Rivera facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rivera
|
|
|---|---|
|
Capital city
|
|
View of Rivera from Cerro Marconi
|
|
 Rivera
Location in Uruguay
|
|
| Country |  Uruguay |
| Department |  Rivera |
| Elevation | 219 m (719 ft) |
| Population
(2011 Census)
|
|
| • Total | 64,465 |
| • Demonym | Riverense |
| Time zone | UTC -3 |
| Postal code |
40000
|
| Dial plan | 462 (+5 digits) |
Rivera (Spanish pronunciation: [riˈβeɾa]) is an important city in Uruguay. It is the capital of the Rivera Department. What makes Rivera special is that it sits right on the border with Brazil.
Right next to Rivera, on the Brazilian side, is the city of Santana do Livramento. These two cities are so close that they share a border that's only a block away! Together, they form a large urban area with about 200,000 people. In 2011, Rivera was the sixth largest city in Uruguay.
Contents
History of Rivera
The city of Rivera has grown a lot over time. It started as a small village.
- 1860: On March 21, a village called Pereira was created by law.
- 1862: On May 7, the village was renamed Ceballos. This new town was named after a Spanish viceroy, Pedro de Cevallos.
- 1867: In July, the town officially became known as Rivera. At this time, the Brazilian city of Santana do Livramento was already across the border.
- 1884: On October 1, Rivera became the capital city of the Rivera Department.
- 1912: On June 10, Rivera was officially recognized as a full-fledged city.
A very unique place in Rivera is the Plaza Internacional Rivera-Livramento. It was built in 1943. This square celebrates the close connection between the two cities. People say it's the only international square in the world! Since 1851, people living in Rivera and Santana do Livramento can move freely between the two cities. Today, many shops in Rivera sell goods without extra taxes, which is a big part of the city's economy.
The first people to settle in Rivera came from different countries. Many were Spaniards, Italians, and Portuguese. Some Brazilians who lived in Santana do Livramento also moved to Rivera.
Border Between Cities
The cities of Rivera in Uruguay and Santana do Livramento in Brazil have a very open border. There are no walls or checkpoints between them. People who live in these two cities can move freely from one side to the other without needing to show their passports or go through checks.
However, if travelers want to go further into Uruguay or Brazil, they need to complete border paperwork. There is a special building called an integrated border control post. It opened in 2016 and is located at Siñeriz Shopping in Rivera. Here, both Uruguayan and Brazilian officials work together. Before this, travelers had to visit different offices in both cities to complete their border crossings.
Economy of Rivera
One of the most important parts of Rivera's economy is its duty-free stores. These shops sell products without certain taxes. They are very popular with people from Brazil, especially those from the state of Rio Grande do Sul, which is close to the border.
Because Rivera is so close, many Brazilians come here to buy imported goods. If the US dollar is cheaper, many items can be bought for much less than in Brazil. There is a limit to how much people can buy without paying extra taxes, usually $300 per person. If someone buys more than this, they need to tell the Brazilian tax office and pay a tax to bring the items into Brazil legally.
Rivera also has a casino. It is located on one of the main streets that runs along the border between the two countries. Outside the city, in the wider Rivera Department, important activities include raising livestock (like cattle), farming, and growing trees for wood.
Population Growth
In 2011, the city of Rivera had a population of 64,465 people. The table below shows how the population of Rivera has grown over many years:
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1867 | 341 |
| 1889 | 1,000 |
| 1908 | 8,986 |
| 1963 | 41,266 |
| 1975 | 48,780 |
| 1985 | 57,314 |
| 1996 | 62,859 |
| 2004 | 64,426 |
| 2011 | 64,465 |
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística de Uruguay (National Institute of Statistics of Uruguay)
Geography and Climate
Rivera's Climate
Rivera, like its neighbor Santana do Livramento, has a humid subtropical climate. This means the weather is mild in winter and quite warm in summer. It is classified as Cfa according to the Köppen climate classification system.
