| Population (1994): 4,315,000
(21st in size)
State size: 47,752 square miles (31st in
size)
State Capital: Baton Rouge (named from the French word
"Baton Rouge" meaning "Red Post"
which was used to mark the boundary between hunting
grounds of two native tribes)
Major cities: Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles,
Metairie, New Orleans and Shreveport
Admission to union: The 18th State
Date entered the union: April 30, 1812
Origin of state name: Named after Louis XIV, King of
France
Nicknames: The Pelican State
Bordering states: Mississippi, Texas and Arkansas with
the Gulf of Mexico on the South
State bird: Eastern Brown Pelican
State flower: Magnolia
State tree: Bald Cypress
Motto: Union, Justice and Confidence |
