Encyclopedia
New Orleans is a major United States United States
The United States of America, also known as the United States, the U.S., the U.S.A., a...
port city and historically the largest city in the U.S. state U.S. state
A state of the United States is any one of the fifty subnational entities referred to as a state [i] ...
of Louisiana Louisiana
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...
. It is in southeastern Louisiana along the Mississippi River Mississippi River
The Mississippi River, derived from the old Ojibwe [i] word misi-ziibi meaning 'grea ...
, just south of Lake Pontchartrain Lake Pontchartrain
Lake Pontchartrain is a brackish [i] lake [i] located in southeastern Louisiana [i]. ...
, and is coextensive with Orleans Parish. New Orleans is named after Philippe II, Duke of Orléans Philippe II, Duke of Orléans
Philippe II, Duke of Orlans, Philippe Charles called Duke of Chartres, and then Duke of Orlans [i] ...
, Regent of France, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States.
New Orleans is known for its multicultural Multiculturalism
Multiculturalism is an ideology [i] advocating that society should consist of, or at least allow and inc ...
heritage as well as its music and cuisine. It is considered the birthplace of jazz Jazz
Jazz is an original American music [i]al art form originating around the start of the 20th century [i] ...
. Its status as a world-famous tourist Tourism
Tourism is the act of travel [i] for predominantly recreation [i]al or leisure [i] purposes, and also re ...
destination is due in part to its architecture and its annual Mardi Gras New Orleans Mardi Gras
New Orleans Mardi Gras is Mardi Gras [i] in New Orleans, Louisiana [i], one of the most famous Carnival [i] ...
and other celebrations. It is often called the "most unique city" in America. , ,
,
The city's several nicknames are illustrative. Crescent City alludes to the course of the Mississippi River Lower Mississippi River
The Lower Mississippi River is the portion of the Mississippi River [i] downstream of Cairo [i] ...
around and through the city; The Big Easy was possibly a reference by musicians in the early 1900's to the relative ease of finding work there, but most New Orleanians attribute the term to the city being more carefree and slowed down than cities like New York ; and 'The City that Care Forgot" refers to the outwardly easy-going, carefree nature of many of the residents.
The New Orleans Metropolitan Area New Orleans metropolitan area
The New Orleans Metropolitan Area, consisting of the Greater New Orleans region and three addtiona...
, as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, currently includes seven Parishes: Orleans, Jefferson, St. Bernard, Plaquemines, St. Tammany, St. Charles, and St. John the Baptist; with a total poulation of 1.3 million, making it the 35th largest Metropolitan Statistical Area in the United States.
The 2000 U.S. census United States Census, 2000
# French [i] or French Creole [i]
...
put New Orleans's population at 484,674, but Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina was the costliest and one of the deadliest hurricane [i]s in the hist ...
in 2005 caused the city's evacuation. After the extensive damage caused by the storm, many residents did not return. Population estimates as of June 2006 range from 192,000 to 230,000.
History
Beginnings
New Orleans was founded in 1718 by the French Mississippi Company as la Nouvelle-Orléans, under the direction of Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne, Sieur de BienvilleJean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville was a colonizer and governor of Louisiana [i]. ...
. The site was selected because of its relatively high elevation along the flood Flood
A flood is an overflow of water [i], an expanse of water submerging land, a deluge. ...
-prone banks of the Lower Mississippi River Lower Mississippi River
The Lower Mississippi River is the portion of the Mississippi River [i] downstream of Cairo [i] ...
and its location adjacent to a Native American Native Americans in the United States
American Indian and Alaskan NativesU.S. state [i]s and several of the inhabited insular areas [i] that a ...
trading route and portage Portage
Portage refers to the practice of carrying a canoe [i] or other boat [i] over land to avoid an obstacle ...
between the river and Lake Pontchartrain Lake Pontchartrain
Lake Pontchartrain is a brackish [i] lake [i] located in southeastern Louisiana [i]. ...
.
In 1763, the French colony was ceded to the Spanish Empire Spanish colonization of the Americas
Christopher Columbus
The Spanish conquest and colonization of the Americas began with the arrival in the...
and remained under Spanish control for 40 years. Most of the surviving architecture of the French Quarter French Quarter
The French Quarter is the oldest and most famous neighborhood of the city of New Orleans, Louisiana [i]. ...
dates from this Spanish period. Louisiana reverted to French control in 1801, but two years later Napoleon Napoleon I of France
Napoleon I Bonaparte, Emperor of the French, King of Italy, Mediator of the Swiss Confederation and Prot...
sold it to the United States in the Louisiana Purchase Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was the acquisition by the United States [i] of more than 530,000,000 acres of ...
. The city grew rapidly, with influxes of Americans, French and Creole French.
During the War of 1812 War of 1812
The War of 1812 was fought between the United States of America [i] and Britain [i] ...
the British United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a country and sovereign state [i] tha ...
sent a force to conquer the city. The British were defeated by American forces led by Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States [i] , first governor [i] ...
in the Battle of New Orleans Battle of New Orleans
The Battle of New Orlans, also known as the Battle of Chalmette Plantation, took place on January 8 [i] ...
on January 8, 1815. However, a peace treaty was signed between the United States and Britain on December 24, 1814, and news of the treaty did not reach the United States in time to prevent the battle from occurring.
By 1840, New Orleans had become by far the wealthiest city in the nation, and was also ranked as the third most populous city, being beaten by Baltimore by only 119 people. Since that time, the city has become the thirteenth poorest large city in the Nation. Up until 1960 New Orleans had consistently been ranked in the top fifteen largest Cities in the U.S. but since that time, the city has shrunk to the thirty-fifth largest city in the U.S.
The population of the city doubled in the 1830s, and by 1840 the city's population was over 100,000—one of the largest cities in the U.S. Population growth was frequently interrupted by yellow fever Yellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral [i] disease. ...
epidemics, the last of which occurred in 1905.
As a principal port, New Orleans had a leading role in the slave trade History of slavery
The history of slavery covers many different forms of human exploitation across many cultures and throug...
