Colonia Department

Colonia (Spanish pronunciation: [koˈlonja] ^ⓘ) is a department of southwestern Uruguay. Its capital is Colonia del Sacramento, the country's second-oldest city.

Colonia Department
Flag Coat of arms
Location of Colonia Department and its capital
Coordinates (Colonia del Sacramento): 34°28′17″S 57°50′39″W
Country	Uruguay
Established	1816
Capital of Department	Colonia del Sacramento
Government
• Intendant	Carlos Moreira
• Ruling party	National[1]
Area
• Total	6,106 km2 (2,358 sq mi)
Elevation	71 m (233 ft)
Population  (2023 census)
• Total	135,717
• Density	22/km2 (58/sq mi)
Demonym	colonienses
Time zone	UTC-3 (UYT)
ISO 3166 code	UY-CO
Website	www.colonia.gub.uy

Map of Colonia Department

Geography

Climate

Colonia has an annual average temperature of 20.4 °C (68.7 °F). In winter it has an average temperature of 9 °C (48.2 °F) and in summer it has an average temperature of 27 °C (80.6 °F)

Economy

The southwestern region of Uruguay, in which Colonia is located, is typically associated with dairy production. Its proximity to Buenos Aires makes it the main entry point for tourists traveling from Argentina to Uruguay. Tourism is also favored by part of the capital being a World Heritage Site. The PepsiCo plant located in the department's capital, is one of the three largest worldwide,^[2] employing more than 2,000 people and serving the entire Latin American import market. The plant operates under special economic zone legislation, and as of November 2019, has successfully approved an enlargement investment for $65 million.^[3]

Demographics

Ethnic groups in Colonia (2011 est.)[4]
Ethnic groups			Percent
White			95.8%
Black			2.9%
Indigenous			2.5%
Asian			0.2%
None/Other/Unspecified			2.1%

As of the census of 2023, Colonia Department has a population of 135,797.^[5]

Main Urban Centres	Other towns and villages
Population stated as per 2011 census.[6]
City / Town Population Colonia del Sacramento 29,231 Carmelo 18,041 Juan Lacaze 12,816 Nueva Helvecia 10,630 Rosario 10,085 Nueva Palmira 9,857 Tarariras 6,632 Florencio Sánchez 3,716 Ombúes de Lavalle 3,390 Colonia Valdense 3,235	Town / Village Population Miguelete 999 La Paz 603 El Semillero 600 Conchillas 401

Rural population

According to the 2011 census, Colonia department has an additional rural population of 11,471.^[5]

See also

• List of populated places in Uruguay#Colonia Department
• Fomento, Uruguay