Shreveport is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the third most populous city in Louisiana after New Orleans and Baton Rouge. The Shreveport–Bossier City metropolitan area, with a population of 393,406 in 2020, is the fourth largest in Louisiana, though 2020 census estimates placed its population at 397,590. The bulk of Shreveport is in Caddo Parish, of which it is the parish seat. It extends along the west bank of the Red River (most notably at Wright Island, the Charles and Marie Hamel Memorial Park, and Bagley Island) into neighboring Bossier Parish. The United States Census Bureau‘s 2020 census tabulation for the city’s population was 187,593, though the American Community Survey‘s census estimates determined 189,890 residents. read more…
Avery Island (historically French: Île Petite Anse) is a salt dome best known as the source of Tabasco sauce. Located in Iberia Parish, Louisiana, United States, it is approximately three miles (4.8 km) inland from Vermilion Bay, which in turn opens onto the Gulf of Mexico. A small human population lives on the island. The island is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The island was named after the Avery family, who settled there in the 1860s, but long before that, Native Americans had found that Avery Island’s verdant flora covered a precious natural resource—a massive salt dome. There, Native Americans boiled the Island’s briny spring water to extract salt, which they traded to other tribes as far away as central Texas, Arkansas, and Ohio. read more…
Bourbon Street (French: Rue Bourbon, Spanish: Calle de Borbón) is a historic street in the heart of the French Quarter of New Orleans. Extending thirteen blocks from Canal Street to Esplanade Avenue, Bourbon Street is famous for its many bars and strip clubs. With 17.74 million visitors in 2017 alone, New Orleans depends on Bourbon Street as a main tourist attraction. Tourist numbers have been growing yearly after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and the city has successfully rebuilt its tourist base. For millions of visitors each year, Bourbon Street provides a rich insight into New Orleans’ past. read more…
The French Market (French: Marché français) is a market and series of commercial buildings spanning six blocks in the French Quarter of New Orleans in Louisiana. Founded as a Native American trading post predating European colonization, the market is the oldest of its kind in the United States. It began where Café du Monde currently stands and has been rebuilt and renovated a number of times. The market is included on the Louisiana African American Heritage Trail. read more…
The French Quarter, also known as the Vieux Carré or the Vieux Carre Historic District, is the oldest section of the city of New Orleans. After New Orleans (La Nouvelle-Orléans in French) was founded in 1718 by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, it developed around the Vieux Carré (“Old Square” in English), a central square. The district is more commonly called the French Quarter today, or simply “the Quarter,” related to changes in the city with American immigration after the Louisiana Purchase. Most of the extant historical buildings were constructed in either the late 18th century, during the city’s period of Spanish rule, or during the first half of the 19th century, after U.S. annexation and statehood. The district as a whole has been designated as a National Historic Landmark, with numerous contributing buildings that are separately deemed significant (buildings and architecture of New Orleans). It is both a prime tourist destination and attractive for local resident (4,000 are living permanently in the quarter). Katrina flood damage was relatively light in the Quarter as compared with other areas of the city and the greater region. read more…
New Orleans (French: La Nouvelle-Orléans) is the major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The population of the city is at 392,000. The New Orleans metropolitan area (New Orleans–Metairie–Kenner Metropolitan Statistical Area) has a population of 1.4 million. The city is known for its distinct French and Spanish Creole architecture, as well as its cross-cultural and multilingual heritage. New Orleans is famous for its cuisine, music (particularly as the birthplace of jazz) and its annual celebrations and festivals, most notably Mardi Gras. The city is often referred to as the “most unique” in the United States. New Orleans is located in southeastern Louisiana, and occupies both sides of the Mississippi River. The heart of the city and its French Quarter is on the river’s north side. The city and Orleans Parish (French: paroisse d’Orléans) are coterminous. The city and parish are bounded by the parishes of St. Tammany to the north, St. Bernard to the east, Plaquemines to the south, and Jefferson to the south and west. Lake Pontchartrain, part of lies within the city limits, lies to the north and Lake Borgne lies to the east. read more…
The Facts About What Happened
Hurricane Katrina was the greatest natural disaster in the history on the United States. The Women of the Storm, an organization formed by the women of New Orleans gathered the following statistics. 80% of New Orleans flooded, that’s an area equal in size to SEVEN Manhattan Islands. 1,500 people died; 134 were still missing two years after the storm. 204,000-plus homes severely damaged. Over 800,000-plus citizens were forced to live outside of their homes, the greatest diaspora since the Dust Bowl of the 30’s. Tens of thousands New Orleanians still reside outside of Louisiana. 81,688 FEMA trailers were originally occupied, many of which are shown to have unsafe levels of formaldehyde toxicity. 1.2 million families received Red Cross assistance. 33,544 persons were rescued by Coast Guard. 34 years worth of trash and debris was spread around New Orleans alone. There were 900,000 insurance claims at a cost of $22.6 billion. read more…
