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. 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 Jose BATLLE in the early 20th century established widespread political social and economic reforms. A violent Marxist urban guerrilla movement named 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. In 2004 the left-of-center EP-FA 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.

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: 7.77%
Permanent crops: 0.24%
Other: 91.99% (2005)

Irrigated land: 2,100 km² (2003)

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

Population: 3,431,932 (July 2006 est.)
Growth rate: 0.46% (2006 est.)
Below poverty line: 22% of households (2004)

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%

Age structure
0-14 years: 22.9% (male 399,409/female 386,136)
15-64 years: 63.9% (male 1,087,180/female 1,104,465)
65 years and over: 13.3% (male 185,251/female 269,491) (2006 est.)

Median age
Total: 32.7 years
Male: 31.3 years
Female: 34.2 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.46% (2006 est.)

Birth rate: 13.91 births/1000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate: 9.05 deaths/1000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.25 migrant(s)/1000 population (2006 est.)

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

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.04 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.03 male/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male/female
65 years and over: 0.69 male/female
Total population: 0.95 male/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 11.61 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 12.9 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 10.27 deaths/1000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 76.33 years
Male: 73.12 years
Female: 79.65 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.89 children born/woman (2006 est.)

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

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

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 53 S, 56 11 W
Time difference: UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in October; ends second Sunday in March

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

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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Tabare VAZQUEZ Rosas (since 1 March 2005) and Vice President Rodolfo NIN NOVOA (since 1 March 2005); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President Tabare VAZQUEZ Rosas (since 1 March 2005) and Vice President Rodolfo NIN NOVOA (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 (may not serve consecutive 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%; other 4.1%

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 [Julio Maria SANGUINETTI]; Independent Party (Partido Independiente) [Pablo MIERES]; Movement of Popular Participation or MPP [Jose MUJICA]; National Party or Blanco [Jorge LARRANAGA]; New Sector/Space Coalition (Nuevo Espacio) [Rafael MICHELINI]; Progressive Encounter/Broad Front Coalition (Encuentro Progresista/Frente Amplio) or EP-FA [Tabare VAZQUEZ]; Socialist Party of Uruguay or Socialists [Reinaldo GARGANO]; Uruguayan Assembly or Asamblea Uruguay [Danilo ASTORI]

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

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Carlos Alberto 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, New York
In the us consulates: San Juan (Puerto Rico)
From the us chief of mission: Charge d'Affaires James D. NEALON
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 with 16 rays that alternate between triangular and wavy

Economy overview: Uruguay's well-to-do economy is characterized by an export-oriented agricultural sector a well-educated work force 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 Argentina made massive withdrawals of dollars deposited in Uruguayan banks which led to a plunge in the Uruguayan 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 banking crisis. The unemployment rate rose to nearly 20% in 2002 inflation surged and the burden of external debt doubled. Cooperation with the IMF helped stem the damage. A debt swap with private-sector creditors in 2003 extended the maturity dates on nearly half of Uruguay's then $11.3 billion of public debt and helped restore public confidence. The economy grew about 10% in 2004 as a result of high commodity prices for Uruguayan exports a competitive peso growth in the region and low international interest rates but slowed to 6.1% in 2005.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $33.98 billion (2005 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 6.8% (2005 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $9,900 (2005 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 9.3%
Industry: 31.1%
Services: 59.6% (2005 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: 8.5% (2005 est.)

Labor force: 1.52 million (2005 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 14%
By occupation industry: 16%
By occupation services: 70%

Unemployment rate: 12.2% (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line: 22% of households (2004)

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

Distribution of family income gini index: 44.6 (2000)

Budget
Revenues: $4.468 billion
Expenditures: $4.845 billion; including capital expenditures of $193 million (2005 est.)

Public debt: 81.9% of GDP (2005 est.)

Inflation rate consumer prices: 4.7% (2005 est.)

Current account balance: $-87.9 million (2005 est.)

Exports: $3.55 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Electricity
Production: 8.611 billion kWh (2003)
Consumption: 7.762 billion kWh (2003)
Exports: 900 million kWh (2003)
Imports: 654 million kWh (2003)

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2003 est.)
Consumption: 60 million m³ (2003 est.)
Exports: 0 m³ (2003 est.)
Imports: 65 million m³ (2003 est.)

Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: 2.1% (2005 est.)

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

Pipelines: gas 257 km; oil 160 km (2006)

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 (2005)

Roadways
Total: 77,732 km
Paved: 7,743 km
Unpaved: 69,989 km (2004)

Waterways: 1600 km (2005)

Merchant marine
Total: 13 ships (1000 GRT or over) 34,259 GRT/19,725 DWT
By type: cargo 2, chemical tanker 1, passenger/cargo 7, petroleum tanker 2, roll on/roll off 1
Foreign owned: 4 (Argentina 3, Greece 1)
Registered in other countries: 8 (Argentina 1, Bahamas 2, Liberia 3, Spain 2) (2006)

Ports and terminals: Montevideo Nueva Palmira Fray Bentos Colonia Juan Lacaze

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