Castillos
Castillos | |
---|---|
City | |
Coordinates: 34°11′56″S 53°51′27″W / 34.19889°S 53.85750°W | |
Country | Uruguay |
Department | Rocha |
Founded | 1866 |
Founded by | Hermogenes Lopez Formoso |
Elevation | 44 m (144 ft) |
Population (2011 Census) | |
• Total | 7,541 |
Time zone | UTC -3 |
Postal code | 27200 |
Dial plan | +598 4475 (+4 digits) |
Climate | Cfa |
Castillos is a small city in the Rocha Department of southeastern Uruguay.
Location
The city is located on the junction of Route 9 with Route 16, about 56 kilometres (35 mi) northeast of the city of Rocha. Other settlements in the area include Barrio Torres, about one kilometre southeast of Castillo, La Esmeralda, several kilometres to the northeast and Aguas Dulces several kilometres to the southeast along the Route 16.
Geography
Castillo is located in the eastern part of the department of Rocha. The land is low lying, located not far from the coast, with an average altitude of 44 metres. Laguna de Castillos is located to the southwest of the city, while north of it is the Cerro de los Rocha.
History
It was founded on 19 April 1866 under the name "San Vicente de Castillos", derived from the chapel San Vicente Mártir de Castillos. On 3 May 1909, its status was elevated to "Villa" (town) by decree Ley N° 3.453,[1] and on 3 November 1952, to "Ciudad" (city) by decree Ley N° 11.875.[2]
Population
In 2011 Castillos had a population of 7,541.[3]
Year | Population |
---|---|
1908 | 3,896 |
1963 | 5,947 |
1975 | 7,260 |
1985 | 6,836 |
1996 | 7,346 |
2004 | 7,649 |
2011 | 7,541 |
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística de Uruguay[1]
Landmarks
The main plaza of the town is called Plaza Artigas and there is a cemetery in the southeast of town near the junction of Routes 9 and 16. Most of the streets are named after prominent dates in Uruguayan history and heroic figures, e.g. 25 de Mayo and General Rivera.
Government
As of 2011, the local mayor is Raúl Servetto.[4]
Places of worship
Suicide
Castillos is the city with the highest rate of suicides in Uruguay. In 2017, it recorded a suicide rate five times higher than the national standard (over than 100 per 100,000 people). The city has become emblematic for its excessively high amount of suicides and residing in it a synonym of self-elimination. Some people even travel to the city to take their own lives.[5]
Notable people
- Irineu Riet Correa, politician
- Nelson "Pindingo" Pereyra, musician
- Jesús Perdomo, historian
- Juan Angel Gonzalez Calleros, mechanic and father
References
- ^ a b "Statistics of urban localities (1908–2004) (see also "San Vicente de Castillos")" (PDF). INE. 2012. Retrieved 5 September 2012.[dead link]
- ^ "LEY N° 11.875". República Oriental del Uruguay, Poder Legislativo. 1952. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 5 September 2012.
- ^ "Censos 2011 Cuadros Rocha". INE. 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-11-14. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
- ^ "Inicio / MUNICIPIOS DE URUGUAY". Congreso de Intendes. Archived from the original on 8 March 2012. Retrieved 4 June 2011.
- ^ "Gobierno prometió enviar especialistas en suicidio a Castillos; según alcalde siguen esperando". El Observador. Leonardo Pereyra. Retrieved 20 July 2021.