Paysandú, the next Department north, has a larger population of which the capital of that name contains nearly half, 22,000, being the second city of the Republic in commercial importance. Electric lights and telephones are in service, also horse cars. Here the stream narrows and this is the last port of call for ocean steamers. The chief employments in the Department are agricultural and pastoral; there are some meat curing factories.
Salto, Department and city, each with larger population than the Department south, is also a pastoral region; but it is rich in minerals, and is an important wine producing district, where a great variety of other fruits, including oranges, flourish well. Here the Uruguay River is bridged to Concordia in Argentina, an important railway centre. This is called the head of navigation, as here are falls and rocks, but smaller boats ply the river above.
Artigas, the most northern Department with a long frontier on Argentina and Brazil both, has some railway service, though not the main line to Brazil. The capital, Artigas, population 10,000, is on the Brazilian border. This Department has more timber, hard and soft, and less agriculture and grazing. Some districts are noted for minerals and precious stones.
Rivera is next along the Brazilian border, one of the largest Departments. The capital, population 15,000, is a clean, well paved town, of growing importance as the terminus of the Central Uruguay Railway, here connecting with the Brazilian Railway to São Paulo. The Department, though thinly peopled, has considerable agriculture and gold mines of importance.
Tacuarembó, directly south, largest of all the Departments, is the most sparsely populated. It is chiefly devoted to agriculture; tobacco flourishes, and rice culture has met with some success. Gold and manganese are found.
Cerro Largo next to Rivera on the Brazilian border is chiefly pastoral with agriculture advancing. Its prosperity is likely to increase with connection with Brazil now planned from the capital, Melo, 14,000 population, the present railway terminus.
Treinta y Tres, its capital with 8000 population, is chiefly pastoral with very little agriculture; it is well wooded with valuable timber. The great Lake Mirím along the eastern border is of much value, and further railway construction will promote development.
Rocha, south of Treinta y Tres, has also a long eastern frontier on the Lake, a bit of Brazil, and much on the Atlantic. Grazing is the chief industry with some viticulture. Seal fishery is important, and there are minerals: copper, gypsum, alabaster, marble, jasper.
Maldonado, south of Rocha and east of Canelones, also borders on the ocean at the southeast. Chiefly pastoral, the Department has some agriculture and wine making. There is seal fishing on the islands off the coast. Timber will soon be important as tree planting is encouraged by the Government. The British Consul received a gold medal for planting over 10,000 maritime pines. The beginning was difficult, the young trees being continually buried in masses of sand. Dunes are characteristic of this coast. But when the trees were once established continuance was easy and now 100,000 or more are flourishing in this section. Others followed the example, making land formerly worthless now rated at $5-$25 an acre. Piriápolis, a new town west of the capital city, is a remarkable place due to the patriotic energy of Señor Piria, who here began planting trees over 20 years ago. These are now a forest, with millions of trees, seven miles of eucalyptus woodland stretching from the Piria castle to the ocean, near which a hotel has been erected and chalets, the beginning of a prosperous town and summer resort. A railway serves this western edge of Maldonado.
Minas is back of Maldonado and west of Rocha. It has pastoral and agricultural industries with a good endowment of minerals.