Uruguay

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Uruguay's Information


Capital	Montevideo
Languages	Spanish (official), Portunol, Brazilero (Portuguese-Spanish mix on the Brazilian frontier)
Ethnic Groups	White 88%, mestizo 8%, black 4%, Amerindian (practically nonexistent)
Religion	Roman Catholic 47.1%, non-Catholic Christians 11.1%, nondenominational 23.2%, Jewish 0.3%, atheist or agnostic 17.2%, other 1.1% (2006 est.)
Government	Presidential republic
Independance	25 August 1825 (from Brazil)
Area	176,215.00 km²
Water Area	1,200.00 km²
Land Area	175,015.00 km²
Population	3,351,016.00 Most of the country's population resides in the southern half of the country; approximately 80% of the populace is urban, living in towns or cities; nearly half of the population lives in and around the capital of Montevideo
Location	Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Argentina and Brazil
No. Bordering Countries	2
Bordering Countries	Argentina 541 km, Brazil 1,050 km
GDP(PPP)	$73,250,000,000.00 (USD)
GDP (Per Capita)	$20,300.00 (USD)
Export Partners	Its major export partners are China, Brazil, and the United States.
Export Commodities	Its main exports are beef, soybeans, cellulose, rice, and wheat.
Import Partners	Its major import partners are Brazil, China, and Argentina.
Import Commodities	Its major imports include refined oil, crude oil, vehicle parts, and cellular phones.
Climate	Mostly mid-latitude desert, long, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid grassland in east
Terrain	Mostly rolling plains and low hills; fertile coastal lowland

Where is Uruguay?

Located in Southern South America, Uruguay has a 1,591.00 km border with Argentina (541 km) and Brazil (1,050 km). It has a 660.00 km coastline. Uruguay is a member of a joint pollution monitoring regime, along with Argentina.

The capital of Uruguay is Montevideo, which is located at the mouth of the Río de la Plata along the southern coast of the country. On its western side, this city is bordered by the Santa Lucía river. It has the distinction of being the most southern capital in the Americas. It was officially founded in 1724, although it was not established as the capital of Uruguay until 1828. The population of the city proper of Montevideo is around 1,305,082. The entire metropolitan area, however, has a population size of over 1.9 million. This number makes Montevideo the most populated city in Uruguay. This city is a popular tourist destination in Uruguay and South America. It offers a number of historic sites as well as natural landscapes for travelers to enjoy. Montevideo is located within a humid subtropical climate, experiencing cool, wet winters and hot, humid summers.

Geography

Uruguay has a mean elevation of 109 m above sea level.

The climate is mostly desert with long, hot summers and mild winters. Its terrain consists mostly of rolling plains and low hills, with fertile coastal lowlands.

Population

Uruguay has a population of 3,351,016 making it the 135th largest in the world. Most of the population resides in the country's southern half.

Spanish is the official language. The most common ethnic group reported is Uzbek. The majority of the population identifies as Roman Catholic or non-Catholic Christian.

The official language of Uruguay is Spanish, which is spoken by approximately 99% of the total population. This language is one of the most commonly spoken in the world and utilizes the same Latin alphabet as used by the English language. The Spanish spoken in Uruguay is characterized as Rioplatense dialect, which can also be heard in Argentina. This dialect makes use of the voseo form of you instead of the more common form tú. Despite this widespread use, a number of other languages are also recognized as important in this country. The second most commonly spoken language is Uruguayan Portuguese, which is spoken by around 15% of the population. It can most commonly be heard in the northern part of the country, close to the border with Brazil. Because of the widespread use of Portuguese in this country, another similar language has emerged: Portuñol, a mix of Spanish and Portuguese. A small population of around 165,000 individuals speaks a number of other minority, immigrant languages as well. When traveling to Uruguay, a number of unique phrases may be heard. One of these is use of the terms “ta” or “da” in place of “ok”.

Government

Uruguay is an independent country. It gained its independence from Brazil in 1825. Its constitution was last ratified in 1967.

The government of Uruguay is administered under a representative democratic republic in which the President serves as both the Head of State and the Head of Government. The current President of Uruguay is Tabaré Vázquez, who has held the position since March 1, 2015. He belongs to the Broad Front political party. Legislative decisions are carried out by the General Assembly, a bicameral body made up of two houses: the Chamber of Deputies (99 seats) and the Chamber of Senators (31 seats). Both houses hold legislative sessions in the Legislative Palace, which is located in Montevideo. Construction of this building was finished in 1925 and in 1975, it was added to the list of National Historic Monuments. Voting in Uruguay is mandatory. The President may serve an unlimited number of 5-year terms, but may not serve consecutively. Members of both houses of the General Assembly are elected based on proportional representation to serve a 5-year term.

Economy

Factoring in Purchasing Power Parity, Uruguay's GDP is $73,250,000,000.00 (USD) with $20,300.00 (USD) per capita. This makes it the 96th largest economy and its citizens the 81st richest in the world. The currency of Uruguay is the Peso (UYU).

Its major export partners are China, Brazil, and the United States. Its main exports are beef, soybeans, cellulose, rice, and wheat. Its major import partners are Brazil, China, and Argentina. Its major imports include refined oil, crude oil, vehicle parts, and cellular phones.

Flag

The current flag of Uruguay is made up of nine blue and white stripes of equal measurement. These bands of color alternate, beginning with white as the top color. In the top lefthand corner is the Sun of May symbol, which is said to represent the Inca god Inti. This flag, formally known as The National Pavilion, was officially adopted on July 11, 1830. The design was based on the previous flag of the United Provinces of Rio de la Plata, which was raised by Manuel Belgrano, a military leader. The 9 stripes on the current flag represent the 9 internal political divisions of Uruguay. The flag was designed by Joaquin Suárez, who served as the first Head of State while Uruguay fought for its independence. He later went on to become the longest serving President of the nation.