Paysandú Department () is a department of the northwestern region of Uruguay. It has an area of and a population of 121,843. Its capital is the city of Paysandú. It borders Salto Department to its north, Tacuarembó Department to its east, Río Negro Department to its south and has the Río Uruguay flowing at its west, separating it from Argentina.
The origin of its name is debated but is likely to be of Charrúa origin.
History
The first division of the Republic in six departments happened on 27 January 1816.<!-- Uruguay independence wasn't declared until 1825 --> Two more departments were formed later that year. At that time, Paysandú Department included all the territory north of the Río Negro, which included the actual departments of Artigas, Rivera, Tacuarembó, Salto, Paysandú, and Río Negro. On 17 June 1837, a new division of Uruguay was made and this territory was divided into three parts. In the new division, Paysandú Department included also the actual department of Río Negro, until it was split from it in 1868.
Demographics
As of the census of 2011, Paysandú Department had a population of 113,124 (55,361 male and 57,759 female) and 42,849 households.
Demographic data for Paysandú Department in 2010:
- Population growth rate: 0.250%
- Birth Rate: 16.84 births/1,000 people
- Death Rate: 8.34 deaths/1,000 people
- Average age: 30.8 (29.1 male, 32.7 female)
- Life Expectancy at Birth:
- Total population: 77.03 years
- Male: 73.78 years
- Female: 80.67 years
- Average per household income: 24,543 pesos/month
- Urban per capita income: 9,457 pesos/month
2010 Data Source:
{| style="margin-top:16px;"
|-
! align="left" style="padding-left:20px;" | Main Urban Centres
! align="left" style="padding-left:20px;" | Other towns and villages
|-
| colspan=2 | Population stated according to the 2011 census.
|- valign="top"
|
{| class="wikitable"
! City / Town || Population
|-
| 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
|}
|
{| class="wikitable"
! Town / Village || Population
|-
| Lorenzo Geyres || 774
|-
| Chapicuy || 735
|-
| Gallinal || 700
|-
| Orgoroso || 583
|-
| Merinos || 528
|-
| Beisso || 399
|-
| Casablanca || 343
|-
| Esperanza || 340
|-
| Cerro Chato || 333
|-
| Constancia || 331
|-
| Morató || 218
|}
|}
:Rural population
According to the 2011 census, Paysandú Department has an additional rural population of 4,364.