| San José de Mayo | |
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| — Capital city — | |
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San José de Mayo
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Uruguay |
| Department | San José Department |
| Population (2004) | |
| • Total | 36,339 |
| • Demonym | maragato,-a |
| Time zone | UTC -3 |
| Postal code | 80000 |
| Area code(s) | +598 434 |
San José de Mayo is the capital city of the San José Department in southern Uruguay. It is located at the centre of the department, on the intersection of Route 3 with Route 11, 90 kilometres (56 mi) from the centre of Montevideo. The railroad track connecting Montevideo with Colonia and with the northwest of the country passes through the city. The river Río San José flows along the northeastern and eastern limits of the city.
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San José de Mayo was founded on 1 July 1783 and during the 19th century it became a commercial and cultural centre, known as "Montevideo chico" ("little Montevideo"). Its status was elevated to "City" category on 12 July 1856 by decree Ley No. 495. The theatre "Teatro Macció" was constructed at the turn of the 20th century.
In 2004, San José de Mayo had a population of 36,339.[1]
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1963 | 27,482 |
| 1975 | 28,424 |
| 1985 | 31,825 |
| 1996 | 34,927 |
| 2004 | 36,129 |
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística de Uruguay[2]
Besides being the administrative capital of the department, the city is an active regional commercial and financial centre. Its economy is linked mainly to cattle ranching, and it is an agro-industrial centre for dairy products, packing houses, mills, and chemicals.
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