Rocha, Uruguay facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rocha
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Capital city
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Plaza Independencia
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 Rocha, Uruguay
Location in Uruguay
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| Country |  Uruguay |
| Department |  Rocha |
| Founded | 1793 |
| Population
(2011 census)
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| • Total | 25,422 |
| • Demonym | Rochense |
| Time zone | UTC -3 |
| Postal code |
27000
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| Dial plan | +598 447 (+5 digits) |
| Climate | Cfa |
Rocha is the main city and capital of the Rocha Department in Uruguay. It is an important place for the region.
Contents
A Look Back at Rocha's History
Rocha was founded a long time ago, in 1793. Before Uruguay became an independent country, Rocha was already known as a "Villa," which means a town.
On July 7, 1880, Rocha became the capital city of the Rocha Department. This happened because of a special law. Later, on January 10, 1894, its status was officially changed to "Ciudad," meaning a full city.
Rocha in Books
The Rocha Department is mentioned in a book by Carlos María Domínguez. His 2004 novel, The House of Paper, talks about this area.
In the story, the narrator visits the remains of a house made of books. This unique house was built by a person who loved books very much. It was located on a sandy strip of land between the Rocha lagoon and the ocean.
How Many People Live in Rocha?
In 2011, Rocha had a population of 25,422 people. The table below shows how the population has changed over the years.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1908 | 12,200 |
| 1963 | 19,484 |
| 1975 | 21,502 |
| 1985 | 24,013 |
| 1996 | 26,017 |
| 2004 | 25,538 |
| 2011 | 25,422 |
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística de Uruguay
Where is Rocha Located?
Rocha city is found where two main roads meet: Route 9 and Route 15. It is about 70 kilometers (43 miles) northeast of San Carlos. The Arroyo Rocha stream flows along the western edge of the city.
Rocha's Climate and Weather
Rocha has a mild humid subtropical climate. This type of climate means it has pleasant summers and cool winters. It used to be considered an oceanic climate, but that changed with newer weather data.
Rainfall is spread out evenly throughout the year. On average, Rocha gets about 1,123 millimeters (44 inches) of rain each year. The warmest month is January, with an average temperature of 22.5°C (72.5°F). The coldest month is July, with an average of 11.2°C (52.2°F). The average temperature for the whole year is 16.8°C (62.2°F).
| Climate data for Rocha (1991–2020, extremes 1944–2020) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 41.5 (106.7) |
39.0 (102.2) |
39.0 (102.2) |
35.2 (95.4) |
31.8 (89.2) |
28.8 (83.8) |
30.6 (87.1) |
32.0 (89.6) |
33.6 (92.5) |
33.0 (91.4) |
38.6 (101.5) |
40.0 (104.0) |
41.5 (106.7) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 28.1 (82.6) |
27.4 (81.3) |
25.8 (78.4) |
22.6 (72.7) |
19.3 (66.7) |
16.4 (61.5) |
15.5 (59.9) |
17.2 (63.0) |
18.2 (64.8) |
20.8 (69.4) |
23.7 (74.7) |
26.7 (80.1) |
21.8 (71.2) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 22.4 (72.3) |
22.0 (71.6) |
20.5 (68.9) |
17.6 (63.7) |
14.4 (57.9) |
11.8 (53.2) |
10.9 (51.6) |
12.3 (54.1) |
13.3 (55.9) |
15.8 (60.4) |
18.2 (64.8) |
20.9 (69.6) |
16.7 (62.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 16.7 (62.1) |
16.6 (61.9) |
15.2 (59.4) |
12.6 (54.7) |
9.6 (49.3) |
7.2 (45.0) |
6.3 (43.3) |
7.3 (45.1) |
8.4 (47.1) |
10.8 (51.4) |
12.7 (54.9) |
15.0 (59.0) |
11.5 (52.7) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 5.2 (41.4) |
5.0 (41.0) |
4.6 (40.3) |
−1.6 (29.1) |
−1.2 (29.8) |
−5.8 (21.6) |
−5.6 (21.9) |
−4.2 (24.4) |
−3.4 (25.9) |
−0.2 (31.6) |
1.0 (33.8) |
3.5 (38.3) |
−5.8 (21.6) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 110.5 (4.35) |
109.2 (4.30) |
134.8 (5.31) |
118.6 (4.67) |
107.9 (4.25) |
113.9 (4.48) |
108.2 (4.26) |
105.8 (4.17) |
95.5 (3.76) |
102.7 (4.04) |
90.7 (3.57) |
87.0 (3.43) |
1,284.8 (50.58) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 91 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 73 | 75 | 78 | 80 | 82 | 82 | 81 | 79 | 79 | 78 | 75 | 72 | 78 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 268.3 | 222.1 | 220.0 | 179.4 | 152.0 | 128.9 | 138.3 | 165.3 | 177.1 | 192.1 | 239.3 | 261.6 | 2,344.4 |
| Source 1: Instituto Uruguayo de Metereología | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: NOAA (precipitation and sun 1991–2020), Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria (humidity 1980–2009) | |||||||||||||
Getting Around Rocha
Rocha is located on the main road that connects Montevideo to the border with Brazil. You can travel to Montevideo from Rocha by bus.
The city used to have a train station, but it closed in the 1980s. There is also a small local airfield for planes. There are plans to make transportation even better in the future. A big project is to build a deep water port in or near La Paloma. There are also ideas to build a new airport to help bring more tourists to the area. For example, Rocha's lagoon has a special circular bridge that is interesting to see.
Places to Worship
- Parish Church of Our Lady of Remedies (Roman Catholic)
- Parish Church of Our Lady of Fatima (Roman Catholic)
Famous People from Rocha
Many interesting people have come from Rocha, including:
- Javier Barrios Amorín, a politician
- Alberto Demicheli (1896–1980), a political figure from Uruguay
- Gonzalo González (born 1993), a Uruguayan football player
- Gladys Castelvecchi, a poet
- Carlos Malo, a singer
- Carlos Julio Pereyra, a politician
- Elio Rodríguez (born 1962), a former Uruguayan football player
- Renzo Sánchez (born 2004), a Uruguayan football player
- Jesús Toscanini, a football player
- Pedro Vaz, a diplomat
- Constancio C. Vigil, an author
See also
In Spanish: Rocha para niños
