Louisiana (Joan of What?)

Republic of Louisiana République Louisienne
Motto:  Des tropiques à l'arctique (French) (English: From the tropics to the Arctic)
Anthem:  Louisiane "Louisiana"
Location of Louisiana within North America
Capital		Quebec
Largest city		New Lyon
Official languages		French • English
Recognised regional languages		Chipewyan • Cree • Gwitch'in • Inuinnaqtun • Inuktitut • Inuvialuktun • North Slavey • South Slavey • Tłı̨chǫ
Demonym		Louisianian
Government		Federal parliamentary constitutional republic
-	President	Julie Payette
-	Chancellor	Justin Trudeau
-	Chief Justice	Augustine de Maizière
Legislature		National Assembly
Independence		from Cygnia
-	World War I	1868–71
-	Treaty of Frankfurt and cession to Cygnia	10 May 1871
-	Dominion Act	11 December 1931
-	Republic	18 August 1971
Area
-	Total	7,676,263 km2  2,963,822 sq mi
Population
-	2016 estimate	123,733,048
-	Density	8.34/km2  21.6/sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2016 estimate
-	Total	£5.72 trillion
-	Per capita	£46,199
GDP (nominal)		2016 estimate
-	Total	£5.00 trillion
-	Per capita	£40,409
Gini (2010)		33.7 medium
HDI (2014)		▲ 0.913 very high
Currency		Louisianian franc (₣) (LOF)
Time zone		EAST (UTC–5)
-	Summer (DST)	EADT (UTC–4)
Date formats		dd-mm-yyyy
Drives on the		left
Internet TLD		.lo
Calling code		+1

Louisiana (French: Louisiane), officially the Republic of Louisiana (French: République Louisienne), is a country in the eastern half 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 Alaska and California, and has an eastern coastline facing the North Atlantic Ocean. 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 is Quebec; other major urban areas include its largest city, New Lyon, as well as Toronto, Sioux, Montreal, New Orleans 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. Following the Anglo-Dutch War, the Netherlands' colonies in North America were incorporated into New England. After the French Revolution, New England, now under the rule of a newly independent French government, was renamed Louisiana. The change in regime prompted the Great American Exodus, which ultimately led to the establishment of California to the west.

Louisiana following France's defeat in World War I was ceded to Cygnia, and it became a self-governing Dominion within the Empire. Under Cygnian rule, Louisiana was divided into 12 provinces based on pre-existing administrative divisions. In 1943, the Cygnian Revolution resulted in the abolition of the monarchy throughout the Empire, and Louisiana consequently became one of the founding republics of the Commonwealth of Nations.

Louisiana is a federal parliamentary constitutional republic, with a president chosen by an elected National Assembly. 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 United Nations, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, the Commonwealth of Nations, G8, the Group of Ten, the G20, the Pan-American Free Trade Agreement and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.