Maldonado
Capital city
From top, left to right: view of the Cathedral, the Artigas Monument in San Fernando Square, Downtown Maldonado, the Police Headquarters, the Vigía Tower and the Nicolás García Uriburu Museum
Flag of Maldonado
Flag
Maldonado is located in Uruguay
Maldonado
Maldonado
Location in Uruguay
Coordinates: 34°54′0″S 54°57′0″W / 34.90000°S 54.95000°W / -34.90000; -54.95000
Country Uruguay
Department Maldonado
Founded1755
Founded byJoaquín de Viana
Government
 • Mayor (Alcalde)Dina Fernández Chaves (PN)
Population
 (2011 Census)
 • Capital city62,590
 • Urban
104,032
 • Metro
149,046
 • Demonym
Fernandino
Time zoneUTC -3
Postal code
20000
Dial plan+598 42 (+6 digits)
ClimateCfb

Maldonado (Spanish pronunciation: [maldoˈnaðo]) is the capital city of Maldonado Department, in eastern Uruguay. According to the 2011 Census, it is the fifth most populated city in the country, with about 86 thousand inhabitants. However, together with the cities of Punta del Este and San Carlos it makes up a conurbation with a population of nearly 130 thousand inhabitants.

History

The origin of Maldonado's name dates back to January 1530, when Sebastian Cabot, an Italian explorer, departed for Castilla and left his Lieutenant, Francisco Maldonado, in what is now the bay of Maldonado. After the Treaty of Madrid, when they started to divide Spanish and Portuguese properties in that region of America, the military governor of Montevideo, José Joaquín de Viana, suggested to the King that they should establish two populations, one in Maldonado and the other in Minas. In August 1755, still waiting for a response from the King, Viana decided to leave with some families and head towards Portezuelo. It was there that Maldonado was founded. Viana later left the settlement, leaving the inhabitants with animals and sufficient supplies to live. The population was able to survive and grow due to the profits from growing crops and raising livestock.[1] When he returned 20 months later, he brought 7 indigenous families with him and incorporated them into the small village to help the population grow. He also moved the settlement to their current site.[2]

The buildings that are built around the town square in Maldonado today, including the cathedral, are reminiscent of traditional Spanish style, giving evidence that the Spanish royalty was involved in the growth and development of Maldonado.[3] In May 1783, the population had grown and the villagers gave Don Luis Estremera the power to oversee the creation of a city council, thus legally establishing the city 25 years after Viana had founded it. After years of attempts, on March 14, 1787, an election was held and approved 8 days later, and the City Council of Maldonado was elected and the Town of Maldonado became the City of San Fernando De Maldonado in honor of Ferdinand VI of Spain. With a City Council established, the people of Maldonado could defend their rights as citizens.

Geography

It is located on Route 39 and shares borders with Punta del Este to the south, Pinares – Las Delicias to the south and to the east, and suburb La Sonrisa to the north. Together they all form a unified metropolitan area. The next city to the north is San Carlos, only 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) away on Route 39.

East of the city flows the stream Arroyo Maldonado.

Climate

Maldonado has an oceanic climate (Köppen: Cfb) with mild winters and without snow. The summers are warm (recently hot occasionally), similar to southeastern Australia. By be in the way of the Malvinas/Falkland current and in the bottleneck of the continent it generates a rare temperate climate typically of the ocean on the east coast. But the city is close to a humid subtropical climate (Cfa), consolidating in the coming decades.[4][5][6]

Population

In 2011 the city of Maldonado had a population of 62,590.[7] According to the Intendencia Departamnetal de Maldonado, the municipality of Maldonado has a population of 105,000.[8]

Location map of the municipality of Maldonado
YearPopulation
19084,431
196315,005
197522,762
198533,535
199648,936
200454,603
201162,590

Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística de Uruguay[9]

Main sights

Remarkable sights in Maldonado include:

  • San Fernando de Maldonado Cathedral, a neoclassic cathedral begun in 1801 and completed in 1895
  • Cuartel de Dragones (The Dragoons' Barracks), a Spanish garrison begun in 1771 and completed in 1797
  • Torre del Vigia (meaning "tower of vigilance" or, more simply, "watchtower"), built-in 1800 under the direction of Rafael Pérez del Puerto; its function was to inform the authorities of the entrance in Buenos Aires of the approach of any ship to the Río de la Plata
  • El Puente de la Barra,[10] a stressed ribbon bridge, where the roadbed swoops up, down, and back up and down once more, demonstrating an exceptional economy of material[11]
  • Casapueblo hotel

Places of worship

Notable residents

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Ciudad de Maldonado: 260 Años de Historia". Punta del Este Internacional.
  2. ↑ Francisco, Bauzá. Exposición de los vecinos de Maldonado al Cabildo de Montevideo sobre la conducta de los ingleses. Documentos de prueba – segunda parte: Humanidades Año VII. pp. 101–112.
  3. ↑ "History of Maldonado". Welcome Uruguay.
  4. ↑ "Maldonado climate: Average Temperature, weather by month, Maldonado weather averages – Climate-Data.org". en.climate-data.org. Retrieved 2019-02-17.
  5. ↑ "Find cities with a similar climate". Vivid Maps. Retrieved 2019-02-17.
  6. ↑ Maldonado, Andrés Dalziel; Ian W.D.; Leat, Philip T. (February 2015). The global relevance of the Scotia Arc: An introduction. Elsevier. OCLC 921271043.
  7. ↑ "Censos 2011 Maldonado (needs flash plugin)". INE. 2012. Archived from the original on 7 September 2012. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
  8. ↑ "Presupuesto-2011-2015". Intendencia Departamnetal de Maldonado. 2012. Archived from the original on 24 April 2011. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  9. ↑ "Statistics of urban localities (1908–2004)". INE. 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 March 2015. Retrieved 7 September 2012.
  10. ↑ Puente de la Barra de Maldonado at Structurae. Retrieved 2009-12-07. 34°54′39″S 54°52′22″W / 34.910904°S 54.872745°W
  11. ↑ "Puente de la Barra de Maldonado".
  12. ↑ "Ficha Estadistica de JOHNNY AQUINO -johnny eduardo aquino- (perfil, ficha, profile, stats)". www.bdfa.com.ar.
  13. ↑ "Uruguay – M. Campaña – Profile with news, career statistics and history – Soccerway". int.soccerway.com.
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