Uruguay

Uruguay, officially the Eastern Republic of Uruguay or the Republic East of the Uruguay (River) (Spanish: República Oriental del Uruguay; pron. IPA [re'puβ̞lika oɾjen'tal del uɾu'ɰwaj]), is a nation located in southern part of South America. It is bordered by Brazil to the north, the Uruguay River to the west, the estuary of the Río de la Plata (literally "River of Silver", but commonly known in English as "River Plate") to the southwest, with Argentina on the other bank of both, and finally the South Atlantic Ocean to the southeast. About half of its people live in the capital and largest city, Montevideo. The nation is the second smallest independent country in South America, larger only than Suriname (it is also larger than French Guiana, which is not independent), and is the most politically and economically stable. Uruguay is ranked as the second country in Latin America with less corruption, right after Chile [1].

1 History
2 Politics
3 Administrative divisions
4 Geography
- 4.1 Enclaves and exclaves
5 Economy
6 Agriculture
7 Demographics
8 Health and education
9 Culture
- 9.1 Uruguayan writers
- 9.2 Uruguayan food
10 Sports
11 See also
12 External links

[edit] History

Main article: History of Uruguay

The name "Uruguay" comes from Guaraní. It has many possible meanings since Guaraní is a highly agglutinative language. Two of them are "river of the urus" (uru is a kind of bird) and "river of colorful or 'painted' birds."

Rio de la Plata in 1603.

Uruguay's oldest church is in San Carlos.

[edit] Politics

Main article: Politics of Uruguay

Uruguay's politics takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President of Uruguay is both head of state and head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the two chambers of the General Assembly of Uruguay. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.

For most of Uruguay's history, the Colorado and National parties have alternated in power. The elections of 2004, however, brought the Encuentro Progresista-Frente Amplio-Nueva Mayoría, a coalition of socialists,former Tupamaros, communists and social democrats among others to power with majorities in both houses of parliament and the election of President Tabaré Vázquez Rosas by an absolute majority.

The Reporters Without Borders worldwide press freedom index in 2002 ranked Uruguay 21st among 139 countries.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Administrative divisions

Main article: Departments of Uruguay

Uruguay consists of nineteen departments (departamentos, singular ''departamento):

Map of Uruguay

Department	Area (km²)	Population*	Capital
Artigas	11,928	78,019	Artigas
Canelones	4,536	485,028	Canelones
Cerro Largo	13,648	86,564	Melo
Colonia	6,106	119,266	Colonia del Sacramento
Durazno	11,643	58,859	Durazno
Flores	5,144	25,104	Trinidad
Florida	10,417	68,181	Florida
Lavalleja	10,016	60,925	Minas
Maldonado	4,793	140,192	Maldonado
Montevideo	530	1,326,064	Montevideo
Paysandú	13,922	113,244	Paysandú
Río Negro	9,282	53,989	Fray Bentos
Rivera	9,370	104,921	Rivera
Rocha	10,551	69,937	Rocha
Salto	14,163	123,120	Salto
San José	4,992	103,104	San José de Mayo
Soriano	9,008	84,563	Mercedes
Tacuarembó	15,438	90,489	Tacuarembó
Treinta y Tres	9,676	49,318	Treinta y Tres
* 2004

[edit] Geography

Satellite photo of Uruguay.

Lighthouse at Colonia de Sacramento.

Main article: Geography of Uruguay

At 176.220 square kilometres, Uruguay is the second smallest sovereign nation in South America (after Suriname) and the third smallest territory (French Guiana is the smallest). The landscape features mostly rolling plains and low hill ranges (cuchillas) with fertile coastal lowland, most of it grassland, ideal for cattle and sheep raising. The highest point in the country is the Cerro Catedral at 514 meters (1,686 ft). To the southwest is the Río de la Plata (River of Silver), the estuary of the Uruguay River, which forms the western border, and the Paraná River, that does not run through Uruguay itself. The only other major river is the Río Negro. Several lagoons are found along the Atlantic coast.

The climate in Uruguay is temperate, but fairly warm, as freezing temperatures are almost unknown. The predominantly flat landscape is also somewhat vulnerable to rapid changes from weather fronts, as well as to the pampero, a chilly and occasionally violent wind blowing north from the pampas plains in Argentina.

Playa Brava in Punta del Este, Uruguay

[edit] Enclaves and exclaves

There is one Argentine enclave within Uruguayan territory: the island of Martín García (coordinates 34°11′S 58°15′W). It is situated near the confluence of the Paraná and Uruguay rivers, a mere kilometre (1,100 yd) inside Uruguayan waters, about 3.5 kilometres (2.2 mi) from the Uruguayan coastline, near the small city of Martín Chico (itself about halfway between Nueva Palmira and Colonia).

