World Facts Index
 Montevideo,
founded by the Spanish in 1726 as a military stronghold, soon took advantage of
its natural harbor to become an important commercial center. Claimed by
Argentina but annexed by Brazil in 1821, Uruguay declared its independence four
years later and secured its freedom in 1828 after a three-year struggle. The
administrations of President Jose BATLLE in the early 20th century established
widespread political, social, and economic reforms that established a statist
tradition. A violent Marxist urban guerrilla movement named the Tupamaros,
launched in the late 1960s, led Uruguay's president to cede control of the
government to the military in 1973. By yearend, the rebels had been crushed, but
the military continued to expand its hold over the government. Civilian rule was
not restored until 1985. In 2004, the left-of-center Frente Amplio Coalition won
national elections that effectively ended 170 years of political control
previously held by the Colorado and Blanco parties. Uruguay's political and
labor conditions are among the freest on the continent.
Geography of Uruguay
|
Location:
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Southern South America,
bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Argentina and Brazil |
|
Coordinates:
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33 00 S, 56 00 W |
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Area:
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total: 176,220 sq km
land: 173,620 sq km
water: 2,600 sq km |
|
Area comparative:
|
slightly smaller than the
state of Washington |
|
Land boundaries:
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total: 1,564 km
border countries: Argentina 579 km, Brazil 985 km |
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Coastline:
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660 km |
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Maritime claims:
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contiguous zone: 24
NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM |
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Climate:
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warm temperate; freezing
temperatures almost unknown |
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Terrain:
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mostly rolling plains and
low hills; fertile coastal lowland |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point:
Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Cerro Catedral 514 m |
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Natural resources:
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arable land, hydropower,
minor minerals, fisheries |
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Natural hazards:
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seasonally high winds (the
pampero is a chilly and occasional violent wind which blows north from
the Argentine pampas), droughts, floods; because of the absence of
mountains, which act as weather barriers, all locations are particularly
vulnerable to rapid changes from weather fronts |
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Environment current issues:
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water pollution from meat
packing/tannery industry; inadequate solid/hazardous waste disposal |
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Geography - note:
|
second-smallest South
American country (after Suriname); most of the low-lying landscape
(three-quarters of the country) is grassland, ideal for cattle and sheep
raising
|
Population of Uruguay
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Population:
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3,477,778 (July 2008 est.) |
|
Age structure:
|
0-14 years: 22.9% (male 399,409/female 386,136)
15-64 years: 63.9% (male 1,087,180/female 1,104,465)
65 years and over: 13.3% (male 185,251/female 269,491) |
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Median age:
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32.7 years |
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Growth rate:
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0.46% |
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Infant mortality:
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11.61 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth:
|
total population: 76.33 years
male: 73.12 years
female: 79.65 years |
|
Fertility rate:
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1.89 children born/woman |
|
Nationality:
|
noun: Uruguayan(s)
adjective: Uruguayan |
|
Ethnic groups:
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white 88%, mestizo 8%, black 4%,
Amerindian, practically nonexistent |
|
Religions:
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Roman Catholic 66% (less than half of the
adult population attends church regularly), Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, nonprofessing or
other 31% |
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Languages:
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Spanish, Portunol, or Brazilero
(Portuguese-Spanish mix on the Brazilian frontier) |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read
and write
total population: 98%
male: 97.6%
female: 98.4%
|
Government
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Country name:
|
conventional long form: Oriental
Republic of Uruguay
former: Banda Oriental, Cisplatine Province
