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.

Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Argentina and Brazil
33 00 S, 56 00 W
South America
total: 176,220 sq km ; land: 173,620 sq km ; water: 2,600 sq km
slightly smaller than the state of Washington
total: 1,648 km ; border countries: Argentina 580 km, Brazil 1,068 km
660 km
territorial sea: 12 nm ; contiguous zone: 24 nm ; exclusive economic zone: 200 nm ; continental shelf: 200 nm or edge of continental margin
warm temperate; freezing temperatures almost unknown
mostly rolling plains and low hills; fertile coastal lowland
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m ; highest point: Cerro Catedral 514 m
arable land, hydropower, minor minerals, fisheries
arable land: 7.77% ; permanent crops: 0.24% ; other: 91.99% (2005)
2,100 sq km (2003)
139 cu km (2000)
Total: 3.15 cu km/yr (2%/1%/96%) ; Per capita: 910 cu m/yr (2000)
seasonally high winds (the pampero is a chilly and occasional violent wind that 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
water pollution from meat packing/tannery industry; inadequate solid/hazardous waste disposal
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands ; signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation
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
3,460,607 (July 2007 est.)
0-14 years: 23% (male 403,745/female 390,623) ; 15-64 years: 63.8% (male 1,096,225/female 1,112,568) ; 65 years and over: 13.2% (male 184,303/female 273,143) (2007 est.)
total: 32.9 years ; male: 31.5 years ; female: 34.4 years (2007 est.)
0.504% (2007 est.)
14.41 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
9.16 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
-0.21 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female ; under 15 years: 1.034 male(s)/female ; 15-64 years: 0.985 male(s)/female ; 65 years and over: 0.675 male(s)/female ; total population: 0.948 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
total: 12.02 deaths/1,000 live births ; male: 13.49 deaths/1,000 live births ; female: 10.49 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
total population: 75.93 years ; male: 72.68 years ; female: 79.3 years (2007 est.)
1.97 children born/woman (2007 est.)
0.3% (2001 est.)
6,000 (2001 est.)
less than 500 (2003 est.)
noun: Uruguayan(s) ; adjective: Uruguayan
white 88%, mestizo 8%, black 4%, Amerindian (practically nonexistent)
Roman Catholic 66% (less than half of the adult population attends church regularly), Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, nonprofessing or other 31%
Spanish, Portunol, or Brazilero (Portuguese-Spanish mix on the Brazilian frontier)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write ; total population: 98% ; male: 97.6% ; female: 98.4% (2003 est.)


conventional long form: Oriental Republic of Uruguay ; conventional short form: Uruguay ; local long form: Republica Oriental del Uruguay ; local short form: Uruguay ; former: Banda Oriental, Cisplatine Province
constitutional republic
name: Montevideo ; geographic coordinates: 34 53 S, 56 11 W ; time difference: UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) ; daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in October; ends second Sunday in March
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

25 August 1825 (from Brazil)
Independence Day, 25 August (1825)
27 November 1966, effective 15 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
based on Spanish civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
18 years of age; universal and compulsory
chief of state: President Tabare VAZQUEZ Rosas (since 1 March 2005); Vice President Rodolfo NIN NOVOA (since 1 March 2005); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government ; head of government: President Tabare VAZQUEZ Rosas (since 1 March 2005); Vice President Rodolfo NIN NOVOA (since 1 March 2005) ; 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); election last held 31 October 2004 (next to be held in October 2009) ; election results: Tabare VAZQUEZ elected president; percent of vote - Tabare VAZQUEZ 50.5%, Jorge LARRANAGA 35.1%, Guillermo STIRLING 10.3%; other 4.1%
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) ; elections: Chamber of Senators - last held 31 October 2004 (next to be held October 2009); Chamber of Representatives - last held 31 October 2004 (next to be held October 2009) ; election results: Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - EP-FA 16, Blanco 11, Colorado Party 3; Chamber of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - EP-FA 52, Blanco 36, Colorado Party 10, Independent Party 1
Supreme Court (judges are nominated by the president and elected for 10-year terms by the General Assembly)
Broad Front Coalition (Frente Amplio) (formerly known as the Progressive Encounter/Broad Front Coalition or EP-FA); Colorado Party [Julio Maria SANGUINETTI]; Independent Party (Partido Independiente) [Pablo MIERES]; Movement of Popular Participation or MPP [Jose MUJICA]; National Party or Blanco [Jorge LARRANAGA]; New Sector/Space Coalition (Nuevo Espacio) [Rafael MICHELINI]; Uruguayan Assembly or Asamblea Uruguay [Danilo ASTORI]
Architect's Society of Uruguay (professional organization); Catholic Church; Chamber of Uruguayan Industries (manufacturer's association); Chemist and Pharmaceutical Association (professional organization); PIT-CNT (powerful federation of Uruguayan unions); Rural Association of Uruguay (rancher's association); students; Uruguayan Construction League
CAN (associate), CSN, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMEE, UNMOGIP, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
nine equal horizontal stripes of white (top and bottom) alternating with blue; there is a white square in the upper hoist-side corner with a yellow sun bearing a human face known as the Sun of May with 16 rays that alternate between triangular and wavy
chief of mission: Ambassador Carlos Alberto GIANELLI Derois ; chancery: 1913 I Street NW, Washington, DC 20006 ; telephone: [1] (202) 331-1313 through 1316 ; FAX: [1] (202) 331-8142 ; consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York ; consulate(s): San Juan (Puerto Rico)
chief of mission: Ambassador Frank BAXTER ; embassy: Lauro Muller 1776, Montevideo 11200 ; mailing address: APO AA 34035 ; telephone: [598] (2) 418-7777 ; FAX: [598] (2) 418-8611