An agreement reached by Argentina and Uruguay in 1973 reaffirmed Argentine jurisdiction over the island, ending a century-old dispute between the two countries.^{[citation needed]} According to the terms of the agreement, Martín García is to be devoted exclusively to a natural preserve. Its area is about 2 square kilometres (500 acres) and the population about 200 persons. In addition, Gloria Recoda has exclusive land rights on a quarter of the island.

[edit] Economy

Main article: Economy of Uruguay

Montevideo, Uruguay's capital.

Plaza Gomensoro in the Pocitos neighborhood of Montevideo.

Uruguay's economy is characterised by an export-oriented agricultural sector, a well-educated workforce, a developed industrial sector and high levels of social spending. After averaging growth of 5% annually in 1996-1998, in 1999-2001 the economy suffered from lower demand in Argentina and Brazil, which together account for nearly half of Uruguay's exports. Despite the severity of the trade shocks, Uruguay's financial indicators remained more stable than those of its neighbours, a reflection of its solid reputation among investors and its investment-grade sovereign bond rating — one of only two in South America.^{[citation needed]} In recent years Uruguay has shifted most of its energy into developing the commercial use of IT technologies and has become an important exporter of software in Latin America^{[citation needed]}.

While some parts of the economy appeared to be resilient, the downturn had a far more severe impact on Uruguayan citizens, as unemployment levels rose to more than twenty percent, real wages fell, the peso was devalued, and the percentage of Uruguayans in poverty reached almost 10%. These worsening economic conditions played a part in turning public opinion against the free market economic policies adopted by the previous administrations in the 1990s, leading to popular rejection of proposals for privatization of the state petroleum company in 2003 and of the state water company in 2004. The newly elected Frente Amplio government, while pledging to continue payments on Uruguay's external debt,^{[citation needed]} has also promised to undertake a crash jobs programs to attack the widespread problems of poverty and unemployment.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Agriculture

Punta del Este, a Uruguayan beach resort.

Main article: Agriculture of Uruguay

Agriculture played such an important part in Uruguayan history and national identity until the middle of the twentieth century that the entire country was then sometimes likened to a single huge estancia (agricultural estate) around Montevideo, where the wealth generated in the hinterland was spent, as its casco or administrative head. As another saying went, "Uruguay es la vaca y el puerto" ("Uruguay is the cow and the port").^{[citation needed]}

A heartland of historic estancias: Estancia San Eugenio, Casupá, southern department of Florida.

Today, agriculture still contributes roughly 10% to the country’s GDP and is the main foreign exchange earner, putting Uruguay in line with other agricultural exporters like Brazil, Canada and New Zealand. Uruguay is a member of the Cairns Group of exporters of agricultural products. Uruguay’s agriculture has relatively low inputs of labour, technology and capital in comparison with other such countries, which results in comparatively lower yields per hectare but also open the door for Uruguay to market its products as "natural" or "ecological."

Campaigns like “Uruguayan grass-fed beef” and “Uruguay Natural” aim to establish Uruguay as a premium brand in beef, wine and other food products.^{[citation needed]}

Recently, an industry has arisen around estancia tourism that capitalizes on the traditional or folkloristic connotations associated with gaucho culture and the remaining resources of Uruguay's historic estancias.

[edit] Demographics

Torre de las Telecomunicaciones (Antel Tower) in Montevideo.

Main article: Demographics of Uruguay

As with its neighbour Argentina, Uruguay is heavily populated by people of European origin. 97% of the population is of white European descent almost evenly split amongst Italians, Spaniards, followed by those of English, French, German, Portuguese, Irish, Russian, Scandinavian and Armenian origins. Many of the European immigrants arrived to Uruguay in the late 1800s and have heavily influenced the architecture and culture of Montevideo and other major cities. For this reason, Montevideo and life within the city are very reminiscent of Western Europe. Church and state are officially separated. Most Uruguayans adhere to the Roman Catholic faith (66%), with smaller Protestant (2%) and Jewish and Armenian Christian (1%) communities, as well as a large nonprofessing group (31%). [2]

Uruguay is distinguished by its high literacy rate (99%), large urban middle class, and relatively even income distribution. During the 1970s and 1980s, an estimated six-hundred thousand Uruguayans emigrated, principally to Spain, Argentina and Brazil. Other Uruguayans went to various countries in Europe and USA.

As a result of the low birth rate, high life expectancy, and relatively high rate of emigration of younger people, Uruguay's population is quite mature. In 2006, the country had a birth rate of 13.91 births per thousand population,[3] lower than neighboring countries Argentina (16.73 births/1000 population)[4] and Brazil (16.56 births/1,000 population). [5]

[edit] Health and education

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Uruguay has one of the highest health and literacy rates in the Americas:

literacy: 99%^{[citation needed]}
life expectancy: 77 years^{[citation needed]}

Eductional establishments

[edit] Culture

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Main article: Culture of Uruguay

