| Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana |
Website Links For Plaquemines |
Information AboutPlaquemines Parish, Louisiana |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT PLAQUEMINES PARISH, LOUISIANA | |
| louisiana parishes | |
| greater new orleans | |
| plaquemines parish, louisianalouisiana parishes | |
| greater new orleans | |
| plaquemines parish, louisiana | |
| louisiana parishes | |
Plaquemines Parish ( with the most combined land and water area in the U.S. State of Louisiana . The Parish Seat is Pointe à La Hache . As Of 2000 , the parish's population was 26,757. The name is pronounced (transcription in IPA ). GEOGRAPHY The parish has a total area of 6,290 Km&2 (2,429 Mi&2 ). 2,187 km&2 (845 mi&2) of it is land and 4,102 km&2 (1,584 mi&2) of it (65.22%) is water. Major highways
Adjacent parishes and features
Plaquemines Parish is bordered to the south and southeast by the Gulf Of Mexico . HISTORY The name "Plaquemines" comes from a Native American word, ''piakimin'', meaning Persimmon . It was first used to name an old military post on the banks of the Mississippi which was surrounded by a large number of persimmon trees. Eventually the name was applied to the entire parish. One of the remaining historical treasures of Plaquemines Parish is Fort Jackson , built in 1822 under the recommendation of General Andrew Jackson , hero of the Battle Of New Orleans . In 1861, Fort Jackson served as an important defense for the city of New Orleans during the Civil War because it was at the mouth of the Mississippi River. It was also used as a training base during World War I - 1917-1918. Because Plaquemines Parish encompasses the first 70 miles of the Mississippi River, it plays host to several oil refineries which make use of the shipping lanes. The Mississippi River Delta of Plaquemines also provides assistance to offshore oil rigs. Plaquemines Parish was also the first place where a container was first used to ship cargo in foreign trade. In the early 1900s Plaquemines was an exporter of citrus, and used the train and the river to move its large annual harvest. The parish has also been a big commercial fisheries haven, especially for oysters. From 1919 to 1969, Plaquemines Parish (together with neighbouring St. Bernard Parish ), was effectively the domain of political boss Leander Perez , who established a virtual dictatorship in the area. He was notorious for fixing elections and mandating strict Racial Segregation . During the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927, city and state leaders used Dynamite to breech a Levee at Caernarvon , thirteen miles below Canal Street, in order to save the city of New Orleans from flooding. However, this action resulted in the flooding of both St. Bernard and Plaquemines parishes, causing widespread destruction. Hurricane Katrina One of the worst natural disasters in United States history struck Louisiana on , Port Sulphur , Buras-Triumph , Empire , Boothville-Venice , Phoenix, and Venice, Louisiana suffered tremendous damage. Amidst heavy rains accompanied by hurricane force winds in excess of 120 mph (190 km/h) at initial landfall (with a Category 5 storm surge), the levees failed and broke, and the storm surge that flowed in was more than 20 feet (6.1 m) high. Although a good majority of the populace did heed mandatory evacuation orders, some did not. At least three residents died. DEMOGRAPHICS
As of the Census &2 of 2000, there were 26,757 people, 9,021 households, and 7,000 families residing in the parish. The Population Density was 12/km&2 (32/mi&2). There were 10,481 housing units at an average density of 5/km&2 (12/mi&2). The racial makeup of the parish was 69.77% White , 23.39% Black or African American , 2.07% Native American , 2.62% Asian , 0.01% Pacific Islander , 0.73% from Other Races , and 1.42% from two or more races. 1.62% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 9,021 households out of which 39.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.50% were Married Couples living together, 14.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.40% were non-families. 18.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.89 and the average family size was 3.30. In the parish the population was spread out with 29.20% under the age of 18, 9.20% from 18 to 24, 30.50% from 25 to 44, 21.40% from 45 to 64, and 9.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 99.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.30 males. The median income for a household in the parish was $38,173, and the median income for a family was $42,610. Males had a median income of $37,245 versus $21,691 for females. The Per Capita Income for the parish was $15,937. About 15.40% of families and 18.00% of the population were below the Poverty Line , including 20.70% of those under age 18 and 18.40% of those age 65 or over. CITIES, TOWNS, AND COMMUNITIES
ECONOMY Plaquemines has a significant seafood industry. The parish exports millions of pounds of shrimp, crab, oysters, and fish annually. Plaquemines also has a vibrant citrus industry. Seafood and Citrus industries have suffered somewhat in the wake of hurricane Katrina in August 2005. About half the shrimping and shellfish fleet were lost. In January 2007, thousands of citrus trees went unpicked. TRIVIA
EXTERNAL LINKS
|
|
|