Conchillas () is a small industrial town located within the
Colonia Department
Colonia () is a department of southwestern Uruguay. Its capital is Colonia del Sacramento, the country's second oldest city.
Weather
Colonia has an annual average temperature of 20.4 °C (68.7 °F). In winter it has an average temperat ...
, in southwestern
Uruguay
Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...
.
Location
The town is located on the coast of
Río de la Plata
The Río de la Plata (, "river of silver"), also called the River Plate or La Plata River in English, is the estuary formed by the confluence of the Uruguay River and the Paraná River at Punta Gorda. It empties into the Atlantic Ocean and fo ...
near the stream Arroyo Conchillas, northwest of
Colonia del Sacramento
, settlement_type = Capital city
, image_skyline = Basilica del Sanctísimo Sacramento.jpg
, imagesize =
, image_caption = Basílica del Santísimo Sacramento
, pushpin_map = Uruguay
, subdivisio ...
, the capital city of the department, and southeast of
Carmelo.
History
![Edificio Evans en Conchillas](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/53/Edificio_Evans_en_Conchillas.jpg)
The town is said to have been
founded by the English on 24 October 1887.
[ It soon became an important place for the exploitation of mineral resources. The English created a factory, founded two cemeteries, and established an ]Anglican Church
Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of the ...
. It is also believed that they kept their own currency for economic transactions, which was widely accepted in the surroundings.[History of Conchillas](_blank)
However, with the outbreak of the Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
, Conchillas key infrastructure was sold to two Uruguayan entrepreneurs who introduced a series of modifications. Today, the English influence that resulted from the arrival of numerous European settlers is mainly evident in the architecture of Conchillas rather than in the way of life of its inhabitants.
On 21 December 1955, the status of the localities known as "Conchillas y Gil" was elevated to "Pueblo" (village) under the common name "Conchillas" by the Act of Nº Ley 12.254.
Population
According to the 2011 census, Conchillas had a population of 756.
Source: ''Instituto Nacional de Estadística de Uruguay''
* In the 2011 census the population of the Pueblo Gil censual area (309 inh.) was counted separately from Conchillas.
See also
* Barker, Uruguay
Barker () is a small village located in the Colonia Department of southwestern Uruguay.
Geography
Barker is located along Route 54. Its nearest populated places are Rosario, to the southeast and Tarariras
Tarariras, is a small city in the south ...
References
External links
Article on Conchillas at clarin.com
INE map of Conchillas and Pueblo Gil
{{Authority control
English diaspora
Populated places in the Colonia Department