New Orleans (local pronunciations: /nuːˈɔɹliːnz/, /nuːˈɔɹliːənz/, or /nuːˈɔɹlənz/) (French: La Nouvelle-Orléans, pronounced /la nuvɛl ɔʀleɑ̃/ in standard French accent) is a major United States port city and historically the largest city in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is in southeastern Louisiana along the Mississippi River, just south of Lake Pontchartrain, and is coextensive with Orleans Parish. New Orleans is named after Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, Regent of France, and is one of the oldest and most historic cities in the United States.

New Orleans is known for its multicultural heritage as well as its music and cuisine. It is considered the birthplace of jazz. Its status as a world-famous tourist destination is due in part to its architecture and its annual Mardi Gras and other celebrations.

The city's several nicknames are illustrative. "Crescent City" alludes to the course of the Mississippi River around and through the city; "The Big Easy" was possibly a reference by musicians in the early 1900's to the relative ease of finding work there, but most New Orleanians attribute the term to the city being more carefree and slowed down than cities like New York (the Big Apple); and "The City that Care Forgot" refers to the outwardly easy-going, carefree nature of many of the residents.

The 2000 U.S. census put New Orleans' population at 484,674. Hurricane Katrina in 2005 caused the city's evacuation. Population estimates as of June 2006 range from 192,000 to 220,000.