Lafayette (Louisiana)

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The area of present-day Lafayette was first settled by Acadians in the 1770's. It has steadily grown and nowadays it is a commercial, shipping and medical center for an area producing sugarcane, rice, cotton, dairy cattle, livestock and petroleum. Manufactures include building materials, electrical appliances, auto parts, furniture and metal products. The area's oil and natural gas boom has contributed to a large population increase and an influx of new businesses to the city. The Heymann Oil Center is headquarters for several hundred oil companies.

Of interest are St. John's Cathedral, which dates from 1916, a Carmelite monastery, a planetarium, a museum and the Art Center for Southwestern Louisiana. Lafayette is the seat of the University of Southwestern Louisiana and the scene of an annual Mardi Gras. Evangeline Downs racetrack is nearby.

There are several hotels and restaurants in Lafayette. The city is on the Vermilion River (which is linked to the Intracoastal Waterway), in the south of Louisiana, 1710 km southwest of Washington D.C.