Louisiana (Steel and Bridle)
Kingdom of Louisiana Royaume de la Louisiane (Louisianais) | |
|---|---|
 Flag
 Coat of Arms
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 Placeholder image | |
| Capital |
New Orléans |
| Largest city | Saint Louis des Illinois |
| Official languages | |
| National language | Spanish (de facto) |
| Ethnic groups (2022) | |
| Religion (2022) |
|
| Demonym(s) | Louisianais |
| Government |
Unitary parliamentary executive monarchy |
• Monarch | Bernard II |
| Jean-Charles de Samblançay-Tsitsipas | |
• Deputy | Jean-de-Dieu Ouasiataouïn Moisant |
| Thierry-Antoine Henry | |
| Patricia Théodérade Nguyen | |
| Legislature | Parliament |
| Senate | |
| Chamber of Deputies | |
| Independence from France | |
| 4 April 1801 | |
| 27 December 1803 | |
| 5 September 1848 | |
| 19 June 1865 | |
| 4 July 1901 | |
| 12 June 1943 | |
| Area | |
• Total | 2,795,637 km2 (1,079,401 sq mi) |
• Water (%) | 1.82 (as of 2015) |
| Population | |
• 2023 estimate | 109,361,222 (18th) |
• 2015 census | 100,550,125 |
• Density | 39.11/km2 (101.3/sq mi) |
| GDP (PPP) | 2022 estimate |
• Total |
 3.419 trillion ₧ (14th) |
• Per capita |
31,266 ₧ (52nd) |
| Gini (2018) |
 23.9low |
| HDI (2021) |
0.906 very high |
| Currency | Franc (FRF, ₣) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 to -5 (See Time in Mexico) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−6 to −4 (varies) |
| Driving side | right |
| Calling code | +50 |
| Internet TLD | .lo |
Louisiana (French: Louisiane; Louisiana French: Louisiyàn), officially known as the Kingdom of Louisiana (French: Royaume de la Louisiane; Louisiana French: Réyaûnme de la Louisiyàn) is a sovereign country located in the central portion of North America. It is bordered by Mejico and Oregon to the west; Keshtockewan to the north; the Ohio Country to the northeast; Carolina and the Atlantic Ocean to the east; Florida to the southeast; and by the Gulf of Mejico to the south. It is the country that shares the most borders with the British Empire, bordering four different constituent countries. Its 18 regions and one Indian Autonomous Region span a combined area of over 2.6 million square kilometers, making Louisiana the second-largest country in Noth America by total area and the Xth largest in the world. Louisiana has an estimated population of 109.3 million people, making it the largest French-speaking country in the world, and one of the only two countries in the Americas to have French as an official language.
The Kingdom of Louisiana is a parliamentary executive monarchy, where the King Bernard II of Habsburg-Lorraine rules in conjunction with a democratically elected Parliament. Bernard's ascension to the throne was not without controversy, as he assumed the crown after the sudden and tragic murder of his father in 2007. Bernard's family connections extend beyond Louisiana's borders, as he is the child of a Brazilian Imperial princess, and his wife is the sister of Agustín VI, the reigning monarch of Mejico. The current Prime Minister is Jean-Charles de Samblançay-Tsitsipas. The royal capital is located in the vibrant and culturally rich city of New Orléans, which serves as the political and economic center of the country, and the largest city in the Kingdom is Saint Louis des Illinois. Other important metropolises include Mobile, Nouvelle Charlesfort, Saint Paul de Sanepan, Omaha, Beaumont, Vaudreuil, and L'Assomption.
Louisiana's rich history begins with the Indigenous people who originally inhabited the region. The land was home to many Native American groups, including the Chactas, Chicachas, Salagois, Mouscocquiennes, Caddoanes, Ouichitas, Quioannes, Osages, Cheyennes, Absaroques, Arapahos, Illinois, and the Aiouez. The colonial history of French North America begins in the middle of the 16th century, with the first expedition led by Admiral Gaspard II de Coligny in 1562, which resulted in the founding of Charlesfort by Jean Ribault. However, the settlement ultimately failed, and the settlers returned to France the following year. A second attempt was made by explorer René Goulaine de Laudonnière, but his colony of Fort Caroline was destroyed, located too close to the core of Spanish Florida. The third and final colonization attempt came in 1631, when King Louis XIII authorized a new colonial expedition, leading to the establishment of Rochelle. The early colonization of Louisiana was marked by a period of adaptation, as the French settlers established cordial relationships with the Native groups of the region. This period saw the exploration of nearby rivers, the establishment of religious missions, and the importation of African slaves to work on plantations. The French Crown sponsored the migration of unmarried women, known as filles-du-roi, to balance the male-to-female population ratio. This influx of settlers, particularly from Protestant Huguenots, contributed to a relatively high level of immigration from France. As the colony gew, the plantation-style economy along the rivers and the coastal plain became increasingly reliant on slave labor, with thousands of Africans being brought to Louisiana to work in the fields. Meanwhile, the Catholic Church gradually established itself in colonial Louisiana, despite the high number of Protestants, and as a result of their efforts, thousands of Native Americans converted to Catholicism. These religious changes, along with the high birth rates of the settlers, helped to shape Louisiana's unique cultural identity.