local long form: Republica Oriental del Uruguay |
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Government type:
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constitutional republic |
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Capital:
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Montevideo |
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Administrative divisions:
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19 departments (departamentos, singular -
departamento); Artigas, Canelones, Cerro Largo, Colonia, Durazno, Flores, Florida,
Lavalleja, Maldonado, Montevideo, Paysandu, Rio Negro, Rivera, Rocha, Salto, San Jose,
Soriano, Tacuarembo, Treinta y Tres |
|
Independence:
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25 August 1825 (from Brazil) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, 25 August (1825) |
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Constitution:
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27 November 1966, effective February 1967,
suspended 27 June 1973, new constitution rejected by referendum 30 November 1980; two
constitutional reforms approved by plebiscite 26 November 1989 and 7 January 1997 |
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Legal system:
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based on Spanish civil law system; accepts
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal and compulsory |
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Executive branch:
|
chief of state: President Tabare VAZQUEZ Rosas and
Vice President Rodolfo NIN NOVOA; note - the president is both the chief of state and head
of government
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president with parliamentary
approval
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote
for five-year terms (may not serve consecutive terms) |
|
Legislative branch:
|
bicameral General Assembly or Asamblea General consists of
Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores (30 seats; members are elected by popular vote
to serve five-year terms; vice president has one vote in the Senate) and Chamber of
Representatives or Camara de Representantes (99 seats; members are elected by popular vote
to serve five-year terms) |
|
Judicial branch:
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Supreme Court (judges are nominated by the president and
elected for 10-year terms by the General Assembly) |
Economy
Uruguay's economy is characterized by an export-oriented agricultural
sector, a well-educated work force, and high levels of social spending. After
averaging growth of 5% annually during 1996-98, in 1999-2002 the economy
suffered a major downturn, stemming largely from the spillover effects of the
economic problems of its large neighbors, Argentina and Brazil. For instance,
in 2001-02 Argentina made massive withdrawals of dollars deposited in
Uruguayan banks, which led to a plunge in the Uruguayan peso and a massive
rise in unemployment. Total GDP in these four years dropped by nearly 20%,
with 2002 the worst year due to the banking crisis. The unemployment rate rose
to nearly 20% in 2002, inflation surged, and the burden of external debt
doubled. Cooperation with the IMF helped stem the damage. Uruguay in 2007
improved its debt profile by paying off $1.1 billion in IMF debt, and
continues to follow the orthodox economic plan set by the Fund in 2005. The
construction of a pulp mill in Fray Bentos, which represents the largest
foreign direct investment in Uruguay's history at $1.2 billion, came online in
November 2007 and is expected to add 1.6% to GDP and boost already rising
exports. The economy has grown strongly since 2004 as a result of high
commodity prices for Uruguayan exports, a strong peso, growth in the region,
and low international interest rates.
|
GDP:
|
$37.5 billion (2007 est.) |
|
GDP growth rate:
|
6.5% |
|
GDP per capita:
|
$9,600 |
|
GDP composition by sector:
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agriculture: 9.3%
industry: 31.1%
services: 59.6% |
|
Inflation rate:
|
4.7% |
|
Labor force:
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1.52 million |
|
Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture 14%, industry 16%, services 70% |
|
Unemployment:
|
12.2% |
|
Budget:
|
revenues: $4.468 billion
expenditures: $4.845 billion |
|
Electricity production by source:
|
fossil fuel: 0.7%
hydro: 99.1%
other: 0.3%
nuclear: 0% |
|
Industries:
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food processing, electrical machinery,
transportation equipment, petroleum products, textiles, chemicals, beverages |
|
Agriculture:
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rice, wheat, corn, barley; livestock; fish |
|
Exports:
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meat, rice, leather products, wool, fish,
dairy products |
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Export partners:
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US 19.5%, Brazil 17%, Argentina 6.6%, Mexico 4.4%, Spain
4.3%, Germany 4.2% |
|
Imports:
|
machinery, chemicals, road vehicles, crude
petroleum |
|
Import partners:
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Argentina 19.2%, Brazil 18.8%, Paraguay 14%, US 8.4%,
China 6%, Russia 4.4% |
|
Currency:
|
Uruguayan peso (UYU) |
SOURCES: The CIA World Factbook, U.S. Department of State, Area Handbook of the US Library of Congress
Copyright 2004 - 2008 worldfacts.us |