New Orleans, Louisiana
From Metapedia
New Orleans is a major United States port city and the largest city in Louisiana.
New Orleans is located in Southeastern Louisiana along the Mississippi River. The city is bordered by Lake Pontchartrain to the north and the Gulf of Mexico to the east and is coextensive with Orleans Parish. It is named after Philippe II, Duc d'Orléans, Regent of France, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States.
Its status as a world-famous tourist destination is due in part to its architecture, music, cuisine, its annual Mardi Gras, and other celebrations and festivals. The city is often referred to as "The most unique city in America."
The Greater New Orleans population was approximately 1.4 million people prior to the flooding caused by Hurricane Katrina. The metro area has rebounded to 1.2 million in December 2006. The population of the city itself was 484,674 according to the 2000 U.S. Census. The population estimate just before Katrina hit was 454,865 as of July 1, 2005. Hurricane Katrina flooded 80% of the city in August 2005, reducing the population temporarily to perhaps 90,000. By July 2006 the city had recovered somewhat to 223,388. A population analysis released in August 2007 estimated the population to be 273,000, 60% of the pre-Katrina population and an increase of about 50,000 since July 2006. A September 2007 report by The Greater New Orleans Community Data Center, which tracks population based on U.S. Postal Service figures found that in August 2007 just over 137,000 households received mail. That compares with about 198,000 households in July 2005 for a figure of about 70% of pre-Katrina population.
