Río Negro

Department in western Uruguay; area 9,503 sq km/3,669 sq mi; population (1996) 48,241. Fray Bentos is the capital. The department is bounded by the Río Negro on the south and the Uruguay River on the west, and traversed by the Cuchilla de Haedo. Livestock farming of cattle and sheep, together with the cultivation of cereal crops, are the main economic activities.

Río Negro

River in Argentina, see Negro, Río.

Río Negro

Province in southern Argentina, area 203,796 sq km/78,686 sq mi; population (1996) 506,727. The capital is Viedma. Río Negro stretches from the Andes in the west to the Atlantic Ocean in the east. The economy is based exclusively on livestock and arable farming. The main crops are wheat, maize, and alfalfa for cattle fodder. In the Río Negro valley, fruit and grapes are grown and there is a thriving wine industry. The only minerals found in the province are gypsum and salt.

Much of the province is comprised of the arid Patagonian plateau (Pampas), but cultivation of large areas in the northeast has been made possible by irrigation provided by the Río Negro dam.