| Climate data for Rivera, Uruguay (1991–2020, extremes 1944–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 41.4 (106.5) |
44.0 (111.2) |
40.0 (104.0) |
36.6 (97.9) |
31.2 (88.2) |
30.2 (86.4) |
30.8 (87.4) |
33.6 (92.5) |
36.1 (97.0) |
36.4 (97.5) |
41.5 (106.7) |
43.0 (109.4) |
44.0 (111.2) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 30.7 (87.3) |
29.5 (85.1) |
27.9 (82.2) |
24.2 (75.6) |
20.0 (68.0) |
17.7 (63.9) |
17.2 (63.0) |
19.9 (67.8) |
21.0 (69.8) |
23.8 (74.8) |
27.1 (80.8) |
29.7 (85.5) |
24.1 (75.4) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 24.7 (76.5) |
23.9 (75.0) |
22.3 (72.1) |
19.0 (66.2) |
15.3 (59.5) |
13.2 (55.8) |
12.5 (54.5) |
14.6 (58.3) |
15.7 (60.3) |
18.5 (65.3) |
21.1 (70.0) |
23.6 (74.5) |
18.7 (65.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 18.8 (65.8) |
18.3 (64.9) |
16.7 (62.1) |
13.7 (56.7) |
10.7 (51.3) |
8.7 (47.7) |
7.8 (46.0) |
9.2 (48.6) |
10.5 (50.9) |
13.2 (55.8) |
15.1 (59.2) |
17.4 (63.3) |
13.3 (55.9) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 6.0 (42.8) |
7.0 (44.6) |
5.0 (41.0) |
−3.6 (25.5) |
−1.0 (30.2) |
−5.0 (23.0) |
−4.8 (23.4) |
−3.0 (26.6) |
−2.4 (27.7) |
0.4 (32.7) |
4.0 (39.2) |
6.4 (43.5) |
−5.0 (23.0) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 134.9 (5.31) |
148.3 (5.84) |
112.2 (4.42) |
180.3 (7.10) |
147.0 (5.79) |
103.0 (4.06) |
100.7 (3.96) |
94.3 (3.71) |
128.0 (5.04) |
165.9 (6.53) |
123.8 (4.87) |
144.5 (5.69) |
1,582.9 (62.32) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 8 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 86 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 65 | 69 | 72 | 76 | 78 | 79 | 77 | 72 | 72 | 71 | 68 | 64 | 72 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 265.1 | 222.3 | 225.4 | 181.6 | 161.1 | 135.6 | 161.5 | 184.2 | 180.1 | 209.3 | 245.4 | 261.7 | 2,433.3 |
| Source 1: Instituto Uruguayo de Metereología | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: NOAA (precipitation and sun 1991–2020), Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria (humidity 1980–2009) | |||||||||||||
Places to Worship
Rivera has several churches where people can worship:
- Church of the Immaculate Conception (Catholic)
- Parish Church of St. Dominic (Catholic)
- Parish Church of the Sacred Heart (Catholic)
- St. Peter Parish Church (Catholic)
Brazilian Consulate
Brazil has a Consulate-General in Rivera. This office helps Brazilian citizens and deals with official matters. It is located at 1159 Calle Ceballos.
Famous People from Rivera
Several well-known people were born in Rivera:
- Ronald Araújo: A professional footballer who plays for FC Barcelona.
- Luiz Eduardo Garagorri: A professional mixed martial artist who competes in the UFC.
- Aparicio Méndez: He was the President of Uruguay from 1976 to 1981. He was chosen by the military government at the time, not through a public election.
- Rodrigo Mora: A professional footballer who played for Club Atlético River Plate.
- Sebastián Puchetta: A professional footballer.
Getting Around Rivera
You can travel to and from Rivera by bus. There are regular bus services that connect Rivera to Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay. A train service to Tacuarembó has also run sometimes.
Rivera is also served by the Pres. Gral. Óscar D. Gestido International Airport. In 2023, Uruguay and Brazil made an agreement to make this airport international. This means that flights starting in Brazil are treated like domestic flights, even though the airport is in Uruguay. This makes travel between the two countries easier.
Sports in Rivera
Rivera has a large stadium called the Estadio Atilio Paiva Olivera. It can hold 27,115 people. This stadium was used for the 1995 Copa América, a major football tournament.
For skateboarding fans, there is also a Skatepark in Rivera. It is located on Presidente Viera Street.
Sister Cities
Rivera has special connections with other cities, known as "twin towns" or "sister cities":
- Santana do Livramento, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
- Uruguaiana, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
See also
In Spanish: Rivera (Uruguay) para niños
