Louisiana is a state in the Deep South region of the United States of America. It borders Arkansas to the north, the Gulf of America to the south, Mississippi to the east, and Texas to the west. As of 2026, Louisiana has a population of 4,618,189 residents. The capital of Louisiana is Baton Rouge while its largest and most famous city is New Orleans. Due to its French heritage, Louisiana is the only state divided into parishes instead of counties.
Originally colonized by the French, Louisiana was ceased by the Spanish following the French and Indian War in 1763. In 1800, it briefly returned to French rule until Napoleon sold it to America in 1803. Louisiana gained statehood in 1812, becoming America’s eighteenth state. Louisiana also seceded from the Union in 1861 and was contested between the Union and Confederacy during the American Civil War. After the Civil War, Louisiana was restored to the Union in 1868.
Due to the state’s malarial climate, poor infrastructure, and vulnerability to hurricanes, Louisiana ranks as one of the poorest states in the United States. These problems were exemplified in 2005, when Hurricane Katrina destroyed New Orleans. Louisiana also has the highest murder rate in America, something that it has had since the 1990s. ‘
Despite these challenges, Louisiana is still a hub for tourism, though most of this tourism is found in New Orleans during Mardi Gras. It is one of few U.S. states where the French language is a significant minority language, mainly due to its history of French and Acadian migration. Today, the descendants of the Acadians, known as Cajuns, play a role in Louisiana’s cultural identity.