The **Paysandú department** (Spanish: *Departamento de Paysandú*) is a department of Uruguay. The capital is the city of Paysandú.

Its ISO 3166-2 code is **UY-PA**.

Geography
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Map of Paysandú
The Paysandú department is in the western part of Uruguay, along the Uruguay river. It has an area of 13,922 km2 (5,375 sq mi), the third largest department in the country, after the Tacuarembó and Salto departments. The population is 113,124 inhabitants (2011 census) for a population density of 8.1 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 Queguay* to the northwest, and *cuchilla de Haedo* to the southeast.

There is one protected area in the department: *Montes del Queguay* (Spanish: *Área protegida Montes del Queguay*); it is around the confluence of the Queguay Grande and Queguay Chico rivers.

### Limits

| Places next to Paysandú Department |
| --- |
| 

|  |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- |
|  | Salto department |  |
| Argentina | 
**Paysandú**
 | Tacuarembó department |
|  | Río Negro department |  |

 |

### Rivers

The main rivers in the department are:

* Uruguay, to the west and that forms the border with Argentina; and
* Queguay Grande, a tributary of the Uruguay river that flows through the department from East to West.

### Climate

The Köppen climate classification type for the climate in Paysandú is a "Humid subtropical climate" and of the subtype **Cfa**.

The average amount of precipitation for the year in Paysandú is 1,196.3 mm (47.1 in). The month with the most precipitation on average is March with 142.2 mm (5.6 in) of precipitation. The month with the least precipitation on average is May with an average of 66 mm (2.6 in).

The average temperature for the year in Paysandú is 17.9 °C (64.2 °F). The warmest month, on average, is January with an average temperature of 24.8 °C (76.6 °F). The coolest month on average is June, with an average temperature of 11.7 °C (53.1 °F).

Demographics
------------

The inhabitants of the Paysandú department (and of the city of Paysandú) are known, in Spanish, as *Sanduceros*.

**Evolution of the population in Paysandú**

**Rural population**
According to the 2011 census, the Paysandú department has a rural population of 4,364.

**Main towns**

| City / Town | Population(2011) |
| --- | --- |
| Paysandú | 76,412 |
| Nuevo Paysandú | 8,578 |
| Guichón | 5,039 |
| Chacras de Paysandú | 3,965 |
| Quebracho | 2,853 |
| San Félix | 1,718 |
| Porvenir | 1,159 |
| Tambores | 1,111 |
| Piedras Coloradas | 1,094 |

Gallery
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* Basilica of Paysandú.Basilica of Paysandú.
* Queguay Grande river.Queguay Grande river.
* Plateau of Artigas.Plateau of Artigas.
* Montes del Queguay.Montes del Queguay.

Related pages
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* Departments of Uruguay
* ISO 3166-2:UY

Other websites
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to ***Paysandú Department***.

* Intendencia Departamental de Paysandú website (in Spanish)
* Statoids - Departments of Uruguay
* Enciclopedia Geográfica del Uruguay: Paysandú (in Spanish)

| Authority control Edit this at Wikidata |
| --- |
| National | 
* France
* BnF data
* United States

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| Geographic | 
* MusicBrainz area

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