USA Louisiana - The People : USA  

USA Louisiana - The People - Travel guide

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USA Louisiana - The People

The People

The French inhabitants of Louisiana constitute a unique element in the state's population. The 'Creoles' are descended from the French, some Spanish, and even some German settlers who came to the colony in the 18th century.

In 1755 the French-speaking people of Acadia, most of which is now part of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, were ousted from their homes by the British and some of them came to Louisiana beginning in the 1760s. Their descendants, called Cajuns, live mostly in the southwestern part of the state.

The Creoles and the Cajuns, who have partly merged, retain much of their original culture, including the French language and the Roman Catholic religion.

The 1998 census put Louisiana's populate at 4,369,000. The State Capital is Baton Rouge, other major cities or towns include Lake Charles, Monroe, New Orleans, Shreveport.