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Home of the Largest Mardi Gras Celebration in America -- And More

There is much more to Louisiana than the biggest Mardi Gras celebration in the country. Located on the Gulf Coast, over four million residents claim a piece of Louisiana real estate as their home. However, Louisiana homes for sale have dropped in recent years in conjunction with "popping" of the housing bubble in America.

A Short History

Louisiana, named for King Louis the XIV, was originally part of what was once called New France until the territory was divided in the early 18th century into five colonies: Canada, Acadia, Hudson Bay, Newfoundland, and Louisiana. The Louisiana territory at that time extended from the Gulf Coast north to the Canadian border.

When European explorers arrived in modern day Louisiana, it was inhabited by several Native American tribes. Many of the place names in the area retain the names originally given them by the local tribes.

Although the Spanish explored the region in the early 16th century, Spanish interest died for more than a century. It wasn't until the French arrived in the late 17th century that European interest picked up again.

It was in 1682 that Louisiana first received its name from French explorer Robert Cavelier de la Salle. In 1699, French military officer Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville founded the first permanent settlement of Fort Maurepas in what is now part of Mississippi.

French control of Louisiana ended in 1803. Authorized by Thomas Jefferson to offer up to $10 million for New Orleans alone, Robert Livingston, Jefferson's minister to France, managed to purchase the entire Louisiana territory for $15 million. The purchase instantly doubled America's size, but more importantly to Jefferson, acquired the port area of New Orleans with access to the Mississippi River.

The People of Louisiana

Although one in statehood, Louisiana can be divided into two very distinct regions: the uplands and the alluvial. However, the people are quite diverse, and divide into many more than two groups.

Cajuns and Creoles dominate the southern portion of the state with nearly five percent of the total population speaking either French or Cajun French in the home. Creoles are made up of White Creoles and Black Creoles. White Creoles are mostly of European descent while Black Creoles are often a mix of African, European, and Native American heritage.

Louisiana's Asian population is made up mostly of descendants of Chinese workers who arrived in the 19th century. During the 1970's, many Vietnamese immigrated to the Gulf Coast in order to get jobs in the fishing industry. The majority of Asians in the state reside in New Orleans.

Although whites make up the majority of the state at around 65 percent, New Orleans is one of the few large cities in America where whites are a minority at 28 percent while blacks make up the majority at 67 percent.

If it's diversity of people, culture, and geography that you are looking for, then a piece of Louisiana real estate is a place you might want to consider.

Article Source: http://www.dummiesguideto.com

Remax Louisiana (www.remax-louisiana.com) is committed to providing you with the best Louisiana homes for sale to suit your needs and make you happy. The author, Art Gib, is a freelance writer.

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