Uruguay

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República Oriental del Uruguay

(Flag of Uruguay) (Coat of Arms of Uruguay)
National motto: Libertad o Muerte (Spanish, Liberty or Death)
Official language:	Spanish
Capital:  - Population:	Montevideo 1,330,405(1996)
Largest city:	Montevideo
President:	Jorge Batlle Ibáñez (Ruling) Tabaré Vázquez (Elected, March 2005)
Area:  - Total:  - % water:	Ranked 88th 176,220 km2 ¹ 1.5%
Land borders: Coastline:	1,564km 660km
Population:  - Total:  - Density:	Ranked 127th 3,399,237 (2002) 19/km²
Independence  - Declared  - Recognized	From Brazil August 25, 1825 August 28, 1828
Religions:	Roman Catholic  (~66%)
GDP (2002):  - Total:  - GDP/capita:	Rank 90th, 85th, 92nd, 75th $26,820 $7,900
Currency:	Uruguayan Peso
Time zone:	UTC -3
National anthem:	Orientales, la Patria o la tumba
Internet TLD:	.uy
Calling Code:	598

The Eastern Republic of Uruguay (translated from the Spanish República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in southern South America, bordered by Brazil to the north, the Uruguay River to the west, the estuary of the Rio de la Plata (River Plate) to the southwest, with Argentina on the other bank of both, and finally the South Atlantic Ocean to the southeast.

The name "Uruguay" comes from the language of the Guarani of Paraguay, "Uru" meaning "other side" and "guay" meaning "river."

History

Main article: History of Uruguay

The first Europeans arrived in the area in the early 16th century. Both Spain and Portugal pursued the colonisation of the future Uruguay, with the Spanish eventually gaining the upper hand. The future capital Montevideo was founded in the early 18th century and became a rival to Buenos Aires across the Rio de la Plata. Montevideo however, was thought of as a military center for the Spanish empire whereas Buenos Aires was a commercial center.

The early 19th century saw independence movements spring up all over South America, including Uruguay, then known as the Banda Oriental ("east bank"), with the territory contested between the nascent states of Brazil and Argentina. Brazil annexed the area in 1821, but a new revolt started August 25th 1825, after which Uruguay became an independent country with the Treaty of Montevideo in 1828.

European settlement gradually replaced the original population of Charruas Indians. In the latter part of the 19th century, Uruguay participated in the War of the Triple Alliance against Paraguay.

Uruguay then experienced a series of elected and appointed presidents and saw conflicts with neighboring states, political and economic fluctuations and modernisation, and large inflows of immigrants, mostly from Europe. The work of President Battle y Ordonez made Uruguay an advanced nation with a complex welfare system; for most of the 20th century Uruguay was on par with European nations. Due to its advanced social system and its stable democracy, Uruguay came to be known as "the Switzerland of America".

An urban guerrilla movement known as the Tupamaros disturbed this stability in the late 1960s by undertaking political kidnappings and attacks on security forces. President Pacheco Areco declared a state of emergency in 1968, followed by a further suspension of civil liberties in 1972 by his successor, President Juan Maria Bordaberry, who brought in the Army to combat the guerrillas. After defeating the Tupamaros, the military seized power in 1973. Civilian rule did not return until 1985.

Politics

Main article: Politics of Uruguay

Uruguay's constitution of 1967 created a strong presidency, subject to legislative and judicial checks. The president, who is both head of state and head of government, is elected by popular vote for a five-year term, with the vice president elected on the same ticket. Thirteen cabinet ministers, appointed by the president, head executive departments.

The parliament is the bicameral General Assembly or Asamblea General, which consists of a 30-member senate (Cámara de Senadores), presided over by the vice president of the republic, and a 99-member Chamber of Representatives (Cámara de Representantes). Members for both houses are elected by popular vote for a five-year term.

The highest court is the Supreme Court; below it are appellate and lower courts and justices of the peace. In addition, there are electoral and administrative ("contentious") courts, an accounts court, and a military justice system.

