Chapter 4

Megalopolis

New Orleans is the largest populated city in Louisiana, 343,829 people live in New Orleans. Since it occupies a coastal position and it has accessible harbors, it has megalopolis similarities. The Louisiana population has been and still is mostly urban.

Year	Rural	Urban	Total Population
1980	1,117,072	3,089,044	4,206,116
1990	1,091,103	3,128,870	4,219,973
2000	1,128,309	3,340,667	4,468,976
2010	1,152,634	3,380,738	4,533,372

Data updated September 14, 2011 

Louisiana has a vast system of navigable waterways. The port of New Orleans is amongst the busiest ports in the country in seaborne freight, while Baton Rouge is important for shipping petroleum and chemical products. Railroads became common after the 1830s and there are nearly 3,000 miles of tracks still used in Louisiana. Several miles of highways and dozens of airports add to Louisiana’s transportation means.

Resources:

http://www.history.com/topics/louisiana/page2

http://www.ers.usda.gov/statefacts/LA.htm

Photo: 

http://besthotelso.com/images/category/new-orelans-1310128400.jpg
http://www.discoverneworleans.com/maps/louisiana.gif