Artigas () is the capital of the Artigas Department of Uruguay. It is named after 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 2023, it is the eleventh most populous city in the country with a population of 43,897.

History

Artigas was founded on 12 September 1852 by Don Carlos Catalá as a town under the name 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 (town) to ciudad (city) on 31 August 1915.

Population

In 2011 Artigas had a population of 40,658.

{| class="wikitable" style="line-height:1.1em;"

! Year || Population

|- align="right"

| 1852 || 335

|- align="right"

| 1908 || 8,857

|- align="right"

| 1963 || 23,429

|- align="right"

| 1975 || 29,256

|- align="right"

| 1985 || 35,117

|- align="right"

| 1996 || 40,244

|- align="right"

| 2004 || 41,687

|- align="right"

| 2011 || 40,658

|- align="right"

| 2023 || 43,897

|}

Source: National Statistics Institute

Geography

The city is located on Uruguay's border with Brazil. It is separated from the Brazilian town of Quaraí, Rio Grande do Sul, by a river. Quaraí is accessible from Artigas by bridge. It is the farthest city from Uruguay's capital Montevideo, being away.

Climate

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 roughly , and the annual average temperature is around .

|source 2 = NOAA (precipitation and sun 1991–2020), Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria (humidity 1980–2009)

|date=October 2012

Transportation

The city uses Artigas International Airport.

Consular representation

Brazil has a Vice-consulate in Artigas.

Places of worship

  • San Eugenio del Cuareim, Artigas|St. Eugene of the Cuareim Parish Church (Roman Catholic)

Notable people

  • Adelia Silva (1925–2004), educator and writer who had a significant role in elevating the civil rights of black people in Uruguay.
  • Darwin Núñez (born 1999), footballer
  • Pablo Aurrecochea (born 1981), footballer
  • Agustín Da Silveira (born 2000), footballer

References

  • INE map of Artigas, Pintadito, Cerro Ejido, Cerro Signorelli and Cerro San Eugenio