Central Louisiana (Cenla), also known as the Crossroads, is a region of the U.S. state of
Louisiana.
The largest communities in the region as of the
2010 Census were
Alexandria (47,893),
Natchitoches (18,323) and
Pineville (14,555).
Central Louisiana is a land of physical and cultural diversity. Extensive
prairies,
piney hill region known as the Louisiana Central Hill Country, minor
swamp
A swamp is a forested wetland.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p. Swamps are considered to be transition zones because both land and water play a role in ...
lands and
deciduous forests make up its geography. It also has clear streams with sandy bottoms and large rivers that carry waterborne freight.
Metro/Micropolitan areas
There is one
Combined Statistical Area, one
Metropolitan Statistical Area, and four
Micropolitan Statistical Areas that include Central Louisiana parishes.
*
Alexandria Metropolitan Statistical Area (Rapides and Grant parishes)
*
Fort Polk South-DeRidder Combined Statistical Area
The DeRidder-Fort Polk South, LA combined statistical area is made up of two parishes in Central Louisiana, central Louisiana. The statistical area consists of the Fort Polk South, Louisiana, Fort Polk South Vernon Parish, Louisiana, Micropolitan ...
**Fort Polk South Micropolitan Statistical Area (Vernon Parish)
**DeRidder Micropolitan Statistical Area (Beauregard Parish)
*
Natchez, Mississippi Micropolitan Statistical Area (Concordia Parish and Adams County, MS)
*Natchitoches Micropolitan Statistical Area (Natchitoches Parish)
Region
The economic region is Kisatchie-Delta, described as the Sixth State Planning District for the State of Louisiana, including parishes collectively bordered on the east by the Mississippi River and on the west by the Sabine River. These crossroads initially began in the 1800s as settlers migrated West and have designation as the Louisiana Colonial Trails Scenic Byways, including the historic El-Camino Real East-West Corridor.
*
West Central Louisiana
West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth.
Etymology
The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some R ...
(Beauregard, Sabine and Vernon Parishes)
Parishes
Central Louisiana consists of the following 10 parishes, with population figures given in parenthesis.
*
Allen (25,684)
*
Beauregard (36,927)
*
Catahoula (9,921)
*
Concordia (19,920)
*
Grant (22,365)
*
LaSalle (15,052)
*
Natchitoches (39,162)
*
Rapides (132,424)
*
Sabine (23,977)
*
Vernon (50,569)
See also
*
Intrastate regions
*
Louisiana History Museum, Alexandria
References
External links
Central Louisiana Chamber of CommerceCentral Louisiana Community FoundationArts Council of Central LouisianaCentral Louisiana Economic Development AllianceKisatchie-Delta Regional Planning & Development District
''<--Broken or dead link, May 2017.''
Regions of Louisiana
**
{{Louisiana-geo-stub