The city of Baton Rouge is the State Capital of Louisiana. It is the 2nd biggest city in the state of Louisiana and is situated within East Baton Rouge Parish. The city of baton Rouge is known as an industrial, medical, research and petrochemical center in the American South. The Port of Baton Rouge is the farthest upstream Mississippi River port which can successfully handle Panamax ships. Additionally the Port of Baton Rouge is the 9th largest port in the USA in terms of tonnage shipped.
The city of Baton Rouge and its nearby area is referred to as the "Capital Area." The area is located along the Mississippi River in Louisiana's southeast region. The town owes its historical importance to its site located at Istrouma Bluff. This is the first bluff upriver from the Mississippi River Delta. It serves the community by protecting the residents of the city of Baton Rouge from flooding, hurricanes and other natural emergencies from nature. Baton Rouge City likewise has built a levee system in addition to this natural barrier. This levee system protects the low-lying agricultural areas and the riverfront as it stretches southward.
The population of Baton Rouge is approximately 230,000 based on the 2010 census. The metropolitan area, called Greater Baton Rouge, has a population of 802,484 inhabitants as of the year 2010.
The history of Baton Rouge could be traced all the way back to the year 1699, when a French explorer, Sieur d'lberville, led an exploration party up the Mississippi River. He saw a reddish colored cypress pole that was covered with bloody animals, serving to mark the boundary between the Houma and Bayou Goula hunting grounds. They referred to site and the pole "le bâton rouge," which means "the red stick."
Initially, the local Native Americans had named the region "Istrouma." Evidence has been found in 3 Native American mounds situated in city limits and along the Amite, Comite and Mississippi Rivers. Archaeologists have been able to determine indigenous habitation of the region to 8000 BC. These mounds were built in the Middle Archaic period by gatherer-hunter societies perhaps as early as 4500 BC that is long before the construction of Egyptian pyramids.
The biggest trade in Baton Rouge is petrochemical production and manufacturing. The Exxon Mobil facility in the city is the 2nd biggest oil refinery within the United States and is also amongst the world's 10 biggest. There are plenty of pipeline, deep water, and rail and highway access within Baton Rouge as well.
The Dow Chemical Company has a huge plant near Plaquemine in Iberville Parish and Albemarle likewise has their headquarters in Baton Rouge. Within North Baton Rouge, the NanYa Technology Corporation has a huge facility making CPVC and PVC pipes. Different companies including Shaw Construction, Harmony and Turner all started by doing construction work at these facilities.