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 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 launched 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.


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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: 176,215 km²
Land: 175,015 km²
Water: 1200 km²
Rank: 91
Comparative: slightly smaller than the state of Washington

Land boundaries
Total: 1591 km
Border countries: (2) Argentina 541 km; Brazil 1050 km

Coastline: 660 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Continental shelf: 200 nm or the edge of continental margin

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 fish

Land use
Agricultural land: 87.2%
Forest: 10.2%
Other: 2.6%

Irrigated land: 1810 km² (2003)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 139 km³ (2011)

Natural hazards: 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

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: 3,341,893 (July 2015 est.)
Rank: 135
Growth rate: 0.27% (2015 est.)
Growth rate rank: 176
Below poverty line: 18.6% (2010 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Uruguayan
Adjective: Uruguayan

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

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

Religions: Roman Catholic 47.1% non-Catholic Christians 11.1% nondenominational 23.2% Jewish 0.3% atheist or agnostic 17.2% other 1.1% (2006)

Demographic profile:

Age structure
0-14 years: 20.73%
15-24 years: 15.89%
25-54 years: 39.09%
55-64 years: 10.25%
65 years and over: 14.03% (2015 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 55.9%
Youth dependency ratio: 33.4%
Elderly dependency ratio: 22.5%
Potential support ratio: 4.4%

Median age
Total: 34.5 years
Male: 32.8 years
Female: 36.2 years

Population growth rate: 0.27% (2015 est.)
Rank: 176

Birth rate: 13.07 births/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 152

Death rate: 9.45 deaths/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 56

Net migration rate: -0.9 migrant(s)/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 147

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 95.3% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 0.53% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: MONTEVIDEO (capital) 1.707 million (2015)

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 Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: Marine Dumping Marine Life Conservation

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.04 male/female
0-14 years: 1.04 male/female
15-24 years: 1.03 male/female
25-54 years: 0.98 male/female
55-64 years: 0.89 male/female
65 years and over: 0.66 male/female
Total population: 0.94 male/female

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 8.74 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 9.7 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 7.75 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 148

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 77 years
Male: 73.86 years
Female: 80.26 years
Rank: 73

Total fertility rate: 1.82 children born/woman (2015 est.)
Rank: 151

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source:

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 3.74 physicians/1000 population (2008)

Hospital bed density: 2.5 beds/1000 population (2012)

Sanitation facility access:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.7% (2014 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 54
People living with hivaids: 14,400 (2014 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 89
Deaths: 600 (2014 est.)
Deaths rank: 79

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 27.6% (2014)
Rank: 64

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 4.5% (2011)
Rank: 94

Education expenditures: 4.4% of GDP (2011)
Rank: 92

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 98.5%
Male: 98.2%
Female: 98.8%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 16 years
Male: 14 years
Female: 17 years

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
Name: Montevideo
Geographic coordinates: 34 51 S 56 10 W
Time difference: UTC-3

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: several previous; latest approved by plebiscite 27 November 1966 effective 15 February 1967; amended several times last in 2004 (2013)

Legal system: civil law system based on the Spanish civil code

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Tabare VAZQUEZ ; Vice President Raul Fernando SENDIC Rodriguez (since 1 March 2015); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President Tabare VAZQUEZ ; Vice President Raul Fernando SENDIC Rodriguez (since 1 March 2015)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president with approval of the General Assembly
Electionsappointments: president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term ; election last held on 29 November 2009 (next to be held on 26 October 2014 and a runoff if needed on 30 November 2014)
Election results: Tabare VAZQUEZ elected president in a runoff election; percent of vote - Tabare VAZQUEZ 56.5% Luis Alberto LACALLE Pou (Blanco) 43.4%

