BY: QUEEN HALL, KAITLYN BYRNSIDE, AND JONATHAN FOLK Geography, Population, Religion, and Economy

Total: 43,566 square miles Length:380 miles Width: 130 miles Borders: Arkansas on the north and the Gulf of Mexico on the south, Mississippi on the east and Texas on the west.

8,277 square miles of Louisiana are covered by water. Major lakes of Louisiana: Calcasieu Lake, Catahoula Lake, Grand Lake, Lake Maurepas, Lake Pontchartrain, Toledo Bend Reservoir, White Lake. Louisiana's climate: subtropical in the south and temperate in the north

Louisiana’s current population is 4,410,796. Louisiana is ranked twenty-fourth in the United States in population density. Louisiana State Flower-Magnolia Louisiana State Seal

The top five largest cities in Louisiana according to their population are: New Orleans- 454,863 Baton Rouge- 222,064 Shreveport- 198,874 Lafayette- 112,030 Lake Charles- 70,555 The population of Monroe Louisiana is – 51,914 Louisiana state flag

In Louisiana, the most popular religions are: Christian- 90% Protestant- 60% In Louisiana, however, the number of Roman Catholic people is only 20%.

Louisiana economy has serious problems. The natural resource-intensive industries in Louisiana used to provide large sources of income and wealth both in the U.S. and in Louisiana. - Oil/ Gas and Petrochemical industries - Mining - Timber - Agriculture (sweet potatoes, rice, sugarcane, soybeans, cotton, dairy products, strawberries, corn, hay, pecans, and truck vegetables) However, the current recession in the oil and gas mining industry is having a major impact on employment, income and public finances for this region. LOUISIANA ECONOMY

TOURISM IN LOUISIANA Tourism is increasingly important to the state economy. Louisiana is rich in tradition and legend. New Orleans: famous for its history, jazz music, nightlife, and Old World charm. Major attractions: Mardi Gras (held annually since 1838) and The French Quarter Baton Rouge: it’s the capital of Louisiana; many plantation houses can be found nearby. Shreveport/Bossier (Louisiana’s third largest metropolitan area) known for gambling, such as in The Horse Shoe Casino. Baton Rouge Capitol Building Oak Alley Plantation Bossier Horse Shoe Casino

New Orleans: French Quarter and Mardi Gras TOURISM IN LOUISIANA

Once large sources of income and wealth in the U.S. and Louisiana, the resource-intensive industries now make much smaller contributions to both the nation’s economy and Louisiana’s economy. MINING TIMBER AGRICULTURE oil/gas and petrochemical industries These industries generally exhibit a stagnant or even declining ability to generate new jobs and Higher incomes. Between the 1970’s & the late 1990’s the total direct employment decreased severely causing many jobs to be lost. HURRICANES Hurricane season is from August to October. Hurricanes affect Louisiana’s economy, environment, and population. Most recent Hurricanes: Frances (1998), Georges (1998), Lili (2002), Katrina (2005), Rita (2005), Gustav (2008). This is Hurricane Katrina coming towards the U.S. Katrina left many people homeless; therefore, evacuees took shelter in the Superdome (the largest fixed domed structure in the world). This is the devastating effect that hurricane Katrina had on New Orleans in 

Metairie is home to the longest bridge over water in the world, the Lake Pontchartrain causeway.

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