The Maldonado Department on Uruguay's southern coast is home to the department's capital city of the same name, and to important tourist destinations such as Punta del Este and Piriápolis. 

With a population of roughly 140,000, the Department's economy is a blend of cattle and livestock operations in the north, agricultural and industrial production in the west, and tourism and fishing in the south. Main crops produced in the Department include wheat, oats and potatoes. 

Since the 1950s, tourism has been an important economic driver in Maldonado, and it is not uncommon for the population of Punta del Este to swell to over 1,000,000 from 10,000 in the peak tourism season from December to February. 

Punta del Este was also the home to the beginning of the 1986 Uruguay Round of international trade negotiations, which ultimately led to the creation of the World Trade Organization. 

Miami-Dade County and the Department of Maldonado have enjoyed a Sister Cities affiliation since 1993.