Minas de Corrales
Minas de Corrales on the map of Uruguay
Minas de Corrales is a city in the north of Uruguay. The name derives from the local livestock enclosures ( corral ) and the historic gold mines.
Geography
The city is located on the territory of the department of Rivera in the sector 5
History
The gold deposit San Gregorio was mined in the period 1879-1939. In 1908 came from the superficial surface mining on the underground, the tunnel reached a depth of up to 80 meters. In the period from 1889 to 1915, about two million grams of gold have been mined, but worked the mine, the few remaining According to documents already in the period 1911-1914 with enormous losses. More gold ore was recovered in Zapucay the east and Santa Ernestina in the West, as well as numerous smaller vein deposits in the area.
Twelve kilometers west of Minas de Corrales will find the ruins of the former hydroelectric plant Cuñapirú, the first of its kind in South America at all. It provided the electrical power for the mining and processing plants. The ore was transported via a unique " air car" ( aerocarril ), which was very modern for its time. However, the complex technology, as well as the low efficiency of the hydropower plant has probably contributed to the economic decline of the mining industry with.
On November 9, 1920 Minas de Corrales was classified by the law Nr.7.299 in the " Pueblo " category.
Economy
1996 angeknüpt using Canadian, American and Australian donors to the once in the economic fiasco ending gold rush. Since then takes place again mining for gold recovery. This led to the re-creation of some 200 jobs in this sector. Many of the workers are commuters from Vichadero and Tranqueras. In the mine also several domestic and foreign experts work. The remains of the plants in Cuñapirú now make an important goal for the local tourism dar.
The gold is bound to quartz veins of different thickness (up to 30 meters in San Gregorio, in granitic host rocks, up to 10 meters in Zapucay in greenschist ). Sometimes the gold is also accompanied by some pyrite, chalcopyrite and galena.
Infrastructure
As a result of mining Minas de Corrales has a comparatively good infrastructure compared to other villages in the Departamento de Rivera. Through the city runs the Ruta 29, meets in the city from the north of the Ruta 28.
Gold mine San Gregorio, Administration Building
San Gregorio open pit
Population and Demographics
The population is 3,788, of which 1,947 male and 1,841 female population. (As of 2011)
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística de Uruguay
City council
Mayor ( alcalde ) of Minas de Corrales is Jesus Cuadro da Rosa.