The predominately rural region has a more urban center of twin cities, Alexandria and Pineville, literally in the middle of Louisiana.

These crossroads initially began in the 1800s as settlers migrated West and have designation as the Louisiana Colonial Trails Scenic Byways, including the historic El-Camino Real East-West Corridor.

grown locally from its piney woods and delta (Mississippi, Red, and Sabine Rivers) natural resources to forge into strongholds of agricultural and timber production.

Over time, significant roles for centralized public activities and services with AEX, the ports at Central Louisiana Regional Port (Alexandria, LA), Vidalia, and Simmesport, alongside the military history and government activities (former Fort Polk, historic (closed) England Air Force Base, Camp Claiborne, and former Camp Beauregard) contributed to a center of activity and local services, leading to a concentration of educational and medical services and associated employment.

Commercial air service and industrial development were launched at the former EAFB through the England Air Park, to convert the BRAC-closed facility into an economic development asset, and a component of the multi-modal assets, also served by the Central Louisiana Regional Port and its activated Foreign Trade Zone-subzone.