General Information
Nickname
Pelican State
State bird
Brown Pelican
State flower
Magnolia Grandiflora
Capital
Baton Rouge
Date of admission to the Union
April 30 1812
Population
4,515,770 (official estimate 2004)
Population density
33.6 per sq km
2003 total overseas arrivals/US ranking
216,000/22
Time
Central (GMT - 6). Daylight Saving Time is observed.
The State
Louisiana’s marshy Mississippi Valley is one of the most attractive areas of the USA. New Orleans, its largest city, is one of the country’s major tourist destinations. It is famed for Dixieland jazz, architecture, superb cuisine and its unique French Quarter. The city also boasts a wide choice of museums and galleries. Other places to see in the State include Lafayette, a city of magnificent gardens and the start of the 40km (25 mile) Azalea Trail; the Atchafalaya Basin, the largest and most remote swamp in the USA; the huge salt domes of Avery; and Alexandria, surrounded by forests and parks. The 138m- (452ft-) high marble and limestone Capitol Building is situated in Baton Rouge.
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