City (pop., 2000: 200,145), northwestern Louisiana, U.S. It is located on the banks of the Red River.
In 1837 Shreveport was founded on land bought from the Caddo Indians. The city became a Confederate state capital and army headquarters during the American Civil War . It developed rapidly after oil was discovered in 1906 and is now a commercial and industrial centre for a three-state region. Barksdale Air Force Base is near the city.