Salto, Uruguay
Encyclopedia
Salto is the capital city of the Salto Department
in northwestern Uruguay
and the second largest city of the country. It is located on Route 3
, about 496 kilometres (308.2 mi) northwest of Montevideo
, and on the east bank of Río Uruguay, across the city Concordia
of Argentina
. About 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) north of city, the Salto Grande Bridge
, built on top of the Salto Grande Dam
, joins the two sides.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística de Uruguay
(a herbal beverage), going dancing at night and crossing into Argentina to go shopping in Concordia on weekends.
One of the attractions are thermal pools which are located close to the city. They are kept at over 38 °C (100 F) around the year.
Salto is also known for its street Calle Uruguay, in which locals stroll during weekend nights to socialize and drink mate with friends.
Despite its many slum areas, Salto is considered one of the higher class areas of Uruguay for its various amenities that most of the country is lacking.
Salto Department
Salto 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...
in northwestern Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
and the second largest city of the country. It is located on Route 3
Route 3 (Uruguay)
Route 3 is a national route of Uruguay. In 1975, it was assigned the name General José Artigas, a national hero of Uruguay. It is one of the most important highways in the country along with Route 5, connecting the south coast near Rafael Perazza with Bella Unión in the extreme northwest. The road...
, about 496 kilometres (308.2 mi) northwest of Montevideo
Montevideo
Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...
, and on the east bank of Río Uruguay, across the city Concordia
Concordia, Entre Ríos
San Antonio de Padua de la Concordia is a city in the north-east of the province of Entre Ríos in the Argentine Mesopotamia. It has about 142,000 inhabitants as of the , and is the head town of the department of the same name.Concordia lies on the right-hand shore of the Uruguay River, opposite...
of Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. About 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) north of city, the Salto Grande Bridge
Salto Grande Bridge
This article is about a geographical feature related to the Uruguay River; for the Chilean waterfall, see Salto Grande, Chile.The Salto Grande Bridge is a road and railroad bridge that crosses the Uruguay River and joins Argentina and Uruguay. It is built on top of the Salto Grande Dam...
, built on top of the Salto Grande Dam
Salto Grande Dam
The Salto Grande Dam is a large hydroelectric dam on the Uruguay River, located between Concordia, Argentina, and Salto, Uruguay; thus is shared between the two countries....
, joins the two sides.
Population
In 2004, Salto had a population of 99,072.| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1963 | 57,975 |
| 1975 | 73,897 |
| 1985 | 80,821 |
| 1996 | 93,117 |
| 2004 | 99,072 |
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística de Uruguay
Transportation
Salto is connected to Montevideo by regular bus services and by the railroad track Montevideo - Salto - Artigas. Nueva Hesperides International Airport has scheduled connections with Montevideo, enabling easy access of tourists to the local thermal baths. There are plans to improve it and local business people are keen to see it expand, allowing freight (particularly fruit) to be shipped directly from the region.Local features
Popular activities among young people include drinking mateMate (beverage)
Mate , also known as chimarrão or cimarrón, is a traditional South American infused drink, particularly in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, southern states of Brazil, south of Chile, the Bolivian Chaco, and to some extent, Syria and Lebanon...
(a herbal beverage), going dancing at night and crossing into Argentina to go shopping in Concordia on weekends.
One of the attractions are thermal pools which are located close to the city. They are kept at over 38 °C (100 F) around the year.
Salto is also known for its street Calle Uruguay, in which locals stroll during weekend nights to socialize and drink mate with friends.
Despite its many slum areas, Salto is considered one of the higher class areas of Uruguay for its various amenities that most of the country is lacking.
Noted local people
- Uruguayan author Horacio QuirogaHoracio QuirogaHoracio Silvestre Quiroga Forteza was an Uruguayan playwright, poet, and short story writer....
was born in this city in 1879. - Enrique AmorimEnrique AmorimEnrique Amorim was an Uruguayan novelist and writer, best known for his story Las quitanderas whose plot centres on rural prostitution; also known for his left-wing politics....
was born here in 1900. - Pedro Virgilio Rocha, intercontinental champion, Peñarol F.C., was born in 1966.
- Professional footballers Luis SuárezLuis Suárez (Uruguayan footballer)Luis Alberto Suárez Díaz , commonly known as Luis Suárez and nicknamed "El Pistolero" , is a Uruguayan footballer who plays for Liverpool and the Uruguayan national team...
(Liverpool F.C.Liverpool F.C.Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
) and Edinson Cavani (SSC Napoli) were also born in Salto in 1987. They were both members of the Uruguay squad that achieved a fourth place finish at the 2010 FIFA World Cup2010 FIFA World CupThe 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
. - Association of Tennis ProfessionalsAssociation of Tennis ProfessionalsThe Association of Tennis Professionals or ATP was formed in 1972 by Donald Dell, Jack Kramer, and Cliff Drysdale to protect the interests of male professional tennis players. Since 1990, the association has organized the worldwide tennis tour for men and linked the title of the tour with the...
Uruguayan No.1 Pablo CuevasPablo CuevasPablo Gabriel Cuevas Urroz is a Uruguayan professional tennis player. Cuevas won the 2008 French Open Men's Doubles title with Luis Horna....
resides in Salto, though he was born in ArgentinaArgentinaArgentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
.