Last updated on October 29th, 2023
60. The Louisiana state license plates had the following nicknames and phrases appear on them, beginning with: the “Bayou State”, “World’s Fair Plate” and the “Sportsman’s Paradise Plate.”
61. List of the capitals of Louisiana: New Orleans from 1812-1830; Donaldsville from 1830-1831; New Orleans from 1831-1849; Baton Rouge from 1849-1862; New Orleans from 1862-1882; Baton Rouge since 1882.
62. Monroe: the city’s name came from the steam-powered ship called James Monroe which settlers consider is the turning point in the site’s evolution from outpost into an actual town. The ship was itself named after the 5th US president, James Monroe of Virginia.
63. The St. Charles Avenue Streetcar Line in New Orleans is the oldest continuously operating streetcar line in the United States, dating back to 1835.
64. Louisiana is known for its distinct cuisine, and one of the most iconic dishes is the po’boy sandwich. Legend has it that the name “po’ boy” originated during a streetcar strike in 1929 when the Martin Brothers, former streetcar operators, would feed hungry strikers with sandwiches.
65. The state is also a major producer of soybeans and corn.
66. Avery Island, located in Louisiana, is the birthplace of Tabasco sauce, which has been produced there by the McIlhenny family since 1868.
67. The official drink of Louisiana is milk. In 1983, milk was designated as the state’s official drink due to its importance in its agricultural economy.
68. The annual Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans attracts over 4 million visitors and generates an estimated $1 billion in economic impact.
69. Lafayette, Louisiana, has the most number of restaurants per capita than any city in the region. The residents are partial to spicy and flavorful dishes. In fact, the city attracts lots of tourists thanks to its Cajun food traditions, musical influences, and wild Mardi Gras celebrations.
70. With over 400 festivals celebrated each year, Louisiana has earned the title of the “Festival Capital of America.”
71. One of its vibrant festivals is the Festival International de Louisiane in Lafayette, which celebrates the region’s French heritage and attracts over 300,000 visitors annually.
72. Did you know that in Louisiana “Fat Tuesday” is a big festival that takes place before Ash Wednesday? New Orleans has the most famous “Fat Tuesday” celebration. The festival is also known as the Mardi Gras festival. It has been held there since 1838.
73. Kenner, Louisiana, was first inhabited by the Tchoupitoulas Indians. Incidentally, a group named The Wild Tchoupitoulas was formed in the early 1970s by mixed heritage individuals primarily to perform in the Mardi Gras and honor the tribe. They wore Indian costumes and even recorded their own album.
74. Elvis Presley often went to the Sherveport store of Southern Maid to get some donuts before going to the Louisiana Hayride Show. In fact, he sang the jingle for the brand in 1954. This is the only commercial endorsement he ever did throughout his whole career.
75. At age 13, Dolly Parton recorded her first ever single “Puppy Love” at the Goldband Records studio in Lake Charles. She wrote it two years prior and shows how well she could create relatable songs even at a young age. Parton went on to reach the Billboard #1 in the country charts 26 times.
76. Louisiana is the birthplace of American Jazz.
77. The Preservation Hall in New Orleans is a historic jazz venue that has been showcasing traditional New Orleans jazz since 1961.
78. Jazz legend Louis Armstrong, known as “Satchmo,” was born in New Orleans in 1901. He was known throughout the world and has left an indelible mark on the music world.
79. Louisiana is known for its vibrant music festivals, including the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, which attracted over 650,000 attendees in 2001.
80. The Southern University Marching Band, known as the “Human Jukebox,” has 215 members and is one of the most prestigious HBCU marching bands in the country.
81. The state has a rich literary history, serving as inspiration for acclaimed authors like Tennessee Williams, Kate Chopin, and Ernest J. Gaines. Tennessee Williams lived in New Orleans for over 40 years, and this is where he wrote the world-famous play “A Streetcar Named Desire.”
82. Louisiana has a vibrant film industry, earning the nickname “Hollywood South.” Movies such as “Interview with the Vampire” and “12 Years a Slave” were filmed in the state.
