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 established 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.

Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Argentina and Brazil

33 00 S, 56 00 W

South America

slightly smaller than the state of Washington

660 km

warm temperate; freezing temperatures almost unknown

mostly rolling plains and low hills; fertile coastal lowland

arable land, hydropower, minor minerals, fisheries

2,100 sq km (2003)

139 cu km (2000)

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

water pollution from meat packing/tannery industry; inadequate solid/hazardous waste disposal

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

3,494,382 (July 2009 est.)

0.466% (2009 est.)

13.91 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)

9.09 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)

-0.16 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)

1.92 children born/woman (2009 est.)

0.6% (2007 est.)

10,000 (2007 est.)

fewer than 500 (2007 est.)

white 88%, mestizo 8%, black 4%, Amerindian (practically nonexistent)

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

Spanish, Portunol, or Brazilero (Portuguese-Spanish mix on the Brazilian frontier)

2.9% of GDP (2006)

constitutional republic

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

25 August 1825 (from Brazil)

Independence Day, 25 August (1825)

27 November 1966; effective 15 February 1967; suspended 27 June 1973; revised 26 November 1989 and 7 January 1997

based on Spanish civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

bicameral General Assembly or Asamblea General consists of Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores (30 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms; vice president has one vote in the Senate) and Chamber of Representatives or Camara de Representantes (99 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

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

Broad Front (Frente Amplio) - formerly known as the Progressive Encounter/Broad Front Coalition or EP-FA [Jorge BROVETTO] (a broad governing coalition that includes Movement of the Popular Participation or MPP [Jose MUJICA], New Space Party (Nuevo Espacio) [Rafael MICHELINI], Progressive Alliance (Alianza Progresista) [Rodolfo NIN NOVOA], Socialist Party [Eduardo FERNANDEZ], the Communist Party [Marina ARISMENDI], Uruguayan Assembly (Asamblea Uruguay) [Danilo ASTORI], and Vertiente Artiguista [Mariano ARANA]); Colorado Party (Foro Batllista) [Julio Maria SANGUINETTI]; National Party or Blanco [Luis Alberto LACALLE and Jorge LARRANAGA]

Architect's Society of Uruguay (professional organization); Chamber of Uruguayan Industries (manufacturer's association); Chemist and Pharmaceutical Association (professional organization); PIT/CNT (powerful federation of Uruguayan Unions - umbrella labor organization); Rural Association of Uruguay (rancher's association); Uruguayan Construction League; Uruguayan Network of Political Women

CAN (associate), FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMIS, UNMOGIP, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

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

Uruguay's 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. In 2001-02 Argentine citizens made massive withdrawals of dollars deposited in Uruguayan banks after bank deposits in Argentina were frozen, which led to a plunge in the Uruguayan peso, a banking crisis, and a sharp economic contraction. Real GDP fell in four years by nearly 20%, with 2002 the worst year. The unemployment rate rose, inflation surged, and the burden of external debt doubled. Financial assistance from the IMF helped stem the damage. Uruguay restructured its external debt in 2003 without asking creditors to accept a reduction on the principal. Economic growth for Uruguay resumed, and averaged 8% annually during the period 2004-08.

$42.46 billion (2008 est.)

$38.29 billion (2007)

$35.65 billion (2006)

$31.3 billion (2008 est.)

8.5% (2008 est.)

7.4% (2007 est.)

7% (2006 est.)

$12,200 (2008 est.)

$11,100 (2007 est.)

$10,400 (2006 est.)

1.641 million (2008 est.)

7.6% (2008 est.)

9.2% (2007 est.)

27.4% of households (2006)

45.2 (2006)

15.1% of GDP (2008 est.)

57% of GDP (September 2008)

9.2% (2008)

8.1% (2007 est.)

NA% (31 December 2008)

10% (31 December 2007)

7% (February 2009)

7.25% (31 December 2007)

$2.121 billion (31 December 2008)

$2.145 billion (31 December 2007)

$9.286 billion (31 December 2008)

$7.919 billion (31 December 2007)

$7.562 billion (31 December 2008)

$6.396 billion (31 December 2007)

$159 million (31 December 2007)

rice, wheat, soybeans, barley; livestock, beef; fish; forestry

food processing, electrical machinery, transportation equipment, petroleum products, textiles, chemicals, beverages

14.1% (2008 est.)

9.2 billion kWh (2007)

7.03 billion kWh (2007)

995.4 million kWh (2007 est.)

788.4 million kWh (2007 est.)

935.7 bbl/day (2007 est.)

33,400 bbl/day (2007 est.)

4,410 bbl/day (2007)

43,670 bbl/day (2007)

NA bbl

0 cu m (2007 est.)

102.8 million cu m (2007 est.)

0 cu m (2007 est.)

116.9 million cu m (2007)

0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

$-1 billion (2008 est.)

$6 billion f.o.b. (2008 est.)

meat, rice, leather products, wool, fish, dairy products

Brazil 15.5%, US 9.4%, Argentina 8.4%, Mexico 6.6%, China 6.1%, Germany 4.8% (2007)

$7 billion f.o.b. (2008 est.)

crude petroleum and petroleum products, machinery, chemicals, road vehicles, paper, plastics

Brazil 19.1%, Argentina 17.9%, US 9.5%, China 9.1%, Paraguay 7.7%, Nigeria 4.7% (2007)

$6.3 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

$11.48 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

$4.19 billion (2007)

$156 million (2007)

Uruguayan pesos (UYU) per US dollar - 20.936 (2008 est.), 23.947 (2007), 24.048 (2006), 24.479 (2005), 28.704 (2004)

965,200 (2007)

3.004 million (2007)

AM 93, FM 191, shortwave 7 (2005)

62 (2005)

.uy

480,593 (2008)

968,000 (2007)

56 (2008)

gas 226 km; oil 155 km (2008)

1,600 km (2008)

Montevideo

Uruguayan Armed Forces: Army (Ejercito), National Navy (Armada Nacional; includes naval air arm, Marine Corps (Cuerpo de Fusileros Navales, FUSNA), Maritime Prefecture in wartime), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Uruguaya, FAU) (2008)

18 years of age for voluntary and compulsory military service; enlistment is voluntary in peacetime, but the government has the authority to conscript in emergencies (2007)

1.6% of GDP (2006)

in Jan 2007, ICJ provisionally ruled Uruguay may begin construction of two paper mills on the Uruguay River, which forms the border with Argentina, while the court examines further whether Argentina has the legal right to stop such construction with potential environmental implications to both countries; uncontested dispute with Brazil over certain islands in the Quarai/Cuareim and Invernada streams and the resulting tripoint with Argentina

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