Baton Rouge

Baton Rouge is the state capital of Louisiana. It sits on a bluff along the eastern bank of the Mississippi River in the southeast of the state. Baton Rouge was founded in 1719, when the French built a fort on the strategic riverside location. The settlement was ceded to Great Britain in 1762, captured by the Spanish in 1779 and acquired by the United States in 1815, following a brief period when it was a part of Spanish Florida. It became state capital in 1849. In the Civil War, Baton Rouge was captured by David Farragut after the fall of New Orleans in May 1862. A Confederate attempt to recover it three months later failed.

Baton Rouge has a fine collection of antebellum houses. The old capitol dates from 1882. It was built in the Gothic style of the original, which was burned in the Civil War. A new 34-storey capitol was completed in 1932. Other interesting sights include the governor's mansion, the old arsenal museum and the grave and memorial of Huey Long, a former governor of Louisiana. The city has an arts and science center with a planetarium, several museums, a zoo and a symphony orchestra. Baton Rouge is the seat of Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College and of Southern University and Agricultural and Mechanical College.

The city is a busy deepwater port and an important point of entry to the United States. It is also an important transportation, distribution and commercial center for large oil, natural gas and farm area, as well as a major oil-refining hub. There are large petrochemical facilities and the oil industry is one of Baton Rouge's major employers. Manufactures include concrete products, pharmaceuticals, food and beverages, chemicals, plastics and resins.

There are many hotels and restaurants in Baton Rouge. The city is 1610 km southwest of Washington D.C.