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 (2008)

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)

3,308,535 (July 2011 est.)

0.231% (2011 est.)

13.52 births/1,000 population (2011 est.)

9.58 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.)

-1.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.)

MONTEVIDEO (capital) 1.633 million (2009)

27 deaths/100,000 live births (2008)

1.89 children born/woman (2011 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: 100% of population

total: 100% of population (2008)

urban: 100% of population

rural: 99% of population

total: 100% of population

urban: 0% of population

rural: 1% of population

total: 0% of population (2008)

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 of the 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]

Architect's Society of Uruguay (professional organization); Chamber of Uruguayan Industries (manufacturer's association); Chemist and Pharmaceutical Association (professional organization); PIT/CNT (powerful federation of Uruguayan Unions - umbrella labor organization); Rural Association of Uruguay (rancher's association); Uruguayan Construction League; Uruguayan Network of Political Women

CAN (associate), CD, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, 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, RG, UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, 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's economy is 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 2.9% 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 exceeded 8% in 2010.

$47.99 billion (2010 est.)

$44.24 billion (2009 est.)

$43.13 billion (2008 est.)

$40.27 billion (2010 est.)

8.5% (2010 est.)

2.6% (2009 est.)

8.6% (2008 est.)

$13,700 (2010 est.)

$12,700 (2009 est.)

$12,400 (2008 est.)

1.637 million (2010 est.)

6.7% (2010 est.)

7.3% (2009 est.)

20.9% of households (2009)

42.4 (2009)

44.8 (1999)

20% of GDP (2010 est.)

29.3% of GDP (2010 est.)

-1.2% of GDP (2010 est.)

56.3% of GDP (2010 est.)

60.4% of GDP (2009 est.)

6.7% (2010 est.)

7.1% (2009 est.)

20% (31 December 2010)

20% (31 December 2009 est.)

10.33% (31 December 2010 est.)

15.28% (31 December 2009 est.)

$3.944 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$3.151 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$16.97 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$14.22 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$12.74 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$10.22 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$238 million (31 December 2010)

$219 million (31 December 2009)

$NA (31 December 2008)

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

food processing, electrical machinery, transportation equipment, petroleum products, textiles, chemicals, beverages

9.5% (2010 est.)

9.89 billion kWh (2010 est.)

7.57 billion kWh (2010 est.)

711.4 million kWh (2010 est.)

386.8 million kWh (2010 est.)

903 bbl/day (2010 est.)

52,000 bbl/day (2010 est.)

4,353 bbl/day (November 2010 est.)

53,110 bbl/day (November 2010 est.)

0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.)

0 cu m (2009 est.)

40 million cu m (2009 est.)

0 cu m (2009 est.)

76.6 million cu m (2010 est.)

0 cu m (1 January 2011 est.)

-$160.4 million (2010 est.)

-$104.7 million (2009 est.)

$8.069 billion (2010 est.)

$6.408 billion (2009 est.)

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

Brazil 21%, Nueva Palmira Free Zone 10.2%, Argentina 7.5%, Chile 5.5%, Russia 5.3% (2010 est.)

$8.32 billion (2010 est.)

$6.677 billion (2009 est.)

crude oil (13.4%), refined oil (4.9%), passenger vehicles (3.5%), transportation vehicles (2.7%), vehicles parts (2.2%), cellular phones (2.1%), insecticides (1.7%)

Brazil 18.6%, Argentina 16.7%, China 13.5%, Venezuela 9.1%, US 8.3%, Russia 4.2% (2010 est.)

$7.657 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$8.038 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$13.95 billion (30 June 2011 est.)

$12.25 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$9.1 billion (30 September 2010)

$7.7 billion (31 December 2009)

$300 million (2009 est.)

$156 million (2007 est.)

Uruguayan pesos (UYU) per US dollar -

20.051 (2010)

22.568 (2009)

20.936 (2008)

23.947 (2007)

24.048 (2006)

962,200 (2010)

4.437 million (2010)

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

.uy

765,525 (2010)

1.405 million (2009)

58 (2010)

gas 226 km; oil 155 km (2010)

1,600 km (2010)

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