Artigas, Uruguay

Artigas
Capital city
Church of the Sacred Heart

Coat of arms
Artigas
Coordinates: 30°28′0″S 56°28′0″W / 30.46667°S 56.46667°W / -30.46667; -56.46667Coordinates: 30°28′0″S 56°28′0″W / 30.46667°S 56.46667°W / -30.46667; -56.46667
Country  Uruguay
Department  Artigas
Founded September 12, 1852
Founded by Don Carlos Catalá
Elevation 121 m (397 ft)
Population (2011 Census)
 • Total 40,658
Demonym(s) artiguense
Time zone UTC−3 (UYT)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−2 (UYST)
postal code 55000
Dial plan +598 477 (+5 digits)
Climate Cfa

Artigas (Spanish pronunciation: [aɾˈtiɣas]) is the capital of the Artigas Department of Uruguay. Its name comes from that of the national hero, José Gervasio Artigas, who fought for the emancipation of the River Plate, and sought to create a federative nation from these colonies. As of the census of 2011, it is the eleventh most populous city of the country.

Location

The city is located on the border with Brazil, separated only by a bridge from the town Quaraí of the state Rio Grande do Sul of Brazil. It is the farthest city from Uruguay's capital Montevideo, being 600 kilometres (370 mi) away.

History

It was founded on 12 September 1852 by Don Carlos Catalá as the town of San Eugenio del Cuareim. On 5 September 1884 it became capital of the department. It was renamed Artigas and its status was elevated from villa (town) to ciudad (city) on 31 August 1915.[1]

Economy

Artigas is a centre for trading grain crops (primarily maize) with Argentina and Brazil. The railroad station and, since 1973, airport are focused on this commerce.

The mountains in the area contain significant numbers of precious stones, especially agate and amethyst, which were first found in 1860, since when mining has taken place. Souvenirs and handicrafts made using these gem stones are produced in Artigas and exported widely.

Population

In 2011 Artigas had a population of 40,658.[2]

YearPopulation
1852335
19088,857
196323,429
197529,256
198535,117
199640,244
200441,687
201140,658

Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística de Uruguay[1]

Transportation

The city is served by Artigas International Airport.

Places of worship

  • San Eugenio del Cuareim, Artigas|St. Eugene of the Cuareim Parish Church (Roman Catholic)

Climate

Artigas has a humid subtropical climate, described by the Köppen climate classification as Cfa. Summers are warm to hot and winters are cool, with the occurrence of frosts and fog. The precipitation is evenly distributed throughout the year, with an average of 1,293 mm (50.9 in), and the annual average temperature is around 19 °C (66 °F).


References

  1. 1 2 "Statistics of urban localities (1852–2004) (see also "San Eugenio del Cuareim")". INE. 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 March 2015. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  2. ↑ "Censos 2011 Cuadros Artigas". INE. 2012. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
  3. ↑ "Estadísticas climatológicas" (in Spanish). Dirección Nacional de Meteorología. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  4. ↑ "RECORDS METEOROLOGICOS EN EL URUGUAY" (in Spanish). Dirección Nacional de Meteorología. Retrieved April 30, 2014.
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