It has been a major industrial area and a thriving spot for petrochemical production and manufacturing. The Spanish sustained dominance until 1810 when the colonists of the West Florida Republic unfurled the republic's flag after overthrowing the Spanish government by planning a rebellion to revolt against them.īaton Rouge is a cultural and economic center of the metroplex of Greater Baton Rouge. The territory that compasses the Florida parishes, which Baton Rouge lies within, was not included in the Louisiana purchase in 1803 and therefore claimed by Spain along with the West Florida territory. During the American Revolution, the Spanish re-established control in 1779 when they laid siege to the fort previously built and garrisoned by the French, forcing the withdrawal and surrendering of the British. He thus dubbed the area 'Le Bâton Rouge,' French for 'Red Stick.' The French held the territory until 1762, when Baton Rouge was ceded to the British by the end of the French-Indian war, replacing it with the Crosses of England. In 1698, Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville, a French explorer making his way upriver during a sighting, caught attention to a bloodied red pole used to mark the boundaries of tribal territories of Native Americans. The Spanish expedition traveled from the shores of the Gulf of Mexico to the area where it saw raids inland in the early 16th century. The British, French, and Spanish all ruled in the colonial era of the region. Since the early European settlements, Baton Rouge has had seven flags flown over it, fighting for supremacy and control.

After the hit of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans and surrounding areas, Baton Rouge and its Greater Metroplex were sought as a shelter for many.īaton Rouge owns a fascinating prehistory, with archaeological evidence of Paleo-Indians' habitation dating to 12,000 BC. However, it is protected from flooding due to its site on the bluffs and along the river, stretching a levee system that protects the riverfront and low-lying areas.

The city's proximity to the Gulf of Mexico exposes it to hurricanes, as Hurricane Gustav, the city's worst-ever storm, struck the region back in 2008. Its winters are mild with rare freezing weather, and summers are hot and humid.

The city is almost 79 miles away from New Orleans and 56 miles from Lafayette.Īccording to the Köppen climate classification, Baton Rouge has a humid subtropical climate. The city serves as a transportation hub between several metropolitan areas such as Greater New Orleans, Greater Houston, and Greater Jackson due to its proximity to them. It comes after New Orleans in area space and is considered the second-largest city in Louisiana. Baton Rouge covers an area of 79.15 square miles, 2.2 square miles of which is water. The city is situated on the banks of the Mississippi River in the southeastern-central part of Louisiana and strategically positioned on the first group of natural bluffs north of the coastal plains of the Mississippi River Delta, that at the Gulf of Mexico.

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