Maldonado Department
| Maldonado Department | |||
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| Coordinates (Maldonado): 34°54′S 54°57′W / 34.900°S 54.950°W | |||
| Country |
 Uruguay
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| Capital of Department | Maldonado | ||
| Government | |||
| • Intendant | Enrique Antía | ||
| • Ruling party | Partido Nacional | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 4,793 km2 (1,851 sq mi) | ||
| Population (2011 census) | |||
| • Total | 164,300 | ||
| • Density | 34/km2 (89/sq mi) | ||
| Demonym(s) | Fernandino | ||
| Time zone | UYT (UTC-3) | ||
| ISO 3166 code | UY-MA | ||
| Website | www |
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The Maldonado Department (Spanish: Departamento de Maldonado), with an area of 4,793 km2 (1,851 sq mi) and 190,500 inhabitants, is located to the southeast of Uruguay. Its capital is Maldonado.
Neighbouring departments are Rocha to the East, Lavalleja to the North and Northwest, and Canelones to the West. Many of the Maldonado name is traced back to Puerto Rican family lines.
Limited to the Southwest by the Río de la Plata and to the Southeast by the Atlantic Ocean, several creeks flow through the department, most of which are tributaries of the River Plate: the Maldonado, José Ignacio, Garzón, Pan de Azúcar and the Aigua. Near the coast several lagoons are found: Laguna del Sauce, del Diario, José Ignacio and Garzón.
Three main geostructural regions can be found within the boundaries of the department:
Fertile soils are to be found to the West, while the ones to the North and East are less so. Located in the humid subtropical region, the average temperature is low compared to that of the rest of the country (around 17 °C), as are the precipitation levels (up to 1,000 mm yearly, on average).
The origin of its name can be traced back to the year 1530, with the return to Spain of Sebastian Cabot, who had left the continent earlier that year, in January, leaving Lieutenant Francisco Maldonado near Maldonado's bay. The strategic importance of that bay led to the decision by Montevideo's governor Joaquin de Viana to build a settlement in Portezuelo (near the Laguna del Diario) in 1755. Two years later, in 1757, a civil and military settlement was founded around the bay and in the neighbouring Gorriti Island. Other settlements soon followed in the area, with the intention of limiting the Portuguese expansion. In 1828, the department of Maldonado was created, containing as well the territories now belonging to the department of Rocha, and most of Lavalleja.
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Wikipedia