Statistical information Uruguay 1992

Uruguay in the World
top of pageBackground: A violent Marxist urban guerrilla movement the Tupamaros launched in the late 1960s led Uruguay's president to agree to military control of his administration in 1973. By the end of the year the rebels had been crushed but the military continued to expand its hold throughout the government. Civilian rule was not restored until 1985. Uruguay has long had one of South America's highest standards of living; its political and labor conditions are among the freest on the continent.
top of pageLocationGeographic coordinatesMap referenceAreaTotal: 176,220 km²
Land: 173,620 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Washington State
Land boundaries: 1,564 km total; Argentina 579 km, Brazil 985 km
Coastline: 660 km
Maritime claimsContinental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation
Territorial sea: 200 nm (overflight and navigation permitted beyond 12 nm)
Disputes:short section of boundary with Argentina is in dispute; two short sections of the boundary with Brazil are in dispute (Arroyo de la
Invernada area of the Rio Quarai and the islands at the confluence of the
Rio Quarai and the Uruguay)
Climate: warm temperate; freezing temperatures almost unknown
Terrain: mostly rolling plains and low hills; fertile coastal lowland
ElevationNatural resources: soil, hydropower potential, minor minerals
Land use: arable land: 8%; permanent crops: NEGL%; meadows and pastures 78%; forest and woodland 4%; other 10%; includes irrigated 1%
Irrigated landMajor riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazardsGeographytop of pagePopulation: 3,141,533 (July 1992), growth rate 0.6% (1992)
Nationality: noun - Uruguayan(s; adjective - Uruguayan
Ethnic groups: white 88%, mestizo 8%, black 4%
Languages: Spanish
Religions: Roman Catholic (less than half adult population attends church regularly) 66%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 2%, nonprofessing or other 30%
Demographic profileAge structureDependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rateBirth rate: 17 births/1000 population (1992)
Death rate: 10 deaths/1000 population (1992)
Net migration rate: -1 migrant/1000 population (1992)
Population distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent issues: subject to seasonally high winds, droughts, floods
Air pollutantsSex ratioMothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rate: 23 deaths/1000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth: 69 years male, 76 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate: 2.4 children born/woman (1992)
Contraceptive prevalence rateDrinking water sourceCurrent health expenditurePhysicians densityHospital bed densitySanitation facility accessHiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rateAlcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweightEducation expendituresLiteracy: 96% (male 97%, female 96%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry nameConventional long form: Oriental Republic of Uruguay
Government type: republic
Capital: Montevideo
Administrative divisions:
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
Dependent areasIndependence: 25 August 1828 (from Brazil)
National holiday: Independence Day, 25 August (1828)
Constitution:
27 November 1966, effective February 1967, suspended 27
June 1973, new constitution rejected by referendum 30 November 1980
Legal system: based on Spanish civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
International law organization participationCitizenshipSuffrage: universal and compulsory at age 18
President:last held 26 November 1989 (next to be held NA November 1994); results - Luis Alberto LACALLE Herrera (Blanco) 37%, Jorge BATLLE
Ibanez (Colorado) 29%, Liber SEREGNI Mosquera (Broad Front) 20%
Chamber of Senators:last held 26 November 1989 (next to be held NA
November 1994); results - Blanco 40%, Colorado 30%, Broad Front 23% New
Space 7%; seats - (30 total) Blanco 12, Colorado 9, Broad Front 7, New Space 2
Chamber of Representatives:last held NA November 1989 (next to be held
NA November 1994); results - Blanco 39%, Colorado 30%, Broad Front 22%, New
Space 8%, other 1%; seats - (99 total) number of seats by party NA
Communists: 50,000
Executive branch: president, vice president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: bicameral General Assembly (Asamblea General) consists of an upper chamber or Chamber of Senators (Camara de Senadores) and a lower chamber or Chamber of Representatives (Camera de Representantes)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leadersInternational organization participation:
AG (observer), CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA, LORCS, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, PCA,
RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIIMOG, UNMOGIP, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WTO
Diplomatic representation:Ambassador Eduardo MACGILLICUDDY; Chancery at 1918 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20,006; telephone (202) 331-1313 through 1316; there are Uruguayan Consulates General in Los Angeles, Miami, and New
York, and a Consulate in New Orleans
US:Ambassador Richard C. BROWN; Embassy at Lauro Muller 1776, Montevideo (mailing address is APO AA 34,035); telephone 598 (2) 23-60-61 or 48-77-77;
FAX 598 (2) 48-86-11
Diplomatic representationFlag description
: 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 and 16 rays alternately triangular and wavy
National symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy overview:
The economy is slowly recovering from the deep recession of the early 1980s. In 1988 real GDP grew by only 0.5% and in 1989 by 1.5%. The recovery was led by growth in the agriculture and fishing sectors, agriculture alone contributing 20% to GDP, employing about 11% of the labor force, and generating a large proportion of export earnings. Raising livestock, particularly cattle and sheep, is the major agricultural activity. In 1991, domestic growth improved somewhat over 1990, but various government factors, including concentration on the external sector, adverse weather conditions, and greater attention to bringing down inflation and reducing the fiscal deficit kept output from expanding rapidly. In a major step toward greater regional economic cooperation, Uruguay joined Brazil,
Argentina, and Paraguay in forming the Southern Cone Common Market (Mercosur). President LACALLE continues to press ahead with a broad economic reform plan to reduce state intervention in the economy, but he faces strong opposition.
GDP: exchange rate conversion - $9.1 billion, per capita $2,935; real growth rate 2.3% (1991 est.)
Real gdp purchasing power parityReal gdp growth rateReal gdp per capitaGross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture products: large areas devoted to livestock grazing; wheat, rice, corn, sorghum; self-sufficient in most basic foodstuffs
Industries: meat processing, wool and hides, sugar, textiles, footwear, leather apparel, tires, cement, fishing, petroleum refining, wine
Industrial production growth rate: growth rate -1.4% (1990), accounts for almost 25% of GDP
Labor force: 1,355,000 (1991 est.); government 25%, manufacturing 19%, agriculture 11%, commerce 12%, utilities, construction, transport, and communications 12%, other services 21% (1988 est.)
Organized labor:Interunion Workers' Assembly/National Workers'
Confederation (PIT/CNT) Labor Federation
Unemployment rate: 8.5% (1991 est.)
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty lineGini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudget: revenues $1.2 billion; expenditures $1.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $165 million (1988)
Taxes and other revenuesPublic debtRevenueFiscal year: calendar year
Inflation rate consumer pricesCentral bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balanceExports: $1.6 billion (f.o.b., 1991)
Commodoties: hides and leather goods 17%, beef 10%, wool 9%, fish 7%, rice 4%
Partners: Brazil, US, Argentina, Germany
Imports: $1.3 billion (f.o.b., 1991)
Commodoties: fuels and lubricants 15%, metals, machinery, transportation equipment, industrial chemicals
Partners: Brazil 23%, Argentina 17%, US 10%, EC 27.1% (1990)
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt externalStock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: new Uruguayan pesos (N$Ur) per US$1 - 2,732.8 (March 1992), 2,018.8 (1991), 1,171.0 (1990), 605.5 (1989), 359.4 (1988), 226.7 (1987)
top of pageElectricityProduction: 2,065,000 kW capacity; 5,677 million kWh produced, 1,819 kWh per capita (1991)
CoalPetroleumCrude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitatop of pageTelephonesTelephone systemBroadcast mediaInternetBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresPercent of gdp:exchange rate conversion - $168 million, 2.2% of
GDP (1988)
Military and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupstop of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports:
90 total, 83 usable; 16 with permanent-surface runways; none
with runways over 3,659 m; 2
with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 16
with runways 1,220-2,439 m
HeliportsPipelinesRailwaysRoadwaysWaterways: 1,600 km; used by coastal and shallow-draft river craft
Merchant marine:
3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 56,737 GRT/104,143
DWT; includes 1 cargo, 1 container, 1 petroleum tanker
Civil air: 11 major transport aircraft
Ports and terminalsUruguay - Transnational issues 1992
top of pageDisputes internationalRefugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs