Lavalleja () is a

department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

of Uruguay. Its capital is Minas. It is located in the southeast of the country, bordered to the north by the department of Treinta y Tres to the east with

Rocha Rocha may refer to: * Rocha (surname), a Portuguese surname * Rocha, Moca, Puerto Rico, a barrio in the municipality of Moca, Puerto Rico * Rocha, Rio de Janeiro, a neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil * Rocha, Uruguay, capital city of the Rocha ...

, to the south with Canelones and Maldonado, and to the west to Florida. The department is named in honor of Brigadier Juan Antonio Lavalleja, who had distinguished military and political action in the country's independence.

History

The department was created on June 16, 1837, with part of Cerro Largo and Maldonado departments. It was first named as Minas. In March 1888, it was asked that the

Chamber of Deputies The chamber of deputies is the lower house in many bicameral legislatures and the sole house in some unicameral legislatures. Description Historically, French Chamber of Deputies was the lower house of the French Parliament during the Bourbon R ...

raised the settlement hierarchy of the village of Minas to be a town and to change the department's name to Lavalleja. The first was approved. From then, and until December 26, 1927, when the name was changed to Lavalleja, widespread debates about the matter were held. There was political will to designate a department under the name of the head of the Liberation Crusade, but not at the expense of Minas, even considering creating a new department named Lavalleja, being rejected afterwards.

Geography

Most of the north border of the department is formed by the

Olimar Chico River The Olimar Chico River is a river in Uruguay. See also *List of rivers of Uruguay References *Rand McNally, The New International Atlas, 1993. GEOnet Names Server
Rivers of Uruguay {{Uruguay-river-stub ...

and

Olimar Grande River The Río Olimar River is a river in the Treinta y Tres Department of Uruguay. Course The river rises as a small stream in the hills of Cuchilla Grande in western Treinta y Tres Department, just southwest of Santa Clara de Olimar. Heading southeas ...

. Most of the middle and north part of the department is crossed by many streams, flowing from northwest and south directions towards the northeast of the department, all being tributaries of Río Cebollati, which flows to the northeast and discharges into

Lake Merín Lagoon Mirim (Portuguese, ) or Merín (Spanish, ) is a large estuarine lagoon which extends from southern Rio Grande do Sul state in Brazil into eastern Uruguay. Lagoa Mirim is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by a sandy, partially barren isthm ...

, a natural border with Brazil. These streams, from north to south, are: Arroyo Gutiérrez, Arroyo de los Molles, Arroyo de los Chanchos, Arroyo Polanco, Arroyo Barriga Negra, Arroyo Tapes Grande, Arroyo Marmarajá and finally Arroyo Aiguá, which forms most of the east border of the department. In the south of the department, flowing from east to west is

Santa Lucía River The Santa Lucía River ( es, Río Santa Lucía) is a river in Uruguay. Course The headwaters of the Santa Lucía River are in the Lavalleja department. For a large part of its course it forms the limit between the departments of Florida and San ...

with its tributaries, Arroyo del Soldato, Arroyo Campanero Grande and Arroyo Verdún. Another stream in the south is Arroyo Solís Grande, which forms part of the natural border with Canelones Department and flows south discharging into the Río de la Plata near

Gregorio Aznárez Gregorio Aznárez is a village in the Maldonado Department of southeastern Uruguay. Geography The village is located on the west of the department, on Route 9, about north of the junction with Ruta Interbalnearia. History Gregorio Aznárez bor ...

. The south part of the

Cuchilla Grande Cuchilla Grande is a hill range that crosses the east part of Uruguay from north to south. It extends from the south part of Cerro Largo Department, through the departments of Treinta y Tres and Lavalleja and ends in Maldonado Department where it ...

hillrange crosses the department from the south to northwest. In the south and near Minas, there are two important tourist attractions, the hills of

Cerro Arequita Cerro is Spanish for "hill" or "mountain". Toponyms ;Bolivia: * Cerro Rico, the "Rich Mountain" containing silver ore near Potosi, Bolivia ;Brazil: *Cerro Branco, a municipality of Rio Grande do Sul *Cerro Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, a municipa ...

and

Cerro Verdún Cerro is Spanish for "hill" or "mountain". Toponyms ;Bolivia: * Cerro Rico, the "Rich Mountain" containing silver ore near Potosi, Bolivia ;Brazil: *Cerro Branco, a municipality of Rio Grande do Sul *Cerro Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, a municipa ...

(which is also a pilgrimage sanctuary). A bit further to the north is the hill Cerro Espuelitas.

Population and demographics

At the 2011 census, Lavalleja Department had a population of 58,815 (28,793 male and 30,022 female) and 27,644 households. Demographic data for Florida Department in 2010: *Population growth rate: 0.085% *Birth Rate: 13.29 births/1,000 people *Death Rate: 10.23 deaths/1,000 people *Average age: 35.6 (34.4 male, 37.0 female) *Life Expectancy at Birth: **Total population: 77.47 years **Male: 73.59 years **Female: 81.26 years *Average per household income: 23,999 pesos/month *Urban per capita income: 9,986 pesos/month ''2010 Data Source:'' :Rural population According to the 2011 census, Lavalleja department has a rural population of 6,070.

Transportation

National Route 8 joins the department with

Montevideo Montevideo () is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Uruguay, largest city of Uruguay. According to the 2011 census, the city proper has a population of 1,319,108 (about one-third of the country's total population) in an area of . M ...

via Canelones Department, with Minas being to its northeast. Route 8 crosses the department in a northeast direction, joining it with Treinta y Tres, capital of the homonymous department and Melo capital of Cerro Largo Department. Route 14, which crosses the country in a west-to-east direction, passes through the north of the department, joining it with

Mercedes Mercedes may refer to: People * Mercedes (name), a Spanish feminine name, including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or last name Automobile-related * Mercedes (marque), the pre-1926 brand name of German automobile m ...

, Trinidad and Durazno to the west and the Atlantic coast to the east. Route 14 joins the town José Batlle y Ordóñez with the city José Pedro Varela in the department. The railroad track Montevideo-Minas is active only for cargo trains of the Línea Minas. Another track, following the path of Route 14 through the department, is active for cargo trains from Montevideo of the Línea Río Branco, which continues into Brazil.

References

External links

INE map of Lavalleja DepartmentNuestra Terra, Colección Los Departamentos, Vol.5 "Lavalleja"
{{Authority control Departments of Uruguay States and territories established in 1837 1837 establishments in Uruguay