Bella Unión is a city in the north part of Artigas Department

Artigas Department

The Department of Artigas , with an area of and 78,019 inhabitants, it is the northernmost department of Uruguay. Its capital is Artigas.It is named after José Artigas , leader of the orientales during the wars of Independence.-Geography and climate:Neighbouring departments are Salto to the...

 of Uruguay

Uruguay

Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...

. It is located at the north end of Route 3

Route 3 (Uruguay)

Route 3 is a national route of Uruguay. In 1975, it was assigned the name General José Artigas, a national hero of Uruguay. It is one of the most important highways in the country along with Route 5, connecting the south coast near Rafael Perazza with Bella Unión in the extreme northwest. The road...

, on the banks of the Uruguay River

Uruguay River

The Uruguay River is a river in South America. It flows from north to south and makes boundary with Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay, separating some of the Argentine provinces of the Mesopotamia from the other two countries...

, near the mouth of Río Cuareim. Being situated on a piece of land protuding between Argentina

Argentina

Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...

 and Brazil

Brazil

Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

, it lies across Monte Caseros, Corrientes

Monte Caseros, Corrientes

Monte Caseros is a city in the south-east of the province of Corrientes in the Argentine Mesopotamia. It has about 25,000 inhabitants as of the...

 of Argentina to the west and across Barra do Quaraí

Barra do Quaraí

Barra do Quarai is a small Brazilian town located near the border with Uruguay and Argentina on the Uruguay River. The town became the westernmost city in the state of Rio Grande do Sul and in all Southern Brazil when it was separated from the municipality of Uruguaiana on December 28, 1995. It...

 of Brazil, which is only 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) to the northeast, joined by a bridge over Río Cuareim.

Bella Unión gained the status of "City" on 15 October 1963 by decree Ley No. 13.180.

Population

In 2004, it had a population of 13,510. Together with its peripheral populated and rural areas (Coronado

Coronado, Uruguay

Coronado is a village in the Artigas Department of northern Uruguay.It is located on the shores of the Uruguay River and shares borders with the south part of Bella Unión, forming a rural suburb of the city....

, Portones de Hierro y Campodónico, Las Piedras

Las Piedras, Artigas

Las Piedras is a suburb of Bella Unión in the Artigas Department of northern Uruguay. It is located on Route 3 and borders the urban area of the city to the south, suburb Franquia to the north and suburb Cuareim to the west...

, Franquia

Franquia

Franquia is a populated rural area, located directly north of Bella Unión and northwest of Cuareim.-Population:In 2004, it had a population of 833.Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística de Uruguay-External links:*...

 & Cuareim

Cuareim

Cuareim is a village in the Artigas Department of northern Uruguay.It is located on the shores of the Cuareim River and is northeast of Bella Unión, forming a rural suburb of the city.-Population:In 2004, Cuareim had a population of 780....

) they form a population centre of around 19.000.

Year	Population
1963	4,937
1975	7,778
1985	12,238
1996	13,537
2004	13,510

Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística de Uruguay

History

The town dates from the year 1829. The original settlement was started by Fructuoso Rivera

Fructuoso Rivera

José Fructuoso Rivera y Toscana was an Uruguayan general and patriot who assisted in the efforts to force Brazilians out of the Banda Oriental.-Founder of Colorado Party and President of Uruguay:...

, who played a prominent role in the early history of Uruguay

Uruguay

Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...

.

Notable local person

The writer Jesús Moraes

Jesús Moraes

Jesús Moraes, , Uruguayan writer, born in Bella Unión, Artigas Department, Uruguay, who specializes in short stories.-Subject and nature of writings:...

, (1955-), who specializes in short stories in Spanish, is from Bella Unión, and is one of the relatively few contemporary Uruguayan

Uruguay

Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...

 writers strongly identified with the Uruguayan

Uruguay

Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...

 north.

Climate data

External links

• :es:Fructuoso Rivera
• INE map of Bella Unión