Minas de Corrales is a town in the
Rivera Department of northeastern
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 ...
.
Geography
The town is located on the banks of the stream
Arroyo Corrales, on the intersection of Route 28 with Route 29, about south of the city of
Rivera
Rivera () is the capital of Rivera Department of Uruguay. The border with Brazil joins it with the Brazilian city of Santana do Livramento, which is only a street away from it, at the north end of Route 5. Together, they form an urban area of aro ...
.
History
In 1878 the mining company ''Compañía Francesa de Minas de Oro del Uruguay'' started looking for gold in the area, giving thus birth to the town.
From the end of December 1879 to the start of March 1880
Henry Küss
Henry Küss (or Henry Kuss, sometimes Henri Küss, 19 June 1852 – 22 November 1914) was a French mining engineer.
After brilliant studies at the École Polytechnique and École des Mines he was placed in charge of the mineralogical sub-district ...
visited Uruguay to evaluate the gold concession on the Arroyo Corrales.
The company was looking for at least 8 million francs to develop the mines.
Küss undertook a careful survey of the mineralogy.
His report was unenthusiastic, saying only that it might be worth spending two or three hundred thousand francs on a more systematic study.
In 1902 the railway line was inaugurated, which operated until 1916, when the company ended. On 9 November 1920, it was declared a "Pueblo" (village) by the Act of Ley Nº 7.299,
[ and on 13 December 1994, its status was elevated to "Villa" (town) by the Act of Ley Nº 16.669.
In 1997 the mining operations resumed by the company Uruguay Mineral Exploration (UME).
]
Population
In 2011 Minas de Corrales had a population of 3,788.
Places of worship
* St. John Bosco Parish Church (Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
)
Nearby attractions
About towards the west of the town is the scenic area Rincón de Tres Cerros. Although the whole area is best visible from along the banks of Tacuarembó River, the hills can be approached by a road splitting south from Route 29, after Minas de Corrales.
References
External links
INE map of Minas de CorralesMap showing the mining sites near Minas de Corrales
Populated places in the Rivera Department
Geology of Uruguay
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