83. Several popular movies were filmed in Houma, Louisiana, including Fight Club, The Butler, The Apostle, Skeleton Key, and Crazy in Alabama. Houma is also the setting for the comic book series Swamp Thing and Suicide Squad.
84. After Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee, Louisiana is the fourth most religious state in the U.S.
85. After New Orleans, Baton Rouge, the capital of Louisiana, is the second largest city in the state.
86. Voodoo is widely practiced in New Orleans. Early proponents included migrants from the Haiti slave revolt of 1791 and freed people of color from West Africa. They merged their religious rituals with local Catholic practices. Voodoo kings and queens were powerful political figures in the city during the 1800s.
87. Louisiana has the fourth-highest adult obesity rate in the U.S. and the third-highest obesity rate for youth ages 10 to 17. For in-depth information about the state of obesity in Louisiana, refer to this page.
88. The Conrad Rice Mill, located in New Iberia, Louisiana, is the oldest independently owned rice mill in the United States still in operation. It was established in 1912. Two of its buildings were listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 10, 1982.
89. The first documented opera performed was staged at the Théâtre de la Rue St. Pierre in New Orleans, Louisiana, on May 22, 1796.
90. The legal system in Louisiana derives from the Civil Code established by the French emperor Napoleon in 1804. Thus, the state’s legal system differs from the other 49 states that follow English common law.
91. Plessy v. Ferguson was a landmark case in the history of the Louisiana Supreme Court. In 1892, Ferguson decided that the segregation laws that existed at the time were not unconstitutional.
92. In Louisiana, sending a surprise pizza delivery to someone’s house without their consent is illegal, thanks to the creation of a law specifically addressing this issue. If caught breaking this law, the fine will be $500.
93. Louisiana has the highest incarceration rate in the United States; according to a study done in 2022, there were 589 prisoners per 100,000 residents.
94. The Louisiana State Penitentiary, also known as Angola Prison, is the largest maximum-security prison in the United States and covers an area as large as the island of Manhattan – 18,000 acres.
95. The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, sometimes only the Causeway, is a fixed link composed of two parallel bridges crossing Lake Pontchartrain in southern Louisiana, United States. The longer of the two bridges is 23.83 miles (38.35 km) long. It is the longest continuous bridge over water.
96. The Louisiana Superdome, also known as the Caesars Superdome, is located in New Orleans. It is the largest enclosed stadium in the United States, and although the stadium seats many more spectators, it has an official seating capacity of over 69,065.
97. The Louisiana State University (LSU) football team, known as the Tigers, has won the NCAA National Championship four times (1958, 2003, 2007, and 2019). This team has played in 54 bowl games, the fifth-highest among all college football programs.
About the Flag of Louisiana
1. Design and Symbolism
The flag of Louisiana features a pelican on an azure field. The bird is on a nest feeding her chicks with drops of her blood. It is a Christian symbol of self-sacrifice. Under the nest is a scroll with the state motto: Union, Justice, and Confidence.
2. Adoption and Modification
The initial adoption of this flag design was in 1912. It has changed over the years, with the last modification completed in 2010.
3. Technical Details
The flag must be 7 units tall and 11 units wide. The secretary of state keeps the artwork in a digital file, and its reproductions must have no alterations. The center of the crest is also the center of the triangle formed by the pelican’s drops of blood.
4. History
The 1861 Unofficial Flag
In January 1861, Louisiana declared secession from the Union and joined the Confederate States. They briefly used an unofficial tri-color flag with vertical blue, white, and red bands — resembling the flag of France. On the top left are seven white stars.
The Flag of Secession Convention
During the Ordinance of Secession Convention, the state used a white flag with a red star at the center. Inside the star is a pelican feeding her young.
The State Flag of 1861
In February 1861, Louisiana adopted a flag with 13 horizontal blue, white, and red stripes. The upper lefthand corner has a red square with a yellow star. It remained the official flag throughout the Civil War.
