History of New Orleans

Facts
The population of New Orleans is approximately 496,938. The approximate number of families is 225,573. The distance from New Orleans to Washington DC is 969 miles. The distance to the Louisiana state capital is 76 miles. (as the crow flies) New Orleans elevation is 35 feet above sea level.

Location
New Orleans location: in Southeast Louisiana on the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico.

Climate & Weather
The climate for New Orleans is semi-tropical. Because of the mild winters and, nice, long spring and summer seasons, the area is conducive to many outdoor activities throughout the year. The weather in New Orleans is moderate. Freezing temperatures are rare and snowfall is even rarer though it has occurred. The average humidity for the year is around 76 percent. New Orleans average annual rainfall is 62 inches per year New Orleans average temperature is 59.8 (October-March), 77.5 (April-Sept) degrees F. The average low temperature is 59 degrees F. The average high temperature is 78 degrees F.

History
Back in 1682, French explorer, Robert Cavelier, sieur De La Salle, visited the present-day New Orleans area. Villages of the Quinipissa and Tang Pahoa Indians were in this area at the time. Later, in 1699, another French explorer, Jean Baptiste Le Moyne, sieur de Bienville, came into the area. After being named Governor of the Louisiana Territory, Jean Baptiste established a settlement here. The year was 1718. He named the settlement, Nouvelle Orleans

Commerce and Economy
During the first half of the Nineteenth Century, steamboat traffic along the Mississippi made New Orleans one of the busiest ports in the USA. This surge in traffic and the growth of the bustling city made New Orleans the third largest city.
After the Civil War, the shipping industry declined. For the rest of the century, shipping was not a prominent industry in New Orleans. Once the new century began, this industry began to pick up again. Once World War II was over, New Orleans began to grow and flourish. In 1984, New Orleans was the site of a world's fair. Mardi Gras each year continues to be a major tourist event in the area.