Legislative branch
Description: bicameral General Assembly or Asamblea General consists of the Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores and the Chamber of Representatives or Camara de Representantes (99 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms)
Elections: Chamber of Senators - last held on 26 October 2014 ; Chamber of Representatives - last held on 26 October 2014 (next to be held in October 2019)
Election results: Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Frente Amplio 15 Blanco 10 Colorado Party 4 Independent Party 1; Chamber of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Frente Amplio 50 Blanco 32 Colorado Party 13 Independent Party 3 Popular Assembly 1

Judicial branch
Highest court: Supreme Court of Justice
Judge selection and term of office: judges nominated by the president and appointed in joint conference of the General Assembly; judges appointed for 10-year terms with reelection after a lapse of 5 years following the previous term
Subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal; District Courts ; Peace Courts (Juzagados de Paz); Rural Courts (Juzgados Rurales)

Political parties and leaders:

International organization participation: CAN (associate) CD CELAC FAO G-77 IADB IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC (national committees) ICCt ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO ITSO ITU LAES LAIA Mercosur MIGA MINUSTAH MONUSCO NAM (observer) OAS OIF (observer) OPANAL OPCW Pacific Alliance (observer) PCA SICA (observer) UN UNASUR UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO Union Latina UNMOGIP UNOCI UNWTO UPU WCO WFTU (NGOs) WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Juan Carlos PITA Alvariza
In the us chancery: 1913 I Street NW Washington DC 20,006
In the us telephone: [1] 331-1313
In the us FAX: [1] 331-8,142
In the us consulate general: Chicago Los Angeles Miami New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador ; Charge d'Affaires Brad FREDEN (since 10 December 2014)
From the us embassy: Lauro Muller 1776 Montevideo 11,200
From the us mailing address: APO AA 34,035
From the us telephone: [598] 1770-2000
From the us FAX: [598] 1770-2,128

Flag description: 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); the sun features are said to represent those of Inti the Inca god of the sun
Note: the banner was inspired by the national colors of Argentina and by the design of the US flag

National symbols: Sun of May (a sun-with-face symbol); national colors: blue white yellow

National anthem
Name: 'Himno Nacional'
Lyrics and music: Francisco Esteban ACUNA de Figueroa/Francisco Jose DEBALI
Note: adopted 1848; the anthem is also known as 'Orientales la Patria o la tumba!' ; it is the world's longest national anthem in terms of music (105 bars; almost five minutes); generally only the first verse and chorus are sung

National heritage


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Economy overview: Uruguay has a free market economy 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 Uruguay's economic growth 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 2.6% in 2009. Nevertheless the country managed to avoid a recession and keep positive growth rates mainly through higher public expenditure and investment; GDP growth reached 8.9% in 2010 but slowed in 2012-13 as a result of a renewed slowdown in the global economy and in Uruguay's main trade partners and Common Market of the South (Mercosur) counterparts Argentina and Brazil. Uruguay has sought to expand trade within Mercosur and with non-Mercosur members and President VAZQUEZ has said he will maintain his predecessor’s mix of pro-market policies and a strong social safety net.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2014 US dollars
Rank: 95

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 121

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2014 US dollars
Rank: 80

Gross national saving:
Rank: 107

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 66.1%
Government consumption: 14%
Investment in fixed capital: 22.9%
Investment in inventories: 0.7%
Exports of goods and services: 24.2%
Imports of goods and services: -28%: (2014 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 7.5%
Industry: 20.4%
Services: 72.1%

Agriculture products: soybeans rice wheat; beef dairy products; fish; lumber cellulose

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

Industrial production growth rate: 1.8% (2014 est.)
Rank: 136

Labor force: 1.712 million (2014 est.)
Rank: 127
By occupation agriculture: 13%
By occupation industry: 14%
By occupation services: 73%

Unemployment rate:
Rank: 70

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 18.6% (2010 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 1.9%
Highest 10: 34.4%

Distribution of family income gini index:
Rank: 40

Budget
Revenues: $16.8 billion
Expenditures: $18.71 billion
Surplus or deficit: -3.4% of GDP (2014 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 128

