one of the United States of North America, is bounded on the E. by the state of Mississippi, W. by that of Texas, N. by that of Arkansas, and on the S. by the Gulf of Mexico. It extends from W. Long. 88. 59. to 94. 20., and its extreme southern point is in N. Lat. 28.56., whilst its northern limit is in N. Lat. 33. The average length is about 240 miles, and the mean breadth rather more than 200 miles; the area being 46,431 square miles. The surface of Louisiana is low, and generally level, with some hilly ranges of slight elevation in the western part. The southern part of this state, from Lake Borgne to Sabine River, and from the Gulf of Mexico to Baton Rouge and Red River, is an alluvial tract of country, extending about 240 miles in length, by from 70 to 140 in breadth. It is intersected by numerous rivers, bays, creeks, and lakes which divide the country into a great number of islands. Three-fourths of the state are destitute of any elevations which deserves the name of a hill. The pine woods generally have a surface of a very particular character, rising into fine swells, with table surfaces on the summits, and valleys from 30 to 40 feet deep. They do not present the aspect of a connected range, and are scattered over the country like the waves of an agitated sea. A range of hills commences by gentle undulations in Opelousas, gradually, and diverges towards the river Sabine. In the vicinity of Natchitoches it preserves a distance intermediate between the Sabine and Red Rivers, and increases in elevation to the western part of the state. A second line of hills, not far from Alexandria, commences on the N. side of Red River, and separating between the waters of that river and Dugdemona, unites with another chain of elevations which bound the alluvial plains of the Washita as bluffs, gradually diverging from them as they pass beyond the western limits of the state. There are likewise some considerable hills beyond the Mississippi, and in some other parts the country is high; but generally speaking, Louisiana is one immense plain, divided into pine-woods, prairies, swamps, and hickory and oak lands. The pine-woods have almost invariably a poor soil. The greater proportion of the prairies is very fertile land, and some of them are even sterile. A few, however, in Opelousas and those of Attakapas, possess great fertility. They are in general more level than those of the upper country. A very considerable extent of them has a cold clayey soil, with a hard crust near the surface. In other places the soil is of inky blackness, and in the hot and dry season it cracks into fissures of some inches in width. A considerable belt of these prairies, near the gulf, is low, marshy, and in rainy weather inundated. The bottoms are generally rich. Those of the Mississippi and Red Rivers are particularly so, and the vegetation there is remarkable for its size and luxuriance. The cotton on fresh lands of the richest quality reaches the size of a considerable shrub. The basin of Red River possesses extraordinary fertility, and the lower courses of this stream are noted for the production of cotton. The soil is said to derive its fertility from a portion of salt which is intimately mixed with it, and from its peculiar friability; and the darkish red colour which it bears, is to be traced to the presence of the red oxide of iron. All the branches of Red River, and they Louisiana are very numerous, partake of the character of the main stream. The richest tract, however, in the state is a narrow belt of land lying along the Mississippi on both sides, and extending from 150 miles above to 40 miles below New Orleans. It is from 1 to 2 miles in width, and lies below the level of the river when flooded, being defended by a dyke about 6 or 8 feet in height. West of the Mississippi there are some tracts of soil very fertile, and here the sugar-cane thrives well. A considerable portion of Attakapas is of great fertility, as are smaller portions of Opelousas, which is, however, best adapted for a grazing country. The lands on the Washita River are black, like those on the Mississippi; and the alluvions on the lower courses of this stream furnish an admirable soil for cotton and other productions.

A very great proportion of the surface of this state is covered with prairies. The first that occur W. of the Mississippi are those which are included under the general name of Attakapas; a term implying "man-eater" in the language of the savages who formerly inhabited it, and who are said to have been cannibals. It is an immense plain of grass, stretching from the Atchafalaya on the N. to the gulf on the S., and is of great fertility. To the W. of this prairie occurs that of Opelousas, still larger than the former, and computed to contain nearly 8000 square miles. It is divided by various natural boundaries into a number of prairies, distinguished by separate names. The soil, though occasionally very fertile, is less so than that of Attakapas; but this deficiency is compensated by the greater salubrity of the climate, which is reckoned the healthiest in the state. There are here very considerable cotton plantations, and the cultivation of indigo. Some of the others are of great extent, and they all possess nearly the same characteristics. They are generally so level as to appear to the eye a perfect plain; but there occasionally occur swells and declivities, such as are sufficient to carry the water from them. The margin which borders on the gulf is commonly a wet marsh, covered with a luxuriant growth of tall reedy grass called cane-grass. In various parts of these prairies there are islands of richer lands. Wherever a bayou or stream crosses the prairie, it is marked with a fringe of timber; and here the soil is invariably rich, as well as at the points of the prairie; but towards the River Sabine it is less so.

