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

slightly smaller than the state of Washington

660 km

warm temperate; freezing temperatures almost unknown

mostly rolling plains and low hills; fertile coastal lowland

arable land, hydropower, minor minerals, fish

2,180 sq km (2003)

139 cu km (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

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

white 88%, mestizo 8%, black 4%, Amerindian (practically nonexistent)

Spanish (official), Portunol, Brazilero (Portuguese-Spanish mix on the Brazilian frontier)

Roman Catholic 47.1%, non-Catholic Christians 11.1%, nondenominational 23.2%, Jewish 0.3%, atheist or agnostic 17.2%, other 1.1% (2006)

Uruguay rates high for most development indicators and is known for its secularism, liberal social laws, and well-developed social security, health, and educational systems. It is one of the few countries in Latin America and the Caribbean where the entire population has access to clean water. Uruguay's provision of free primary through university education has contributed to the country's high levels of literacy and educational attainment. However, the emigration of human capital has diminished the state's return on its investment in education. Remittances from the roughly 18% of Uruguayans abroad amount to less than 1 percent of national GDP. The emigration of young adults and a low birth rate are causing Uruguay's population to age rapidly.

In the 1960s, Uruguayans for the first time emigrated en masse - primarily to Argentina and Brazil - because of economic decline and the onset of more than a decade of military dictatorship. Economic crises in the early 1980s and 2002 also triggered waves of emigration, but since 2002 more than 70% of Uruguayan emigrants have selected the US and Spain as destinations because of better job prospects. Uruguay had a tiny population upon its independence in 1828 and welcomed thousands of predominantly Italian and Spanish immigrants, but the country has not experienced large influxes of new arrivals since the aftermath of World War II. More recent immigrants include Peruvians and Arabs.

3,316,328 (July 2012 est.)

0.24% (2012 est.)

13.4 births/1,000 population (2012 est.)

9.55 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.)

-1.45 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.)

MONTEVIDEO (capital) 1.633 million (2009)

29 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)

1.87 children born/woman (2012 est.)

7.4% of GDP (2009)

3.736 physicians/1,000 population (2008)

2.9 beds/1,000 population (2007)

urban: 100% of population

rural: 99% of population

total: 100% of population

urban: 0% of population

rural: 1% of population

total: 0% of population

0.5% (2009 est.)

9,900 (2009 est.)

NA

6% (2004)

2.9% of GDP (2006)

constitutional republic

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; revised 26 November 1989 and 7 January 1997

civil law system based on the Spanish civil code

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

bicameral General Assembly or Asamblea General consists of Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores (30 seats; members 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 elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

Supreme Court (judges are nominated by the president and elected for 10-year terms by the General Assembly)

Broad Front (Frente Amplio) - formerly known as the Progressive Encounter/Broad Front Coalition or EP-FA [Jorge BROVETTO] (a broad governing coalition that includes Movement for Popular Participation or MPP, New Space Party (Nuevo Espacio) [Rafael MICHELINI], Progressive Alliance (Alianza Progresista) [Rodolfo NIN NOVOA], Socialist Party [Eduardo FERNANDEZ and Reinaldo GARGANO], Communist Party [Eduardo LORIER], Uruguayan Assembly (Asamblea Uruguay) [Danilo ASTORI], and Vertiente Artiguista [Mariano ARANA]); Colorado Party (Foro Batllista) [Pedro BORDABERRY and Julio Maria SANGUINETTI]; National Party or Blanco [Luis Alberto LACALLE and Jorge LARRANAGA]

Chamber of Commerce and Export of Agriproducts; Chamber of Industries (manufacturer's association); Exporters Union of Uruguay; National Chamber of Commerce and Services; PIT/CNT (powerful federation of Uruguayan Unions - umbrella labor organization); Rural Association of Uruguay (rancher's association); Uruguayan Network of Political Women

CAN (associate), CD, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNISFA, UNMOGIP, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

nine equal horizontal stripes of white (top and bottom) alternating with blue; 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; the stripes represent the nine original departments of Uruguay; the sun symbol evokes the legend of the sun breaking through the clouds on 25 May 1810 as independence was first declared from Spain (Uruguay subsequently won its independence from Brazil)

Sun of May (a sun-with-face symbol)

Uruguay has a free market economy characterized by an export-oriented agricultural sector, a well-educated work force, and high levels of social spending. Following financial difficulties in the late 1990s and early 2000s, economic growth for Uruguay averaged 8% annually during the period 2004-08. The 2008-09 global financial crisis put a brake on Uruguay's vigorous growth, which decelerated to 2.6% in 2009. Nevertheless, the country managed to avoid a recession and keep positive growth rates, mainly through higher public expenditure and investment, and GDP growth reached 8.9% in 2010 but fell about 3.5% in 2012, the result of a renewed slowdown in the global economy and in Uruguay's main trade partners and Common Market of the South (Mercosur) counterparts, Argentina and Brazil. Uruguay has sought to expand trade within Mercosur and with non-Mercosur members. Uruguay's total merchandise trade with Mercosur since 2006 has increased by nearly 70% to more than $5 billion while its total trade with the world has almost doubled to roughly $20 billion.

