Canelones Department

The Canelones Department (), with an area of 4,536 km² (1,752 square miles) and 485,240 inhabitants, is located to the south of Uruguay. Its capital is Canelones.

Geography and climate

Neighbouring departments are Maldonado and Lavalleja to the East, Flores to the North, San José to the West, and Montevideo to the South. Part of the southern border is formed by the Río de la Plata. It is the second smallest department of the country after that of Montevideo, but the second largest in population.

Located in the humid templated region, the average temperature is low compared to that of the rest of the country (around 15°C), as are the levels of precipitation (up to 2,000 mm yearly, on average).

By area Canelones Department is the second smallest of Uruguay's 19 departments.

Topography and hydrography

Canelones Department, is characterized by flat lands and absence of relief (as most parts of Uruguay), with small coastal sand dunes at the south, and with meadows and woods in the center, north and west.

The department is rich in waterways, with many rivers and streams. However, there are two rivers that stand out for their importance: the Santa Lucía River and the Río de la Plata, which is actually a sea of salt water. On the coastline formed by the Río de la Plata, there are many spa towns and their respective beaches.

Santa Lucia River, meanwhile, forms the northern boundary with Florida, which is...
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