Central Louisiana (Cenla), also known as the Crossroads, is a region of the U.S. state of
Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is bord ...
.
The largest communities in the region as of the
2010 Census were
Alexandria
Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandri ...
(47,893),
Natchitoches (18,323) and
Pineville (14,555).
Central Louisiana is a land of physical and cultural diversity. Extensive
prairies
Prairies are ecosystems considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and a composition of grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as t ...
,
pine
A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family (biology), family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanic ...
y 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
In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, ...
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
Combined statistical area (CSA) is a United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB) term for a combination of adjacent metropolitan statistical area, metropolitan (MSA) and micropolitan statistical areas (µSA) across the 50 US states and ...
, one
Metropolitan Statistical Area
In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or tow ...
, 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. The statistical area consists of the Fort Polk South Micropolitan Statistical Area and the DeRidder Micropolitan Statistical Area. As of ...
**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 (Beauregard, Sabine and Vernon Parishes)
Parishes
Central Louisiana consists of the following 10 parishes, with population figures given in parenthesis.
*
Allen Allen, Allen's or Allens may refer to:
Buildings
* Allen Arena, an indoor arena at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee
* Allen Center, a skyscraper complex in downtown Houston, Texas
* Allen Fieldhouse, an indoor sports arena on the Univer ...
(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