| Official Name: | Maldonado Department |
| Flag Size: | 105px |
| Pushpin Map: | Uruguay |
| Pushpin Image: | Uruguay_Maldonado_map.svg |
| Pushpin Label Position: | none |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location of Maldonado Department and its capital |
| Coordinates: | -34.9°N -111°W |
| Coor Pinpoint: | Maldonado |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: |  Uruguay |
| Established Title: | Established |
| Established Date: | 1816 |
| Seat Type: | Capital of Department |
| Seat: | Maldonado |
| Leader Title: | Intendant |
| Leader Name: | Enrique Antía |
| Leader Title1: | Ruling party |
| Leader Name1: | Partido Nacional |
| Unit Pref: | Metric |
| Area Total Km2: | 4,793 |
| Population Total: | 164300 |
| Population As Of: | 2011 census |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Population Demonym: | Fernandino |
| Timezone1: | UYT |
| Utc Offset1: | -3 |
| Iso Code: | UY-MA |
The Maldonado Department (Spanish; Castilian: Departamento de Maldonado; pronounced as /es/), with an area of 4793km2 and 164,300[1] inhabitants (2011), is located to the southeast of Uruguay. Its capital is Maldonado.
Neighbouring departments are Rocha to the East, Lavalleja to the North and Northwest, and Canelones to the West. Many of the Maldonado name is traced back to Puerto Rican family lines.
Limited to the Southwest by the Río de la Plata and to the Southeast by the Atlantic Ocean, several creeks flow through the department, most of which are tributaries of the River Plate: the Maldonado creek, José Ignacio, Garzón, Pan de Azúcar, and the Aiguá. Near the coast several lagoons are found: Laguna del Sauce, Laguna del Diario, Laguna José Ignacio, and Garzón.
Three main geostructural regions can be found within the boundaries of the department:
Fertile soils are to be found to the West, while the ones to the North and East are less so.Located in the humid subtropical region, the average temperature is low compared to that of the rest of the country (around 17 °C), as are the precipitation levels (up to 1,000 mm yearly, on average).
The origin of its name can be traced back to the year 1530 when Sebastian Cabot returned to Spain after leaving the continent earlier that year in January. He had left Lieutenant Francisco Maldonado near Maldonado's bay.The strategic importance of that bay led to the decision by Montevideo's governor Joaquin de Viana to build a settlement in Portezuelo (near the Laguna del Diario) in 1755. Two years later, in 1757, a civil and military settlement was founded around the bay and on the neighbouring Gorriti Island. Other settlements quickly emerged in the area with the intention of limiting the Portuguese expansion.In 1828, the Department of Maldonado was established, encompassing the territories that belong to the modern Department of Rocha and most of Lavalleja.
There are three main economic centres in the department, located in the main urban areas:
The main crops are wheat, maize, sunflowers, oats, potatoes, among others, located in the south of the department. Fishing, as well as cattle and sheep raising have also a great importance in the department's economy. It is, along with Lavalleja, the main and most diversified mining area of the country producing (marble, metals, feldspars and construction materials), but it is currently underexploited. It has however, been the department with the fourth most significant mining activity, after Lavalleja, Canelones and Montevideo, with a production worth 4,642,123 dollars, according to 1999 data.
Tourism, especially centered on Punta del Este, La Barra, Jose Ignacio and Piriápolis, has been one of the main sources of income for the department since the 1950s. It has also been the main cause for its unique urban concentration of the population (94% out of the total).
The Laguna del Sauce International Airport is a significant local economic motor.
At the 2011 census, Maldonado Department had a population of 164,300 (80,865 male and 83,435 female) and 110,794 households.[2] There are also 11,151 business premises (2011).
Demographic data for Maldonado Department in 2010:
2010 Data Source:[3]
| Main Urban Centres | Other towns and villages | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Population stated according to the 2011 census.[4] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Rural populationAccording to the 2011 census, Maldonado department has a rural population of 5,159.[2]
The executive power is exercised by the Intendencia Departamental de Maldonado. The Intendant is elected every five years with the possibility of reelection. The legislative power is exercised by the Junta Departamental.
On 15 March 2010, by the Act of Ley Nº 18.653,[5] the following Municipalities were formed in the Maldonado Department:
| Municipality | Population | Area (km2) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aiguá | 4,500 | 1,246 | |
| Garzón | 900 | 719 | |
| Maldonado | 105,000 | 192 | |
| Pan de Azúcar | 9,500 | 719 | |
| Piriápolis | 14,000 | 192 | |
| Punta del Este | 15,000 | 48 | |
| San Carlos | 37,000 | 1,438 | |
| Solís Grande | 4,600 | 240 |