Uruguay

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{{Infobox_Country |native_name =República Oriental del Uruguay |conventional_long_name =Eastern Republic of Uruguay |common_name =Uruguay |image_flag =Flag of Uruguay.svg |image_coat =Uruguay_coa.svg |symbol_type =Coat of Arms |image_map =LocationUruguay.png |national_motto =Libertad o Muerte
(English: "Liberty or Death") |national_anthem =Orientales, la Patria o la tumba |official_languages =Spanish |capital =Montevideo |latd=34 |latm=53 |latNS=S |longd=56 |longm=10 |longEW=W |largest_city = Montevideo |government_type =Democratic Republic |leader_titles =President |leader_names =Tabaré Vázquez |area_rank =90th |area_magnitude =1 E11 |area=176,220 |areami²=68,039 |percent_water = 1.5 |population_estimate = 3,431,932 |population_estimate_rank =131st 1 |population_estimate_year =July 2006 |population_census = 3,399,237 |population_census_year =2002 |population_density =19 |population_densitymi² =50 |population_density_rank =156th 1 |GDP_PPP = $54.58 billion |GDP_PPP_rank = 74th |GDP_PPP_year= 2005 |GDP_PPP_per_capita = $16,000 |GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 64th |sovereignty_type =Independence |established_events =from Brazil |established_dates = - Declared
August 25, 1825
- Recognised
August 28, 1828 |HDI =0.840 |HDI_rank =46th |HDI_year = 2003 |HDI_category =high |currency = Uruguayan Peso |currency_code = UYU |country_code = |time_zone = |utc_offset =-3 |time_zone_DST = |utc_offset_DST =-2 |cctld = .uy |calling_code =598 |footnotes = 1.) Rank based on 2005 figures }}


The Eastern Republic of Uruguay (Spanish: República Oriental del Uruguay; pron. IPA Template:IPA) is a country located in southern South America. It is bordered by Brazil to the north, the Uruguay River to the west, the estuary of the Río de la Plata (literally "River of Silver", but commonly known in English as "River Plate") to the southwest, with Argentina on the other bank of both, and finally the South Atlantic Ocean to the southeast. About half of its people live in the capital and largest city, Montevideo. The nation is the second smallest independent country in South America, larger than only Suriname (it is also larger than French Guiana, which is not independent), and is one of the most politically and economically stable.

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History

Main article: History of Uruguay Image:Toortse Rio de la Plata.png The name "Uruguay" comes from Guaraní, the original language of the native people of the region. It means "river of the painted birds."

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

In the early 19th century, independence movements sprung up across South America, including Uruguay (then known as the Banda Oriental, or "Eastern Area", referring to the area east of the Río de la Plata). Uruguayan territory was contested between the nascent states of Brazil and Argentina. Brazil annexed the area in 1821 under the name of Provincia Cisplatina, but a revolt began on August 25, 1825, after which Uruguay became an independent country with the Treaty of Montevideo in 1828.

The original population of Charrúa Indians was gradually decimated over three centuries, culminating on 11 April 1831 in a mass killing at Salsipuedes, which was led by General Fructuoso Rivera, Uruguay's first president. After that date the few remaining Charrúas were dispersed and a viable Charrúa culture was a thing of the past, although Charrúa blood still runs in the veins of many Uruguayans today as a result of extensive Charrúa-Spanish intermixing during colonial times. Four Charrúas — Senaqué, the leader Vaimaca Pirú, the warrior Tacuabé and his wife Guyunusa — were taken to Paris in 1833 to be displayed as circus attractions.

In the latter part of the 19th century, Uruguay participated in the War of the Triple Alliance against Paraguay. Image:Fructuoso Rivera.jpg Uruguay then experienced a series of elected and appointed presidents and saw conflicts with neighboring states, political and economic fluctuations and modernization, and large inflows of immigrants, mostly from Europe. The work of President José Batlle y Ordóñez 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 the Americas".

The Uruguayan economy relies largely on agricultural exports. The world wars brought prosperity as Uruguayan beef and grain went to feed a war-ravaged Europe. World food prices dropped precipitously following the end of WWII, which triggered years of decline for the Uruguayan economy. By the 1960's, the stable social system began to break down as the economy spiralled. The government started losing popular support as students, workers and lower-class families felt the pain of an economy unable to adapt to a post-agricultural world economy. The Tupamaros, a radical leftist group, responded to the crisis with violence, which triggered government repression that ended with the suspension of individual rights by the president, Jorge Pacheco Areco, and his successor, Juan María Bordaberry. Finally, in 1973, the army seized power, ushering in 11 years of military dictatorship in what was once one of the most stable democracies in the region. In 1984, democracy was finally restored with the election of Julio María Sanguinetti.

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Politics

Main article: Politics of Uruguay Image:Tabare Vasquez.jpeg Uruguay's Constitution of 1967 created a strong presidency, subject to legislative and judicial controls. 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 National parties have alternated in power. The elections of 2004, however, brought the Encuentro Progresista-Frente Amplio-Nueva Mayoría, a coalition of various leftist parties, to power with majorities in both houses of parliament and the election of President Tabaré Vázquez Rosas by an absolute majority.

