Barataria Bay

Barataria Bay (bărətâr`ēə), SE La., separated from the Gulf of Mexico by Grand and Grand Terre islands. It is linked to the Intracoastal Waterway by a navigable channel. The bay is the center of the Louisiana shrimp industry and is trapped for muskrat furs. Oil and natural gas are found in the area, and the bay region is a major source of sulfur. In the early 19th cent. the bay was the headquarters of Jean Laffite and his pirates.

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Barataria Bay

Inlet of the Gulf of Mexico, southeastern Louisiana, U.S. The bay is about 15 mi (24 km) long and 12 mi (19 km) wide, and its entrance is a narrow channel, navigable through connecting waterways into the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway system. The area is noted for its shrimp industry and natural-gas and oil wells. Jean Laffite and his brother organized a colony of pirates around its coast in 1810–14, and it is sometimes called Laffite Country.