The Río Negro department was created on 20 March 1880. Before that time, its territory was part of the Paysandú department.
Geography
Map of Río Negro
The Río Negro department is in the western part of Uruguay, along the Uruguay river. It has an area of 9,282 km2 (3,584 sq mi). The population is 54,765 inhabitants (2011 census), one of the departments with fewest inhabitants, for a population density of 5.9 inhabitants/km2.
There are two chains of low hills in the department. These chains of low and rounded hills are named cuchillas in the country. The two cuchillas in the department are cuchilla de Navarro to the south and forming the border with the Durazno department, and cuchilla de Haedo that goes from the northeast to the southwest.
There are two protected areas in the department: National Park Esteros de Farrapos e islas del río Uruguay (Spanish: Parque Nacional Esteros de Farrapos e islas del río Uruguay) and the Esteros y algarrobales del río Uruguay.
Uruguay, to the west and that forms the border with Argentina; and
Río Negro that flows along the southern border of the department, forming the natural border with the departments of Durazno to the southeast and Soriano to the south.
Demographics
The inhabitants of the Río Negro department (and of the city of Paysandú) are known, in Spanish, as Rionegrenses.
According to the 2011 census, the Río Negro department has a rural population of 5,212, that represents 9.5% of the total population of the department.[2]
