Located on the banks of the Uruguay River, on the border with Argentina, the capital of the department of Rio Negro, facilitates transit between the two countries, through the international bridge Libertador General San Martin. It is a city of 25,000 inhabitants emerged in the mid-nineteenth century under the influence of the meat industry. The first industrial establishment in the country, the internationally famous meat packing plant owned by Liebig, was established there, which currently makes up the Fray Bentos Industrial Cultural Landscape, recently declared Historical Cultural Heritage of Humanity by Unesco.