City (pop., 2000: 227,818), capital of Louisiana, U.S. Located on the Mississippi River , it is the state's second-largest city.
Settled by the French in 1719, it was named for a red cypress pole that marked a boundary between Indian tribes. The area was ceded to Britain in 1763, then taken by the Spanish in the American Revolution. Spain ceded Louisiana to France in 1800 but tried to retain Baton Rouge at the time of the Louisiana Purchase (1803). In 1810 the city was annexed to the U.S., and it became the state capital in 1849. The capital was transferred to other towns when Baton Rouge was occupied by Federal troops during the American Civil War ; in 1882 it regained its capital status. It has deepwater port facilities and is an important petroleum refining centre.