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Travel
to Louisiana
The state is bordered to the west by the state of
Texas; to the north by Arkansas; to the east by the state of Mississippi; and
to the south by the Gulf of Mexico. The surface of the state may properly be
divided into two parts, the uplands, and the alluvial and coast and swamp
regions. The alluvial regions, including the low swamps and coast lands, cover
an area of about 20,000 square miles (52,000 km2); they lie principally along
the Mississippi River, which traverses the state from north to south for a
distance of about 600 miles (1000 km) and ultimately emptying into the Gulf of
Mexico, the Red River, the Ouachita River and its branches, and other minor
streams.
On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck and devastated
southeastern Louisiana, while damaged levees in New Orleans flooded the city.
The city was essentially closed until October. Estimates are that more than two
million people in the Gulf region were displaced by the hurricane, with more
than a thousand storm fatalities in Louisiana. |