Taxes and other revenues: 30.2% of GDP (2014 est.)
Rank: 89

Public debt:
Note: data cover general government debt and include debt instruments issued by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds such as for retirement medical care and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions.
Rank: 48

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 208

Central bank discount rate:
Note: Uruguay's central bank uses the benchmark interest rate rather than the discount rate to conduct monetary policy; the rates shown here are the benchmark rates
Rank: 26

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Rank: 33

Stock of narrow money:
Rank: 98

Stock of broad money:
Rank: 109

Stock of domestic credit:
Rank: 87

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 117

Current account balance:
Rank: 157

Exports:
Rank: 93
Commodities: beef soybeans cellulose rice wheat wood dairy products; wool
Partners: China 22.4% Brazil 17.9% Argentina 6.3% Venezuela 5% (2014)

Imports:
Rank: 95
Commodities: refined oil crude oil passenger and other transportation vehicles vehicle parts cellular phones
Partners: Brazil 20.3% China 16.9% Argentina 13.1% US 10.2% Venezuela 4.6% (2014)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 64

Debt external:
Rank: 88

Stock of direct foreign investment at home:
Rank: 73

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad:
Rank: 85

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Production: 10.16 billion kWh (2011 est.)
Production rank: 96
Consumption: 9.333 billion kWh (2011 est.)
Consumption rank: 90
Exports: 194 million kWh (2012 est.)
Exports rank: 77
Imports: 742 million kWh (2012 est.)
Imports rank: 71
Installed generating capacity: 2.707 million kW (2011 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 96
Generation sources fossil fuels: 41.6% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 168
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 197
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 56.8% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 37
Generation sources other renewable sources: 1.6% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 81

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 400 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 108
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 199
Crude oil imports: 38,680 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 59
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2013 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 202

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 43,440 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products production rank: 84
Products consumption: 49,140 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Products consumption rank: 102
Products exports: 4,656 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products exports rank: 92
Products imports: 16,420 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products imports rank: 111

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2012 est.)
Production rank: 203
Consumption: 60 million m³ (2012 est.)
Consumption rank: 108
Exports: 0 m³ (2012 est.)
Exports rank: 200
Imports: 60 million m³ (2012 est.)
Imports rank: 74
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2014 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 203

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 7.591 million Mt (2012 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 113

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 1.08 million
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 32
Fixed lines rank: 75
Mobile cellular total: 5.5 million
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 165
Mobile cellular rank: 112

Telephone system
General assessment: fully digitalized
Domestic: most modern facilities concentrated in Montevideo; nationwide microwave radio relay network; overall fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity has reached 170 telephones per 100 persons
International: country code - 598; the UNISOR submarine cable system provides direct connectivity to Brazil and Argentina; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (2011)

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

Internet
Country code: .uy
Users total: 2 million
Users percent of population: 59.0%
Users rank: 99

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures:
Rank: 42

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18-30 years of age (18-22 years of age for navy) for male or female 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 (2013)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 133 (2013)
Rank: 42
With paved runways total: 11
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 4
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 4
With paved runways under 914 m: 2
With unpaved runways total: 122
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 3
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 40
With unpaved runways: 79 (2013)

Heliports

Pipelines: gas 257 km; oil 160 km (2013)

Railways
Total: 1641 km
Standard gauge: 1641 km 1.435-m gauge
Rank: 77

Roadways
Total: 77,732 km
Paved: 7,743 km
Unpaved: 69,989 km
Rank: 62

Waterways: 1600 km (2011)
Rank: 48

Merchant marine
Total: 16
By type: bulk carrier 1 cargo 2 chemical tanker 3 passenger/cargo 6 petroleum tanker 3 roll on/roll off 1
Foreign owned: 8
Registered in other countries: 1 (2010)
Rank: 100

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Montevideo


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Disputes international: 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

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: 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