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

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Background: Montevideo founded by the Spanish in 1726 as a military stronghold soon took advantage of its natural harbor to became an important commercial center. Annexed by Brazil as a separate province in 1821 Uruguay declared its independence four years later and secured its freedom in 1828 after a three-year struggle. The administrations of President BATLLE in the early 20th century established widespread political social and economic reforms. 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 yearend the rebels had been crushed but the military continued to expand its hold throughout the government. Civilian rule was not restored until 1985. Uruguay's 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
Total: 176,220 km²
Land: 173,620 km²
Water: 2,600 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than the state of Washington

Land boundaries
Total: 1,564 km
Border countries: (2) Argentina 579 km; , Brazil 985 km

Coastline: 660 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate: warm temperate; freezing temperatures almost unknown

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

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Extremes highest point: Cerro Catedral 514 m

Natural resources: arable land: hydropower minor minerals fisheries

Land use
Arable land: 7.43%
Permanent crops: 0.23%
Other: 92.34% (2001)

Irrigated land: 1800 km² (1998 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 from weather fronts

Geography
Note: 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


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Population: 3,415,920 (July 2005 est.)
Growth rate: 0.47% (2005 est.)
Below poverty line: 21% of households (2003)

Nationality
Noun: Uruguayan
Adjective: Uruguayan

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 half of the adult population attends church regularly) Protestant 2% Jewish 1% nonprofessing or other 31%

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 23.2% (male 403,041/female 389,427)
15-64 years: 63.6% (male 1,076,960/female 1,095,833)
65 years and over: 13.2% (male 183,877/female 266,782) (2005 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 32.46 years
Male: 31.02 years
Female: 33.95 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.47% (2005 est.)

Birth rate: 14.09 births/1000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate: 9.06 deaths/1000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.28 migrant(s)/1000 population (2005 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: water pollution from meat packing/tannery industry; inadequate solid/hazardous waste disposal
International agreements party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.04 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male/female
65 years and over: 0.69 male/female
Total population: 0.95 male/female (2005 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 11.95 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 13.27 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 10.58 deaths/1000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 76.13 years
Male: 72.92 years
Female: 79.45 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.91 children born/woman (2005 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.3% (2001 est.)
People living with hivaids: 6,000 (2001 est.)
Deaths: less than 500 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 98%
Male: 97.6%
Female: 98.4% (2003 est.)

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
Former: Banda Oriental, Cisplatine Province

Government type: constitutional 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
Chief of state: President Tabare VAZQUEZ (since 1 March 2005) and Vice President Rodolfo NIN NOVA (since 1 March 2005); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President Tabare VAZQUEZ (since 1 March 2005) and Vice President Rodolfo NIN NOVA (since 1 March 2005); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president with parliamentary approval
Elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for five-year terms; election last held 31 October 2004 (next to be held October 2009)
Election results: Tabare VAZQUEZ elected president; percent of vote - Tabare VAZQUEZ 50.5%, Jorge LARRANAGA 35.1%, Guillermo STIRLING 10.3%

Legislative branch
Elections: Chamber of Senators - last held 31 October 2004 (next to be held October 2009); Chamber of Representatives - last held 31 October 2004 (next to be held October 2009)
Election results: Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - EP-FA 16, Blanco 11, Colorado Party 3; Chamber of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - EP-FA 52, Blanco 36, Colorado Party 10, Independent Party 1

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

Political parties and leaders: Colorado Party [Jorge BATLLE Ibanez]; National Party or Blanco [Luis Alberto LACALLE Herrera]; New Sector/Space Coalition (Nuevo Espacio) [Rafael MICHELINI]; Progressive Encounter/Broad Front Coalition (Encuentro Progresista/Frente Amplio) or EP-FA [Tabare VAZQUEZ]; Independent Party (Partido Independiente) [leader NA]

International organization participation: CSN FAO G-77 IADB IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC ICCt ICRM IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM ISO ITU LAES LAIA Mercosur MIGA MINURSO MINUSTAH MONUC NAM (observer) OAS ONUB OPANAL OPCW PCA RG UN UNAMSIL UNCTAD UNESCO UNFICYP UNIDO UNMEE UNMOGIP UNMOT UNOCI UNOMIG UPU WCL WCO WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Carlos GIANELLI Derois
In the us chancery: 1913 I Street NW, Washington, DC 20,006
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 331-1313 through 1316
In the us fax: [1] (202) 331-8,142
In the us consulates general: Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, and New York
In the us consulates: San Juan (Puerto Rico)
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Martin J. SILVERSTEIN
From the us embassy: Lauro Muller 1776, Montevideo 11,200
From the us mailing address: APO AA 34,035
From the us telephone: [598] (2) 418-7,777
From the us fax: [598] (2) 418-8,611