, while at the same time having the most prosperous community of free persons of color in the South. Early in the American Civil War American Civil War
The American Civil War was a sectional conflict in the United States of America [i] between the federal ...
New Orleans was captured by the Union. This action spared the city the destruction suffered by many other cities of the American South.
Twentieth Century
In the early 20th century 20th centuryThe 20th century started on 1 January [i] 1901 [i] and ended on 31 December [i] 2000 [i], according to t...
, New Orleans was a progressive major city whose most portentous development was a drainage plan devised by engineer and inventor A. Baldwin Wood. Urban development theretofore was largely limited to higher ground along natural river levees and bayou Bayou
A bayou is a small, slow-moving stream [i] or creek....
s. Wood's pump system allowed the city to expand into low-lying areas. Over the 20th century, rapid subsidence Subsidence
In geology [i], engineering [i], and surveying [i], subsidence is the motion of a surface as it shifts d ...
, both natural and human-induced, left these newly-populated areas several feet below sea level.
New Orleans was vulnerable to flooding even before the age of negative elevation. In the late 20th century, however, scientists and New Orleans residents gradually became aware of the city's increased vulnerability. Hurricane Betsy Hurricane Betsy
Hurricane Betsy was a powerful hurricane [i] of the 1965 Atlantic hurricane season [i] which caused enor ...
in 1965 had killed dozens of residents even though the majority of the city remained dry. The rain-induced 1995 flood demonstrated the weakness of the pumping system.
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita
By the time Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina was the costliest and one of the deadliest hurricane [i]s in the hist ...
approached the city at the end of August 2005, most residents had evacuated. Storm surge Storm surge
A storm surge is an onshore gush of water associated with a low pressure weather system, typically a tropical cyclone [i] ...
pushed ashore by the hurricane caused the city to suffer the worst civil engineering Civil engineering
In modern usage, civil engineering is a broad field of engineering [i] that deals with the planning [i]...
disaster in American history. Floodwalls constructed by the U.S. Army United States Army
The United States Army is the largest branch of the United States armed forces [i] ...
Corps of Engineers United States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers, or USACE, is made up of some 34,600 civilian [i] and 65...
failed, and 80% of the city flooded. Tens of thousands of remaining residents were rescued by helicopter or otherwise made their way to shelters of last resort at the Superdome Louisiana Superdome
The Louisiana Superdome, often informally referred to simply as the Superdome, The Dome or...
or the convention center Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
The Ernest N. Morial Convention Center is a collection of buildings in New Orleans, Louisiana [i].
...
. Over 1,500 people died.
The city was declared off-limits to residents while clean-up efforts began. The approach of Hurricane Rita Hurricane Rita
Hurricane Rita is the fourth-most intense Atlantic hurricane [i] ever recorded and the most intense tropical cyclone [i] ...
caused repopulation efforts to be postponed, and the Lower Ninth Ward Lower Ninth Ward
The Lower 9th Ward is a section of the city of New Orleans, Louisiana [i]....
was reflooded by Rita's storm surge.f July 2006, efforts continue to clean up debris and restore infrastructure. Although most of the city has reopened to residents, and areas that suffered moderate damage have substantially resumed functioning, the parts of the city most severely damaged still have irregular utilities and city services, and the most severely damaged section of the Lower Ninth Ward is still not officially open for residents to return to live.
Geography and climate
New Orleans is located at on the banks of the Mississippi River Mississippi River
The Mississippi River, derived from the old Ojibwe [i] word misi-ziibi meaning 'grea ...
, approximately 100 miles upriver from the Gulf of Mexico Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a major body of water [i] bordered and nearly landlock [i]ed by North America [i]. ...
. According to the United States Census Bureau United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is a part of the United States Department of Commerce [i]. ...
, the city has a total area of 907 km² . 467.6 km² of it is land and 439.4 km² of it is water. The total area is 48.45% water.
The city is located in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain, mostly between the Mississippi River in the south and Lake Pontchartrain Lake Pontchartrain
Lake Pontchartrain is a brackish [i] lake [i] located in southeastern Louisiana [i]. ...
in the north. The area along the river is characterized by ridges and hollows. Fields atop the ridges along the river are referred to as the "frontlands." The land contour slopes away from the frontlands to the "backlands", comprised of clay and silt.
The city of New Orleans has the lowest elevation in the state of Louisiana, and the third lowest point in the United States United States
The United States of America, also known as the United States, the U.S., the U.S.A., a...
, after Death Valley Death Valley
Death Valley is a valley [i] in the U.S. state [i] of California [i], and is the location of the lowest ...
and the Salton Sea Salton Sea
The Salton Sea is an inland saline [i] lake [i], located in the Colorado Desert [i] in Southern California [i] ...
. Much of the city is one to ten feet below sea level Sea level
Mean sea level is the average height of the sea [i], with reference to a suitable reference surface. ...
. Some 45% of the city is above sea level. These were the areas developed before 1900. Rainwater is pumped into Lake Pontchartrain via a series of canal Canal
Canals are man-made waterway [i]s, usually connecting existing lake [i]s, river [i]s, or ocean [i]s. ...
s lined by levees Levee
A levee, leve , floodbank or stopbank is a natural or artificial embankment [i] or dike [i] ...
, dikes, and floodwalls Flood wall
A flood wall is a man-made primarily vertical barrier designed to temporarily contain the waters of a river [i]...
. Because of the city's high water table, most houses do not have basement Basement
A basement is one or more floor [i]s of a building that are either completely or partially below the ground floor [i] ...
s. In the cemeteries, most crypt Crypt
In medieval [i] terms, a crypt is a stone chamber or vault, usually beneath the floor of a church or cas ...
s are above ground. The city has considered passing a building code that would require all new residences being constructed on negatively elevated ground to have a garage and storage level on the first floor to protect people's living spaces from floodwaters.
Cityscape
The Central Business District New Orleans Central Business District
The Central Business District [i] is an area of New Orleans, Louisiana [i]. ...
of New Orleans is located immediately north and west of the Mississippi River, and was historically called the "American Quarter." Most streets in this area fan out from a central point in the city. Major streets of the area include Canal Street Canal Street, New Orleans
Canal Street is a major thoroughfare in the city of New Orleans, Louisiana [i].
