One of the most favorably located states in the nation, Louisiana stands astride the mouth of the mighty Mississippi River on the Gulf of Mexico. To the north lies the vast basin of the Mississippi, one of the richest river valleys in the world. To the south, across the Gulf, are the growing markets of Central and South America. This location has made Louisiana one of the great commercial states. Indeed, its strategic position was a principal reason for the Louisiana Purchase in 1803.
Today it is a state in the final stages of transition--from a rural, agricultural economy to an urban, industrial one centered upon its cities. The transition can produce some peculiar contrasts. In cosmopolitan New Orleans a giant facility for the manufacture of the huge external fuel tanks of the space shuttle bears witness to Louisiana's commitment to the Space Age. The production of these tanks--and the earlier manufacture of the C-5 boosters used in the Apollo moon landing program--has made Louisiana a vital part of the United States space program. Nearby, a few die-hard Cajun trappers continue to ply the bayous in hand-carved cypress pirogues, hunting fur-bearing animals much as their ancestors did. Tenant farmers still work some of Louisiana's farms, but they are steadily being displaced by modern machinery.
Since World War II Louisiana has made great progress in attracting new industries, particularly those capable of utilizing the rich mineral resources that are the state's principal source of wealth. By 1990, Louisiana's more than 90 chemical plants manufactured one quarter of all United States petrochemicals, and its 12 major refineries produced 10 billion gallons of gasoline. New Orleans handles more tonnage than any other port in the United States, shipping much of the nation's petroleum and grain. When tonnage moved by Louisiana's three other world ports and its Superport for large tankers is added to the New Orleans figure, the total gives Louisiana the status of the busiest port system in the world.
For almost a hundred years Louisiana was settled and controlled by France and Spain. This early history is evident in the many French and Spanish names on its map and the fact that the state is divided into parishes rather than counties. Louisiana's governmental units were originally church units set up by the Spanish in the late 1600s. The state also has a strong French and Spanish heritage in its population, customs, and architecture. Louisiana's civil law is based on France's Napoleonic Code, rather than on English common law as in the other states, and was influenced by old Spanish laws. Louisiana, meaning land of Louis, was named by the explorer La Salle in honor of King Louis XIV of France. The nickname Pelican State comes from the pelicans that lived along the Gulf coast but are now nearly extinct.
Louisiana lies in the southern part of the United States. To the east is the state of Mississippi, separated by three boundaries--the Mississippi River, the 31st parallel, and the Pearl River. Arkansas is to the north. To the west is Texas, separated from Louisiana in part by the Sabine River. Louisiana's southern coastline, 397 miles (639 kilometers) in length, is on the Gulf of Mexico. The state is shaped somewhat like a boot, with its toe pointing eastward along the gulf. Its greatest length is 300 miles (483 kilometers) from east to west. Its width is 275 miles (443 kilometers), from north to south. Its area is 48,523 square miles (125,674 square kilometers), including 3,989 square miles (10,331 square kilometers) of inland water.