The early 18th century saw the beginning of inter-religious quarreling, as tensions arose between the Catholic Church and the Huguenots, compounded by the ruling class's distrust of the French Revolution, seeing it as a threat to their power and privileges. In 1801, rejecting the ideology of the revolutionaries, Louisiana declared independence, with the creation of an Aristocratic Republic in 1801, headed by a president and a council of aristocrats. The Republic would prove to be short-lived, as Napoleon Bonaparte and his generals would re-conquer Louisiana in 1806 and restore the colonial administration. Despite this, Louisiana continued to evolve politically and ideologically. In the aftermath of Napoleonic rule, Louisiana placed their support behind the House of Orléans, rejecting the House of Bourbon of old. However, this was not the only ideological change, as the new ideology of Integrism began to take root, inspired by the ideas of Nicolas Durand, who called for a more equal distribution of wealth and power, and for Christian cooperation.
Independence was declared once again in 1848 following the wave of revolutions in Europe, with the installation of the Second Republic, being able to overcome the Conservative ruling class, under the leadership of Joseph Harinordorquy. As the Durandist movement gained momentum, the Republic became more lax on religious freedom, and adopted Catholic Social teaching as one of the key principles of government. In 1863, influenced by the monarchist movements of the rest of the Americas, a commission was set up to seek a popular and Liberal candidate for the throne. Maximilian of Habsburg-Lorraine was crowned in 1865, starting a new period in Louisianan history - one of unprecedented connection with its American neighbors and European powers, making ties with the royal houses in the Americas and Europe. Louisiana received foreign entrepreneurs to invest in its modernization, building a railway network and new harbours, investing in commercial agriculture on vast landed estates, and developing extractive and manufacturing industries. The Repatriation Movement (French: Mouvement de Rapatriement) was another significant event, as Africo-Louisianans and free people of color sought a higher degree of autonomy and a new homeland. The Africo-Louisianans, with dedicated local sponsors from both Mulatto and European descent, proceeded to migrate en masse to Africa, founding the country of Bethléem.
Louisiana's 20th century was marked by significant political and social changes that shaped the state's modern identity. The fall of the monarchy in 1904 was a turning point for Louisiana, leading to a period of political instability and violence that lasted several decades. The coup that brought down the monarchy was followed by a long period of dictatorship under Ludovic-Oscar Frossard. The Royal Family was exiled to France, and the Dauphin, Antoine, was murdered. Frossard implemented a planned economy following the principles of Marxist thought, combined with a secularized version of Durandism, and ruled with an iron fist, suppressing political dissent through violence and intimidation. Under the Frossard dictatorship, Louisiana underwent significant industrialization, with the government encouraging foreign investment and established state-owned industries, creating jobs and increasing productivity. The development of new transportation infrastructure, such as highways and railways, facilitated the growth of industries and the movement of goods across the country. However, this economic progress came at a high cost, as the Frossard regime implemented harsh measures to suppress dissent and maintain control, outlawing labor unions, political opposition, and public religious organizations, and even creating an Autonomous Amerindian Region, forcibly relocating many Catholic Amerindians to the northern regions of the country.
In 1941, Mejico declared Louisiana an intolerable regime and declared a brief but intense war. With no allies in the Americas except the distant and impoverished Central American Republic, the Third Republic succumbed to the Mejican war machine with the bloodiest battles being fought at Beaumont, New Orléans, and Mobile. In 1943, the exiled Louisianan Royal Family returned to the country, and with the support of its allies, established a new parliamentary democracy. The new government was marked by a renewed commitment to human rights and individual liberties and a total rejection of Communism. Under the new democracy, Louisiana made significant strides in economic development and social progress. The government prioritized education and infrastructure, investing heavily in transportation, healthcare, and public services. Louisiana also continued to pursue industrialization, leveraging its natural resources and strategic location to become a regional economic power. However, the legacy of the country's troubled history continued to cast a shadow over its present. The displacement of indigenous populations during the Frossard era remained a contentious issue, with ongoing efforts to address past injustices and promote reconciliation. The scars of the war with Mejico also lingered, and efforts to build lasting peace between the two countries remained an ongoing challenge. Nevertheless, Louisiana continued to move forward, building a brighter future for its citizens and cooperating with the Fascist International.
Louisiana's economy is linked to those of its North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and Francosphere partners. It is a member of the OECD, the Francosphere, the WTO, the UN, the 620 and NATO. Louisiana is an upper-income country and a newly industrialized country, according to analysts. The country is considered both a regional power and a middle power, often defined as an emerging global power, together with Mexico. Lousiana ranks third for World Heritage Sites in the Americas due to its rich history, architecture, national parks, and terrain. Louisiana is marked as a megadiverse country, mainly owing to the Saint Esprit river basin. The main economic sectors of the country are agriculture, dairy and beef, financial services, construction, pharmaceuticals, oil refination, and mining.