Uruguay's well-to-do 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 booming exports. The economy has grown strongly since 2004 as a result of high commodity prices for Uruguayan exports, a competitive peso, growth in the region, and low international interest rates.
$37.05 billion (2007 est.)
$15.69 billion (2007 est.)
5.7% (2007 est.)
$10,700 (2007 est.)
agriculture: 9.2% ; industry: 33% ; services: 57.8% (2007 est.)
1.278 million (2007 est.)
agriculture: 14% ; industry: 16% ; services: 70% (2003)
10.3% (2007 est.)
27.37% of households (2006)
lowest 10%: 1.9% ; highest 10%: 34% (2003)
45.2 (2006)
8.3% (2007 est.)
16% of GDP (2007 est.)
revenues: $6.612 billion ; expenditures: $6.749 billion (2007 est.)
60.3% of GDP (2007 est.)
rice, wheat, corn, barley; livestock; fish
food processing, electrical machinery, transportation equipment, petroleum products, textiles, chemicals, beverages
8% (2007 est.)
7.558 billion kWh (2005)
fossil fuel: 0.7% ; hydro: 99.1% ; nuclear: 0% ; other: 0.3% (2001)
6.509 billion kWh (2005)
841 million kWh (2005)
1.585 billion kWh (2005)
935.7 bbl/day (2005 est.)
39,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)
9,144 bbl/day (2004)
48,350 bbl/day (2004)
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
0 cu m (2005 est.)
86.32 million cu m (2005 est.)
0 cu m (2005 est.)
86.32 million cu m (2005)
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
-$100 million (2007 est.)
$5.139 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
meat, rice, leather products, wool, fish, dairy products
Brazil 15.1%, US 12.1%, Argentina 6.8%, Mexico 6.4%, China 6%, Germany 5%, Russia 4.9% (2006)
$5.378 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Argentina 20.4%, Brazil 17.1%, US 8.2%, Paraguay 7.1%, China 6.9%, Venezuela 4.8%, Nigeria 4.4% (2006)

$3.965 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
$10.8 billion (30 June 2007)
$NA
$NA
$354 million (2005)
Uruguayan peso (UYU)
UYU
Uruguayan pesos per US dollar - 23.947 (2007), 24.048 (2006), 24.479 (2005), 28.704 (2004), 28.209 (2003)
calendar year
$14.62 million (2005)
987,000 (2006)
2.333 million (2006)
general assessment: fully digitalized ; domestic: most modern facilities concentrated in Montevideo; new nationwide microwave radio relay network ; international: country code - 598; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2002)
AM 93, FM 191, shortwave 7 (2005)
1.97 million (1997)
62 (2005)
782,000 (1997)
.uy
279,114 (2007)
14 (2001)
756,000 (2006)

60 (2007)
total: 9 ; over 3,047 m: 1 ; 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 ; 914 to 1,523 m: 2 ; under 914 m: 2 (2007)
total: 51 ; 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 ; 914 to 1,523 m: 19 ; under 914 m: 29 (2007)

gas 257 km; oil 160 km (2006)
total: 2,073 km ; standard gauge: 2,073 km 1.435-m gauge ; note: 461 km have been taken out of service and 460 km are in partial use (2006)
total: 77,732 km ; paved: 7,743 km ; unpaved: 69,989 km (2004)
1,600 km (2005)
total: 14 ships (1000 GRT or over) 36,041 GRT/22,274 DWT ; by type: cargo 2, chemical tanker 2, passenger/cargo 7, petroleum tanker 2, roll on/roll off 1 ; foreign-owned: 4 (Argentina 3, Greece 1) ; registered in other countries: 7 (Argentina 1, Bahamas 1, Liberia 3, Spain 2) (2007)
Montevideo

Army, Navy (includes naval air arm, Marines, Maritime Prefecture in wartime), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Uruguaya, FAU) (2006)
18 years of age for voluntary and compulsory military service; enlistment is voluntary in peacetime, but the government has the authority to conscript in emergencies (2007)
males age 18-49: 764,408 ; females age 18-49: 760,341 (2005 est.)
males age 18-49: 637,445 ; females age 18-49: 631,046 (2005 est.)

1.6% (2006)

in Jan 2007, ICJ provisionally ruled Uruguay may begin construction of two paper mills on the Uruguay River, which forms the border with Argentina, while the court examines further whether Argentina has the legal right to stop such construction with potential environmental implications to both countries; uncontested dispute with Brazil over certain islands in the Quarai/Cuareim and Invernada streams and the resulting tripoint with Argentina



