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San José de Mayo
Capital city
Catedral de San José de Mayo.jpg
Teatro Maccio.jpg
Sj 17495.jpg
Sj 17511.jpg
San José de Mayo 1.jpg
J34 754 Bf San José, EG.jpg
From top, left to right: view of the Cathedral, the Macció Theater, the City Hall, monument of José Artigas in the Independence Square, the Treinta y Tres Orientales Square and the station.
San José de Mayo is located in Uruguay
San José de Mayo
San José de Mayo
Location in Uruguay
Country  Uruguay
Department San José Department
Founded 1783
Population
 (2011 Census)
 • Total 36,743
 • Demonym
maragato-a
Time zone UTC -3
Postal code
80000
Dial plan +598 434 (+5 digits)
Climate Cfa

San José de Mayo (Spanish pronunciation: [saŋ xoˈse ðe ˈmaʝo]; Mayo IPA: [ˈmaʒo, ˈmaʃo]) is the capital city of the San José Department in southern Uruguay.

Geography

The city is located at the centre of the state, on the intersection of Route 3 with Route 11, 90 kilometres (56 mi) from the centre of Montevideo. The railroad track connecting Montevideo with Colonia and with the northwest of the country passes through the city. The river Río San José flows along the northeastern and eastern limits of the city.

Increased precipitation as a result of climate change and impermeabilization of the local land surfaces has made San José de Mayo more prone to flooding over the 1987–2017 period.

History

San José de Mayo was founded on 1 July 1783. It had acquired "Villa" (town) status before the Independence of Uruguay, which was elevated to "Ciudad" (city) on 12 July 1856 by the Act of Ley Nº 495. During the 19th century it became a commercial and cultural centre, known as "Montevideo chico" ("little Montevideo"). The theatre "Teatro Macció" was constructed at the turn of the 20th century.

Population

In 2011 San José de Mayo had a population of 36,743.

Year Population
1867 3,224
1908 12,297
1963 27,482
1975 28,554
1985 31,825
1996 34,552
2004 36,129
2011 36,743

Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística de Uruguay

Places of worship

  • Cathedral Basilica and National Sanctuary of St. Joseph (Roman Catholic)
  • Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompei Parish Church (Roman Catholic)
  • Our Lady of Fatima Parish Church (Roman Catholic)
  • Our Lady of the Orchard Chapel (Roman Catholic)

Economy

Besides being the administrative capital of the department, the city is an active regional commercial and financial centre. Its economy is linked mainly to cattle ranching, and it is an agro-industrial centre for dairy products, packing houses, mills, and chemicals.

Notable residents

  • Cesár Cortinas [es], (1892-1918), musician and composer
  • Laura Cortinas (1881-1969), writer, politician, feminist and playwright
  • Ismael Cortinas (1884-1940), politician

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: San José de Mayo para niños

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