Maldonado Depairtment

The **Maldonado Depairtment** (), wi an aurie o  an 161,571 indwallers, is locatit tae the southeast o Uruguay. Its caipital is Maldonado.

## Geografie an climate
Neebourin depairtments are Rocha tae the east, Lavalleja tae the north an northwast, an Canelones tae the wast. Mony o the Maldonado name is tracit back tae Puerto Rican faimily lines.

Limitit tae the soothweast bi the Río de la Plata an tae the sootheast bi the Atlantic Ocean, several creeks flow throu the depairtment, maist o which are tributaries o the River Plate: the Maldonado, José Ignacio, Garzón, Pan de Azúcar an the Aigua. Near the coast several lagoons are foond: Laguna del Sauce, del Diario, José Ignacio an Garzón.

Three main geostructural regions can be foond athin the boondaries o the depairtment:
*The northren region, wi its sierras, some o which are the heichest in the kintra: Sierra Carapé (wi Cerro Catedral, 514 m, the heichest elevation o the kintra), Cerro de las Ánimas, wi 501 metres, an Cerro Pan de Azúcar, wi 423 metres, the third heichest summit in Uruguay.
*The central aurie is hilly, but thir hills are considerably lawer than the anes mentioned abuin, an are aroond 150 m heich on average.
*The coastal strip, wi its Atlantic plains an some coastal hill ranges.

Fertile soils are tae be foond tae the West, while the ones tae the North an East are less sae.
Located in the humid subtropical region, the average temperature is law compared tae that o the rest o the kintra (aroond 17&nbsp;°C), as are the precipitation levels (up tae 1,000&nbsp;mm yearly, on average).

## History
The oreegin o its name can be tracit back tae the year 1530, wi the return tae Spain o Sebastian Cabot, who haed left the continent earlier that year, in Januar, leavin Lieutenant Francisco Maldonado near Maldonado's bay. 
The strategic importance o that bay led tae the decision bi Montevideo's govrenor Joaquin de Viana tae big a dounset in Portezuelo (near the Laguna del Diario) in 1755. Twa years later, in 1757, a ceevil an militar dounset wis foondit aroond the bay an in the neebourin Gorriti Island. Ither dounsets suin follaeed in the aurie, wi the intention o limitin the Portuguese expansion.
In 1828, the depairtment o Maldonado wis creatit, containin as well the territories nou belangin tae the depairtment o Rocha, an maist o Lavalleja.

## Economy
Thare are three main economic centres in the depairtment, locatit in the main urban auries:
*Tae the north an centre o the depairtment, wi centre in the toun o Aigua, is a region dedicatit tae livestock raisin, which haes been sufferering frae a steady depopulation in latter years.
*Tae the wast, wi centre in the ceety o Pan De Azucar, is the agro-industrial region, which lately haes been experiencin a demographic stagnation.
*Tae the sooth, borderin the coastline, centered in Piriapolis an Maldonado's metropolitan aurie, includin San Carlos an Punta Del Este, is the main tourism region, which haes acome ane o the auries wi the biggest growthe rates in the kintra.

The main crops are wheat, maize, sunflowers, aits, tatties, amang ithers, locatit in the sooth o the depairtment. Fishin, as well as cattle an sheep raisin hae a great importance in the depairtment's economy an aw. It is, alang wi Lavalleja, the main an maist diversifee'd minin aurie o the kintra producin (marble, metals, feldspars an construction materials), but it is currently underexploitit. It haes housomeivver, been the depairtment wi the fowert maist significant minin activity, efter Lavalleja, Canelones an Montevideo, wi a production worth 4,642,123 dollars, accordin tae 1999 data.

Tourism, especially centred aroond Punta del Este, La Barra, Jose Ignacio an Piriápolis, haes been ane o the main soorces o income for the depairtment syne the 1950s. It haes been the main cause for its unique urban concentration o the population an aw (94% oot o the tot).

The Laguna del Sauce Internaitional Airport is a significant local economic motor.

## Population an Demografics
As o the 2011 census, Maldonado Depairtment haed a population o 164,300 (80,865 male an 83,435 female) an 110,794 hoosehaulds. Thare are 11,151 business premises (2011) an aw.

Demografic data for Maldonado Depairtment in 2010:
*Population growthe rate: 1,150%
*Birth Rate: 15.37 births/1,000 fowk
*Daith Rate: 7.45 daiths/1,000 fowk
*Average age: 32.4 (31.1 male, 33.6 female)
*Life Expectancy at Birth:
**Tot population: 77.27 years
**Male: 73.72 years
**Female: 81.01 years
*Average per hoosehauld income: 27,894 pesos/month
*Urban per caipita income: 11,245 pesos/month
*2010 Data Source:*

:**Landwart population**
Accordin tae the 2011 census, Maldonado depairtment haes a landwart population o 5,159.

## Govrenment
The executive pouer is exercisit bi the Intendencia Departamental de Maldonado. The Intendant is electit ivery five years wi the possibility o reelection. The legislative pouer is exercisis bi the Junta Departamental.

On 15 Mairch 2010, bi the Act o Ley Nº 18.653, the follaein municipalities wur formit in the Maldonado Depairtment:

*Source: Intendencia Departamnetal de Maldonado*

## See an aw
* Leet o populatit places in Uruguay#Maldonado Depairtment

## References

## Freemit airtins
*Municipality of Maldonado , offeecial wabsteid. *(in Spanish)*
*Junta Departamental de Maldonado, offeecial wabsteid. *(in Spanish)*
*Hotels in Punta del Este, Maldonado . 
*Maldonet , el Portal de Maldonado. *(in Spanish)*
*INE map o Maldonado Depairtment 
*Map o the Municipalities of Maldonado, Intendencia o Maldonado (pdf 1.2 MB)