Sportsman's Paradise
Sportsman’s Paradise, located in the northern part of the state, is a region well-known for its natural resources.
Shreveport and Monroe are the main population centers. Both cities are situated on I-20, the main artery in the area. Apart from these two cities, the landscape is one of gently rolling wooded hills and flat bottomlands along the Mississippi and Red rivers, with many small communities located in the farmland and forests in the hills. More intensive farming is found in the fertile land along the rivers. The area has been known for its gas and oil production, which took a downturn in the 1980s. The principal economic activity is agriculture.
Shreveport, the largest city in northern Louisiana, has strong ties with regions downriver and has recently seen a resurgence of importance as an inland port and center of trade. Shreveport is culturally diverse, with a mix of ethnic identities including British-American, African-American, Lebanese, German, Greek, Chinese and Jewish. It also has recently become host to a number of riverboat casinos. In addition, Shreveport also plays a role as a major Louisiana tourist destination.
Monroe, to the east, is another river city that historically has been a meeting place between upland hill and lowland delta cultures. Today, the city is home to the University of Louisiana at Monroe and the headquarters of CenturyTel, a major national telecommunications provider.
This area was historically settled by British colonists and later American settlers coming overland across the Appalachian Mountains. Culturally, the region is largely Anglo and Protestant and is subdivided in a distinct Upland South hill culture and Lowland South plantation culture.
Although hurricanes Katrina and Rita did minimal damage to this area of Louisiana, the path of Hurricane Rita did pass over the Shreveport area. The northern region, including the Monroe area, experienced high winds and heavy rainfall, resulting in some localized flooding. The region also took in large numbers of evacuees from Hurricane Katrina due to its inland location, some 200 miles from the coast, and its relatively high elevations.
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