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Departments

Image:Uruguay mapa.png Main article: Departments of Uruguay

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


Department Area (km²) Population (2004) Capital
Artigas 11.928 78.019 Artigas
Canelones 4.536 485.028 Canelones
Cerro Largo 13.648 86.564 Melo
Colonia 6.106 119.266 Colonia
Durazno 11.643 58.859 Durazno
Flores 5.144 25.104 Trinidad
Florida 10.417 68.181 Florida
Lavalleja 10.016 60.925 Minas
Maldonado 4.793 140.192 Maldonado
Montevideo 530 1.326.064 Montevideo
Paysandú 13.922 113.244 Paysandú
Río Negro 9.282 53.989 Fray Bentos
Rivera 9.370 104.921 Rivera
Rocha 10.551 69.937 Rocha
Salto 14.163 123.120 Salto
San José 4.992 103.104 San José
Soriano 9.008 84.563 Mercedes
Tacuarembó 15.438 90.489 Tacuarembó
Treinta y Tres 9.676 49.318 Treinta y Tres


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Geography

Image:Uruguay T2.png Main article: Geography of Uruguay

Uruguay is the third smallest country in South America, after Suriname and French Guiana. The landscape features mostly rolling plains and low hill ranges (cuchillas) 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 metres (1,686 ft). To the southwest is the Río de la Plata (River of Silver), the estuary of the Uruguay River, which forms the western border, and the Paraná River, that does not run through Uruguay itself. The only other major river is the Río Negro. 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.

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Enclaves and exclaves

There is one Argentine enclave within Uruguayan territory: the island of Martín García (co-ordinates Template:Coor dm). It is situated near the confluence of the Paraná and Uruguay rivers, a mere kilometre (1,100 yd) inside Uruguayan waters, about 3.5 kilometres (2.2 mi) from the Uruguayan coastline, near the small city of Martín Chico (itself about halfway between Nueva Palmira and Colonia).

An agreement reached by Argentina and Uruguay in 1973 reaffirmed Argentine jurisdiction over the island, ending a century-old dispute between the two countries. According to the terms of the agreement, Martín García is to be devoted exclusively to a natural preserve. Its area is about 2 square kilometres (500 acres), and the population about 200 persons. In addition, Gloria Recoda has exclusive land rights on a quarter of the island.

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Economy

Main article: Economy of Uruguay

Image:Playa Pocitos.jpg 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 citizens, 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 40%. 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.

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Agriculture

Main article: Agriculture of Uruguay

Agriculture played such an important part in Uruguayan history and national identity until the middle of the 20th century that the entire country was then sometimes compared to single estancia (agro estate), Montevideo being it’s Casco or administrative head and its hinterland, the remaining part of Uruguay, being the farmland that generated the wealth that was spent in the capital. Another saying went “Uruguay es la vaca y el puerto”, Uruguay – that is the cow and the port (of Montevideo). So, when in the 1950’s world market prices of Uruguay’s main export commodities like beef and whool depreciated drastically, Uruguay’s golden era of prosperity came to an end.

Image:Estanciahistorica-florida-uruguay.jpgToday’s agriculture still contributes roughly 10% to the country’s GDP and is the main foreign exchange earner, putting Uruguay in line with other Agro Exporters like Brazil, Canada, New Zealand. Uruguay is member of the Cairns Group. Uruguay’s agriculture is more extensive than in most other agroexport countries, (extensive here meaning low input of manpower, technology, capital) resulting in comparably lower yields (beef per hectar, crops per hectar) on one side, but creating oportunities on the other side, to market Uruguayan products as natural, ecological. Campaigns like “Uruguayan grass fed beef” and “Uruguay Natural” aim to establish Uruguay as a premium brand in beef, wine and other food.

The often traditional and folcloristic appearance (Gauchos, horses etc) of cattle ranches, together with the historic estancias remaining from Uruguay’s golden era gave birth to a rather new aspect, Estancia Tourism

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Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Uruguay

As a Spanish-speaking country of Latin America, most Uruguayans share a Spanish cultural background, though about a 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. Most Uruguayans adhere to the Roman Catholic faith (66%), with smaller Protestant (2%) and Jewish and Armenian (1%) communities, as well as a large nonprofessing group (31%).

Uruguay is distinguished by its high literacy rate (98%), 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.

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Culture

Main article: Culture of Uruguay

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Uruguayan writers

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Sports

Main article: Sports in Uruguay

The most popular sport in Uruguay is football/soccer (called fútbol in Spanish), and the country has earned many honours in that sport, including gold medals at the 1924 and 1928 Olympics and two World Cups in 1930, when the first football world championship was celebrated in Montevideo; and in 1950 in Brazil.

Rugby, basketball and diving are also popular.

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Miscellaneous topics

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External links

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Government resources

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General information

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Media

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Travel and commerce

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Sports


Countries and territories of South America
Image:South America.png Argentina · Bolivia · Brazil · Chile · Colombia · Ecuador · Guyana · Panama · Paraguay · Peru · Suriname · Trinidad and Tobago · Uruguay · Venezuela

Dependencies: Aruba (Netherlands) · Falkland Islands (UK) · French Guiana · Netherlands Antilles · South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (UK)

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