...
and Poydras Street. In the local "downtown" means downriver from Canal Street, while "uptown" means upriver from Canal Street. Downtown neighborhoods include the French Quarter, Treme Treme
Treme is a neighborhood in the downtown [i] portion of the city of New Orleans, Louisiana [i] ...
, Faubourg Marigny, Bywater Bywater, New Orleans
The Bywater is a neighborhood [i] of New Orleans, Louisiana [i]. ...
, the 7th Ward, and the Lower 9th Ward Ninth Ward of New Orleans
The Ninth Ward or 9th Ward is a distinctive region of New Orleans [i], Louisiana [i]...
. Uptown Uptown New Orleans
Uptown is a large area of New Orleans, Louisiana [i]. ...
neighborhoods include the Garden District, the Irish Channel, the University District, Carrollton Carrollton, Louisiana
Carrollton is a neighborhood [i] of uptown New Orleans, Louisiana [i], USA [i]. ...
, Gert Town, Fontainebleau, and Broadmoor.
Other major districts within the city include Bayou St. John, Mid City, Gentilly, Lakeview, Lakefront, New Orleans East, The upper 9th Ward Ninth Ward of New Orleans
The Ninth Ward or 9th Ward is a distinctive region of New Orleans [i], Louisiana [i]...
and Algiers Algiers, Louisiana
Algiers is a community within the city of New Orleans [i]. ...
.
Parishes located adjacent to the city of New Orleans include St. Tammany Parish St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana
St. Tammany Parish is a parish [i] located in the U.S. state [i] of Louisiana [i]. ...
to the north, St. Bernard Parish St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana
St. Bernard Parish is a parish [i] located in the U.S. state [i] of Louisiana [i]. ...
to the south and east, Plaquemines Parish Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana
Plaquemines Parish is the parish [i] with the most combined land and water area in the U.S. state [i]...
to the south and southeast, and Jefferson Parish Jefferson Parish, Louisiana
Jefferson Parish is a parish [i] in the U.S. state [i] of Louisiana [i]....
to the south and west.
Climate
The climate of New Orleans is humid subtropical, with cool winters and hot, humid summers. In January, morning lows average around 43°F , and daily highs around 62°F . In July, lows average 74°F , and highs average 91°F . The lowest recorded temperature was 11°F on December 23, 1989. The highest recorded temperature was 102°F on August 22, 1980. The average precipitation is 64.2 inches annually; the summer months are the wettest, while October is the driest month. Precipitation in winter usually accompanies the passing of a cold front. Hurricanes also pose a threat to the area, and the city is particularly vulnerable because of its low elevation. New Orleans is the fifth-most likely major U.S. city to be struck by a hurricane, after Miami, Florida Miami, Florida
Miami is a major city [i] in southeastern Florida [i], in the United States [i]. ...
, Houston, Texas Houston, Texas
Houston is the largest city in the state of Texas [i] and the fourth-largest in the United States [i] ...
, Jacksonville, Florida Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the most populous city [i] in the state of Florida [i] and the thirteenth most populous [i]...
, and Tampa, Florida. Most recently, Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina was the costliest and one of the deadliest hurricane [i]s in the hist ...
in August of 2005 devastated the city.
New Orleans experiences snowfall only on rare occasions. Most recently, a small amount of snow Snow
Snow is precipitation [i] in the form of crystal [i]line water [i] ice [i], consisting of...
fell on Christmas in 2004, during the 2004 Christmas Eve Snowstorm 2004 Christmas Eve Snowstorm
[i] event that took place in [[Louisiana]...
. On December 25, a combination of rain, sleet, and snow fell on the city, leaving some bridges icy. Before that, the last white Christmas White Christmas
A white Christmas, to most people in the Northern Hemisphere [i], refers to snow [i]y weather on Christmas Day [i] ...
was in 1954, and brought 4.5 inches . The last significant snowfall in New Orleans fell on December 22, 1989, when most of the city received 1 or 2 inches of snow Snow
Snow is precipitation [i] in the form of crystal [i]line water [i] ice [i], consisting of...
.
Demographics
- Note: Many Hurricane Katrina evacuees, though they have not returned, remain residents of the city.
Projections of the city's eventual population following reconstruction are highly speculative. The 2000 U.S. Census figures presented here are the most recent verifiable data for the city's population.
A January 2006 survey pegged the population at approximately 190,000.
Population estimates as of June 2006 pegged the population at approximately 225,000.
| City of New Orleans Population by year | |
|---|---|
| Census year | Population |
| 1810 | 17,242 |
| 1820 | 27,176 |
| 1830 | 46,082 |
| 1840 | 102,193 |
| 1850 | 116,375 |
| 1860 | 168,675 |
| 1870 | 191,418 |
| 1880 | 216,090 |
| 1890 | 242,039 |
| 1900 | 287,104 |
| 1910 | 339,075 |
| 1920 | 387,219 |
| 1930 | 458,762 |
| 1940 | 494,537 |
| 1950 | 570,445 |
| 1960 | 627,525 |
| 1970 | 593,471 |
| 1980 | 557,515 |
| 1990 | 496,938 |
| 2000 | 484,674 |
As of the census Census
A census is the process of obtaining information about every member of a population [i] . ...
of 2000, there were 484,674 people, 188,251 households, and 112,950 families residing in the city. The most recent population estimate for the city is 462,269. The population density Population density
Population density is a measurement of population [i] per unit area or unit volume. ...
was 1,036.4/km² . There were 215,091 housing units at an average density of 459.9/km² . The racial makeup of the city was 67.25% African American African American
An African American is a member of an ethnic group [i] in the United States [i] whose ancestors, usual...
, 28.05% White White
White is a color [i] that has high brightness but zero hue [i]. ...
, 0.20% Native American, 2.26% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.93% from other races Race
The term race distinguishes one population [i] of an animal species from another of the same species. ...
