Founded in 1718 near the mouth of the Mississippi River, New Orleans long has been a major Southern economic center with a unique cultural heritage. French and Spanish colonizers, alongside African American slave and free populations, created a distinctive Creole legacy, which survives in the architecture of the French Quarter (Vieux Carré), pervasive Roman Catholicism, Mardi Gras—America’s only established carnival—and renowned foodways based on rice, seafood and spices. Additional cultural influences have come from Cajuns and immigrants from Ireland, Italy Germany and the Bible belt.

New Orleans is not merely an artifact of the past, however it may be read as such by millions of tourists each year. Today the city of 464,840 (metropolitan area, 1.3 million) remains a vital economic center. Its many cultural and educational centers include Tulane and the black Catholic Xavier University Professional sports teams include the Saints (football) and Jazz (basketball), while black New Orleans is especially famous for both blues and Dixieland jazz.

The city’s personalities have evoked vivid fictional and cinematic portrayals from Jezebel (1939) to The Big Easy (1986). Many of these narratives deal with race and class relations, which improved slowly in the late twentieth century Beyond waterfront development and charming residential districts, in fact, crime, poverty racism and corruption have been consistent urban issues, influencing more recent debates over casino gambling and urban renewal. Today, New Orleans thus faces the continual challenges of fostering citizenship and maintaining authenticity, while selling itself as a major global destination.