Wheat and rye do not flourish here in general, but oats and barley succeed well; and maize grows luxuriantly on the alluvious and rich lands. The sweet potato (Convolvulus batatas) in sandy soil attains the greatest perfection. They are of different varieties, and occasionally of a very large size, but are extremely nutritive, and raised with ease in great abundance. The Irish potato is not so easily raised, and is only cultivated for eating during the early part of summer. The pumpkin and melon tribe flourish in this climate, and all the northern fruits come to perfection, with the exception of apples, which generally decay before ripening. Dergent kinds of figs grow in the greatest abundance, and there would appear to attain its largest size in this quarter. Along the whole shore of the gulf, and in some other places, the orange tree, sweet and bitter, flourishes, and the fruit is of the finest quality. The cultivated vine flourishes abundantly; and wild grapes, such as the summer, winter, fox, muscadine, and pine-wood grape, are abundant. There is an immense number of wild and cultivated flowering shrubs, which flourish in this region; and the abundance of mulberry trees holds out a prospect that the culture of silk will soon form one of the branches of trade in this state. The timber trees on the bottoms are willow, cotton-wood, honey-eye locust, pawpaw, and buck-eye; on the rich uplands elm, cucumber, ash, hickory, mulberry, black walnut, with abundance of grape vines; and on the second rate, or sandy uplands, white, pitch, and yellow pines, and various kinds of oak.

As yet agriculture is only in its infancy, the principal object being not to produce a great variety of crops, but to obtain the greatest amount of the staple productions. Sugar and rice are the staples of the state in general S. of 30°, and cotton N. of that parallel; the latter, however, is extensively cultivated in every part of the state. Sugar-cane is an abundant article of growth in Louisiana. It requires the richest soil, the mould of which should at least be a foot deep. There are three or four varieties or species, as the African, the Otaheitan, the West Indian, and the ribbon cane. The Otaheitan grows luxuriantly, and ripens considerably earlier than the West Indian; but it is said to contain only two-thirds of the saccharine matter of the other. The ribbon-cane is a new and beautiful species, which possesses the advantage of not requiring so long a season for ripening. Throughout the state the planters are turning their attention to the cultivation of the sugar-cane; and in 1850 this state produced nine-tenths of the entire quantity raised in the Union. The rice is remarkably white, and yields abundantly. There is a great extent of land favourable for the production of the upland rice; and no limit can be assigned to the amount which might be raised. The cotton cultivated here is an annual plant, growing in the rich lands more than six feet in height, and the larger stalks of the size of a man's arm, throwing out a number of branches, on which form large and beautiful whitish-yellow blossoms. It is planted from March till the middle of May, in drill rows, six feet apart. The kinds of cotton cultivated are—Louisiana, green seed or Tennessee, and recently Mexican cotton. The green seed is not of so fine a quality, but it is less subject to the destructive malady called the rot. The Mexican is finer, and yields more abundantly. Sea Island cotton grows well upon grounds that have been exhausted by the continued cultivation of the other kinds. All the species exhaust the soil; but the seeds, which accumulate in prodigious quantities around the gins, furnish an admirable manure, which supplies the deficiency of nutriment. Indigo was formerly a prime object of attention amongst the planters, but the cultivation of it has been abandoned. The finest tobacco is raised, but it is not so profitable as sugar and cotton, although that which is cultivated in the vicinity of Natchitoches is said to equal the tobacco of Cuba. Louisiana in 1854 produced 346,635 hogsheads of sugar.

In 1699 a colony of Frenchmen was founded on the shores of Louisiana by M. D'Iberville. In 1712 the King of France granted to M. Crozart a charter, which included the whole of the territory of Louisiana; but after five years the charter was surrendered into the hands of the king. To the company founded in Paris by the notorious John Law was granted the great territory of Louisiana, as it had been surrendered by Crozart. By the failure of this company, Louisiana again reverted to the crown, by which it was held for some time; but in 1762 it was ceded to Spain, to prevent its falling into the hands of the English. In 1800 Bonaparte succeeded in inducing Spain to retransfer Louisiana to France; and in 1803 it was sold to the United States for 60,000,000 francs = £2,500,000. In 1812 it was admitted as a member of the Union.

According to the present constitution, every white male person, twenty-one years of age and upwards, who shall have resided in the state twelve months, and in the parish for six months next preceding the election, has the right of voting. The legislature consists of a senate of 32 members, elected for four years, one half going out every second year; and a house of representatives of not less than 70, nor more than 100, elected for two years. The governor is elected for four years. The legislature meets annually, and the session lasts not more than 60 days.

The constitution provides that "free public schools shall be established throughout the state; the proceeds of lands granted for the purpose, and of lands escheated to the state," Louisville shall be held as a permanent fund, on which six per cent interest shall be paid by the state for the support of these schools." The number of schools in operation on an average eight months in the year, in 38 parishes, was 687; average attendance about 36,000, and number of teachers about 1000. According to the census of 1850, Louisiana had 306 churches, with accommodation for 109,615 persons. Of these, 125 were Methodist churches, accommodating 33,180; 77 Baptist, 16,660; 55 Roman Catholic, 37,780; 18 Presbyterian, 9150; 14 Episcopal, 5210; 6 Union, 1350; 3 Christian, 1500; 3 Free, 675; 1 German Reformed, 500; 1 Jewish, 600; 1 Universalist, 1000; and 2 minor sects, 1650. The number of libraries was 10, with 26,800 vols.; and of these, 5 with 9800 vols., were public; 2, with 12,000 vols., school; and 3, with 5000 vols., college libraries. In 1810 Louisiana contained 76,556 inhabitants; in 1820, 153,407; in 1830, 215,739; in 1840, 352,411; and in 1850, 517,763—of whom 141,244 were male, and 114,248 female whites; 7479 free coloured males, and 9983 free coloured females; and 125,874 male, and 118,935 female slaves.