Artigas, Uruguay


Artigas 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 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 to ciudad on 31 August 1915.

Economy

Artigas is a centre for trading grain crops with Argentina and Brazil. The railroad station and, since 1973, airport are focused on this commerce.
The hills 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.
YearPopulation
1852335
19088,857
196323,429
197529,256
198535,117
199640,244
200441,687
201140,658

Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística de Uruguay

Transportation

The city is served by Artigas International Airport.

Places of worship

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, and the annual average temperature is around 19 °C.