By DANNY HEITMAN
Advocate staff writer

Want to know more about Baton Rouge government, hotels culture, arts and commerce? The Internet can help.

One of the most prominent Web sites for information about Baton Rouge is operated by city-parish government at www.ci.baton-rouge.la.us. As you might expect, the city-parish Web site offers extensive listings of local government agencies and other sources of assistance.

There's also a colorful account of the city's official flag, and a succinct and entertaining history of the city from its origins as an Indian village to its present status as a modern capital community. Newcomers and longtime residents alike will be edified by the text references to the naming of Baton Rouge. According the city-parish history, early visitors to the city tried several names for the settlement over the years, but, "Baton Rouge", or "Red Stick" proved the most durable.

The inspiration for the name tends to vary according to who's telling the story, but one of the nice things about the Internet is that it allows the browser to consult a variety of sources.

More local history is on hand at www.baton-rouge.com. The site is especially helpful in placing Baton Rouge's history in the context of the larger story of Louisiana's settlement. It's most insightful in chronicling the state's colonial influences, including France and Spain.

Operated by the Greater Baton Rouge Chamber of Commerce, www.brchamber.org offers the kind of promotional text you'd expect from a chamber of commerce - upbeat celebrations of the city's educational, cultural and business attributes. But beyond the pleasant sales pitch, there's also lengthy data on the area's population, racial composition, average household income and other demographic information. It's the kind of stuff that even established residents may find enlightening.

Of further interest is downtown.redstick.com, which showcases Baton Rouge's Downtown Development District. The site features a list of downtown events, and longtime Baton Rougeans may be surprised to learn how much is going on in the heart of the city.

The site also offers a virtual tour of the downtown area.

For a look at what's going on beyond downtown, the Baton Rouge Area Convention and Visitors Bureau's Web site www.bracvb.com publishes a calendar of events, along with a map of the city. There are also links to related sites.

Another site, www.brnet.com, provides additional glimpses into Baton Rouge's arts, business and entertainment scenes. Similar information is provided at www.explore-br.com, which has listings of local restaurants, theaters and arts organizations.

The Advocate's website ( www.2theadvocate.com ) features listings and reviews covering Baton Rouge's theater, movie, music and dining scenes.

There are countless other sites that touch on Baton Rouge, so no listing of Internet resources can hope to be comprehensive. Luckily, most sites include links to other sources of information.

Happy surfing.