Facts and Information for Louisiana

Map of U.S. Fish & Wildlife Refuges in Louisiana

Reference: www.fws.gov/refuges/refugeLocatorMaps/Louisiana.html

Official Louisiana State Website	http://www.louisiana.gov/
State Capital	Baton Rouge
Origin of State Name	The name Louisiana is in honor of Louis XIV of France
Joined the Union	Louisiana became the 18th state on April 30, 1812
State Bird	Brown Pelican Pelecanus occidentalis
State Saltwater Fish	Spotted Seatrout
State Freshwater Fish	White Perch also known as sac-au-lait and White Crappie pomoxis annularis
State Amphibian	Green Tree Frog hyla cinerea
State Dog	Catahoula Leopard Dog
State Mammal	Black Bear
State Crustacean	Crawfish
State Reptile	Alligator
State Insect	Honeybee apis mellifera
State Tree	Bald Cypress taxodium distichum
State Flower	Bloom of the Magnolia Tree Magnolia grandiflora
State Wildflower	Louisiana Iris Giganticaerulea
State Fruit	Strawberry
State Fruit	Strawberry
State Vegetable	Sweet Potato
State Vegetable Plant	Creole Tomato
State Jellies	Mahaw Jelly Louisiana Sugar Cane Jelly
State Gemstone	Agate
State Folk Dance	Square Dance
State Fossil	Petrified Palmwood
State Musical Instrument	Diatonic or "Cajun" Accordion
State Songs	"You Are My Sunshine" "Give Me Louisiana"
State Environmental Song	"The Gifts of Earth"
State Ceremonial March Song	"Louisiana My Home Sweet Home"
State Motto	"Union, Justice, and Confidence"
State Pledge	"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the State of Louisiana and to the motto for which it stands: A state, under God, united in purpose and ideals, confident that justice shall prevail fo all of those abideing here."
State Poems	"Leadership" "America, We the People" "I am Louisiana"
State Nickname	"The Pelican State"
State Colors	Blue, White and Gold
State Drink	Milk
State Cuisine	Gumbo
State Doughnut	Beignet
State Meat Pie	Natchitoches Meat Pie
State Heritage	Cajun / Creole
State Museum	LSU Museum of Natural Science
State Painting	Louisiana
Time Zone Location	CST - Central Standard (GMT - 6 hours)
Population projected estimate for year 2010 based on U.S. Census 2000 results.
Male	2,244,268
Female	2,368,411
Total	4,612,679
Crime Information	Crime Statistics for 1997 - 2006
Median Household Income (latest figures available)	$35,523
Unemployment Rate	3.5
10 Largest Cities by Population	New Orleans Baton Rouge Shreveport Lafayette Lake Charles Kenner Bossier City Monroe Alexandria New Iberia
Cities and Towns	Louisiana Cities & Towns
Counties	Louisiana Counties
Major Universities	Major Louisiana Universities
Major Rivers	Major Louisiana Rivers
Major Lakes	Major Louisiana Lakes
Total Land Area	43,561.85 Square Miles
Total Water Area	8,277.85 Square Miles
Total of Both Land And Water Area	51,839.70 Square Miles
General Coastline	397 Miles
Lowest Elevation	New Orleans; 8 feet below sea level
Highest Elevation	Driskill Mountain; 535 feet

REFERENCES
• Louisiana.gov, 2/16/2008, http://www.louisiana.gov/
• Louisian Secretary Of State | Louisiana Facts, 02/24/2008, http://www.sos.louisiana.gov/tabid/217/Default.aspx
• NWRS - Refuge Locator Map, 2/16/2008, http://www.fws.gov/refuges/refugeLocatorMaps/
• Interim Projections of the Male Population for the United States and States: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2030, 2/16/2008, http://www.census.gov/population/projections/SummaryTabA2.pdf
• Interim Projections of the Female Population for the United States and States: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2030, 2/16/2008, http://www.census.gov/population/projections/SummaryTabA3.pdf
• United States Crime Rates 1960 - 2006, 2/16/2008, http://www.disastercenter.com/crime/uscrime.htm
• Louisiana, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Louisiana&oldid=190046681 (last visited Feb. 16, 2008).