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Arkansas I can understand as the MS Delta extends into the state, I hear Little Rock kinda gives a Memphis-lite flavor like Jackson, and NW Arkansas has parallels with Huntsville/northern AL. And of course the state has a sizable rural Black population. Oklahoma I don't really get though.
Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana all have similar culture and scenery along the Gulf Coast. Mobile is to Alabama what New Orleans is to Louisiana. These are two similar cities with similar histories!
While Mobile and New Orleans as cities have some common features, I'm not aware of Louisiana having any wide, sandy beaches like Alabama (or even Mississippi). Louisiana is a bit different both culturally (with its overwhelming Cajun/Creole influence in much of the southern part) and economically (lots of oil & gas, very little automotive or high tech).
Alabama also has far more rugged topography than the other two states, and my guess is probably on track to see the strongest growth in the long term. It is less insular (note that Louisiana has one of the nation's highest share of residents born in the state) and closer to the more dynamic Atlantic seaboard states. They seem to have made a strong priority in recent years to raise the quality of their universities and tourist amenities, among other efforts.
Regarding recent posts, I don't think Oklahoma is all that similar to Mississippi or Alabama despite being among the most socially conservative parts of the nation. That's kind of like saying Hawaii and Vermont should be grouped together for their social liberalism. Oklahoma is difficult to classify, but I would say it's more similar to certain parts (not all) of Texas than anywhere else.
Arkansas I can understand as the MS Delta extends into the state, I hear Little Rock kinda gives a Memphis-lite flavor like Jackson, and NW Arkansas has parallels with Huntsville/northern AL. And of course the state has a sizable rural Black population. Oklahoma I don't really get though.
I can see that, except Little Rock gives me a hillbilly vibe kind of.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jas75
While Mobile and New Orleans as cities have some common features, I'm not aware of Louisiana having any wide, sandy beaches like Alabama (or even Mississippi). Louisiana is a bit different both culturally (with its overwhelming Cajun/Creole influence in much of the southern part) and economically (lots of oil & gas, very little automotive or high tech).
Alabama also has far more rugged topography than the other two states, and my guess is probably on track to see the strongest growth in the long term. It is less insular (note that Louisiana has one of the nation's highest share of residents born in the state) and closer to the more dynamic Atlantic seaboard states. They seem to have made a strong priority in recent years to raise the quality of their universities and tourist amenities, among other efforts.
Louisiana has more coastline than Alabama and it's mostly beaches. They are ugly though.
I can see that, except Little Rock gives me a hillbilly vibe kind of.
Louisiana has more coastline than Alabama and it's mostly beaches. They are ugly though.
No, Louisiana actually has very few sandy beaches. Most of the coast consists of wetlands transitioning into the ocean. Charleston and Savannah have some similarities with New Orleans as Old South coastal cities and seafood also features prominently in Charleston and Lowcountry cuisine despite its differences from Creole and Cajun food though there is a slight resemblance. Compare this to the local food found in the inland South like Tennessee.
I'd still say the states most similar to Louisiana are probably Alabama, Mississippi and Arkansas. I'm not too familiar with North Louisiana but many people say its similar to Arkansas, especially Monroe. Some say there is a strong Texas influence in Lake Charles but that area has a heavy Cajun influence as well.
No, Louisiana actually has very few sandy beaches. Most of the coast consists of wetlands transitioning into the ocean. Charleston and Savannah have some similarities with New Orleans as Old South coastal cities and seafood also features prominently in Charleston and Lowcountry cuisine despite its differences from Creole and Cajun food though there is a slight resemblance. Compare this to the local food found in the inland South like Tennessee.
I'd still say the states most similar to Louisiana are probably Alabama, Mississippi and Arkansas. I'm not too familiar with North Louisiana but many people say its similar to Arkansas, especially Monroe. Some say there is a strong Texas influence in Lake Charles but that area has a heavy Cajun influence as well.
Yeah you're right I thought the beaches from Little Florida Beach and Holly Beach stretched further east.
I don't know about a Texas influence in Lake Charles, I'd say there's a Louisiana influence in SE Texas.
Arkansas can be included but that's just for North Louisiana. Monroe reminds me much more of Jackson than Little Rock though.
I am not from Alabama, Mississippi, or Louisiana nor have I visited these states (yet). Everything I post is more the factual points, things that can be posted without having intimate knowledge of the cultures of these states.
Also to the people who put down certain states and the people of those states as inferior, grow up. There is nothing more condescending and narcissistic than acting like you're better because you come from a different state. No state has a squeaky clean history and no state is better or best, so come off your high horse.
Now to the comparisons:
Geography: Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi are all geographically located in the southern/southeasternish part of the United States. All three states come to mind when you hear the term 'deep south' or 'bible belt'. All three share the same qualities geography wise.
State Shape: Someone else posted here that they always thought of Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi as the three sister states because of their very similar shapes. I always agreed with that statement. Louisiana is shaped sort of similar to Arkansas. In this aspect, Alabama and Mississippi share a commonality that Louisiana does not.
Size/Area: When it comes to total area size (both land and water) the three couldn't be more similar. They are ranked numbers 30(AL), 31(LA), and 32 (MS) for total area size. All three share this similarity too, all close to the same total area size as the next.
Cities (Major): Louisiana is the only state of the three that has a major U.S. city in it's state, namely New Orleans (with a population of almost 400,000). Louisiana is different from Alabama and Mississippi in the fact that it has a major U.S. City in it's state, a fact that the other two states can't claim (at least yet).
Cities (Large): For the sake of this argument, I will consider large cities any city with a population of at least 100,000 citizens, but doesn't reach 300,000. Alabama has 5 large cities (Birmingham, Montgomery, Mobile, Huntsville and Tuscaloosa). Louisiana has 3 large cities (Baton Rouge, Shreveport and Lafayette). Mississippi has 1 large city (Jackson). Alabama has the most large cities of the three states, followed by Lousiana and then Mississippi.
Population: Alabama and Louisiana are very close in terms of the populations of their states. Alabama has approximately 4.9 million citizens and Louisiana has approximately 4.7 million citizens. Mississippi is lagging behind (not that it's a race) and has approximately 3.0 million citizens. Alabama and Louisiana have close population numbers and more citizens than Mississippi.
History: All three share a common history as far as U.S. History goes. (Louisiana - New Orleans has an older history similar and different to other colonial cities, with it being under both French and Spanish influence). All three states joined the confederacy at the start of the Civil War. All three were also part of Jim Crow segregation, and a lot of the Civil Rights Movement occured there (particularly Alabama and Mississippi). They share a big part of their history as U.S. States, however Louisiana (New Orleans) was a part of French Colonial History and Alabama and Mississippi played a bigger part in the Civil Rights Movement.
If I think of anything else, I will make another post. Like I said, I cannot speak to the culture and people of these states, because I've never lived there or visited there.
So overall do I group Louisiana with Alabama and Mississippi? Yes and no. More yes than no. I liken it to grouping Massachusetts (my state) with Rhode Island and New Hampshire, similar in certain ways, but very different in others.
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