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 well-to-do economy is characterized by an export-oriented agricultural sector a well-educated workforce and high levels of social spending. After averaging growth of 5% annually during 1996-98 in 1999-2002 the economy suffered a major downturn stemming largely from the spillover effects of the economic problems of its large neighbors Argentina and Brazil. For instance in 2001-02 massive withdrawals by Argentina of dollars deposited in Uruguayan banks led to a plunge in the Uruguyan peso and a massive rise in unemployment. Total GDP in these four years dropped by nearly 20% with 2002 the worst year due to the serious banking crisis. Unemployment rose to nearly 20% in 2002 inflation surged and the burden of external debt doubled. Cooperation with the IMF limited the damage. The debt swap with private creditors carried out in 2003 which extended the maturity dates on nearly half of Uruguay's $11.3 billion in public debt substantially alleviated the country's amortization burden in the coming years and restored public confidence. The economy grew about 10% in 2004 as a result of high commodity prices for Uruguayan exports the weakness of the dollar against the euro growth in the region low international interest rates and greater export competitiveness.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $49.27 billion (2004 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 10.2% (2004 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $14,500 (2004 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 7.9%
Industry: 27.4%
Services: 64.8% (2004 est.)

Agriculture products: rice wheat corn barley; livestock; fish

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

Industrial production growth rate: 22% (2004 est.)

Labor force: 1.56 million (2004 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 14%
By occupation industry: 16%
By occupation services: 70%

Unemployment rate: 13% (2004 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 21% of households (2003)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 3.7%
Highest 10: 25.8% (1997)

Distribution of family income gini index: 44.8 (1999)

Budget
Revenues: $3.332 billion
Expenditures: $3.787 billion, including capital expenditures of $193 million (2004 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 7.6% (2004 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: $181.8 million (2004 est.)

Exports: $2.2 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Commodities: meat rice leather products wool fish dairy products
Partners: US 17.3% Brazil 16% Germany 6.3% Argentina 6.2% Mexico 4.2% (2004)

Imports: $2.071 billion f.o.b. (2003)
Commodities: machinery chemicals road vehicles crude petroleum
Partners: Argentina 19.5% Brazil 19% Paraguay 12.9% US 9.2% China 6% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $2.362 billion (2004 est.)

Debt external: $12.8 billion (March 2004)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Uruguayan pesos per US dollar - 28.704 (2004) 28.209 (2003) 21.257 (2002) 13.319 (2001) 12.1 (2000)


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Electricity
Production: 8.536 billion kWh (2003)
Consumption: 5.878 billion kWh (2003)
Exports: 954 million kWh (2003)
Imports: 434.2 million kWh (2003)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2003 est.)
Consumption: 64.5 million m³ (2003 est.)
Exports: 0 m³ (2003 est.)
Imports: 65 million m³ (2003 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 946,500 (2002)
Mobile cellular: 652,000 (2002)

Telephone system
General assessment: fully digitalized
Domestic: most modern facilities concentrated in Montevideo; new nationwide microwave radio relay network
International: country code - 598; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2002)

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .uy
Hosts: 87,630 (2003)
Users: 400,000 (2002)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $257.5 million (2004)
Percent of gdp: 2% (2004)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary and compulsory military service (2001)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 64 (2004 est.)
With paved runways total: 14
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 5
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 6
With paved runways under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 50
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 17
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 31 (2004 est.)

Heliports

Pipelines: gas 192 km (2004)

Railways
Total: 2,073 km
Standard gauge: 2,073 km 1.435-m gauge
Note: 461 km have been taken out of service and 460 km are in partial use (2004)

Roadways

Waterways: 1600 km (2002)

Merchant marine
Total: 11 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 10,918 GRT/10,342 DWT
By type: cargo 1, chemical tanker 1, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker 2, roll on/roll off 1
Foreign owned: 4 (Argentina 3, Greece 1)
Registered in other countries: 8 (2005)

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: uncontested dispute with Brazil over certain islands in the Quarai/Cuareim and Invernada streams and the resulting tripoint with Argentina

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs