Information and history of the state of Louisiana

Louisiana has a rich, colorful historical background. Early Spanish explorers were Alvárez Piñeda, 1519; Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, 1528; and Hernando de Soto in 1541. Sieur de la Salle reached the mouth of the Mississippi and claimed all the land drained by it and its tributaries for Louis XIV of France in 1682.

Louisiana became a French crown colony in 1731 but was ceded to Spain in 1763 after the French and Indian Wars. Louisiana reverted to France in 1800 and was sold by Napoleon to the U.S. in 1803.

Louisiana became a U.S. State on April 30, 1812.

Some Louisisana Symbols

1. State Bird	2. State Mammal	3. State Flower	4. State Insect	5. State Fruit
6. State Tree	7. State Mineral	8. State Instrument	9. State Fish	10. State Cuisine

1. Brown Pelican - The brown pelican was designated the state bird of Louisiana in 1966. Early European settlers were impressed with the pelican's generous and nurturing attitude toward their young, and the brown pelican has been a symbol of Louisiana since that time.
2. Black Bear- The Louisiana black bear was designated the official state mammal of Louisiana in 1992. Bears are very intelligent, shy and secretive animals - actually seeing a bear in the wild is a very rare experience.
3. Magnolia - The magnolia blossom was designated the state flower of Louisiana in 1900. The southern magnolia is a medium size hardwood tree that grows in the southest USA.
4. Honeybee -Louisiana designated the honeybee as official state insect in 1977. Bee pollination is critical to plant and human survival - beeswax and honey are just surplus gifts from this tiny wonder of nature.
5. Strawberry - Louisiana designated the strawberry as the official state fruit in 1908 and 2001.
6. Bald Cypress - Louisiana designated the bald cypress official state tree in 1963. Unlike most conifers (which are evergreens), the bald cypress is deciduous (loses its needles in the fall - giving the tree a "bald" appearance). A majestic tree that grows in many parts of Louisiana, particularly in swampy areas.
7. Agate - Agate was originally designated the state gemstone of Louisiana in 1976. In 2011 Act 232 of the Louisiana legislature amended this state symbol to henceforth be the state mineral.
8. Diatonic or "Cajun" Accordion - The diatonic acccordian was designated the official musical instrument of Louisiana in 1990. The diatonic accordion (also called a "squeeze box" or a "Cajun accordion") arrived in Louisiana from Germany in the mid to late 1890's and by the early 1900's had become a key element in Cajun music.
9. White Perch - The white perch was designated the official freshwater fish of Louisiana in 1993. Also called sac-au-lait , white crappie, speckled perch, papermouth, goggleeye, silver bass, and bachelor perch, the white perch is a schooling fish in the sunfish family.
10. Gumbo - Louisiana designated gumbo as the official state cuisine in 2004.

Did you know?

• Louisiana has the tallest state capitol building in the United States; the building is 450 feet tall with 34 floors.
• Louisiana is the only state in the union that does not have counties. Its political subdivisions are called parishes.
• 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.
• The world famous "Mardi Gras" is celebrated in New Orleans. Mardi Gras is an ancient custom that originated in southern Europe. It celebrates food and fun just before the 40 days of Lent: a Catholic time of prayer and sacrifice.
• Metairie is home to the longest bridge over water in the world, the Lake Pontchartrain causeway. The causeway connects Metairie with St. Tammany Parish on the North Shore. The causeway is 24 miles long.
• The Saint Charles streetcar line in New Orleans and the San Francisco, California cable cars are the nation's only mobile national monuments.
• The first American army to have African American officers was the confederate Louisiana Native Guards. The Corps d'Afrique at Port Hudson was sworn into service on September 27, 1862.