State symbols

Seal Seals of the U.S. states The following gallery displays the official seals of the 50 states, federal district, and territories of the United States of America:-See also:* Coat of Arms of the U.S. States* Seals of Governors of the U.S. States* Flags of the U.S. states...  of Louisiana Seal of Louisiana The Great Seal of the State of Louisiana was adopted as the official state seal of Louisiana in 1902. The seal consists of a heraldic charge called a "pelican in her piety," representing a Brown Pelican representing a mother pelican wounding her breast to feed her young from her own blood... Flag Flags of the U.S. states The flags of the U.S. states exhibit a wide variety of regional influences and local histories, as well as widely different styles and design principles. Modern state flags date from the 1890s when states wanted to have distinctive symbols at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago...  of Louisiana Flag of Louisiana The flag of Louisiana consists of a heraldic charge called a "pelican in her piety," representing a mother pelican wounding her breast to feed her young from the blood. This symbol, emblematic of Christian charity, is also found on the state seal. On the flag it is depicted above a ribbon with the... Route markers Numbered highways in the United States Highways in the United States are split into at least four different types of systems.*Interstate Highways**The Interstate Highway System is a federally funded and administered system of freeways that forms the transportation backbone of the U.S., with millions of Americans relying on it for...  of Louisiana LL 151, 1902 1912

Type Symbol Law State amphibian Green Tree Frog American green tree frog The American green tree frog is a common species of New World tree frog belonging to the genus Hyla. It is a common backyard species that is popular as a pet, and is the state amphibian of Georgia and Louisiana.-Description:... (Hyla cinerea) LL 169.1, 1993 State beverage Milk Milk Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many... LL 170, 1983 State bird Brown Pelican Brown Pelican The Brown Pelican is the smallest of the eight species of pelican, although it is a large bird in nearly every other regard. It is in length, weighs from and has a wingspan from .-Range and habits:...  (Pelecanus occidentalis) LL 159, 1958 State colors Blue Blue Blue is a colour, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 440–490 nm. It is considered one of the additive primary colours. On the HSV Colour Wheel, the complement of blue is yellow; that is, a colour corresponding to an equal... , White White White is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive cone cells in the human eye in nearly equal amounts and with high brightness compared to the surroundings. A white visual stimulation will be void of hue and grayness.White light can be... , Gold Gold (color) Gold, also called golden, is one of a variety of orange-yellow color blends used to give the impression of the color of the element gold.... LL 161, 1972 State crustacean Crustacean Crustaceans form a very large group of arthropods, usually treated as a subphylum, which includes such familiar animals as crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill and barnacles. The 50,000 described species range in size from Stygotantulus stocki at , to the Japanese spider crab with a leg span... Crawfish Crayfish Crayfish, crawfish, or crawdads – members of the superfamilies Astacoidea and Parastacoidea – are freshwater crustaceans resembling small lobsters, to which they are related... LL 168, 1983 State dog Catahoula Leopard Dog Catahoula Leopard Dog The Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dog or Catahoula cur is an American dog breed. It is named after Catahoula Parish in the state of Louisiana in the United States. The Catahoula is believed to have occupied North America the next longest after the dogs descended from Native American-created breeds... LL 165, 1979 State fish White Perch White perch The white perch, Morone americana, is not a true perch but is, rather, a fish of the temperate bass family, Moronidae, notable as a food and game fish in eastern North America.The name "white perch" is sometimes erroneously applied to the white crappie.... State flower Magnolia Magnolia Magnolia is a large genus of about 210 flowering plant species in the subfamily Magnolioideae of the family Magnoliaceae. It is named after French botanist Pierre Magnol.... LL 154, 1900 State fossil State fossil Most American states have made a state fossil designation, in many cases during the 1980s. It is common to designate one species in which fossilization has occurred, rather than a single specimen, or a category of fossils not limited to a single species.... Petrified palmwood Petrified palmwood Palmoxylon , is an extinct genus of palm named from petrified wood found around the world. A number of species from the Cretaceous and Tertiary have been described from the Patagonia region of South America... LL 162, 1976 State fruit Strawberry Strawberry Fragaria is a genus of flowering plants in the rose family, Rosaceae, commonly known as strawberries for their edible fruits. Although it is commonly thought that strawberries get their name from straw being used as a mulch in cultivating the plants, the etymology of the word is uncertain. There...  (Fragaria) LL 166, 1980 State gemstone Agate Agate Agate is a microcrystalline variety of silica, chiefly chalcedony, characterised by its fineness of grain and brightness of color. Although agates may be found in various kinds of rock, they are classically associated with volcanic rocks and can be common in certain metamorphic rocks.-Etymology... LL 163, 1976 State insect Honeybee (Apis mellifera) LL 164, 1977 State jellies Mahaw jelly Mayhaw Mayhaw is the name given to the fruit of the species of Crataegus series Aestivales that are common in wetlands throughout the southern United States. The principal species are C. aestivalis, the eastern Mayhaw, and C...  and Louisiana sugar cane jelly LL 170.8, 2003 State mammal American black bear American black bear The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...  (Ursus americanus luteolus) LL 161.1, 1992 State meat pie Natchitoches meat pie Natchitoches Meat Pie The Natchitoches meat pie is a regional dish from northern Louisiana, United States. It is one of the official state foods of Louisiana.Ingredients include ground beef, ground pork, onions, peppers, garlic, oil, and a pie shell. Natchitoches meat pies are often fried in peanut oil because of that... LL 170.9, 2003 State motto "Union, justice and confidence" LL 151, 1902 State musical instrument Musical instrument A musical instrument is a device created or adapted for the purpose of making musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the... Diatonic Accordion Diatonic button accordion A diatonic button accordion or melodeon is a type of button accordion where the melody-side keyboard is limited to the notes of diatonic scales in a small number of keys... , also known as the Cajun Cajun Cajuns are an ethnic group mainly living in the U.S. state of Louisiana, consisting of the descendants of Acadian exiles...  accordion LL 155.3, 1990 State reptile American Alligator American Alligator The American alligator , sometimes referred to colloquially as a gator, is a reptile endemic only to the Southeastern United States. It is one of the two living species of alligator, in the genus Alligator, within the family Alligatoridae...  (Alligator mississippiensis) LL 169, 1983 State slogan "Come fall in Love with Louisiana all over again." Official State songs "You Are My Sunshine You Are My Sunshine "You Are My Sunshine" is a popular song first recorded in 1939. It has been declared one of the state songs of Louisiana as a result of its association with former state governor and country music singer Jimmie Davis. The song is copyright 1940 Peer International Corporation, words and music by... " and "Give Me Louisiana Give Me Louisiana Give Me Louisiana is the state song of Louisiana. It was written by Doralice Fontane, and the lyrics were composed by John Croom.Lyrics:Give me Louisiana,The state where I was bornThe state of snowy cotton,The best I've ever known;... " LL 155, 1970 State song — environmental "The Gifts of Earth" LL 155.2, 1990 State song — march "Louisiana My Home Sweet Home" LL 155.1, 1952 State tartan Tartan Tartan is a pattern consisting of criss-crossed horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours. Tartans originated in woven wool, but now they are made in many other materials. Tartan is particularly associated with Scotland. Scottish kilts almost always have tartan patterns... Louisiana Tartan LL 170.6, 2001 State tree Bald Cypress Taxodium distichum Taxodium distichum is a species of conifer native to the southeastern United States.-Characteristics:...  (Taxodium distichum) LL 160, 1963 State vegetable Sweet potato Sweet potato The sweet potato is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the family Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting, tuberous roots are an important root vegetable. The young leaves and shoots are sometimes eaten as greens. Of the approximately 50 genera and more than 1,000 species of...  (Ipomoea batatas) LL 170.11, 2003 State vegetable plant Creole tomato Tomato The word "tomato" may refer to the plant or the edible, typically red, fruit which it bears. Originating in South America, the tomato was spread around the world following the Spanish colonization of the Americas, and its many varieties are now widely grown, often in greenhouses in cooler... LL 170.11, 2003 State wildflower Louisiana Iris Iris giganticaerulea Iris giganticaerulea is a species of iris native to Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi in the United States....  (Iris giganticaerulea) LL 154.1, 1990