The Pelican Flag of 1861
The state also created a Pelican Flag later that year. The bird is more prominent here than in the convention flag. Underneath is the motto “Union, Justice, & Confidence.” Although unofficial, many continued to use it throughout the following decades.
State Flag from 1912 to 2006
In 1912, the design saw a slight modification. The black-and-white pelicans acquired a brown beak, and the nest also got a splash of color. The birds appeared in a simplified art style, while the word “and” replaced the ampersand symbol in the motto.
Interim Flag from 2006 to 2010
In 2006, the legislature added three drops of blood on the chest of the mother pelican as a symbol of sacrifice. The state seal always had this detail but was lost on the flag until an eighth-grade student noticed the disparity and notified a state legislator about it.
Current State Flag
In 2010, the redesigned flag featured a more detailed pelican illustration. The word “AND” is gone from the ribbon motto.
5. Other Flags
The Flag of French Louisiana
Louisiana takes its name from King Louis XIV of France. It was under French control from the late 1600s to the early 1800s. The flag features the French coat of arms on a white field.
The Flag of Spanish Louisiana
Spain acquired the territory after the Treaty of Fontainebleau in 1762. During the Spanish occupation, they used a checkered flag with four blocks of red and white. It contained images of a lion and a castle. Another flag with the red sawtooth Cross of Burgundy also appeared.
The Flag of Florida Parishes
The Northshore region is now part of Louisiana, but it was part of West Florida in the 18th century. France ceded it to Great Britain in 1763 through the Treaty of Paris. During this period, the flag is akin to the Union Jack.
Louisiana – Quick facts and State symbols
| State Abbreviation | LA |
|---|---|
| State Capital | Baton Rouge |
| Largest City | New Orleans |
| State Size | Total (Land + Water): 51,840 sq miles; Land Only: 43,562 sq miles |
| Population | 4,597,740 (Estimate July 1, 2024 from United States Census Bureau) |
| Statehood | April 30, 1812 |
| State rank by population | 25th |
| State rank by date of formation | 18th |
| State rank by area | 31st |
| Number of Parishes | 64 Complete list of 50 states and number of counties in each |
| Demonym | Louisianan or Louisianian |
| Bordering States | Arkansas, Mississippi, Texas |
| Official Language | None |
| Highest Point | Driskill Mountain 535 ft (163 m) |
| Lowest point | New Orleans −8 ft (−2.5 m) |
| Mean elevation | 100 feet above sea level |
| Length | 379 miles (610 km) |
| Width | 130 miles (210 km) |
| Governor | Jeff Landry (R) |
| Lieutenant Governor | Billy Nungesser (R) |
| Electoral Votes | 8 |
| State Motto | Union, justice, confidence |
| State Nickname | 1. Pelican State 2. Bayou State 3. Child of the Mississippi 4. The Creole State 5. The Mardi Gras State 6. The Cajun State 7. Jazz capital of the US 8. Bayou Country 9. Cajun Country 10. Sportsman's Paradise 11. Fisherman's Paradise 12. The Holland of America 13. Sugar State |
| % Water | 15 |
| Famous people | Aeneas Williams (Pro Football player) Willard Brown (Baseball player) Karl Malone (Basketball player) |
| State Amphibian | Green tree frog |
| State Bird | Brown pelican |
| State crustacean | Crawfish |
| State dog | Catahoula leopard dog |
| State fruit | Strawberry |
| State Flower | Magnolia |
| State Fossil | Petrified Palmwood |
| State fish | White perch |
| State Gemstone | Cabochon Cut Oyster Shell |
| State Insect | Honey bee |
| State Mammal | Black Bear |
| State mineral | Agate |
| State Reptile | American alligator |
| State Tree | Bald Cypress |
| Longitude | 88° 49′ W to 94° 03′ W |
| Latitude | 28° 56′ N to 33° 01′ N |
| Time Zone | Central Time Zone |
| Website | louisiana.gov |
| Area Codes | 225, 318, 337, 504, 985 |
| Table last updated | May 10, 2025 |
