Rivera

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This article is about the Uruguayan city. For other uses, see Rivera (disambiguation).

Obelisk of the Plaza Internacional, at the "Frontera de la Paz", cities of Rivera (Uruguay) and Santana do Livramento (Brasil).

Rivera is the capital of the department of Rivera in Uruguay with a population of 64,426 (2004 census). Rivera is located exactly on the border with Brazil, and with the Brazilian city of Santana do Livramento, right across the border line, just a street away, it forms an international city of 200.000 inhabitants. In 1943, the Plaza Internacional (on the photo) was built, celebrating this peaceful relationship, and perhaps being the only international square in the whole world.

Aparicio Méndez (1904-1988), President of Uruguay 1976-1981, was from Rivera.

The border community is unusual as inhabitants from both Livramento (Brazil) and Rivera (Uruguay) are free to move anywhere throughout the twin city community. It is easy for one to get lost in the suburbs and not know if he is in Brazil or Uruguay. Customs and checkpoints are located outside the cities.