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Acadiana is the official name given to the traditional 22- Parish Cajun homeland of Southern Louisiana , United States . This region of Louisiana is unique in that it is defined by its historic residents and local cultures, more than its geography alone. HISTORY Acadiana, also called '''Cajun Country''', describes the French Louisiana region that is home to a large population of the descendants of the original Acadians , dispossessed by the British from what is now Nova Scotia , today known as Cajuns . In 1755 , with war eminent between France and England , British authorities demanded that the French Acadians renounce their Catholic faith and swear allegiance to the British Crown. This was unacceptable to the great majority of French Acadians, and they were forced to leave Acadia. Early emmigrated French Acadians moved to New England , the West Indies or even back to France . Many eventually migrated to Louisiana where they had discovered that they were welcome. By 1971 the Louisiana state legislature officially recognized the area for its unique Cajun and Acadian heritage (Louisiana House Concurrent Resolution No. 496), and made ''Acadiana'' the official name of the 22-parish region. The word ''Acadiana'' has become emblematic of the Cajun and other cultures that share the region. Origin of the term In 1963 the word Acadiana, as it is spelled and used today, came into existence by accident. KATC TV -3, which began a year earlier, was owned by the Acadian Television Corp. In early 1963, the station received an invoice erronously addressed to the ''Acadiana'' Television Corp. Someone had typed an extra "a" at the end of the word "Acadian". The station started using it for marketing their identity. Not copyrighted by KATC, the state officially adopted the term. Today, there are numerous businesses and non-profit organizations that utilize ''Acadiana'' in their names, e.g., Acadiana CARES , Kiwanis Club of Acadiana . Flag In , Patron Saint of the Acadians. The star also symbolizes the active participation of the Acadians in the American Revolution , as soldiers under General Bernardo De Gálvez , Spanish governor of Louisiana. PEOPLE Cajuns prevail among the visible cultures, but not everybody who lives in Acadiana is culturally Acadian or speaks Cajun French , nor is everybody who is culturally Acadian or "Cajun" descended from the Acadian refugees. In addition to the Cajuns, Acadiana is home to several Native American tribes and enclaves of Black Louisiana Creole People . German settlers also found their way to Acadiana during the 19th century. More recently, political refugees from southeast Asia ( Laos , Vietnam , and Cambodia , among others) have brought their families, cultures, and languages to the area, and have contributed significantly to its Fishing Industry . GEOGRAPHY Despite the frequent association of Cajuns with Swamplands , Acadiana actually consists mainly of low gentle hills in the the north section and dry land Prairies , with some Marshes and Bayous . The area is also filled with fields of Rice and Sugarcane . Acadiana by Louisiana law refers to the area that stretches from just west of New Orleans to the Texas border along the Gulf Of Mexico coast, and about 100 miles inland to Marksville . This includes the 22 parishes of Acadia , Ascension , Assumption , Avoyelles , Calcasieu , Cameron , Evangeline , Iberia , Iberville , Jeff Davis , Lafayette , Lafourche , Pointe Coupee , St. Charles , St. James , St. John The Baptist , St. Landry , St. Martin , St. Mary , Terrebonne , Vermilion , and West Baton Rouge . Of those 22, eight parishes make up the Cajun Heartland, which is the central portion of ''Cajun Country'' initially settled by the majority of relocated Acadians . These parishes include Acadia, Evangeline, Iberia, Lafayette, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary, and Vermilion. Three of the parishes, St. Charles , St. James , St. John The Baptist , are considered the River Parishes , along with occasionally included Ascension parish. The metropolitan areas in the region include Houma-Bayou-Cane-Thibodaux , Lafayette (the hub city of the Cajun Heartland), and Lake Charles . Other large cities and towns within the area are Abbeville , Crowley , Donaldsonville , Eunice , New Iberia , Opelousas , Rayne , and St. Martinville . TRANSPORTATION The traditional industries of the area: Tourism , Agriculture , and Petroleum initially drove the need for transportation development. In recent years, Hurricane evacuation plans for the area's growing towns and cities have hastened the planning and construction of better roadways. The abundance of swamps and marshes previously made Acadiana difficult to access, a major reason for the near isolation of the early Cajun people, until Oil was found in the area in the early 1900s. :Land :High capacity, modern highways are the lifeline of the region. US Highways 90, 190, and 167 (now partially replaced by I-49) were the main connectors through south Louisiana until the 1950s. Interstates 10, 210, 55, And 49 now play the major role in transportation. US and state highways also cross the region. :Rail transport through the area is limited by the difficult terrain and the sheer number of bridges required to build over every little stream and bayou. A robust railroad system was being built at the time of the American Civil War , but much of it was destroyed during the conflict. By the end of the war, river transport via Paddlewheeler had taken over as the preferred mode of travel. The major railway in operation through the region is the Southern Pacific Railroad , now part of the Union Pacific Railroad . :Water :Waterways are vital to the commercial and recreational activities of the region. Seaport s, River s, Lake s, Bayou s, Canal s, and Spillway s dot the landscape, and served as the primary source of shipping and travel through the early 1930s. The Mississippi River is important to the eastern section, the Atchafalaya River to the middle, with Calcasieu River flowing through Lake Charles , and the Sabine river enabling shipping traffic to the western portion. Fresh and saltwater lakes, along with almost the entire Louisiana portion of the Intracoastal Waterway , enable the flow of people and materials. :Air :The area's larger airports in Houma, Lafayette, and Lake Charles provide regional leisure travel. Most air travel in the area, not counting the extreme amount of flyover traffic from hubs like New Orleans and Houston , is local in nature and provided by small planes and helicopters. Many hours of flight time is logged by helicopter pilots servicing the oilfields in the Gulf Of Mexico . Small planes are used for short trips and agricultural needs. There are small regional airports seving communities throughout the area. FOOTNOTES |
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