Colonia Department
Department of Uruguay
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Colonia (Spanish pronunciation: [koˈlonja] ⓘ) is a department of southwestern Uruguay. Its capital is Colonia del Sacramento, the country's second-oldest city.
Colonia Department | |
|---|---|
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Flag  Coat of arms | |
  Location of Colonia Department and its capital | |
| Coordinates (Colonia del Sacramento): 34°28′17″S 57°50′39″W | |
| Country |  Uruguay |
| Established | 1816 |
| Capital of Department | Colonia del Sacramento |
| Government | |
| • Intendant | Carlos Moreira |
| • Ruling party | National[1] |
| Area | |
• Total | 6,106 km2 (2,358 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 71 m (233 ft) |
| Population (2023 census) | |
• Total | 135,717 |
| • Density | 22.23/km2 (57.57/sq mi) |
| Demonym | colonienses |
| Time zone | UTC-3 (UYT) |
| ISO 3166 code | UY-CO |
| Website | www |
Geography
Climate
Colonia has an annual average temperature of 20.4 °C (68.7 °F). In winter it has an average temperature of 9 °C (48.2 °F) and in summer it has an average temperature of 27 °C (80.6 °F)
Economy
The southwestern region of Uruguay, in which Colonia is located, is typically associated with dairy production. Its proximity to Buenos Aires makes it the main entry point for tourists traveling from Argentina to Uruguay. Tourism is also favored by part of the capital being a World Heritage Site. The PepsiCo plant located in the department's capital, is one of the three largest worldwide,[2] employing more than 2,000 people and serving the entire Latin American import market. The plant operates under special economic zone legislation, and as of November 2019, has successfully approved an enlargement investment for $65 million.[3]
Demographics
As of the census of 2023, Colonia Department has a population of 135,797.[5]
| Main Urban Centres | Other towns and villages | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Population stated as per 2011 census.[6] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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- Rural population
According to the 2011 census, Colonia department has an additional rural population of 11,471.[5]
