Río Negro Department

The Río Negro department () is a department of Uruguay. The capital is the city of Fray Bentos.

Its ISO 3166-2 code  is UY-RN.

 History 
The Río Negro department was created on 20 March 1880. Before that time, its territory was part of the Paysandú department.

Geography
340px|thumb|left|Map of Río Negro
The Río Negro department is in the western part of Uruguay, along the Uruguay river. It has an area of . The population is 54,765 inhabitants (2011 census), one of the departments with fewest inhabitants, for a population density of  inhabitants/km2.

There are two chains of low hills in the department. These chains of low and rounded hills are named cuchillas in the country. The two cuchillas in the department are cuchilla de Navarro to the south and forming the border with the Durazno department, and cuchilla de Haedo that goes from the northeast to the southwest.

There are two protected areas in the department: National Park Esteros de Farrapos e islas del río Uruguay () and the Esteros y algarrobales del río Uruguay.

Limits
 To the north: Paysandú department.
 To the east: Tacuarembó department. 
 To the southeast: Durazno department, separated by the Río Negro river.
 To the south: Soriano department, separated by the Río Negro river.
 To the west: Argentina, separated by the Uruguay river.

Rivers
The main rivers in the department are:
 Uruguay, to the west and that forms the border with Argentina; and
 Río Negro that flows along the southern border of the department, forming the natural border with the departments of Durazno to the southeast and Soriano to the south.

Demographics
The inhabitants of the Río Negro department (and of the city of Paysandú) are known, in Spanish, as Rionegrenses.

Evolution of the population in Río Negro

Rural population
According to the 2011 census, the Río Negro department has a rural population of 5,212, that represents  of the total population of the department.

Main towns

 City / Town  Population(2011) Fray Bentos  24,406 Young  16,756 Nuevo Berlín  2,450 San Javier  1,781

 Gallery 

Related pages
 Departments of Uruguay
 ISO 3166-2:UY

References

Other websites

 Intendencia de Río Negro website 
 Statoids - Departments of Uruguay
 Enciclopedia Geográfica del Uruguay: Río Negro 

Rio Negro
Category:1880 establishments
Category:1880s establishments in Uruguay