$53.55 billion (2012 est.)

$51.74 billion (2011 est.)

$48.95 billion (2010 est.)

$49.72 billion (2012 est.)

3.5% (2012 est.)

5.7% (2011 est.)

8.9% (2010 est.)

$15,800 (2012 est.)

$15,400 (2011 est.)

$14,600 (2010 est.)

1.691 million (2012 est.)

6.1% (2012 est.)

6% (2011 est.)

18.6% (2010 est.) (2010 est.)

45.3 (2010)

44.8 (1999)

20% of GDP (2012 est.)

28.7% of GDP (2012 est.)

-1.6% of GDP (2012 est.)

57.2% of GDP (2012 est.)

58.3% of GDP (2011 est.)

7.8% (2012 est.)

8.1% (2011 est.)

9% (31 December 2012)

8.75% (31 December 2011)

11% (31 December 2012 est.)

9.8% (31 December 2011 est.)

$5.143 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$4.749 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$16.97 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$14.22 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$15.69 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$14.79 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$231 million (31 December 2011)

$238 million (31 December 2010)

$219 million (31 December 2009)

soybeans, rice, wheat; beef, dairy products; fish; lumber, cellulose

-1% (2011 est.)

-$1.189 billion (2012 est.)

-$875.9 million (2011 est.)

$9.812 billion (2012 est.)

$9.341 billion (2011 est.)

beef, soybeans, cellulose, rice, wheat, wood, dairy products; wool

Brazil 19.3%, China 14.2%, Argentina 6.8%, Germany 6%, Venezuela 4.3% (2011)

$10.97 billion (2012 est.)

$10.41 billion (2011 est.)

refined oil, crude oil, passenger and other transportation vehicles, vehicles parts, cellular phones

Brazil 16.3%, China 15%, Argentina 13.4%, US 9.4%, Paraguay 7.1%, Venezuela 6.7% (2011)

$12.23 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$10.3 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$11.61 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$11.7 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$9.304 billion (2010)

$7.3 billion (2009)

$300 million (2009 est.)

$156 million (2007 est.)

Uruguayan pesos (UYU) per US dollar -

20.63 (2012 est.)

19.314 (2011 est.)

20.059 (2010 est.)

22.568 (2009)

20.936 (2008)

calendar year

9.5 billion kWh (2011 est.)

7.96 billion kWh (2011 est.)

18.9 million kWh (2011 est.)

470 million kWh (2011 est.)

2.516 million kW (2009 est.)

38.5% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

61.1% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

0.4% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

0 bbl/day (2011 est.)

0 bbl/day (2009 est.)

38,720 bbl/day (2009 est.)

0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.)

43,370 bbl/day (2008 est.)

51,100 bbl/day (2011 est.)

6,093 bbl/day (2008 est.)

22,060 bbl/day (2008 est.)

0 cu m (2011 est.)

80 million cu m (2010 est.)

0 cu m (2011 est.)

86.4 million cu m (2011 est.)

0 cu m (1 January 2012 est.)

7.265 million Mt (2010 est.)

964,900 (2011)

4.757 million (2011)

mixture of privately-owned and state-run broadcast media; more than 100 commercial radio stations and about 20 TV channels; cable TV is available; many community radio and TV stations; adopted the hybrid Japanese/Brazilian HDTV standard (ISDB-T) in December 2010 (2010)

.uy

1.036 million (2012)

1.405 million (2009)

94 (2012)

gas 226 km; oil 155 km (2010)

1,600 km (2011)

Montevideo

Uruguayan Armed Forces: Uruguayan National Army (Ejercito Nacional Uruguaya, ENU), Uruguayan National Navy (Armada Nacional del Uruguay; includes naval air arm, Naval Rifle Corps (Cuerpo de Fusileros Navales, Fusna), Maritime Prefecture in wartime), Uruguayan Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Uruguaya, FAU) (2010)

18-30 years of age for voluntary military service; up to 40 years of age for specialists; enlistment is voluntary in peacetime, but the government has the authority to conscript in emergencies; minimum 6-year education (2009)

1.6% of GDP (2006)

in 2010, the ICJ ruled in favor of Uruguay's operation of two paper mills on the Uruguay River, which forms the border with Argentina; the two countries formed a joint pollution monitoring regime; uncontested boundary dispute between Brazil and Uruguay over Braziliera/Brasiliera Island in the Quarai/Cuareim River leaves the tripoint with Argentina in question; smuggling of firearms and narcotics continues to be an issue along the Uruguay-Brazil border

small-scale transit country for drugs mainly bound for Europe, often through sea-borne containers; law enforcement corruption; money laundering because of strict banking secrecy laws; weak border control along Brazilian frontier; increasing consumption of cocaine base and synthetic drugs