Geography of Monroe
Monroe, Louisiana, the seat of Ouachita Parish. It is on the Ouachita River 95 miles (153 km) east of Shreveport. Monroe handles trade for lumbering, farming, and ranching areas. Nearby are large deposits of natural gas. Carbon black and other chemicals, furniture, and mattresses are manufactured, and one of Louisiana's main pulp and paper mills is in West Monroe. Northeast Louisiana State University is here. A Spanish post, Fort Miro, was founded here in 1785. The settlement was renamed in 1819.
Population: 53,107.