Louisiana (New World)

State of Louisiana État de Louisiane Léta de la Lwizyàn
Flag Seal Nickname(s): Bayou State • Child of the Mississippi Creole State • Pelican State (official) Sportsman's Paradise • Sugar State Motto(s): Union, Justice and Confidence Union, justice, et confiance (French) Lunyon, Jistis, é Konfyans (Louisiana Creole)
Official language(s)	De jure: None De facto: English and French
Demonym	Louisianan, Louisianais (French) Lwizyané(èz) (Creole)
Capital	Baton Rouge
Largest city	New Orleans
Largest metro area	New Orleans metro area
Area	Ranked 31st in the US
- Total	51,885 sq mi (135,382 km2)
- Width	130 miles (210 km)
- Length	379 miles (610 km)
- % water	15
- Latitude	28° 56′ N to 33° 01′ N
- Longitude	88° 49′ W to 94° 03′ W
Population	Ranked 25th in the US
- Total	4,410,796 (2008 est.)
- Density	102.59/sq mi  (39.61/km2) Ranked 24th in the US
Elevation
- Highest point	Driskill Mountain 535 ft  (163 m)
- Mean	98 ft  (30 m)
- Lowest point	New Orleans -8 ft  (-2 m)
Admission to Union	April 30, 1812 (18th)
Governor	Billy Jindal (R)
Lieutenant Governor	Elisabeth Angelle (R)
Legislature	State Legislature
-Upper house	State Senate
-Lower house	House of Representatives
U.S. Senators	Mary Landrieu (D) Stephanie Clifford (R)
U.S. House delegation	6 Republicans, 1 Democrat (list)
Time zone	Central: UTC-6/-5
Abbreviations	LA US-LA
Website	http://www.louisiana.gov

The state of Louisiana ( /luːˌiːziˈænə/ or  /ˌluːziˈænə/; French: fr: 'État de Louisiane', [lwizjan]  ( listen); Louisiana Creole: Léta de la Lwizyàn) is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties. The largest parish by population is Jefferson Parish, and the largest by land area is Cameron Parish.

Some Louisiana urban environments have a multicultural, multilingual heritage, being so strongly influenced by an admixture of 18th century French, Spanish and African cultures that they are considered to be somewhat exceptional in the U.S. Before the American influx and statehood at the beginning of the 19th century, the territory of current Louisiana State had been a Spanish and French colony. In addition, the pattern of development included importing numerous Africans in the 18th century, with many from the same region of West Africa, thus concentrating their culture.