, and 1.28% from two or more races. 3.06% of the population were Hispanic Hispanic
Hispanic is a term denoting a derivation from Spain [i], its people [i] and culture [i] ...
or Latino of any race.
The population of Greater New Orleans New Orleans metropolitan area
The New Orleans Metropolitan Area, consisting of the Greater New Orleans region and three addtiona...
stood at 1,337,726 in 2000, making it the 35th largest metropolitan area in the United States. These population statistics are based on legal residents of the city. But due to the enormous annual tourist flow, the number of people inside the city at a given time, such as Mardi Gras Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras is the day before Ash Wednesday [i], and is also called "Shrove Tuesday [i]" or "Pancake Day [i] ...
season, tends to exceed these numbers sometimes by the hundreds of thousands.
There were 188,251 households out of which 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 30.8% were married couples living together, 24.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 40% were non-families, 33.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.7% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.23.
The age distribution of the city's population is 26.7% under the age of 18, 11.4% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 88.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $27,133, and the median income for a family was $32,338. Males had a median income of $30,862 versus $23,768 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,258. 27.9% of the population and 23.7% of families were below the poverty line Poverty threshold
The poverty threshold, or poverty line, is the level of income [i] below which one cannot afford t...
. Out of the total population, 40.3% of those under the age of 18 and 19.3% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
The population of New Orleans peaked in 1960. Since then, suburban parishes such as Jefferson Jefferson Parish, Louisiana
Jefferson Parish is a parish [i] in the U.S. state [i] of Louisiana [i]....
and St. Tammany St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana
St. Tammany Parish is a parish [i] located in the U.S. state [i] of Louisiana [i]. ...
have increased in population.
An analysis by Brown University Brown University
Brown University is a university located in Providence, Rhode Island [i]. ...
sociologist John R. Logan in January of 2006 suggests that as many as 50% of whites and 80% of blacks displaced by Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath may relocate permanently.
Government
New Orleans has a mayor-council government. The city council consists of five councilmembers who are elected by district and two at large councilmembers. Mayor C. Ray Nagin, Jr. Ray NaginClarence Ray Nagin, Jr. is the mayor of New Orleans [i]. ...
was elected in May 2002, and was reelected in the mayoral election of April 22, 2006.
The New Orleans Police Department provides professional police services to the public in order to maintain order and protect life and property. The Orleans Parish Civil Sheriff's Office serves papers involving lawsuits and provides security for the Civil District Court and Juvenile Courts. The Criminal Sheriff's Office maintains the parish prison system, provides security for the Criminal District Court, and provides backup for various New Orleans Police Department patrols.
The city of New Orleans and the parish Civil parish
A civil parish in England [i] is a subnational entity [i] forming the lowest unit of local government [i] ...
of Orleans operate as a merged city-parish government. Before the city of New Orleans became co-extensive with Orleans Parish, Orleans Parish was home to numerous smaller communities. Some of these communities within Orleans Parish have historically had separate identities from the city of New Orleans, such as Irish Bayou and Carrollton Carrollton, Louisiana
Carrollton is a neighborhood [i] of uptown New Orleans, Louisiana [i], USA [i]. ...
. The original City of New Orleans was comprised of what are now the 1st through 9th wards. The City of Lafayette was added in 1852 as the 10th and 11th wards. In 1870, Jefferson City, including Faubourg Bouligny and much of the Audubon and University areas, was annexed as the 12th, 13th, and 14th wards. Algiers Algiers, Louisiana
Algiers is a community within the city of New Orleans [i]. ...
, on the West Bank of the Mississippi, was also annexed in 1870, becoming the 15th ward. Four years later, Orleans Parish ceased being separate from the city of New Orleans when the city of Carrollton Carrollton, Louisiana
Carrollton is a neighborhood [i] of uptown New Orleans, Louisiana [i], USA [i]. ...
was annexed as the 16th and 17th wards. However, to this day, the USPS still recognizes and accepts mailings which are addressed to Carrollton, LA, as legal and will deliver them to the ZIP code 70118.
New Orleans' government is now largely centralized in the City Council and Mayor's office, but it maintains a number of relics from earlier systems when various sections of the city ran much of their affairs separately. For example, New Orleans has seven elected tax assessors, each with their own staff, representing various districts of the city, rather than one centralized office.
- See also:
Economy
New Orleans is one of the most visited cities in the United States, and tourism is a major staple in the area's economy. Approximately 14 million people visit New Orleans each year. The city's colorful Carnival celebrations during the pre-Lenten season, centered on the French Quarter, draw particularly large crowds. Other major tourist events and attractions in the city include the Sugar Bowl Sugar Bowl
The Allstate [i] Sugar Bowl is an annual American [i] college football [i] ...
, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, often known as Jazz Fest, is an annual celebration of th...
, Voodoo Music Experience, Southern Decadence , and the Essence Festival, not to mention sporting events including Superbowls and NCAA final fours.
New Orleans is also an industrial and distribution center, and the busiest seaport Port
A port is a facility for receiving ship [i]s and transferring cargo [i] to and from them....
in the world by gross tonnage. The Port of New Orleans is the largest U.S. port for several major commodities including rubber, cement and coffee. The Port of South Louisiana is the world's busiest in terms of bulk tonnage; and when combined with the Port of N.O., forms the 4th largest port system in totality.
Like Houston, Texas Houston, Texas
Houston is the largest city in the state of Texas [i] and the fourth-largest in the United States [i] ...
, New Orleans is located in proximity to the Gulf of Mexico Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a major body of water [i] bordered and nearly landlock [i]ed by North America [i]. ...
and the many oil rigs lying just offshore. Louisiana ranks 5th in oil production and 8th in reserves. Louisiana is also home to two of the four Strategic Petroleum Reserve storage facilities: West Hackberry in Cameron Parish and Bayou Choctaw in Iberville Parish, Louisiana. Other infrastructure includes 17 petroleum refineries with a combined crude oil distillation capacity of nearly 2.8 million barrels per calendar day, the second highest in the nation after Texas. Louisiana has numerous ports including the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port , which is capable of receiving ultra large oil tankers. Natural gas and electricity dominate the home heating market with similar market shares totaling about 47 percent each. With all of the product to distribute, Louisiana is home to many major pipelines supplying the nation: Crude Oil - Chevron, BP, Texaco, Shell, Exxon, Scurloch-Permian, Mid-Valley, Calumet, Conoco, Koch, Unocal, Dept. of Energy, Locap.
