Why were new orleans and the mississsppi river important to settlers in the west

Because New Orleans was a very important trading port.  New Orleans is very important for importing and exporting goods.  Mississippi River was a major transportation for settlers and good to ship items east.  

a population change of 12.1%

hope this

the conditions that made the byzantine empire vulnerable to attacks by the muslin turks were the sack of constantinople by western crusaders, the conquests of the sultanate of rum, presence of rival kingdoms and finally the set up of fiefdoms at the empire which were owned by the ghazis (turkish warriors).