| Río Branco | |
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| — City — | |
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Río Branco
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Uruguay |
| Department | Cerro Largo Department |
| Population (2004) | |
| • Total | 13,456 |
| Time zone | UTC -3 |
| Postal code | 37100 |
| Area code(s) | +598 4675 |
Río Branco is a city in the Cerro Largo Department of northeastern Uruguay. It is located on the border with Brazil, at the east end of Route 26, about 86 kilometres (53 mi) east-southeast of the department capital city of Melo. Río Yaguarón, which forms the natural border with Brazil, flows along the north limits of the city, and right across it is the Brazilian town of Jaguarão, with an international bridge joining the two.
Its status was elevated to "City" category on 1 July 1953 by decree Ley No. 11.963.[1]
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In 2004, Río Branco had a population of 13,456.[2]
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1963 | 4,024 |
| 1975 | 5,685 |
| 1985 | 9,072 |
| 1996 | 12,215 |
| 2004 | 13,456 |
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística de Uruguay[3]
Rio Branco is unusual for having a Portuguese name in a Spanish-speaking country. (The name means "white river" and would be Río Blanco in Spanish.)
This is because the city is not named after any actual river, but as a tribute to the Brazilian diplomat Barão do Rio Branco, who negotiated the definitive borders of Brazil and Uruguay.
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