Salto Department

Salto anchors Uruguay's northwest as the country's second city by population, positioned on the Rio Uruguay across from Concordia, Argentina. The Salto Grande Dam, shared with Argentina, generates hydroelectric power that contributes to Uruguay's 90%+ renewable electricity supply. Citrus production—particularly oranges and mandarins—distinguishes the department's agriculture from the national livestock pattern.

Hot springs tourism draws visitors to thermal resorts around the city, creating a secondary economic sector alongside agriculture and hydroelectric generation. The Brazilian and Argentine borders create cross-border commerce that supplements domestic economic activity. Salto functions as the northern counterweight to Montevideo's southern dominance, though the capital's primacy remains unchallenged.

The department demonstrates how shared infrastructure (the binational dam) and geographic position (river border with Argentina) create economic opportunities distinct from Uruguay's agricultural interior. Citrus orchards, thermal tourism, and hydroelectric employment provide diversification that pure livestock departments lack. Yet Salto's distance from Montevideo limits its ability to capture service economy growth or technology sector development concentrated in the capital.