State Abbreviation - LA
State Capital - Baton Rouge
Largest City - New Orleans
Area - 51,843 square miles [Louisiana is the 31st biggest state in the USA]
Population - 4,468,976 (as of 2000) [Louisiana is the 22nd most populous state in the USA]
Name for Residents - Louisianans or Louisianians
Major Industries - agriculture (rice, cotton, soybeans), salt production, oil and natural gas, fishing (especially shellfish)

Major Rivers - Mississippi River, Red River, Ouachita River, Atchafalaya River, Sabine River
Major Lakes - Lake Pontchartrain, Lake Maurepas, Toledo Bend Reservoir, Grand Lake, White Lake, Calcasieu Lake, Catahoula Lake
Highest Point - Driskill Mountain - 535 feet (163 m) above sea level
Lowest Point - New Orleans - 8 feet (2.5 m) below sea level
Bordering States - Arkansas, Mississippi, Texas
Bordering Body of Water - Gulf of Mexico

Origin of the Name Louisiana - Louisiana was named by the French explorer Sieur de La Salle in 1682 to honor King Louis XIV (14) of France.
State Nickname - Sportsman's Paradise (previously - Pelican State)
State Motto - "Union, Justice, and Confidence "
State Song - "Give Me Louisiana" and "You Are My Sunshine"