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Paysandú (Spanish pronunciation: [pajsanˈdu]) is the capital and most populous city of the Paysandú Department in western Uruguay. Located on the banks of the Uruguay River, it is the country's fourth-largest city and a vital cultural and economic hub, with agriculture, tourism, and manufacturing serving as key industries.
Located in the southwestern part of the department, across from the Argentine city of Colón in Entre Ríos Province, it was founded in the mid-18th century and is known as the La Heroica (Spanish for 'The Heroic City') for its rich history, particularly its resistance during the Siege of Paysandú in 1864-65.
It was founded in October 1756 and had acquired the status of "Villa" (town) before the independence of Uruguay. On 8 June 1863, its status was elevated to "Ciudad" (city) by the Act of Ley Nº 780.
General Leandro Gomez led Uruguayan forces to save the town from an invasion by Brazilian forces in 1864–1865. A battle took place on 2 December 1864.
From the late nineteenth century, Paysandú experienced a significant influx of Italian immigrants, who settled in both urban and rural areas. Initially, many were engaged in river transport, trade and agriculture. By the early twentieth century, the city had become one of the principal centers of Italian settlement in Uruguay, second only to Montevideo. During this period, various associations and institutions were established to serve and organize the Italian community. By 1992, it was estimated that approximately 65% of the population of the Paysandú Department was of Italian descent.
In 2023 Paysandú had a population of 81,550. It is the fourth largest city in Uruguay, after Montevideo, Salto and Ciudad de la Costa.
Source: National Statistics Institute
Paysandú is more cosmopolitan than most Uruguayan cities, with many settlers from Italy, Switzerland, Poland, Germany, Russia, Ukraine, Belgium and various African nations.
The city is located on the banks of the Uruguay River, which forms the border with Argentina. It lies 378 kilometres (235 mi) northwest of Montevideo via Route 1 and Route 3, on the junction of the latter with Route 90. As of the census of 2011 it was the fourth-most populated city of the country.
A small distance north of the city is the General Artigas Bridge that links Uruguay with the Entre Ríos Province of Argentina, south of the city Colón.
Paysandú has a humid subtropical climate, described by the Köppen climate classification as Cfa. Summers are warm to hot and winters are cool, with the occurrence of frosts and fog. The precipitation is evenly distributed throughout the year, although winters are slightly drier, with an average of 1,181 mm (46.5 in), and the annual average temperature is around 19 °C (66 °F). On 20 January 1943, Paysandú recorded a temperature of 44.0 °C (111.2 °F), which is the joint highest (along with Florida) temperature to have ever been recorded in Uruguay. The lowest temperature to have ever been recorded in Paysandú is −7.4 °C (18.7 °F) in June.
The main industries in the city are Norteña brewery, Azucarlito (sugar), Paylana (which is a producer of world-class woolen fabrics), and Paycuero (leather). Paysandú is also the centre of plantation forest industry in Uruguay, with many companies involved in the planting and harvesting of Eucalyptus plantations.
The city is served by Tydeo Larre Borges International Airport.
Paysandú has some fine recreational beaches on the Uruguay River which have lifeguards during the summer. It is also home to many sporting clubs, including a rowing club, yacht club, and numerous others for football, rugby, hockey, tennis and polo.
Previously the area had a German school, Deutsche Schule Paysandú.
Also the city has a Center of the University of the Republic (Centro Universitario de Paysandú).
Text from the Wikipedia article “Paysandú”, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.