Durazno () is a department of

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 ...

. Its capital is

Durazno Durazno is the capital city of the department of Durazno in Uruguay. Durazno is characterized by being the most central city of Uruguay. It has a population of more than 30,000 inhabitants. In the past it was the capital of Uruguay; today the ca ...

. Its name means ''"

peach The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and cultivated in Zhejiang province of Eastern China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and others (the glossy-skinned, non-f ...

"'' in

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

, referring to the department's peaches and its status as an agricultural breadbasket. It is located in the centre of the country, and is bounded to the north by the Río Negro and the

Río Yi Rio or Río is the Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, and Maltese word for "river". When spoken on its own, the word often means Rio de Janeiro, a major city in Brazil. Rio or Río may also refer to: Geography Brazil * Rio de Janeiro * Rio do Sul, a ...

to the South. To its north are the departments of Río Negro and

Tacuarembó Tacuarembó ( Guarani: ''Takuarembo'', literally: "Bamboo shoot") is the capital city of the Tacuarembó Department in north-central Uruguay. Location and geography The city is located on Km. 390 of Route 5, south-southwest of Rivera, the c ...

, to it southeast the departments of

Treinta y Tres Treinta y Tres () is the capital city of the Treinta y Tres Department in eastern Uruguay. Location The city is located on Route 8, on the north banks of Olimar Grande River. The city is almost surrounded by a populated rural area, a zone of ' ...

, to its south the departments of Flores and

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

, while on its east is the department of Cerro Largo.

History

In 1827, while the territory was under Portuguese dominion, the Portuguese asked their ally, General Fructuoso Rivera to establish a military body of cavalry and artillery in the area of Paso del Durazno on the banks of Río Yi. For this, the town of San Pedro del Durazno was founded, named after the regent of Brazil. In 1828 the department named "Entre Ríos Yí y Negro" was formed, which was soon after renamed to Durazno. When the First Constitution of Uruguay was signed in 1830, Durazno was one of the nine original departments of the Republic.

Population and Demographics

As of the census of 2011, Durazno Department had a population of 57,088 (28,216 male and 28,872 female) and 23,023 households. Demographic data for Florida Department in 2010: *Population growth rate: 0.696% *Birth Rate: 15.62 births/1,000 people *Death Rate: 8.08 deaths/1,000 people *Average age: 31.3 (30.6 male, 32.1 female) *Life Expectancy at Birth: **Total population: 78.24 years **Male: 74.34 years **Female: 82.12 years *Average per household income: 21,515 pesos/month *Urban per capita income: 7,934 pesos/month ''2010 Data Source:'' :Rural population According to the 2011 census, Durazno department has a rural population of 4,951.

Economy

The economy of

largely depends on agriculture and agrotourism. The raising of sheep, and of cattle, both dairy and for beef are of great importance. The Rural Society of Durazno groups together many of the landowning businesses in the department. In the 1930s the Government of

Gabriel Terra José Luis Gabriel Terra Leivas ( Montevideo, 1 August 1873 - Montevideo, 15 September 1942) was a lawyer and politician of batllista origin in Uruguay, and advisor to all Uruguayan governments on diplomatic, Economic and financial issu ...

undertook considerable hydroelectric development in the department.

Map of the department

Noted local individuals

Juan José de Amézaga Juan José de Amézaga Landaroso (January 28, 1881 – August 21, 1956) was a Uruguayan political figure. Background Amézaga was a prominent member of the Colorado Party, which ruled the country for long periods. He was a lawyer by prof ...

served as a deputy for the department in the early years of the 20th century and later served as President of Uruguay from 1943 to 1947. * Santiago Bordaberry, himself from a prominent political family, is a noted rural affairs activist in Durazno. * Francisco Davant was a prominent local arboriculturist, active in local government. (see: Villa del Carmen)

References

External links

INE map of Durazno DepartmentNuestra Terra, Colección Los Departamentos, Vol.12 "Durazno"
{{Authority control Departments of Uruguay States and territories established in 1822 1822 establishments in Brazil