The
Artigas Department , with an area of 11,928 km² (4,606 square miles) and 78,019 inhabitants, it is the northernmost department of
UruguayUruguay , is a country located in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to 3.46 million people, of whom 1.1 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area. An estimated 88–94% of the population are of mostly European and/or mixed descent.Uruguay's only land border is...
. Its capital is
ArtigasArtigas is the capital of the department of Artigas in Uruguay. The name Artigas comes from that of the national hero, Jose Gervasio Artigas ....
.
It is named after
José ArtigasJosé Gervasio Artigas Arnal is a national hero of Uruguay, sometimes called "the father of Uruguayan independence".-Life:...
(1764-1850), leader of the
orientales (inhabitants of the
Banda Oriental, the Eastern Bank of the Uruguay River) during the wars of Independence. He championed for freedom against colonial powers in the region.
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| Capital: |
Artigas Artigas is the capital of the department of Artigas in Uruguay. The name Artigas comes from that of the national hero, Jose Gervasio Artigas ....
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| Area: |
11.928 km² |
| Inhabitants: |
78.019 (2004) |
Pop. DensityPopulation density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans. It is a key term used in geography....
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6.54 inh./km² |
| Demonym A demonym, also referred to as a gentilic, is a name for a resident of a locality which is derived from the name of the particular locality. The word demonym comes from the Greek word for "populace" with the suffix for "name"...
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Artiguense |
| Website: |
artigas.gub.uy |
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| ISO 3166-2 ISO 3166-2 is part of the ISO 3166 standard published by the International Organization for Standardization , and defines codes for the names of the principal subdivisions of all countries coded in ISO 3166-1...
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UY-AR |
| Politics |
| Intendant The title of intendant has been used in several countries through history. Traditionally, it refers to the holder of a public administrative office...
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Julio Silveira
(Partido NacionalThe National Party , also known as the White Party , is a major Right-wing liberal conservative political party in Uruguay, currently the major opposition party to the ruling Frente Amplio government.-History:It was formed on 10 August 1836.Together with the Colorado Party, it is one of the two...
) |
| Ruling party: |
Partido NacionalThe National Party , also known as the White Party , is a major Right-wing liberal conservative political party in Uruguay, currently the major opposition party to the ruling Frente Amplio government.-History:It was formed on 10 August 1836.Together with the Colorado Party, it is one of the two...
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The
Artigas Department , with an area of 11,928 km² (4,606 square miles) and 78,019 inhabitants, it is the northernmost department of
UruguayUruguay , is a country located in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to 3.46 million people, of whom 1.1 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area. An estimated 88–94% of the population are of mostly European and/or mixed descent.Uruguay's only land border is...
. Its capital is
ArtigasArtigas is the capital of the department of Artigas in Uruguay. The name Artigas comes from that of the national hero, Jose Gervasio Artigas ....
.
It is named after
José ArtigasJosé Gervasio Artigas Arnal is a national hero of Uruguay, sometimes called "the father of Uruguayan independence".-Life:...
(1764-1850), leader of the
orientales (inhabitants of the
Banda Oriental, the Eastern Bank of the Uruguay River) during the wars of Independence. He championed for freedom against colonial powers in the region. His liberal ways, promoting democracy with no limitations, federalism and a series of land reforms would inevitable clash with the centralised and aristocratic views of the Buenos Aires ruling class. He led the
Liga Federal (Federal Coalition, group of Argentinian provinces including what is now Uruguay opposed to Buenos Aires strong and heavy handed government) but the war in the region involving Spain, Portugal (eventually Brazil) and Argentina and the invasion of the Portuguese saw him taking refuge in Paraguay where he died in 1850. His forward and revolutionary thinking was never implemented in Uruguay although he is revered as a national hero. It took several decades to achieve universal voting and free access to education for every child. However, his land reforms were never implemented.
Geography and climate
Neighbouring departments are
SaltoSalto Department is a department of Uruguay. Its capital is Salto.-Population and Demographics:As of the census of 2004, there were 123,120 people and 34,441 households in the department. The average household size was 3.5...
to the South and
RiveraRivera is a department of Uruguay. Its capital is Rivera.-Population and Demographics:As of the census of 2004, there were 104,921 people and 32,391 households in the department. The average household size was 3.2...
to the Southeast. It limits to the East and North with
BrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is a country in South America. It is the fifth largest country by geographical area, occupying nearly half of South America, the fifth most populous country, and the fourth most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean...
, and to the West with
ArgentinaArgentina, officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America, constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires. It is the eighth largest country in the world by land area and the largest among Spanish-speaking nations, though Mexico,...
. Portions of the department's border with Brazil are disputed, but, unlike many border disputes among Latin-American countries, this has not in recent years adversely affected Uruguay's relations with its giant neighbour.
Two main geostructural regions can be found inside its limits:
- The central and eastern area, which includes a basaltic cuesta
In structural geology and geomorphology, a cuesta is a ridge formed by gently tilted sedimentary rock strata in a homoclinal structure. Cuestas have a steep slope, where the rock layers are exposed on their edges, called an escarpment or, if more steep, a cliff...
, and some sedimentary plains near the Cuareim River. Also found in the region are some hill ranges, such as the Belén Hill Range.
- The western area, which consists of a narrow alluvial plain.
Its average temperature is the highest in the whole country (over 19°C, going as high as 47°C during the Summer months), and so are its precipitation levels (up to an annual average of 1400 mm).
History
The department was created by law on 1 October 1884, with part of the territory which formerly belonged to Salto.