Product - TEPPCO, Colonial, Chevron, Shell, Plantation, Explorer, Texaco, Collins, BP.
Liquefied Petroleum Gas - Dixie, TEPPCO, Black Lake, Koch, Chevron, Dynegy, Kinder, Dow, Bridgeline, FMP, Tejas, Texaco, UTP.
There are a substantial number of energy companies that have their regional headquarters in the city, including BP BP
BP plc, originally British Petroleum, is a British [i] energy [i] company with head ...
, Chevron Chevron Corporation
Chevron Corporation is one of the world's largest global energy [i] companies [i]. ...
, ConocoPhillips ConocoPhillips
ConocoPhillips is an international energy company with its headquarters located in Houston [i] ...
, and Shell Oil Company Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell PLC is a multinational [i] oil company of Anglo [i] Dutch [i] ...
. The city is the home and worldwide headquarters of two Fortune 500 companies: Entergy Corporation Entergy
Entergy Corporation is a Delaware [i] chartered corporation engaged in electric power [i] production, r...
, an energy and infrastructure providing company, and Freeport-McMoRan, a copper and gold exploration company.
The federal government Federal government of the United States
The government [i] of the United States of America [i], established by the U.S. Constitution [i]...
has a significant presence in the area. The NASA NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an agency of the United States Government [i], res ...
Michoud Assembly Facility Michoud Assembly Facility
The Michoud Assembly Facility is an 832-acre [i] site owned by the United States' National Aeronautics a...
is located in the eastern portion of Orleans Parish. The facility is operated by Lockheed-Martin Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin is a leading aerospace manufacturer [i] and advanced technology company formed in 1995 [i] ...
and is a large manufacturing facility where external fuel tanks for space shuttles are produced. The Michoud Assembly Facility Michoud Assembly Facility
The Michoud Assembly Facility is an 832-acre [i] site owned by the United States' National Aeronautics a...
also houses the operated by the USDA United States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture is a United States Federal Executive Department [i]. ...
.
In recent years, in an effort to diversify her economy, New Orleans has become known as "Hollywood South". Many large budget and critically acclaimed feature films have been made in and around New Orleans over the last few years, such as Ray, Runaway Jury Runaway Jury
Runaway Jury is an American [i] drama [i]/thriller [i] film [i].
...
, The Pelican Brief The Pelican Brief
The Pelican Brief is a legal/suspense thriller [i] written by John Grisham [i] in 1992 [i] ...
, The Skeleton Key The Skeleton Key
The Skeleton Key is a 2005 horror [i]-suspense [i] film released in the UK...
, Glory Road Glory Road
Glory Road is a fantasy [i] novel [i] by Robert A. Heinlein [i], originally serialized in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction [i] ...
, All the King's Men, Déjà Vu, Last Holiday, Failure to Launch, and countless other full-length films and documentaries.
Other companies with a significant presence or base in New Orleans include the worldwide headquarters of Entergy Corporation and its subsidiaries, BellSouth BellSouth
BellSouth Corporation is an American [i] telecommunications [i] company based in Atlanta, Georgia [i]...
, IBM IBM
company_name = International Business Machines Corporation |
...
, Navtech, Harrah's Harrah's Entertainment
Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. is a gaming [i] corporation [i] that owns and operates casino [i] ...
, Popeye's Fried Chicken Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits
Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits, usually called just "Popeyes," is a chain of fried chicken [i] fast food [i] ...
, Zatarain's, Whitney Bank , Capital One Capital One
Capital One Financial Corp. is a McLean [i], Fairfax County, Virginia [i]-based bank holding company [i] ...
, Southern Comfort Southern Comfort
Southern Comfort, sometimes referred to by the syllabic abbreviation [i] ...
, Tidewater , McMoran Exploration and Energy Partners .
Most major corporations that had offices or headquarters in New Orleans have returned post-Katrina.
Crime
New Orleans has a high violent crime rate. Its homicide rate has consistently ranked in the top five of large cities in the country since the 1980s along with Detroit, St. Louis, and Atlanta. In 1994, 421 people were killed , a homicide rate which has not been matched by any major US city to date. However, Detroit came very close one year with 416 killings. The homicide rate rose and fell year to year throughout the late 1990s, but the overall trend from 1994 to 1999 was a steady reduction in homicides.From 1999 to 2004, the homicide rate again increased. New Orleans had the highest murder rate of any major American city in 2002 , and again retained the highest murder rate in 2003, with 275 murders according to this .
Violent crime is a serious problem for New Orleans residents, especially African American, yet far less of a problem for tourists. Reports show that almost 90% of Whites living within the city limits felt safe in their surroundings, while only about 25% of Blacks felt safe in their surroundings. As in other U.S. cities of comparable size, the incidence of homicide and other violent crimes is highly concentrated in certain city neighborhoods, such as housing projects, that are sites of open air drug trade. Most murder victims have criminal records. In 2003, most victims in New Orleans were killed within three months of their last arrest. The statistics state that only about 9% of murder victims in 2004 year were of European or Asian Ancestry. The crime is primarily black on black drug related. The homicide rate for the New Orleans metropolitan statistical area United States metropolitan area
In the United States [i], the Office of Management and Budget [i] has produced a formal definition of metropolitan area [i] ...
, which includes the suburbs, was 24.4 per 100,000 in 2002.
After Hurricane Katrina, media attention focused on the reduced violent crime rate following the exodus of many New Orleanians. That trend is beginning to reverse itself as more people return to the city, although calculating the homicide rate remains difficult given that no authoritative source can cite a total population figure.. Regardless, statistics are showing that violent crime is beginning to return to the city. The city finished the month of July 2006 with 22 murders, which was the same as the pre-Katrina average for the city since 2002 when the population was much higher. The numbers for this year, with 80 murders by the end of July, put the city on pace to have 58.36 murders per 100,000 citizens, and the number of murders has continued to rise each month.
