Louisiana (Joan of What?)

Louisiana (: Louisiane), officially the Republic of Louisiana (French: République Louisienne), is a country in the central third of North America. Its 12 states extend from the North Sea to the Gulf of Mexico, covering 7.68 million square kilometres, making it one of the world's largest countries by total area. Louisiana is bordered to the west by and, and to the east by ,  and. Louisiana has a vast array of climates, from severely cold in the far north, to tropical in the southern extremes. Louisiana's population is mostly concentrated in the warmer southern half of the country, with the north sparsely populated. Its capital and largest city is ; other major urban areas include Sioux, Montreal, Quebec City and Des Moines.

Various Native American peoples have inhabited what is now Louisiana for thousands of years prior to European colonisation. Beginning in the 16th century, British claims were made on the area, with the colony of New England first being established by French convicts under British control in 1534. New England slowly expanded until it comprised roughly the territory of what is today Louisiana, with the addition of Valoisia. Following the, what was then the Province of New England lost Valoisia, which was annexed into the Dutch colony of New Netherland. After the, New England, now under the rule of a newly independent French government, was renamed Louisiana. Louisiana was granted independence in 1871 following France's defeat in, and the new country organised itself into a federal republic, dividing itself into 12 states based on pre-existing administrative divisions.

Louisiana is a federal semi-presidential constitutional republic, with a popularly elected and. It is one of the world's most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, the product of large-scale immigration from many other countries. Its advanced economy is the eleventh-largest in the world, relying chiefly upon its abundant natural resources and well-developed international trade networks.

Louisiana is a developed country and has the tenth highest nominal per capita income globally as well as the ninth highest ranking in the Human Development Index. It ranks among the highest in international measurements of government transparency, civil liberties, quality of life, economic freedom, and education. Louisiana is a member of the Francophonie, and part of several major international and intergovernmental institutions or groupings including the, the , the , the , the , the and the  forum.