. Freezing temperatures, snow, and sleet occur infrequently, especially in the extreme south.

Annual precipitation varies from about 46 inches (1,170 mm) in the north to 66 inches (1,680 mm) in the south. Much of the rain is brought by summer thunderstorms. Hurricanes and tornadoes occasionally strike the state.

Louisiana has a striking variety of natural vegetation. About half of the state is forested. Bottomlands, particularly in the Mississippi and Red River valleys, are forested mainly with cypress and various hardwoods, including oak, water tupelo, willow, and cottonwood. Higher, better drained areas in central and northern Louisiana have both hardwoods and pines, mainly loblolly and shortleaf pine. Farther south longleaf and slash pine are more common. A broad prairie region lies just south of the forests in the southwest. Swamps are found in many parts of southern Louisiana, particularly in the Atcha-falaya basin. These areas support bald cypress and such plants as Spanish moss, vines, ferns, and water hyacinth. Along the Gulf coast are saltwater, freshwater, and brackish marshes.

Wildlife is abundant in the numerous marshes and swamps that are still virtually undisturbed by man. Deer, squirrels, nutrias, raccoons, and muskrats are common. Alligators, frogs, and various snakes are found in many areas. A great variety of fish, crustaceans, and birds thrive in Louisiana's wetlands. The state is visited by numerous species of migratory birds, particularly waterfowl and wading birds, such as egrets and other herons.

Economy

Rich farmland, forests, and fishing grounds were for many years the basis of the state's economy. Until the Civil War, Louisiana was one of the most prosperous southern states. The war, however, devastated the economy, and recovery took several decades. In the early 20th century, economic development was given a boost by the discovery of oil and natural gas, which are now the state's most valuable products. Although agriculture, forestry, and fishing employ a relatively small share of the work force, they continue to be economic mainstays, supplying many of the commodities used in the state's manufacturing and processing industries. Tourism has become an important source of jobs and income, especially in New Orleans---a popular location for conventions and trade shows.

Louisiana's chief manufacturing activity, in terms of employment and value added by manufacturing, is the making of petroleum products and chemicals. Refineries and chemical plants are found largely along the Mississippi River, especially in and around Baton Rouge and New Orleans and in the vicinity of Lake Charles and Shreveport. Major products include industrial chemicals, petrochemicals, paints, and plastics. Enterprises engaged in food processing also provide a large share of the manufacturing jobs. Sugar refining and rice milling, along with meat, dairy, and fish processing, are among the principal activities. In addition, Louisiana is a large producer of pulp, paper, plywood, and various other wood products. Also important are the making of machinery and electrical equipment; truck assembly; and shipbuilding and ship repairing.

Louisiana produces a great variety of crops, which account for about three-fourths of all farm income. For many years cotton and sugarcane were the chief commercial crops. They are still grown in large amounts, but in some years are equaled or exceeded in value by soybeans and rice. Both were introduced into Louisiana after World War II. Sugarcane is grown primarily in southeastern and south-central Louisiana; rice predominates on irrigated lands in the southwest. Soybeans and cotton are produced throughout much of the state. Other major crops include corn, grain sorghum, and hay. Livestock raising is done primarily in the southeastern, north-central, and western parts of Louisiana. Cattle are the chief livestock raised.

Louisiana usually ranks among the top five producers of petroleum and natural gas in the United States. Petroleum comes primarily from offshore wells and also from scattered mainland fields; natural gas is found mainly in the north. Together these products account for most of the value of the state's mineral output. Also produced are large amounts of salt and sulfur.

Nearly all of the state's forests are privately owned and of commercial quality. In the early decades of the 20th century indiscriminate cutting of trees virtually depleted the state's forests. Since then there has been large-scale reforestation, primarily with fast-growing pines. Both hardwoods and softwoods, mainly pine, are cut; softwoods make up the greater share of wood cut.

Louisiana's fish catch is the nation's second largest in tonnage and value---after that of Alaska. Most of the catch is landed at Cameron and other coastal cities, including Dulac, Chauvin, Empire, and Venice. The chief species caught include menhaden (processed for fertilizer and other nonfood uses). In total value, shrimp make up the leading catch. Also significant are crabs, oysters, black and red drum, and sea trout. Catfish, raised in ponds, are also commercially important. Crayfish, mainly from the Atchafalaya basin, are a Louisiana delicacy.

Louisiana has an extensive system of good roads and highways, which include one north-south and two east-west Interstate routes. Several trunk rail lines meet at New Orleans. The only major city served by Amtrak is New Orleans.

Serving the state is an extensive network of navigable waterways, the principal ones being the Mississippi River and the Intra-coastal Waterway. The chief ports are New Orleans, one of the nation's busiest; Baton Rouge; and Lake Charles.

Air service is provided by several major domestic airlines and a number of international carriers flying Latin American routes. New Orleans' international airport is the state's largest and busiest airport.

The People

Slightly less than two-thirds of the people are white, mainly of French, Spanish, English, Irish, Scottish, or German descent. Nearly all the rest are black.

Louisiana's culture shows the influences of its varied settlers, especially the French. French is the household language of many families. Descendants of early French and Spanish settlers are called Creoles. Cajuns (the name is derived from Acadians) are descendants of the colonial French Acadians who came mainly from Nova Scotia between 1765 and 1785. Cajuns speak a kind of French that includes many foreign words, particularly ones from German, English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

Education

The superintendent of public education, who is appointed to a four-year term by the state board of education, supervises the department of education. The superintendent implements the policies of the board of education, which contains both elected officials and members appointed by the governor. School attendance is compulsory from age 7 to 17.

Some of the nation's first schools for girls were founded by the Ursuline nuns at New Orleans in 1727. Lutheran schools were established in that city during the 1830's. New Orleans appointed a city director of education in 1826; he was the first municipal public school superintendent in the United States. However, most of Louisiana's schools were private, church-affiliated institutions until after World War I, when public schools gradually became more common.

The University of Louisiana System consists of Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College at Baton Rouge; the University of New Orleans; the Medical Center in New Orleans; Louisiana State University in Shreveport; and two-year campuses at Alexandria and Eunice. The oldest and largest unit is the one at Baton Rouge, opened in 1860 as the Louisiana State Seminary of Learning. It was renamed Louisiana State University in 1870 and seven years later merged with Louisiana Agricultural and Mechanical College and adopted the present name. The largest private institution in the state, and one of the oldest, is Tulane University in New Orleans.

Government

Louisiana has had 11 constitutions, more than any other state. The present constitution was adopted in 1974, effective January 1, 1975.

The legislature consists of a senate of 39 members and a house of representatives of 105. All members are elected to four-year terms. The executive branch is headed by the governor, who is elected to a four-year term. Other elected members of the executive branch are the lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, treasurer, and the commissioners of agriculture, insurance, and elections. Each is also elected for four years.

The state judiciary is headed by the Supreme Court, which consists of a chief justice and six associate justices, all elected for 10 years. Other courts include a court of appeals, district courts, and local courts.

Louisiana's legal system is a fusion of old French and Spanish law and the Code Napoléon, combined with some elements of English common law. In this respect it differs from the legal systems of the other states, which are based mainly on common law.

Louisiana is divided into 64 parishes, which correspond to counties. The state sends two senators and seven representatives to Washington.