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San José de Mayo

Coordinates: 34°20′0″S 56°43′0″W / 34.33333°S 56.71667°W / -34.33333; -56.71667
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San José de Mayo
Capital city
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.
[mapframe not available on SimWiki]
Interactive map of San José de Mayo
Coordinates: 34°20′0″S 56°43′0″W / 34.33333°S 56.71667°W / -34.33333; -56.71667
CountryFile:Flag of Uruguay.svg Uruguay
DepartmentSan José Department
Founded1783
Area
 • Total
16.9 km2 (6.5 sq mi)
Elevation
51 m (167 ft)
Population
 (2023 Census)
 • Total
35,883
 • Density2,120/km2 (5,500/sq mi)
 • Demonym
maragato-a
Time zoneUTC -3
Postal code
80000
Dial plan+598 434 (+5 digits)
ClimateCfa

San José de Mayo (Spanish pronunciation: [saŋ xoˈse ðe ˈmaʝo]; Mayo locally [ˈmaʒo, ˈmaʃo]) is a city in the San José Department in southern Uruguay. Located on the banks of the San José River, it lies approximately 90 km (56 mi) northwest of Montevideo. It was founded in 1783 by Spanish colonialists, and later developed into an administrative and agricultural center in the region. Spread over an area of 16.95 km2 (6.54 sq mi), it had a population of 38,553 inhabitants in 2023.

History

San José de Mayo was founded on 1 June 1783 by Eusebio Vidal under orders from Viceroy Juan José de Vértiz y Salcedo.[1][2] It is named after the San José River.[2] The first settlers consisted of about 40 Spanish families, originating from mainland Spain, accompanied by several indigenous people and supplies. The inhabitants of the city became known as "maragatos" after the Maragatería region in Province of León. These settlers had colonized Patagonia before moving on to southern Uruguay, and later expanded into southern Brazil.[1]

In the early 19th century, San José was a major center in the fight for independence against the Spanish. In 1811, people from San José participated in the revolt led by José Gervasio Artigas. The town served as the provisional capital in the fight against the Empire of Brazil in 1825. The Thirty-Three Orientals passed through San José during the campaign against the Portuguese forces.[1] The Cathedral of San José de Mayo was built between 1857 and 1874.[2]

Geography

San José de Mayo is located on the banks of San Jose river, in the San José Department in southern Uruguay.[2][3] It is spread over an area of 16.95 km2 (6.54 sq mi).[3] 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.[4]

Demographics and economy

In 2023, San José de Mayo had a population of 38,553 inhabitants.[3][5] The population consisted of 18,436 males and 20,117 females. About 6,665 inhabitants (17.3%) were below the age of fourteen.[3]

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
2023 38,553

Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística de Uruguay[6]

The city serves as a major agricultural and industrial centre in Southern Uruguay. Industries in San José include agricultural products, textiles and leather goods, furniture, and automobile parts[2]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Historia de San José". Solanoinfante (in español). Retrieved 17 June 2025.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 "San José, Uruguay". Britannica. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "San José de Mayo". City Population.de. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
  4. ↑ Schön, Feline; Zabaleta, Bernardo; Achkar, Marcel (2022). "Causas de eventos de inundación en la ciudad de San José de Mayo, Uruguay" [Causes of flooding events in the city of San José de Mayo, Uruguay]. Norte Grande Geography Journal (in Spanish). 83 (82): 209–230. doi:10.4067/S0718-34022022000200209. hdl:20.500.12008/41563. S2CID 253334325.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  5. ↑ "Censos 2011 Cuadros San José". INE. 2012. Archived from the original on 9 March 2013. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
  6. ↑ "Statistics of urban localities (1867–2004)" (PDF). INE. 2012. Retrieved 5 September 2012.
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