State oath

• State pledge
  Oath
  An oath is either a statement of fact or a promise calling upon something or someone that the oath maker considers sacred, usually God, as a witness to the binding nature of the promise or the truth of the statement of fact. To swear is to take an oath, to make a solemn vow...
  
  : I pledge allegiance to the flag of the state of Louisiana and to the motto for which it stands: A state, under God, united in purpose and ideals, confident that justice shall prevail for all of those abiding here.

LL 167, 1981

State poems

• State judicial poem, written by Sylvia Davidson Lott Buckley, and entitled, "America, We The People":

"America

We the people

Justice, the word most sought by all, seek God to bless the courts with truth, for through His wisdom we rise or fall.

America

We the people

Do honor this great lady fair, who with her mighty arms still holds, the scales of Justice for all to share.

America

We the people

Do offer threads of hope to all, for Justice covers everyone; she does not measure, short or tall.

America

We the people

Boldly make this pledge to thee, that Justice will, in mind and heart, guide each destiny.

America

We............the...........people."

LL 155.4, 1995

• State Senate poem, written by Jean McGivney Boese and entitled "Leadership":

"It is easy to bend with the wind and be weak,

Wrapped in silence when it would take courage to speak,

To do nothing when crises demand that you act;

To prefer a delusion to unpleasant fact.

But the easy evasions that dreamers embrace

Are denied to a leader with problems to face.

He must cope with the world as he finds it, and plan

To make each hard decision as well as he can.

He can't hide from the truth or deny what is real.

Though a lie might assuage all the fears people feel.

For the truth is the truth, and no lie can prevail.

In a world that is real, one must face truth or fail."

LL 155.5, 1999

See also

• List of Louisiana-related topics
• Lists of United States state insignia
• State of Louisiana

External links

• Official State of Louisiana website
• History and Culture of Louisiana
• Louisiana State Government