See also: Music of Uruguay and List of Uruguayans

Montevideo is considered the most pleasant capital city in the region^{[citation needed]} and the country's 3.3 million people, mainly of European descent, are among the best-educated and longest-living in Latin America. Poverty levels are easily the lowest in the region^{[citation needed]} and the country has the most even distribution of wealth^{[citation needed]} in Latin America. Although its twentieth-century history includes dictators, violence, corruption and economic upheaval, for the last twenty-five or so years Uruguay has been a model of institutional integrity and fiscal responsibility. [6]

As the overwhelming majority of the Uruguayan population has been of European descent since the 1800s, the culture of Uruguay parallels that of Western Europe. Uruguayans have a high standard of living. They are among the warmest and most friendly in South America and hold strong values such as the importance of family and high education. It is custom for Uruguayans to dine late at night, well after 10 o'clock and to stay out well into the early morning hours. It is very common to see in cities such as Montevideo, Colonia and Punta del Este many restaurants, cafés and pubs open until these late hours with their outdoor seating filled with the vivacious Uruguayan community.

Music is also a great part of the culture of Uruguay. The most important and well-known are the tango, milonga, and candombe.

[edit] Uruguayan writers

Delmira Agustini, poet · Mario Benedetti, poet and novelist · Erich Bühler, technical writer · Eduardo Galeano, writer and social commentator renowned throughout Latin America · Felisberto Hernandez, short-story writer and essayist · Juana de Ibarbourou, poet · Jacobo Langsner, playwright · Mario Levrero, short-story writer · Jorge Majfud, essayist and novelist · Horacio Quiroga, short-story writer · Juan Carlos Onetti, novelist · José Enrique Rodó, essayist and philosopher · Florencio Sánchez, playwright · María Eugenia Vaz Ferreira, poet · Idea Vilariño, poet

Montevideo has been the birthplace of three noted French poets: Isidore Lucien Ducasse, Jules Laforgue and Jules Supervielle.

[edit] Uruguayan food

Asado: The national tradition^{[citation needed]}, a barbecue of any kind of beef and sausages (chorizos) served with strong red wine.
Dulce de leche: A sweet treat made of milk and sugar.
Pascualina: A spinach pie, typically including eggs and onion.
Mate: A tea of yerba mate drunk out of mate gourds and sipped from a bombilla (metal straw).
Empanadas: A small pie, usually filled with meat, olives, eggs and carrots.
"Martin Fierro": A slice of cheese and a slice of quince paste (dulce de membrillo).
Caruso sauce: A pasta sauce made from cream, tomato paste, onions, ham and mushrooms.
Chivito: A sandwich containing beef, tomato, cheese and pepper.

[edit] Sports

Main article: Sports in Uruguay

The most popular sport in Uruguay is association football (fútbol), in which the country has earned many honours:

Gold medals at the 1924 and 1928 Olympic Games.
Two World Cups:
- 1930, when the first football world championship took place in Montevideo;
- 1950, in Brazil.

Rugby union (see Rugby union in Uruguay) is also popular with the national team having qualified for both the 1999 Rugby World Cup and the subsequent 2003 world cup. The team is currently the second highest ranked in South America.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] See also

Wikisource has original text related to this article:

CIA World Fact Book, 2004/Uruguay

[edit] External links

Government resources

Find more information on Uruguay by searching Wikipedia's sister projects:

Dictionary definitions from Wiktionary
Textbooks from Wikibooks
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Images and media from Commons
News stories from Wikinews
Learning resources from Wikiversity

(Spanish) INE - National Statistics Institute
(Spanish) MEF - Official site of the Uruguayan Ministry of Finance
(Spanish) Poder Judicial - Official site of the Uruguayan Judiciary
(Spanish) Poder Legislativo - Official site of the Uruguayan Parliament
(Spanish) Portal del Estado Uruguayo - Uruguayan State portal
(Spanish) Presidencia de la República Oriental del Uruguay - Official presidential site

General information

(Spanish)/(English) Uruguay.com - Uruguayan portal
Open Directory Project - Uruguay directory category (multiple languages)
(Spanish)/(German) Sociedad Alemana-Uruguaya - German Uruguayan society
(Spanish)/(English)/(German) Wine Uruguay - Uruguayan Wine Guide
(Spanish)/(English) Studio Stonek - Uruguayan photography studio and image bank

Media

Brecha - Brecha Magazine
El Espectador - Montevideo radio station (First radio station in Uruguay)
El Observador - Montevideo daily newspaper
El País - Montevideo daily newspaper
Infolatam - Information and news of Uruguay
La Guía - La Guía, comerce and news of Las Piedras, Canelones, Uruguay
La República - Montevideo daily newspaper
Montevideo.com - Montevideo news web site
Radio Oceano - Montevideo radio station
Radio Sarandí - Montevideo radio station

Travel and commerce

Casapueblo museum
(Spanish)/(English)/(Portuguese) Ministerio de Turismo del Uruguay - Government tourism information site
Uruguay travel guide from Wikitravel
(Spanish)/(English) Uruguay XXI - Investment and Export Promotion