San Jose Department

San Jose exemplifies pastoral Uruguay: peri-urban dairy and vegetable production serving Montevideo market. The department's economic foundation rests on extensive livestock production—cattle and sheep grazing on natural grasslands that characterize the interior. With over 90% of national territory devoted to livestock and agricultural production, San Jose contributes to an economy where primary production remains fundamental despite Montevideo's service sector dominance.

The rural character creates demographic challenges common to the interior: young people migrate to Montevideo for education and employment, leaving aging populations in pastoral communities. Agricultural technology reduces labor requirements, accelerating rural depopulation. Yet the land continues producing beef, wool, and dairy products that constitute primary exports.

San Jose demonstrates the economic structure of non-metropolitan departments: agricultural production for export, limited manufacturing beyond food processing, and service economies scaled to local population rather than regional catchment.