Uruguay is a Country of South America. Bathed by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast, and by the estuary of the River Plate, to the south, it borders Argentina, to the west, and Brazil, to the north and northeast. It covers an area of 176 220 km2. The most important cities are Montevideo, the capital, with 1 346 900 residents (2004), Salto (103 800 residents), Ciudad de la Costa (103 500 residents), Paysandú (78 700 residents) And Las Piedras (73 000 residents).
The climate is humid subtropical. The rain spreads throughout the year, but with greater incidence in the warmer months.
Economy
Uruguay has an economy based on services, industry, agriculture and livestock. The dominant crops are rice, sugar cane, barley, beet, potatoes, corn and wheat. Livestock, especially sheep and cattle, has a significant weight in exports. National imports are made up almost exclusively of fuels and metals. The industry produces foodstuffs, beverages, chemicals, petroleum products, textiles, footwear, transport equipment, tobacco, leather products and paper products. Uruguay’s largest trading partners are Brazil, Argentina, the United States of America and Italy. Environmental indicator: the value of carbon dioxide emissions, per capita (metric tons, 1999), is 2.0.
Population
The population was, in 2006, 3 431 932 residents, which corresponds to a density of approximately 12.5 residents/km2. The birth and death rates are respectively 13.91% and 9.05%. Average life expectancy is 76.33 years. The value of the Human Development Index (HDI) is 0.834 and the value of the Gender-adjusted Development Index (IDG) is 0.830 (2001). It is estimated that, in 2025, the population will be 3 985 000 residents. The main ethnic groups are white (86%) and mestizo (8%). The religion with the greatest expression is Catholic (79%), followed by Protestant (8%). The official language is Castilian.
History
The Spanish settled in Uruguay in 1624 and, in 1680, it was the Portuguese’s turn. But in the 18th century, the Spaniards came to completely control the territory. In 1814, the colonizers’ administration was overthrown by José Artigas, dictator until 1820, the year in which Brazil took over the country. In 1825 it gained independence, although neighboring countries did not recognize it until 1853. Between 1825 and 1828, it was disputed by Argentina and Brazil. Between 1839 and 1851, the country experienced a civil war, caused by the conflicts between the two main parties, the Colorado Party (Red), liberal, and the White Party (White), conservative. In 1865 Uruguay became involved in a five-year war with Paraguay. For Uruguay democracy and rights, please check localbusinessexplorer.
José Battle Ordóñez, of the Colorado Party, was elected president in 1903. His programs allowed for a certain social and political stability until 1929, the year he died. A dictatorial period followed, but in 1951 a new constitution was created. In 1958 (white) nationalists won the elections, but the rise in inflation and the economic crisis sparked the activity of terrorism, giving rise to a military coup in 1973. Power was seized by the rebels and human rights violations became common by the military government. In 1985 there were general elections and Julio Maria Sanguinetti, a liberal, became president of Uruguay. The new executive’s priority was to free all political prisoners and completely restore civil rights. All parties started to have representation in the government. In the following elections, four years later, conservative Luis Lacalle Herrera was elected president. In 1994, Julio Maria Sanguinetti returned to power. In the 1999 presidential elections, Jorge Battle was elected, who took power on March 1, 2000.
Countryaah.com: Offers a full list of airports in the country of Uruguay, sorted by city location and acronyms.
Abbreviationfinder.org: Provides most commonly used abbreviations and initials containing the country name of Uruguay. Listed by popularity.
1UpTravel.com – Maps of Uruguay
Check out the country, shaded relief and political maps of this Southern South American country, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Argentina and Brazil.
