Rivera Department () is a
department of the northern region of
Uruguay
Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of 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 the Río de la Plata to the south and the A ...
. It has an area of and a population of 109,300. Its capital is 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 block away from it, at the north end of Route 5 (Uruguay), Route 5. Together, they form an ...
. It borders
Brazil
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
to the north and east,
Cerro Largo Department
Cerro Largo Department () is a Departments of Uruguay, department of Uruguay. Its capital is Melo, Uruguay, Melo. It is located in the east of the country, bordering Brazil to its northeast with Rio Yaguaron, Yaguaron River as the natural border, ...
to the southeast,
Tacuarembó Department to the south and west and
Salto Department
Salto Department () is a Departments of Uruguay, department of the northwestern region of Uruguay. It has an area of about and a population of about 136,197. Its capital is the city of Salto, Uruguay, Salto. It borders Artigas Department to its n ...
to the northwest.
History
The first division of the Republic in six departments happened in 1816. Two more departments were formed later that year. At that time, Paysandú Department included all the territory north of the Río Negro, which included the present-day departments of Artigas, Rivera, Tacuarembó, Salto, Paysandú and Río Negro. On 17 June 1837 a new division of Uruguay was made and this territory was divided in three parts. In the new division, the
Tacuarembó Department included also the present department of Rivera, until it was split from it in 1884.
On 7 May 1862 the village Pueblo de Ceballos was created, in honour of the Spanish viceroy Pedro de Cevallos. In July 1867 it took on the official name "Rivera". The Brazilian town Santana do Livramento already existed just across the border. On 1 October 1884, it became capital of the newly formed Department of Rivera by the Act of Ley Nº 1.757.
Geography

Along the eastern borders of the department with Cerro Largo Department flows
Río Negro, with its tributaries flowing through the easternmost part of the department. From north to south, these are: Arroyo San Luis, which forms part of its border with Brazil, Arroyo del Hospital with its tributary Arroyo Blanco and Arroyo Ceibal.
The western part of its southern border with Tacuarembó Department is formed by
Río Tacuarembó, with its tributaries flowing through most of the department. From west to east, these are: Arroyo Rubio Chico, Arroyo Laureles which also forms part of the southern border of the department, Arroyo Cuñapirú with its tributaries Arroyo Batoví, Arroyo Mangueras, Arroyo de los Médanos, Arroyo Corrales and Arroyo Zapucay, Arroyo Yaguarí with its tributary Arroyo Carpintería, and Arroyo Caraguatá with its tributary Arroyo Coronilla.
At the northwest end of the department reaches the hill range Cuchilla de Haedo from the south turning into the Cuchilla Negra hill range, with the hill Cerro de los Peludos between them. Along the borders with Brazil, to the north, runs the hill range Cuchilla de Santa Ana. In the middle of the department is the hill Cerro de la Cruz, while on its eastern end are the hills Cerro del Hospital and Cerro Bonito.
Demographics
As of the census of 2011, Rivera Department has a population of 103,493 (50.397 male and 53.096 female) and 39,859 households.
Demographic data for Rivera Department in 2010:
*Population growth rate: 0.610%
*Birth Rate: 16.45 births/1,000 people
*Death Rate: 7.80 deaths/1,000 people
*Average age: 30.8 (28.9 male, 32.4 female)
*Life Expectancy at Birth:
**Total population: 76.12 years
**Male: 72.85 years
**Female: 79.89 years
*Average per household income: 22,084 pesos/month
*Urban per capita income: 8,806 pesos/month
''2010 Data Source:''
Transportation
Route 5 joins
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 block away from it, at the north end of Route 5 (Uruguay), Route 5. Together, they form an ...
, the capital of the department in the northwest, with
Tranqueras and then with all the capitals of the departments to its south,
Tacuarembó
Tacuarembó ( Guaraní language, Guarani: ''Takuarembo'', literally: "Bamboo shoot") is the capital city of the Tacuarembó Department in north-central Uruguay.
History
On 24 October 1831, a presidential decree by Fructuoso Rivera ordered the cr ...
,
Durazno
Durazno is the capital city of the Durazno Department, department of Durazno in Uruguay.
Geography
The city is located at the intersection of Route 5 (Uruguay), Routes 5 and 41, in the south of the department, close to the borders with the depar ...
,
Florida
Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
and
Canelones, reaching
Montevideo
Montevideo (, ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Uruguay, largest city of Uruguay. According to the 2023 census, the city proper has a population of 1,302,954 (about 37.2% of the country's total population) in an area of . M ...
from the west.
Route 6 joins
Vichadero, in the southeast of the department, with some important cities of the same departments to the south, including
Sarandí del Yí and
San Ramón, reaching
Montevideo
Montevideo (, ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Uruguay, largest city of Uruguay. According to the 2023 census, the city proper has a population of 1,302,954 (about 37.2% of the country's total population) in an area of . M ...
from the north. Between Rivera and Vichadero runs Route 27, while Route 30 joins Tranqueras with the city of
Artigas to the northwest. Route 44, which marks part of the southern border of the department, connects with
Melo to the southeast. Routes 28 and 29 connect the town
Minas de Corrales with the other main Routes of the department.
The railroad track Montevideo-Rivera is active for cargo trains of the Línea Rivera, which connects with the railroad infrastructure of Brazil. A small length of this track, from Montevideo to Florida only, is also active for passenger trains.
The small airport of the city of Rivera receives light aircraft and an irregular service by a Brazilian airline to
Porto Alegre
Porto Alegre (, ; , ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Brazilian Federative units of Brazil, state of Rio Grande do Sul. Its population of roughly 1.4 million inhabitants (2022) makes it the List of largest cities in Brazil, 11th-most p ...
.
Visitors attractions
* Parque Internacional between Brazil and Uruguay in 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 block away from it, at the north end of Route 5 (Uruguay), Route 5. Together, they form an ...
.
*
Minas de Corrales a town established in 1879, during the Gold Rush times.
*
Rincón de Tres Cerros near the border with Tacuarembó Department, approx. west of Minas de Corrales.
*
Valle del Lunarejo running parallel to Route 30, between
Masoller
Masoller is a village or populated centre of the Rivera Department in northern Uruguay, next to the ''de facto'' border with Brazil, in an area where that border is disputed.
Geography
The village is located on Route 30, on the tripoint with Salto ...
and
Tranqueras.
See also
*
Bibliography
*
References
External links
Intendencia Municipal de RiveraINE map of Rivera DepartmentNuestra Terra, Colección Los Departamentos, Vol.3 "Rivera"
{{Authority control
Departments of Uruguay
States and territories established in 1884