Map of Uruguay | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | 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: Southern South America bordering the South Atlantic Ocean between Argentina and Brazil

Geographic coordinates: 33 00 S 56 00 W

Map reference: South America

Area
Comparative: slightly smaller than the state of Washington

Land boundaries

Coastline: 660 km

Maritime claims

Climate: warm temperate; freezing temperatures almost unknown

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

Elevation

Natural resources: arable land: hydropower minor minerals fisheries

Land use

Irrigated land: 7,700 km² (1997 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: seasonally high winds (the pampero is a chilly and occasional violent wind which 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 in weather fronts

Geography


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Population: 3,334,074 (July 2000 est.)
Growth rate: 0.77% (2000 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality

Ethnic groups: white 88% mestizo 8% black 4% Amerindian practically nonexistent

Languages: Spanish Portunol or Brazilero (Portuguese-Spanish mix on the Brazilian frontier)

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

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 0.77% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 17.42 births/1000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 9.06 deaths/1000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.63 migrant(s)/1000 population (2000 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: water pollution from meat packing/tannery industry; inadequate solid/hazardous waste disposal

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 15.14 deaths/1000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

Total fertility rate: 2.37 children born/woman (2000 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

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name

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 areas

Independence: 25 August 1825 (from Brazil)

National holiday: Independence Day 25 August (1825)

Constitution: 27 November 1966 effective February 1967 suspended 27 June 1973 new constitution rejected by referendum 30 November 1980; two constitutional reforms approved by plebiscite 26 November 1989 and 7 January 1997

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

Legislative branch: bicameral General Assembly or Asamblea General consists of Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores (30 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and Chamber of Representatives or Camara de Representantes (99 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court judges are nominated by the president and elected for 10-year terms by the General Assembly

Political parties and leaders: Batlleist faction of the Colorado Party [Julio M. SANGUINETTI]; Broad Front Coalition [Tabare VAZQUEZ]; Colorado Party [Jorge BATLLE]; Herrerista faction of the National Party [Luis A. LACALLE]; Herrero Wilsonista faction of the National Party [Alaberto VOLONTE]; National Party or Blanco [Luis A. LACALLE]; New Sector/Space Coalition or Nuevo Espacio [Rafael MICHELINI]; Progressive Encounter in the Broad Front or Encuentro Progresista [Tabare VAZQUEZ]

International organization participation: CCC ECLAC FAO G-11 G-77 IADB IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC ICRM IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO Intelsat Interpol IOC IOM ISO ITU LAES LAIA Mercosur MINURSO MONUC NAM (observer) OAS OPANAL OPCW PCA RG UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNIKOM UNMOGIP UNMOT UNOMIG UNTAET UPU WCL WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTrO

Diplomatic representation

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's economy is characterized by an export-oriented agricultural sector a well-educated workforce relatively even income distribution and high levels of social spending. After averaging growth of 5% annually in 1996-98 in 1999 the economy suffered from lower demand in Argentina and Brazil which together account for about half of Uruguay's exports. Despite the severity of the trade shocks and ensuing recession Uruguay's financial indicators remained more stable than those of its neighbors a reflection of its solid reputation among investors and its investment-grade sovereign bond rating - one of only two in Latin America. Challenges for the government of incoming President Jorge BATLLE include expanding Uruguay's trade ties beyond its Mercosur trade partners and bolstering Uruguay's competitiveness by increasing labor market flexibility and reducing the costs of public services. Growth should recover in 2000 to perhaps 3%.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: -2.5% (1999 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $8,500 (1999 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: wheat rice barley corn sorghum; livestock; fish

Industries: food processing electrical machinery transportation equipment petroleum products textiles chemicals beverages

Industrial production growth rate: -4% (1999 est.)

Labor force: 1.38 million (1997 est.)
By occupation agriculture: NA%
By occupation industry: NA%
By occupation services: NA%

Unemployment rate: 12% (1999)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 4% (1999 est.)

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: $2.1 billion (f.o.b. 1999 est.)
Commodities: meat rice leather products vehicles dairy products wool electricity
Partners: Mercosur partners 45% EU 20% US 7% (1999 est.)

Imports: $3.4 billion (f.o.b. 1999 est.)
Commodities: road vehicles electrical machinery metal manufactures heavy industrial machinery crude petroleum
Partners: MERCOSUR partners 43% EU 20% US 11% (1999 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $8 billion (1999 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Uruguayan pesos ($Ur) per US$1 - 11.3393 (1999) 10.4719 (1998) 9.4418 (1997) 7.9718 (1996) 6.3490 (1995) 5.0439 (1994)


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Electricity
Production: 9.474 billion kWh (1998)
Consumption: 6.526 billion kWh (1998)
Exports: 2.363 billion kWh (1998)
Imports: 78 million kWh (1998)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 622,000 (1995)
Mobile cellular: 40,000 (1995)

Telephone system: some modern facilities

Broadcast media

Internet
Service providers isps: 5 (1999)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $172 million (FY98)
Percent of gdp: 0.9% (FY98)

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: 65 (1999 est.)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways: 1600 km; used by coastal and shallow-draft river craft

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: two short sections of the boundary with Brazil are in dispute - Arroyo de la Invernada (Arroio Invernada) area of the Rio Cuareim (Rio Quarai) and the islands at the confluence of the Rio Cuareim (Rio Quarai) and the Uruguay River

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs