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| The word "cajun" is a derivative of the original French pronunciation of Acadian: "A-ca-jan". The Cajun people are descendents of the Acadians who once settled in the French province of Acadia (Nova Scotia). Not long after they settled that area in the 1600s, the area became a British possession. In 1755, the British authorities demanded that the Acadians renounce their Roman Catholic faith and swear allegiance to the Crown. When they refused they were forced into exile, shipped to the New England colonies, the West Indies or back to France. Many wandered for years before they found out about the predominantly French territory of Louisiana. In 1784, when the exiles were allowed to settle in southern area Louisiana, small villages were established along the Mississippi River and the many bayous and swamplands. The official Cajun Country covers 22 parishes and extends from the Louisiana coast north to just south of Alexandria. Lafayette is the center of Acadiana.
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