Artigas Department

The Artigas department () is a department of Uruguay. The capital is the city of Artigas.

Its ISO 3166-2 code  is UY-AR.

 Name 
The department and its capital city are named after José Gervasio Artigas (1764–1850), leader of the Orientales (inhabitants of the Banda Oriental, the Eastern side of the Uruguay river) during the wars of independence of Uruguay.

Geography
340px|thumb|left|Map of Artigas
The Artigas department is the most northern department of Uruguay; it is in the northwestern part of the country. It has an area of , the fifth largest in the country. The population is 73,378 inhabitants (2011 census) for a population density of .

Limits
 To the north and east: Brazil, separated by the Cuareim river.
 To the south: Salto department.
 To the west: Argentina, separated by the Uruguay river.

Artigas is the only Uruguayan department that borders two other countries: Brazil and Argentina.

Rivers
The department is surrounded by three rivers:
 Cuareim river (), to the north; it makes the border with Brazil.
 Uruguay river to the west; it makes the border with Argentina.
 Arapey Chico river to the south; it separates the Artigas and Salto departments.

Climate
The Köppen climate classification type for the climate at Artigas is a "Humid subtropical climate" and of the subtype Cfa.

The average amount of precipitation for the year in Artigas is . The month with the most precipitation on average is March with  of precipitation. The month with the least precipitation on average is August with an average of .

The average temperature for the year in Artigas is . The warmest month, on average, is January with an average temperature of . The coolest month on average is June, with an average temperature of .

Demographics
The inhabitants of the Artigas department (and of the city of Artigas) are known, in Spanish, as Artiguenses.

Evolution of the population in Artigas

Rural population
According to the 2011 census, the Artigas department has a rural population of 3,524.

Main towns

 City / Town  Population(2011) Artigas  40,658 Bella Unión  12,200 Las Piedras  2,771 Tomás Gomensoro  2,659 Baltasar Brum  2,531 Pintadito  1,642 Sequeira  1,149 

 Gallery 

Related pages
 Departments of Uruguay
 ISO 3166-2:UY

References

Other websites

 Intendencia Departamental de Artigas website  
 Statoids - Departments of Uruguay

Artigas
Category:1884 establishments in South America
Category:1880s establishments in Uruguay