Education
Schools
New Orleans Public Schools, the city's school district, was one of the area's largest school districts before Hurricane Katrina. It was widely recognized as the lowest performing school district in Louisiana. According to researchers Carl L. Bankston and Stephen J. Caldas, only 12 of the 103 school districts in New Orleans showed reasonably good performance at the beginning of the twenty-first century. Following Hurricane Katrina, the state of Louisiana took over most of the schools within the system ; about 20 new charter schools have also been started since the storm, educating about 15,000 students.
The Greater New Orleans area has approximately 200 parochial schools. The prevalence of parochial schools has been both a cause and a consequence of the troubles in the public schools. Because so many middle class students have been enrolled in non-public schools, middle class support for public education has been relatively weak. At the same time, the apparent low quality of public schools in New Orleans has encouraged middle class families to educate their children in private or parochial schools.
Colleges and universities
Several institutions of higher education also exist within the city, including University of New Orleans University of New OrleansThe University of New Orleans, often called UNO, is a medium sized public urban university [i] loc ...
, Tulane University Tulane University
Tulane University is a private [i], nonsectarian, coeducation [i]al research university [i] ...
, Loyola University New Orleans Loyola University New Orleans
Loyola University New Orleans is a private, co-educational Jesuit [i] university [i] in the United States [i] ...
, Dillard University, Southern University at New Orleans Southern University at New Orleans
The Southern University at New Orleans is a University [i] in New Orleans, Louisiana [i]. ...
, Xavier University of Louisiana Xavier University of Louisiana
Xavier University of Louisiana is a private, coed, liberal arts college that is also an historically African-American [i] ...
, Louisiana State University Medical School Louisiana State University School of Medicine
Louisiana State University School of Medicine refers to two separate medical schools in Louisiana: LSU S...
, and Our Lady of Holy Cross College. Other schools include Delgado Community College, Culinary Institute of New Orleans, Herzing College, Commonwealth University, Notre Dame Seminary, and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.
Libraries
There are numerous academic and public libraries Public libraryA public library is a library [i] which is accessible by the public [i] and is generally funded from pub ...
and archives in New Orleans, including Monroe Library Loyola University New Orleans
Loyola University New Orleans is a private, co-educational Jesuit [i] university [i] in the United States [i] ...
at Loyola University, Howard-Tilton Memorial Library at Tulane University, the Law Library of Louisiana, and Earl K. Long Library at the University of New Orleans.
The New Orleans Public Library includes 13 locations, most of which were damaged by Hurricane Katrina. The main library includes a Louisiana Division housing city archives and special collections.
Other research archives are located at the Historic New Orleans Collection and the Old U.S. Mint New Orleans Mint
The U.S. Mint in New Orleans operated as a branch of the United States Mint [i] from 1838 to 1861 and fr ...
.
Culture
Pronunciation
New Orleans is usually pronounced by locals as "noo-AW-lyenz," "noo-AW-linz," "noo-OR-linz," or "noo-OR-lyenz." The tendency among people around the world to say "noo-or-LEENZ" stems from the use of that pronunciation by singers and songwriters, who find it easy to rhyme; however that pronunciation is generally disdained by locals. The pronunciation "NAW-linz" is likewise not generally used nor liked by locals but has been popularized by the tourist trade.The distinctive local accent is unlike either Cajun Cajun
The Cajuns are an ethnic group [i] consisting of the descendants of Acadian [i] exiles and other peoples...
or the stereotypical Southern Southern American English
Southern American English is a group of dialect [i]s of the English language [i] spoken throughout the Southern region [i]...
accent so often misportrayed by film and television actors. It does, like earlier Southern Englishes, feature frequent deletion of post-vocalic "r" Rhotic and non-rhotic accents
English [i] pronunciation is divided into two main accent [i] groups, the rhotic an ...
. It is similar to a New York New York City
[i] in the [[United States]...
"Brooklynese" accent to people unfamiliar with it. There are many theories to how the accent came to be, but it likely results from New Orleans' geographic isolation by water, and the fact that New Orleans was a major port of entry into the United States throughout the 19th century. Many of the immigrant groups who reside in Brooklyn also reside in New Orleans, with Irish Irish American
Irish Americans are residents of the United States [i] who acknowledge Irish [i] ancestry. ...
, Italian Italian American
An Italian American is an American [i] of Italian [i] descent. ...
s, and German German American
German Americans are citizens of the United States [i] of German [i] ancestry. ...
s being among the largest groups.
The prestige associated with being from New Orleans by many residents is likely a factor in the linguistic assimilation of the ethnically divergent population. This distinctive accent is dying out generation by generation in the city . As with many sociolinguistic Sociolinguistics
Sociolinguistics is the study of the effect of any and all aspects of society [i], including cultural no ...
artifacts, it is usually attested much more strongly by older members of the population. One subtype of the New Orleans accent is sometimes identified as Yat Yat
Yat or Jat is the thirty-second letter of the old Cyrillic alphabet [i] and name of the sound repr ...
. This word is not used as a generalized term for the New Orleans accent, and is generally reserved for the strongest varieties. Also notable are lexical items specific to the city, such as "lagniappe" meaning "a little something extra," "makin' groceries" for grocery shopping, or "neutral ground Central reservation
On divided roads, including expressway [i]s, motorway [i]s, or autobahn [i]s, the central reservation (British English) [i]...
" for a street median Central reservation
On divided roads, including expressway [i]s, motorway [i]s, or autobahn [i]s, the central reservation (British English) [i]...
.
Tribute "City"
The culture of the city has had a profound impact on many people, one of which was Walt Disney Walt DisneyWalter Elias Disney , was an American [i] film producer [i], director [i], screenwriter [i] ...
