New Orleans, Louisiana is the largest city within the state and is a major seaport. The New Orleans metropolitan area supports over 1,235,650 residents. The Metairie-Bogalusa-New Orleans combined statistical area has a population of approximately 1,360,436.
New Orleans gets its name after duc d'Orlean, a regent of France, Philippe II. New Orleans was established during the year 1718, with a well-known French Creole heritage. The city is known for its distinctive architecture, its cuisine, and its music. The city of New Orleans is usually called the birthplace of jazz. The yearly Mardi Gras festival draws a lot of visitors.
The city of New Orleans is a unique American city that has a lot of diverse cultural and multilingual influences. The Creole culture blends the influences of the African, French and Spanish cultures. The Cajun culture derives from the descendants of immigrants from France who came here via the country Canada. Few American cities can claim a more fascinating history. The region was ruled by Spain and by France at various points in its history. During the year 1803, as part of the Louisiana Purchase, it was bought by the US from France.
The city of New Orleans is justly famous for its food. Local dishes like for example gumbo and crawfish etouffeis could be enjoyed at numerous eateries. The food of the city is so distinctive due to its evolution over centuries from local Creole, haute Creole, and French cuisines. The unique Louisiana flavours are a creative amalgamation of Spanish, French, Italian, African, Native American, Cajun, Chinese, and Cuban traditions.
A center of maritime industry, the city of New Orleans has amongst the busiest seaports in the world. Offshore and onshore petrochemical production and oil refining form a major sector of the economy. Large energy corporations, such as Royal Dutch Shell and Chevron, have regional headquarters located within the city. The headquarters of other energy producing corporations and oil services businesses are located here. Engineering and design companies are attracted to New Orleans by the energy sector. There are many white collar employees working in the petroleum and natural gas production sector.
Federal Government agencies form a different significant sector within the New Orleans region. Among them are the NASA's Michoud Assembly, National Finance Center and the Space and Naval Warfare of the US Navy (or likewise called SPAWAR) Systems Command.
The city of New Orleans is an internationally competitive manufacturing center. Some of the top private employers are firms involved in manufacturing, shipbuilding and aerospace. At Martin Marietta, aerospace parts are produced for the NASA assembly plant. Other sectors of the economy include healthcare, education, tourism, and research and technology.