Municipal Governor: Dr. Walter Zimmer

Surface: 6,106 km2 (source: Enciclopedia gráfica del Uruguay; Montevideo Comm)

Population: 119,266 habitants (source: 2004 census, National Statistics Institute)

Capital City: Colonia

In December 1679, an expedition headed by Manuel Lobo of Portugal set off for the mouth of the Río de la Plata with the objective of establishing a fort across from Buenos Aires, which at the time was in the hands of Spanish forces. Several ships transported about 1,000 troops plus weapons and construction equipment to San Gabriel Island on 20 January 1680. From there, they proceeded to build Colonia do Santísimo Sacramento. The Spanish believed that the Portuguese were violating a 1494 treaty that established the limits for conquest by both nations in the new world. The Portuguese, taking advantage of the lack of clarity of the treaty, said that the treaty line extended along the Banda Oriental and considered it part of their territory. Nevertheless, and after a series of diplomatic attempts to reach an agreement, Spanish forces, led by José de Garro, laid siege to the fort on 6 July. A month later, on 7 August, Spanish troops took Colonia and renamed it Fuente del Rosario. The Portuguese protested, and with the signing of the Provisional Treaty of Lisbon on 7 May 1861, the fort was returned under certain circumstances, but a total agreement was never achieved. In February 1683, the fort was renamed Nova Colonia do Santísimo Sacramento and on 18 June 1701, the Treaty of Lisbon was signed that stipulated the definitive return of the fort from Spain to Portugal. Two years later, the treaty was broken. In 1713, through the Treaty of Utrecht, Portugal again regained control. At that time, Colonia became a significant point for Portuguese and British contraband.

Because of this, King Philip V charged Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, then governor of Buenos Aires, with the construction, fortification and population of a new city: San Felipe y Santiago de Montevideo, currently known as Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay. Following four decades of wars and treaties, the Treaty of San Ildefonso of 1777 established the Negro River as the border between the Spanish and Portuguese empires. As such, Spain took back Colonia. Located in the southeast of the country, Colonia is the fifth largest department in Uruguay in terms of population with nearly 120,000 inhabitants. Its name is derived from Colonia del Sacramento, its capital and main city. Old town Colonia was declared World Heritage by UNESCO in 1995. The department’s major activities, especially tourism, are linked to this city. The department borders Soriano to the north, Flores to the northeast, San José to the east and Argentina to the west (separated by the Río de la Plata). Since the mid-19th century, Colonia has had a significant presence of Swiss-Italian immigrants who have made their mark on the department’s architecture and cheese production. Despite being one of the country’s most populous departments, Colonia has not escaped the demographic crisis Uruguay has been experiencing. Colonia has had null and even negative growth. In 1963, Colonia’s population reached 105,000 inhabitants. Today, there are less than 120,000. Major cities Colonia del Sacramento Colonia is the departmental capital and has the largest port. In addition, it is a top tourist destination. Carmelo Carmelo was founded by José Artigas in 1816. It was presumably named for the Virgin of Carmen that appeared in the areas surrounding Monte Carmelo. It is the only city in the country founded by Artigas. It is known for its tannat wines (some wineries have received international awards) and for being a highly visited tourist area. Carmelo has an airport and a Four Seasons hotel located in the middle of a wooded area. About 16,000 people live in Carmelo. Other significant cities are Juan Lacaze, Rosario and Nueva Palmira.