Baton Rouge, Louisiana

The parish includes three major cities:

Baton Rouge, with a population of 231,219 and an area of 75 square miles;

Baker, with a population of 13,315 and an area of 4 square miles;

Zachary, with a population of 10,348 and an area of 20 square miles.

Creole: the meaning of the term has evolved over the years in Louisiana. The word came from the Spanish word criollo which meant ?person native to a locality.? It was first used in the 18^th century to describe children born of European parents in the New World. In Louisiana, this meant children of the French. As people of other ethnic backgrounds moved into the Mississippi delta and valley, the term began to include them. A 19^th century Creole could have been French, German, black, or of mixed ancestry. Today, most who identify themselves as Creole are black.

Cajun: Cajuns were descendants of 17^th century French settlers from Nova Scotia (also known as L?Acadie). Many had been deported when Britain took over the region from France. The Acadians later shortened their name to ?Cajuns? after migrating to southern Louisiana.

Creole and Cajun Cuisine Authentic Creole cooking is urban; Cajun food is country cooking. However, the terms are often used interchangeably, with consistently delicious results.

Etouffee (ay too fay) Method of cooking something (usually shrimp or crawfish) smothered in chopped vegetables over a low flame, tightly covered, until tender

Gumbo A mainstay of both Cajun and Creole cooking. Creoles use okra as a thickener for this tasty stew; Cajuns use ground sassafras leaves. No two gumbos are alike. Cajun dishes are usually spicier and bolder than Creole.

Lagniappe (lan yap) An old Creole word for ?something extra.? Soup meat is the lagniappe from vegetable soup preparation.

Elevation: 60 feet

Location: Baton Rouge is 75 miles Northwest of New Orleans via Interstate 10.

Time Zone: Baton Rouge is in the central time zone. When it is noon in New York City; it is 11:00 AM in Baton Rouge

Business Hours

Banks are usually open weekdays 9 to 3 and some Saturday mornings; the post office from 8 to 5 weekdays and often on Saturday mornings. Shops in urban and suburban areas, particularly in indoor and strip malls, typically open at 9 or 10 daily and stay open until anywhere from 6 to 10 PM on weekdays and Saturdays, and until 5 or 6 on Sundays.

Holidays

New Year's Day Jan. 1

Inauguration Day 3rd Mon. in Jan. every 4 years

Mardi Gras Day, Shrove Tuesday (varies)

Good Friday (varies)

Memorial Day last Mon. in May;

Independence Day July 4

Labor Day 1st Mon. in Sept.

Veterans Day Nov. 11

Thanksgiving Day 4th Thurs. in Nov.

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Dec. 24 and 25

New Year's Eve Dec. 31.

Customs & Duties

Arriving in the United States

Contact the U.S. Customs Service (inquiries, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20229, 202/354-1000

Electricity

The U.S. electrical standard is 110 volts/60 cycles AC. Visitors from other countries, traveling with dual-voltage appliances will not need a converter, but they will need a plug adapter. The standard U.S. electrical outlet takes a plug of two flat pins set parallel to one another.

Emergencies

Ambulance, Fire , Police (Phone: 911).

Mail

Every address in the United States belongs to a specific zip-code district, and each zip code has five digits. Some addresses include a second sequence of four numbers following the first five numbers, but although this speeds mail delivery for large organizations, it is not necessary to use it.