Colonia (Spanish pronunciation: [koˈlonja] ⓘ) is a department of southwestern Uruguay.

Its proximity to Buenos Aires makes it the main entry point for tourists traveling from Argentina to Uruguay.

The PepsiCo plant located in the department's capital, is one of the three largest worldwide,[2] employing more than 2,000 people and serving the entire Latin American import market.

The plant operates under special economic zone legislation, and as of November 2019, has successfully approved an enlargement investment for $65 million.

[3] As of the census of 2011, Colonia Department has a population of 123,204 (60,203 male and 63,001 female) and 57,003 households.