# Bella Unión

> Uruguayan city

**Wikidata**: [Q815782](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q815782)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bella_Unión)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/bella-union

## Summary
Bella Unión is a Uruguayan border city founded in 1829 by President Fructuoso Rivera. It serves as the capital of the Municipality of Bella Union in the Artigas Department, located at the confluence of the Uruguay and Quareim rivers.

## Key Facts
- **Official Name:** Bella Unión
- **Classification:** City and border city
- **Country:** Uruguay
- **Department:** Artigas
- **Municipality:** Capital of the Municipality of Bella Union
- **Founding Date:** 1829
- **Founder:** Fructuoso Rivera
- **Population:** 19,100 (as of 2011)
- **Coordinates:** Latitude -30.26, Longitude -57.599166666667
- **Elevation:** 54 meters above sea level
- **Postal Code:** 55100
- **Local Dialing Code:** 4779
- **UN/LOCODE:** UYBUV
- **Demonym:** bellaunionensi (masculine plural)
- **Official Website:** http://www.bellaunion.com.uy/
- **Wikipedia Exists In:** 21 languages including Spanish, English, Portuguese, French, German, Italian, Russian, Chinese, and Arabic.
- **Alternative Names:** Bella Union, Santa Rosa de la Bella Unión del Quareim, Белья-Унион

## FAQs
**Where is Bella Unión located and what is its administrative role?**
Bella Unión is situated in the northeastern Artigas Department of Uruguay, directly on the border with Brazil at the meeting point of the Uruguay and Quareim rivers. It functions as the administrative capital of its namesake municipality, the Municipality of Bella Union.

**When was Bella Unión founded and by whom?**
The city was officially founded in 1829 by Fructuoso Rivera, who was then the President of Uruguay and a key historical figure in the nation's early development.

**What is the current population of Bella Unión?**
According to the most recent cited census data from 2011, the city has a population of 19,100 inhabitants.

**How can I get in touch with Bella Unión's local government or access official information?**
The city's official municipal website is http://www.bellaunion.com.uy/. For telephone contact, the local dialing code is 4779, and postal correspondence should use the code 55100.

**Why does Bella Unión have multiple names and appear in so many Wikipedia editions?**
The city's historical name "Santa Rosa de la Bella Unión del Quareim" reflects its colonial-era founding, while "Bella Unión" is the modern short form. Its status as a significant Uruguayan border city results in comprehensive documentation across 21 Wikipedia language editions.

## Why It Matters
Bella Unión holds strategic importance as a primary border crossing between Uruguay and Brazil, facilitating regional trade and cultural exchange in the Río de la Plata basin. Its establishment by a founding president underscores its historical role in Uruguay's territorial consolidation and development of northern frontier regions. As a departmental municipal capital, it serves as a vital administrative, economic, and service hub for the surrounding agricultural and livestock-raising areas of the Artigas Department.

## Notable For
- **Strategic Border Location:** Positioned at the triple-border area near Brazil, defined by the confluence of two major rivers.
- **Historical Foundation:** Established by a sitting Uruguayan president, Fructuoso Rivera, in the early republican period.
- **Multilingual Documentation:** Has dedicated Wikipedia articles in 21 languages, indicating significant international recognition relative to its population size.
- **Unique Demonym:** The demonym "bellaunionensi" with a specified masculine plural form is a specific linguistic attribute.
- **Geographic Precision:** Has exact coordinate data and a designated UN location code for trade and logistics.
- **Long-Standing Municipality:** Functions as the capital of its own municipality, a key local government unit.

## Body

### History and Foundation
Bella Unión was founded in the year 1829. The founder was Fructuoso Rivera, a pivotal figure who served as President of Uruguay. The city's original and full historical name is "Santa Rosa de la Bella Unión del Quareim," which references the local Quareim River. This founding date places its establishment in the early years of Uruguay's independent statehood.

### Geography and Location
Bella Unión is a border city located in the Artigas Department of northern Uruguay. Its precise geographic coordinates are latitude -30.26 and longitude -57.599166666667. The city sits at an elevation of 54 meters above sea level. Its defining geographic feature is its position at the confluence of the Uruguay River and the Quareim River, directly on the international border with Brazil. The city's UN/LOCODE for trade and transport is **UYBUV**.

### Administration and Governance
The city is the capital of the **Municipality of Bella Union**, making it the administrative center for that local government area. It falls under the jurisdiction of the **Artigas Department**. The official postal code for Bella Unión is **55100**, and the local telephone dialing code is **4779**.

### Demographics
As of the 2011 census, the recorded population of Bella Unión is **19,100** inhabitants. The demonym for a person from Bella Unión is **bellaunionensi**, with a specified grammatical qualifier for masculine plural.

### Digital and Bibliographic Presence
Bella Unión has a significant digital footprint. Its official municipal website is **http://www.bellaunion.com.uy/**. The city is represented on Wikimedia Commons with a dedicated category (**Bella Unión**) and specific media files, including an aerial view (`Vista_aérea_de_Bella_Unión.jpg`) and a page banner (`Bella_Unión_banner_Río_Uruguay.jpg`). It has a dedicated article titled "Bella Unión" on Wikipedia, which exists across **21 language editions**, including Spanish (es), English (en), Portuguese (pt), French (fr), German (de), Italian (it), Russian (ru), Chinese (zh), and Arabic (ar).

### Identifiers and Authority Records
The entity is cataloged in numerous global authority files and databases:
*   **Wikidata:** Q8449 (primary item)
*   **GND ID:** 4351521-6 (German National Library)
*   **VIAF ID:** 133801896 (Virtual International Authority File)
*   **Freebase ID:** /m/0b353g
*   **GeoNames ID:** 3443631
*   **OpenStreetMap Node ID:** 415689707
*   **WorldCat Entities ID:** E39PCjGgxdQ98tycPjfchwpwqP
*   **Library of Congress Authority ID:** n88199375
*   **National Library of Israel J9U ID:** 987007567487605171
*   **Yale Lux ID:** place/d7871346-4302-4af8-aaa6-f6e79d2b583f
*   **GNIS Unique Feature ID:** -905698 (U.S. Geographic Names Information System)
*   **SNARC ID:** Ligao

### Nomenclature and Classification
The city is an instance of both a **city** and a **border city**. Its official and alternative names are recorded as aliases: Bella Union, Santa Rosa de la Bella Unión del Quareim, Bella unión, Santa Rosa de la Bella Union del Quareim, and the Cyrillic spelling Белья-Унион. The Wikidata description succinctly classifies it as a "Uruguayan city." A specific category exists for people born in Bella Unión (**Q6196420**), and its main topic category is **Category:Bella Unión**.

## References

1. Virtual International Authority File
2. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
3. GeoNames
4. [Source](https://service.unece.org/trade/locode/uy.htm)
5. National Library of Israel Names and Subjects Authority File