, who built a replica of the French Quarter French Quarter
The French Quarter is the oldest and most famous neighborhood of the city of New Orleans, Louisiana [i]. ...
called New Orleans Square in his park Disneyland Disneyland
Disneyland Park, formerly referred to simply as Disneyland from 1955 [i]-1998 [i] is an elaborate ...
in 1966, with buildings and landscaping fitting that of 19th Century New Orleans set upon the park's Rivers of America port. When it opened, Walt Disney had then New Orleans mayor, Victor H. Schiro Victor H. Schiro
Victor Hugo "Vic" Schiro, was an Italian-American [i] New Orleans, Louisiana [i] politician [i] who serv ...
be made honorary mayor of New Orleans Square, and Schiro, in turn, made Disney an honorary citizen of the real New Orleans.
Events
Greater New Orleans is home to numerous celebrations, including Mardi Gras New Orleans Mardi Gras
New Orleans Mardi Gras is Mardi Gras [i] in New Orleans, Louisiana [i], one of the most famous Carnival [i] ...
, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, often known as Jazz Fest, is an annual celebration of th...
and Southern Decadence. New Orleans' most popular celebration is her Carnival Carnival
A carnival is a public celebration [i] or parade [i] combining some elements of a circus [i] ...
. The Carnival Carnival
A carnival is a public celebration [i] or parade [i] combining some elements of a circus [i] ...
season is often known by the name of its last day, Mardi Gras Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras is the day before Ash Wednesday [i], and is also called "Shrove Tuesday [i]" or "Pancake Day [i] ...
, held just before the beginning of the Catholic liturgical season of Lent Lent
In Western Christianity [i], Lent is the period from Ash Wednesday [i] to Holy Saturday [i], the day bef ...
. The Carnival season officially begins on the Feast of the Epiphany Epiphany (Christian)
Epiphany is a Christian [i] feast intended to celebrate the 'shining forth' or revelation of God to huma ...
; which locals sometimes refer to as "Twelfth Night."
The largest of the city's many musical festivals is the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, often known as Jazz Fest, is an annual celebration of th...
. Commonly referred to simply as "Jazz Fest," it is one of the largest music festivals in the nation; and features crowds coming from all over the world to experience music, food, arts and crafts. Despite the name, it features not only jazz but a large variety of music, including both native Louisiana music and nationally-known popular music artists.
Music
New Orleans has always been a significant center for music Music
Music is an art, entertainment [i], or other human activity that involves organized and audible sounds a ...
with its intertwined European, Latin American, and African-American cultures. New Orleans' unique musical heritage was born in its pre-American and early American days with a unique blending of European instruments with African rythms. As the only North American city to allow slaves to gather in public and play their native music , likely due to the more relaxed attitudes of French and Creole slave owners as compared to their Anglo-American neighbors, New Orleans was blessed to give birth to the nation's only indigenous music, jazz. With New Orleans' large, educated and influential Creole, Haitian and free black population, these African beats intertwined with trained musicians and the city's now famous brass bands gained wide popularity . Decades later it was home to a distinctive brand of rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues is a popular music [i] genre [i] combining jazz [i], gospel [i], and blues [i] ...
that contributed greatly to the growth of rock and roll. A great example of the New Orleans sound in the 60s is the #1 US hit "Chapel Of Love" by The Dixie Cups, a song which had the distinction of knocking the Beatles out of the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100. New Orleans became a hotbed for funk Funk
Funk is a distinct style of music [i] originated by African American [i]s, e.g., James Brown [i] ...
music in the 60s and 70s. By the late 1980s it had developed its own localized variant of hip hop Hip hop music
Hip hop music is a style of popular music [i] which came into existence in roughly the mid '70s but beca ...
called bounce music which, while never commercially successful outside of the Deep South Deep South
The Deep South is a cultural and geographic subregion of the American South [i], ...
, remained immensely popular in the poor African-American neighborhoods of the city through the 1990s. A cousin of Bounce, New Orleans Rap has seen commercial success locally and internationally. Throughout the 1990s many sludge/doom metal bands have started in the New Orleans area. Notable bands include: Acid Bath, Crowbar, Goatwhore, Soilent Green, Eyehategod, and Down . In addition, the nearby countryside is the home of Cajun music, Zydeco music Zydeco
Zydeco is a form of folk music [i], originated in the beginning of the 20th century among the Francophone [i] ...
, and Delta blues Blues
Blues music redirects here. For other uses, see Blues [i] and Blues music [i]
...
.
The city also created its own spin on the old tradition of military brass band funerals; traditional New Orleans funerals with music feature sad music on the way to the cemetery and happy music on the way back. Such traditional musical funerals still take place when a local musician, a member of a club, krewe, or benevolent society, or a noted dignitary has passed. Until the 1990s 1990s
The 1990s [i] decade [i] refers to the years from 1990 [i] to 1999 [i], inclusive, sometimes informally ...
most locals preferred to call these "funerals with music," but out of town visitors have long dubbed them "jazz funeral Jazz funeral
Jazz funeral is a common name for a funeral [i] tradition with music [i] which developed in New Orleans, Louisiana [i] ...
s." Younger bands, especially those based in the Treme Treme
Treme is a neighborhood in the downtown [i] portion of the city of New Orleans, Louisiana [i] ...
neighborhood, have embraced the term and now have funerals featuring only jazz music.
Media
The major daily newspaper is the New Orleans Times-Picayune New Orleans Times-PicayuneThe Times-Picayune is the major daily U.S. newspaper [i] serving New Orleans [i] ...
, publishing since 1837. Weekly publications include The Louisiana Weekly and Gambit Weekly.
Greater New Orleans is well served by television and radio. The market is the 54th largest Designated Market Area in the U.S., serving 566,960 homes and 0.509% of the U.S. Major television network affiliates serving the area include WWL WWL-TV
WWL-TV, "Channel 4", is one of the highest-rated CBS [i] affiliates in the United States. ...
4 , WGNO WGNO
WGNO, ABC26 is the ABC affiliate for the greater New Orleans, Louisiana [i] area as well as so ...
