Map of Uruguay | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: 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.


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Location: Eastern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean between Argentina and Brazil

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: South America, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area
Total: 176,220 km²
Land: 173,620 km²

Land boundaries: total 1,564 km, Argentina 579 km, Brazil 985 km

Coastline: 660 km
Continental shelf: 200 m depth or to depth of exploitation
Territorial sea: 200 nm; overflight and navigation permitted beyond 12 nm

Maritime claims

Climate: warm temperate; freezing temperatures almost unknown

Terrain: mostly rolling plains and low hills; fertile coastal lowland

Elevation

Natural resources: soil, hydropower potential, minor minerals

Land use
Arable land: 8%
Permanent crops: 0%
Meadows and pastures: 78%
Forest and woodland: 4%
Other: 10%

Irrigated land: 1,100 km² (1989 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography


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Population: 3,175,050 (July 1993 est.)
Growth rate: 0.75% (1993 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Uruguayan(s)
Adjective: Uruguayan

Ethnic groups: white 88%, mestizo 8%, black 4%

Languages: Spanish

Religions: Roman Catholic 66% (less than half adult population attends church regularly), Protestant 2%, Jewish 2%, nonprofessing or other 30%

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 0.75% (1993 est.)

Birth rate

Death rate: 9.52 deaths/1000 population (1993 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.79 migrant(s)/1000 population (1993 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: subject to seasonally high winds, droughts, floods

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 18 deaths/1000 live births (1993 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 73.74 years
Male: 70.52 years
Female: 77.11 years (1993 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.46 children born/woman (1993 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
Total population: 96%
Male: 97%
Female: 96%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Oriental Republic of Uruguay
Conventional short form: Uruguay
Local long form: Republica Oriental del Uruguay
Local short form: Uruguay

Government type: republic

Capital

Administrative divisions:

Dependent areas

Independence: 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 participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory

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 leaders

International organization participation:

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Eduardo MACGILLYCUDDY
In the us chancery: 1918 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20,006
In the us telephone: telephone (202) 331-1313 through 1316
In the us consulates general: Los Angeles, Miami, and New York,
In the us consulate: New Orleans
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Richard C. BROWN
From the us embassy: Lauro Muller 1776, Montevideo
From the us mailing address: APO AA 34,035
From the us telephone: 598 (2) 23-60-61 or 48-77-77
From the us fax: 598 (2) 48-86-11

Flag 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 symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Uruguay is a small economy with favorable climate, good soils, and solid hydropower potential. Economic development has been held back by excessive government regulation of economic detail and 50% to 130% inflation. After several years of sluggish growth, real GDP jumped by about 8% in 1992. The rise is attributable mainly to an increase in Argentine demand for Uruguayan exports, particularly agricultural products and electricity. In a major step toward greater regional economic cooperation, Uruguay in 1991 had joined Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay in forming the Southern Cone Common Market (Mercosur). A referendum in December 1992 overturned key portions of landmark privatization legislation, dealing a serious blow to President LACALLE's broad economic reform plan.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 8% (1992 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $3,100 (1992 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture 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 million (1991 est.)
By occupation government: 25%
By occupation manufacturing: 19%
By occupation agriculture: 11%
By occupation commerce: 12%
By occupation utilities construction transport and communications: 12%
By occupation other services: 21% (1988 est.)

Unemployment rate: 9% (1992 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $2.9 billion; expenditures $3.0 billion, including capital expenditures of $388 million (1991)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $1.7 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.) 4%
Partners: Argentina, Brazil, US, Germany
Commodoties: crude oil, fuels, and lubricants, metals, machinery, transportation equipment, industrial chemicals

Imports: $1.7 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
Partners: Brazil 23%, Argentina 17%, US 10%, EC 27.1% (1990)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: new Uruguayan pesos (N$Ur) per US$1 - 3,457.5 (December 1992), 3,026.9 (1992), 2,489 (1991), 1,594 (1990), 805 (1989), 451 (1988), 281 (1987)


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Electricity
Production: 2,168,000 kW capacity; 5,960 million kWh produced, 1,900 kWh per capita (1992)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: exchange rate conversion - $216 million, 2.3% of GDP (1991 est.)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 88
Usable: 81
With permanentsurface runways: 16
With runways over 3659 m: 0
With runways 1220-2439 m: 14

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways: 1,600 km; used by coastal and shallow-draft river craft

Merchant marine:

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international:

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs