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Uruguay

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Central & South American
Countries; Countries

   SOS Children works in Uruguay. For more information see SOS Children in
   Uruguay
        República Oriental del Uruguay
   Eastern Republic of Uruguay

   Flag of Uruguay Coat of Arms of Uruguay
   Flag            Coat of Arms
   Motto: Libertad o Muerte
   (Spanish for "Liberty or Death")
   Anthem: Orientales, la Patria o la tumba
   Location of Uruguay
   Capital
   (and largest city) Montevideo
                      34°53′S 56°10′W
   Official languages Spanish
   Government         Democratic Republic
    - President       Tabaré Vázquez
      Independence    from Brazil
    - Declared        August 25, 1825
    - Recognised      August 28, 1828
                     Area
    - Total           176,220 km² ( 90th)
                      68,038 sq mi
    - Water (%)       1.5
                  Population
    - 2005 estimate   3,415,920 ( 128th)
    - 2002 census     3,399,237
    - Density         19/km² ( 156th)
                      50/sq mi
       GDP ( PPP)     2005 estimate
    - Total           $32,885 million ( 90th)
    - Per capita      $9,619 ( 67th)
      HDI  (2003)     0.840 (high) ( 46th)
        Currency      Uruguayan Peso ( UYU)
       Time zone      UST ( UTC-3)
    - Summer ( DST)   UDST ( UTC-2)
      Internet TLD    .uy
      Calling code    +598

   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. It
   was once dominated by Brazil and Portugal. On August 25, 1825, José
   Gervasio Artigas, led the fight for independence and that is now the
   national holiday.

History

   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
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   Rio de la Plata in 1603
   Oldest Church in Uruguay - San Carlos, Uruguay
   Enlarge
   Oldest Church in Uruguay - San Carlos, Uruguay

Politics

   Politics of Uruguay 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.

Administrative divisions

   Map of Uruguay
   Map of Uruguay

   Uruguay consists of 19 departments (departamentos, singular -
   ''departamento):
     Department   Area (km²) 177 220 Population (2004)        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

Geography

   Satellite photo of Uruguay
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   Satellite photo of Uruguay
   Lighthouse at Colonia de Sacramento
   Enlarge
   Lighthouse at Colonia de Sacramento

   At 176.220 square kilometres, Uruguay is the second smallest sovereign
   nation in South America, after Suriname, and the third smallest
   political entity (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 metres (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
   Enlarge
   Playa Brava in Punta del Este, Uruguay

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. 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.

Economy

   Montevideo, Uruguay's capital
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   Montevideo, Uruguay's capital
   Plaza Gomensoro in the Pocitos neighborhood of Montevideo
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   Plaza Gomensoro in the Pocitos neighbourhood of Montevideo

   Uruguay's economy is characterised by an export-oriented agricultural
   sector, a well-educated workforce, and high levels of social spending,
   as well as a developed industrial sector. 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. 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.

   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, has also promised to undertake a crash jobs programs to attack
   the widespread problems of poverty and unemployment.
   Punta del Este, beach resort in Uruguay
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   Punta del Este, beach resort in Uruguay

Agriculture

   Agriculture played such an important part in Uruguayan history and
   national identity until the middle of the 20th century that the entire
   country was then sometimes likened to a single huge estancia
   (agricultural estate) with 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").
   A heartland of historic estancias : Estancia San Eugenio, Casupá,
   southern department of Florida
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   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.

   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 the historic
   estancias of Uruguay's golden era.

Demographics

   Torre de las Telecomunicaciones (Antel Tower) in Montevideo.
   Enlarge
   Torre de las Telecomunicaciones ( Antel Tower) in Montevideo.

   Like the neighbouring nation of 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. 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%).

   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 600,000 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, lower than neighboring countries Argentina (16.73
   births/1000 population) and Brazil (16.56 births/1,000 population).

Culture

   Montevideo is considered the most pleasant capital city in the region
   and the country's 3.3m people - mainly of European descent - are among
   the best-educated and longest-living in Latin America. Poverty levels,
   although rising, are easily the lowest in the region and the country
   has the most even distribution of wealth in Latin America. Although its
   20th-century history comes with the usual quota of despotic dictators,
   violence, corruption and economic upheaval, for about the last 25 years
   Uruguay has been a model of institutional integrity and fiscal
   responsibility - the opposite, some may argue, of the behaviour seen
   across the River Plate in Argentina.
     * Music of Uruguay
     * List of Uruguayans

Uruguayan writers

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

   Montevideo has been the birthplace of three important French poets:
     * Isidore Lucien Ducasse
     * Jules Laforgue
     * Jules Supervielle

Uruguayan food

     * Asado: the national tradition, a barbecue of any kind of beef and
       typical 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 sauce to be served with pasta and made out of
       cream, tomato paste, onions, ham and mushrooms.
     * Chivito sandwich, or Chivito: A sandwich containing beef, bacon,
       tomato, ham, cheese and pepper.

Sports

   The most popular sport in Uruguay is association football (called
   fútbol in Spanish). The country has earned many honours in that sport,
   including:
     * gold medals at the 1924 and 1928 Olympic Games and
     * two World Cups:
          + in 1930, when the first football world championship was
            celebrated in Montevideo; and
          + in 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.

   Basketball and cycling are also popular. In 2005, Esteban Batista
   became the first uruguayan born player to enter the NBA.

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uruguay"
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   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
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