26 , WDSU WDSU
WDSU is the NBC affiliate for the New Orleans, Louisiana [i] television market. ...
6 , WVUE WVUE
WVUE was also the callsign for Channel 12 in Wilmington, Delaware [i] in the Early 1950s. ...
8 , WNOL WNOL-TV
WNOL-TV, channel 38, is The CW [i] affiliate for the New Orleans, Louisiana [i] market. ...
38 , WUPL WUPL
WUPL, My 54, is the My Network TV [i] affiliate for the Greater New Orleans, Louisiana [i] area. ...
54 , and WPXL WPXL
WPXL is the local i Network [i] affiliate in New Orleans, Louisiana [i]. ...
49 . PBS Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is a non-profit [i] public broadcasting [i] television [i] service with ...
stations include WYES WYES-TV
WYES-TV is the local PBS [i] member station in New Orleans, Louisiana [i], owned by the Greater New Orle ...
12 and WLAE WLAE-TV
WLAE-TV is a PBS [i] member station [i] in New Orleans, Louisiana [i] ...
32. WHNO 20 also operates as an independent station in the area, providing mainly religious programming.
Radio stations serving Greater New Orleans include:
- Jazz: , ,
- Classical:
- Country: ,
- Contemporary: , ,
- Gospel/Christian: KHEV-FM , , , , WSHO-FM , WOPR-FM , WVOG-AM
- Latino: ,
- Oldies:
- Progressive:
- Public: ,
- Rock: , ,
- Sports: WODT-AM
- Talk: , , ,
- Urban/Urban Contemporary: , ,
An additional note about WWOZ and WTUL: WWOZ not only plays modern and traditional New Orleans jazz, but also blues, New Orleans R&B, Cajun, zydeco, gospel, Latin, Brazilian, Caribbean, Americana, and more. WTUL, the Tulane University station, plays mostly alternative "college circuit" rock on week days; on nights and weekends it has DJs that play Americana, alternative country/bluegrass, jazz, classical, punk/ska, reggae, world beat, and many of the finest local bands and songwriters.
Two very famous pop music stations in New Orleans, quite influential in playing and promoting New Orleans-based bands and singers, were 50,000-watt WNOE-1060 and 10,000-watt WTIX-690. These two stations competed head-to-head for most of the period from the late 50's to the late 70's, and are considered by many in the Gulf Coast region as legendary top 40 radio stations.
Sites of interest
Greater New Orleans has many major attractions, from the world-renowned Bourbon Street and the French Quarter French Quarter
The French Quarter is the oldest and most famous neighborhood of the city of New Orleans, Louisiana [i]. ...
's notorious nightlife, St. Charles Avenue , and many stately 19th century 19th century
The 19th century lasted from 1801 [i] through 1900 [i] in the Gregorian calendar [i].
...
mansions.
Favorite tourist scenes in New Orleans include the French Quarter , which dates from the French and Spanish eras and is bounded by the Mississippi River and Rampart Street, Canal Street and Esplanade Ave. The French Quarter contains many popular hotels, bars, and nightclubs, most notably around Bourbon Street. Other notable tourist attractions in the quarter include Jackson Square, St. Louis Cathedral, the French Market , and jazz at Preservation Hall.
Also located near the French Quarter is the old New Orleans Mint New Orleans Mint
The U.S. Mint in New Orleans operated as a branch of the United States Mint [i] from 1838 to 1861 and fr ...
, formerly a branch of the United States Mint United States Mint
The United States Mint primarily produces circulating coinage [i] for the United States [i] to ...
, now operates as a museum. The National D-Day Museum is a relatively new museum dedicated to providing information and materials related to the allied invasion of Normandy, France Battle of Normandy
The Battle of Normandy was fought in 1944 [i] between Nazi Germany [i] in Western Europe [i] and the in ...
. The Natchez is an authentic steamboat Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a boat [i] or vessel [i] which is p...
with a calliope Calliope
In Greek mythology [i], Calliope was the muse [i] of epic poetry, daughter of Zeus [i] and Mnemosyne [i] ...
which tours the Mississippi twice daily.
Art museums in the city include the Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans Museum of Art in City Park City Park, New Orleans
City Park, a 1300-acre public park [i] in New Orleans, Louisiana [i], is the 6th-largest and 7th-most-vi ...
and the Ogden Museum of Southern Art. Audubon Park, the Audubon Zoo Audubon Zoo
The Audubon Zoo is a zoo [i] located in New Orleans [i] and is part of the Audubon Nature Institute [i] ...
, and the Aquarium of the Americas Aquarium of the Americas
The Audubon Aquarium of the Americas is a renowned aquarium [i] in New Orleans, Louisiana [i], USA [i].
...
are also located in the city of New Orleans. New Orleans is also noted for its many beautiful cemeteries. Some notable cemeteries in the city include Saint Louis Cemetery Saint Louis Cemetery
Saint Louis Cemetery is the name of three Roman Catholic [i] cemeteries [i] in New Orleans, Louisiana [i] ...
and Metairie Cemetery Metairie Cemetery
Metairie Cemetery is a cemetery [i] in New Orleans, Louisiana [i], United States [i].
...
.
Significant gardens include Longue Vue House and Gardens and the New Orleans Botanical Garden. Gardens are also found in places like City Park and Audubon Park. City Park still has one of the largest if not the largest stands of oak trees in the world.
Food
New Orleans is world-famous for its food. Like its Jazz, New Orleans is blessed with the only truly indigenous local cuisine in the nation. From the infitration of hearty cajun country fare over the centuries to the local creole, haute creole and New Orleans French cuisines, New Orleans food is perhaps its most cherished possession. Local ingredients, African, French, Spanish and Cajun traditions combine to produce a truly unique and easily recognizable New Orleans flavor.Unique specialties include beignet Beignet
A beignet is a pastry [i] made from deep-fried [i] dough [i] and sprinkled with confectioner's sugar [i]...
s, square-shaped fried pastries that are sometimes called French doughnuts ; Po'boy Po' boy
A po' boy is a traditional submarine sandwich [i] from Louisiana [i]. ...
and Italian