The
Battle of MasollerThe Battle of Masoller, which occurred on September 1, 1904, was the final battle of the intermittent Uruguayan Civil War which marked much of 19th century Uruguay, resulting in the victory of the Colorado forces.-Location and historical background:...
, a noteworthy event in Uruguayan history, was fought on September 1 1904;
Masoller-Historical background:In 1904 a notable battle was fought at Masoller between the opposing forces of the Colorados, led by José Batlle y Ordóñez, and the Blancos, led by Aparicio Saravia, resulting in a victory for the former....
is situated on the boundary between the departments of
ArtigasArtigas may refer to:* José Gervasio Artigas, a central figure in Uruguay's struggles for independence from Spain and Buenos Aires* Artigas, a town in Uruguay* Artigas Department, a region of Uruguay* A number of ships of the National Navy of Uruguay...
and
SaltoSalto may refer to:Organisations* SALTO-YOUTH, a network of resource centres for international youth work within the European Youth in Action programme* SALTO, a local television in Amsterdam : see :nl:SALTO Omroep AmsterdamMovies...
, close to the
BrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is a country in South America. It is the fifth largest country by geographical area, occupying nearly half of South America, the fifth most populous country, and the fourth most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean...
ian border.
Economy
The unique climatic conditions of Artigas has made possible the development of an important agro-industrial centre, centered in the city of
Bella UniónBella Unión is a city located to the North of the department of Artigas.-Location and population:It is situated on the eastern bank of the Uruguay River, opposite Monte Caseros, Corrientes, Argentina...
. This specializes in several crops, namely fruits and vegetables, sugar cane and
riceRice is the seed of a monocot plant Oryza sativa, of the grass family . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East, South, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and the West Indies...
.
The main economic activity in the rest of the department is livestock raising.
Semi-precious stones, such as
agateAgate is a microcrystalline variety of quartz , chiefly chalcedony, characterised by its fineness of grain and brightness of color...
s and
amethystAmethyst is a violet variety of quartz often used in jewelry. The name comes from the Ancient Greek a- and methustos , a reference to the belief that the stone protected its owner from drunkenness; the ancient Greeks and Romans wore amethyst and made drinking vessels of it in the belief that it...
s are also found in the department, and an entire industry has risen up around their extraction and manufacturing, especially near the city of
ArtigasArtigas is the capital of the department of Artigas in Uruguay. The name Artigas comes from that of the national hero, Jose Gervasio Artigas ....
.
The proximity of the department to Brazil has made it possible for an important flow of trade to be established here, but unfortunately this is generally unfavourable to Uruguayan economic interests. Nevertheless this partially compensates for the fact that the per capita income is the lowest of the country, and the percentage of households in a critical situation is the highest in the country (13.19% of the inhabitants).
Population and Demographics
As of the census of 2004, there were 78,019 people and 21,907 households in the department. The average household size was 3.2. For every 100 females, there were 100.4 males.
- Population growth rate: 0.113% (2004)
- Birth Rate: 19.36 births/1,000 people (2004)
- Death Rate: 7.46 deaths/1,000 people
- Average age: 27.3 (25.6 Males, 28.8 Females)
- Life Expectancy at Birth (2004):
|-
|total population:
|75.07 years
|-
|male:
|70.62 years
|-
|female:
|79.70 years
- Average Family Size: 2.77 children/woman
- Urban per capita income (cities of 5,000 inhabitants or more): 2,928.1 pesos/month
Main Urban Centres
(Towns or cities with 1,000 or more inhabitants listed - data from the 2004 census, unless noted otherwise)
| City/Town |
Population |
| Artigas Artigas is the capital of the department of Artigas in Uruguay. The name Artigas comes from that of the national hero, Jose Gervasio Artigas ....
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41,687 |
Baltasar Brum-Location and history:The town is situated in the Artigas Department of northern Uruguay.It was named after President of Uruguay Baltasar Brum, who served in that office from 1919 to 1923, and committed suicide in 1933 in protest against the activities of President Gabriel Terra.-External links:**...
|
2,472 |
| Bella Unión Bella Unión is a city located to the North of the department of Artigas.-Location and population:It is situated on the eastern bank of the Uruguay River, opposite Monte Caseros, Corrientes, Argentina...
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13.187 |
Las Piedras-Location:It is situated in northern Uruguay, close to where the international boundaries of Uruguay, Argentina and Brazil meet. The nearest sizeable Uruguayan town is Bella Unión.-Disambiguation:...
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2,164 |
| Pintadito |
1,487 |
Tomás Gomensoro-Location and history:It is situated in the Artigas Department of northern Uruguay.The town was named after acting President of Uruguay Tomás Gomensoro Albín, who served in that office from 1872 to 1873.-External links:**...
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2,818 |
Other towns and villages
Allende
,
Bernabe Rivera
,
Brigadier General Diego LamasBrigadier General Diego Lamas is a town in the Artigas Department of northern Uruguay.-External links:**...
,
Camano
,
Campamento
,
Cuaro
,
Fagundez
,
Javier de Viana
,
La Bolsa
,
Las Piedras-Location:It is situated in northern Uruguay, close to where the international boundaries of Uruguay, Argentina and Brazil meet. The nearest sizeable Uruguayan town is Bella Unión.-Disambiguation:...
,
Paguero
,
Palma
, Palma Sola,
Paso del Leon
,
Piedra Pintada
,
Pintado Grande
,
San Gregorio
,
Sarandi de Cuaro
,
Tamandua
,
Taruman
,
Topador
,
Tres Cerros
,
Yacot
.
See also
- Masoller#Uruguayan-Brazilian border dispute