Some of the things that make the U.S. unique is the fact that it is made up of 50 individual States, all with their own laws, widely varying weather, scenery, and cultures.
All these factors culminate into several interesting facts about Louisiana, with one of the more notable ones being that the state’s lowest point is the iconic city of New Orleans, which is at 8 feet below sea level!
Each state has its own nickname that is typically derived from an event associated with its historical past, a notable landmark within the State, a cultural icon, or even the climate. Let’s consider Louisiana’s nickname?
Louisiana’s Nickname is – The Pelican State.
Louisiana is located along the Gulf of Mexico as part of the Deep South Region of the United States. The Pelican state is a Southeastern state bordering Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, Mississippi to the east, and the waters of the Gulf of Mexico to the south. Louisiana is the 19th smallest state area and the 25th most populous state in the US.
Many states have adopted some fairly questionable nicknames over the years that don’t seem to have the same relevance or meaning as they once had. However, the same cannot be said about Louisiana’s nickname.
There are still lots of nicknames that are just as relevant today as they once were when first adopted, and Louisiana’s state nickname falls under this too. With the nickname having as much if not more relevance now to the state as it did all those years ago.
Louisiana’s State Nickname
Louisiana’s state nickname originates from the brown pelican, which is coincidentally Louisiana’s state bird and also appears on the state’s flag, state seal, and the official state painting. It is also one of the three Louisiana symbols that have been displayed on the US Louisiana quarter.
There is little room for imagination when it comes to the reasons for Louisiana using the Brown Pelican as its state icon, and is subsequently the official Louisiana state bird that can be found in sheer abundance along Louisiana’s coastline. The Pelican has been the state symbol since the European settlers first arrived. They were deemed highly impressed with the pelican’s nurturing behavior towards their young.
Louisiana’s state nickname and its relationship with the brown pelican haven’t always been plain sailing. Despite the clear admiration shown for the brown pelican by Louisianans, due to the use of pesticides, in 1966 the state bird had completely vanished from Louisiana’s coastline resulting in the Federal Government declaring this species of bird endangered.
Fortunately, years later, an effort to improve the pelican’s habitat along with repopulation efforts resulted in the Federal Government declaring the species of bird in Louisiana as “recovered” in 1995.
What is Louisiana’s Nickname?
Louisiana’s state nickname is “The Pelican State” as previously mentioned. However, Louisiana has many other nicknames people use to describe the state. They are as follows:
- The Bayou State – A bayou is a small, secondary river that feeds into larger areas of water, Bayou’s tend to be slow-moving, marshy streams, and Louisiana is full of them. Subsequently adopting a nickname paying homage to the number of these bayou’s scattered around the state.
- The Sugar State – Louisiana has always been well known for its sugar production past and present due to a large number of sugar cane crops at the state’s disposal.
- The Child of Mississippi – A small silt deposited by the iconic Mississippi River actually contributes to the land area of Louisiana, this is where this nickname comes from.
- The Creole State – Due to early European settlers, many Louisianans come from French or Spanish descent and also hold similar cultures.
- Sportsman’s Paradise – This nickname pays tribute to the wildlife, hunting, fishing, and other outdoor activities Louisiana has to offer.
- Fisherman’s Paradise – Due to the number of Bayou’s, rivers, lakes, and swamps that inhabit Louisiana, fishing is extremely popular and has garnered quite a reputation in Louisiana.
- The Holland of America – This is the last well-known Louisiana state nickname and it is pretty unusual and surprising. The reason for the adoption of this nickname is due to the Louisiana waterways and trucking industry, which bears a similarity to that of Holland.
“Union, Justice, and Confidence” is the Louisiana motto, this motto fantastically represents the heart, mindset, and intelligence of Louisianans past and present.
If you are interested in learning about the Louisiana state abbreviation, check out our page dedicated to this.
