New Orleans, Louisiana

... More

addition to the French speaking Cajuns (Acadians: descendants of the French settlers who were expelled from Nova Scotia in the 18th c.), its population includes Creoles, Italian, Irish and German immigrants and descendants of black slaves. The city's cultural diversity is reflected particularly in its music, its food and of course in its calendar of festivals. Its individuality also finds expression in its popular names "Queen of the South", or even better, "The Big Easy". At the end of the 19th, and beginning of the 20th C, this was the birthplace of jazz, which is still actively practised at various places. This metropolis of the Old South draws hosts of visitors, especially at the time of the Carnival (Mardi Gras). It should be mentioned that New Orleans has one of the highest crime rates in the United States, so it is best to keep to the Vieux Carre, the Central Business District and Garden District that are relatively safe.

The city lies in an area of marshland, formerly malaria infested but now drained, between the Mississippi, here up to half a mile wide, and Lake Pontchartrain, which is drained by a series of bayous (ditches, sluggish waterways). Much of the crescent-plan city centre lies below the high-tide mark and is protected by a levee 6 mi. long and over 13 ft high.

Originally dependent mainly on shipping and shipbuilding, the town's economy later centred on the produce of its rich hinterland (particularly cotton, sugar, rice and timber) and on fishing. More recently there has been a major restructuring of the economy as a result of the working of natural gas and, even more importantly, offshore oil. The New Orleans region is now one of the leading world centres of the petrochemical industry. Tourism is an increasingly important source of revenue: with over 7 million visitors annually, New Orleans is now one of the most important tourist centres in the United States.

New Orleans is the home of jazz. The chief protagonists of this new musical style were "King" Oliver, J.R. Morton and above all Louis Armstrong. The jazz of New Orleans continues to attract fans from all over the world to the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in spring and to the many clubs. Black music, i.e. blues and Dixieland, ragtime and swing, Cajun and Zydeco, Creole jazz and the more recent funky jazz, can be heard in Preservation Hall (726 St Peter St.), the legendary Lulu White's Mahogany Hall (309 Bourbon St.), the Palm Court Jazz Cafe (1204 Decatur St.) and countless other night spots.

The high spot in the city's programme of festivals is the Carnival (Mardi Gras), which was introduced by French settlers and flourished particularly at the end of the 19th c. During the Carnival, particularly on the Monday before Ash Wednesday, and Shrove Tuesday, the town is taken over by the revelers with a series of lively parades and masked balls.

History New Orleans was founded in 1718 by the French governor Jean-Baptiste Lemoine de Bienville and named after the Duc d'Orleans, then Regent of France. In 1721 it became capital of Louisiana. Soon afterwards a large party of German immigrants arrived, and by 1732 the population had risen to 5000. In 1762 France was compelled to cede the town to Spain, though for several years the population successfully resisted the takeover. New Orleans was again in French hands from 1800 to 1803, when under the Louisiana Purchase it passed to the United States. In 1815 General Andrew Jackson inflicted a decisive defeat on British forces near the town. During the Civil War New Orleans surrendered to Union forces in 1862.

By the early 20th century, New Orleans was a progressive city that was vulnerable to flooding. In 2005 Hurricane Katrina approached the city, which had already been evacuated by most residents, and flooded 80% of New Orleans. Hurrican Rita followed soon after causing some

re-flooding. The infrastructure is still being rebuilt and residents are working to return to a normal life. Tourism is on the rise as events that were displaced return to New Orleans and others such as Mardi Gras continue as planned.