For most of Uruguay's history the Colorado and Blanco parties had alternated in power. The elections of 2004, however, brought the Frente Amplio, a coalition of various left parties, to power with majorities in both houses of parliament and the election of President Tabaré Vázquez Rosas by an absolute majority.

Departments

Main article: Departments of Uruguay

Uruguay consists of 19 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento):

• Artigas
• Canelones
• Cerro Largo
• Colonia
• Durazno
• Flores
• Florida
• Lavalleja
• Maldonado
• Montevideo
• Paysandú
• Río Negro
• Rivera
• Rocha
• Salto
• San José
• Soriano
• Tacuarembó
• Treinta y Tres

Geography

Main article: Geography of Uruguay

Photo

Uruguay is the second-smallest country in South America and the landscape features mostly rolling plains and low hills (cuchilla) with a fertile coastal lowland; most of it grassland, ideal for cattle and sheep raising. The highest point in the country is the Cerro Catedral at 514 m. To the southwest is the Rio de la Plata (Silver River), the estuary of the Uruguay River that forms the western border, and the Parana River, that does not run through Uruguay itself. The only other major river is the Rio Negro and several lagoons are found along the Atlantic coast.

The climate in Uruguay is temperate, but fairly warm as freezing temperatures are almost unknown. The predominantly flat landscape is also somewhat vulnerable to rapid changes from weather fronts, as well as to the pampero, a chilly and occasionally violent wind blowing north from the pampas plains in Argentina.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Uruguay

Uruguay's economy is characterised by an export-oriented agricultural sector, a well-educated workforce, and high levels of social spending, as well as a developed industrial sector. After averaging growth of 5% annually in 1996–1998, in 1999–2001 the economy suffered from lower demand in Argentina and Brazil, which together account for nearly half of Uruguay's exports. Despite the severity of the trade shocks, Uruguay's financial indicators remained more stable than those of its neighbours, a reflection of its solid reputation among investors and its investment-grade sovereign bond rating — one of only two in South America. In recent years Uruguay has shifted most of its energy into developing the commercial use of IT technologies and has become the leading exporter of software in Latin America.

While some parts of the economy appeared to be resilient, the downturn had a far more severe impact on Uruguayan cirizens, as unemployment levels rose to more than twenty percent, real wages fell, the peso was devalued and the percentage of Uruguayans in poverty reached almost forty percent. These worsening economic conditions played a part in turning public opinion against the free market economic policies adopted by the previous administrations in the 1990s, leading to popular rejection of proposals for privatization of the state petroleum company in 2003 and of the state water company in 2004. The newly elected Frente Amplio government, while pledging to continue payments on Uruguay's external debt, has also promised to undertake a crash jobs programs to attack the widespread problems of poverty and unemployment.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Uruguay

As a Spanish-speaking country of Latin America, most Uruguayans share a Spanish cultural background, even though about one-quarter of the population is of Italian origin. Some 88% of the population is of European descent, with mestizos (8%) and blacks (4%) forming the only significant ethnic minorities. Church and state are officially separated, with most adhering to the Roman Catholic faith (66%), with smaller Protestant (2%) and Jewish (1%) communities, as well as a large nonprofessing group (31%).

Uruguay is distinguished by its high literacy rate, large urban middle class, and relatively even income distribution. During the past two decades, an estimated 500,000 Uruguayans have emigrated, principally to Argentina and Brazil. As a result of the low birth rate, high life expectancy, and relatively high rate of emigration of younger people, Uruguay's population is quite mature.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Uruguay

• List of Uruguayans
• Music of Uruguay

Miscellaneous topics

• Communications in Uruguay
• Transportation in Uruguay
• Military of Uruguay
• Foreign relations of Uruguay
• Mario Benedetti, Uruguay's best-known living writer
• Reporters without borders World-wide press freedom index 2002: Rank 21 out of 139 countries (3 way tie)

External links

• Presidencia de la República Oriental del Uruguay - Official presidential site (in Spanish)
• Uruguay.com - Uruguayan portal (in Spanish, with English links)
• Traveltouruguay.com - Uruguayan portal (in English)

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