Artigas Department
| Artigas Department | |||
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| Coordinates (Artigas): 30°37′27″S 56°56′42″W / 30.62417°S 56.945°WCoordinates: 30°37′27″S 56°56′42″W / 30.62417°S 56.945°W | |||
| Country |  Uruguay |
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| Capital of Department | Artigas | ||
| Government | |||
| • Intendant | Patricia Ayala | ||
| • Ruling party | Frente Amplio | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 11,928 km2 (4,605.4 sq mi) | ||
| Population (2004 census) | |||
| • Total | 78,019 | ||
| • Density | 6.5/km2 (16.9/sq mi) | ||
| Demonym | Artiguense | ||
| Time zone | UYT (UTC-3) | ||
| ISO 3166 code | UY-AR | ||
| Website | www.artigas.gub.uy | ||
The Department of Artigas (Spanish: Departamento de Artigas), with an area of 11,928 km2 (4,605 sq mi) and 78,019 inhabitants, it is the northernmost department of Uruguay. Its capital is Artigas.
It is named after José Artigas (1764–1850), leader of the orientales (inhabitants of the Banda Oriental, the Eastern Bank of the Uruguay River) during the wars of Independence.
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[edit] Geography and climate
Neighbouring departments are Salto to the South and Rivera to the Southeast. It is bordered by Brazil to the East and North, and to the West by Argentina. 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, 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).
[edit] History
The department was created by law on 1 October 1884, with part of the territory which formerly belonged to Salto.
The Battle of Masoller, a noteworthy event in Uruguayan history, was fought on September 1, 1904; Masoller is situated on the boundary between the departments of Artigas and Salto, close to the Brazilian border.
[edit] Economy
The unique climatic conditions of Artigas has made possible the development of an important agro-industrial centre, centered in the city of Bella Unión. This specializes in several crops, namely fruits and vegetables, sugar cane and rice. The main economic activity in the rest of the department is livestock raising.
Semi-precious stones, such as agates and amethysts are also found in the department, and an entire industry has risen up around their extraction and manufacturing, especially near the city of 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 unfavorable 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 poverty is the highest in the country (13.19% of the inhabitants).
[edit] Population and Demographics
As of the census of 2004, there were 78,019 people[1] and 21,907 households in the department. The average household size was 3.2. For every 100 females, there were 100.4 males.[2]
- 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
[edit] Main Urban Centres
Population stated as per 2004 census.
| City / Town | Population |
|---|---|
| Artigas | 41,689 |
| Bella Unión | 13.187 |
| Tomás Gomensoro | 2,818 |
| Baltasar Brum | 2,472 |
| Las Piedras | 2,164 |
| Pintadito | 1,487 |
[edit] Other towns and villages
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[edit] Rural population
According to the 2004 census, Artigas department has an additional rural poulation of 7,177.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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