Located on the east coast of South America, Uruguay is the second-smallest country on the continent after Suriname. For much of the 20th century Uruguay was widely praised as an example of political and economy stability. The country's progress stalled during a period of military rule in the 1970s and 1980s. Afterward, however, Uruguay again was regarded as one of the freest countries in South America. The capital is Montevideo. GeographyUruguay covers an area of 68,037 square miles (176,215 square kilometers). It has two very large neighbors: Brazil in the north and Argentina in the west. Water forms most of the country's borders. To the southeast is the Atlantic Ocean, and to the south is a wide extension of the Atlantic called the Río de la Plata. The Uruguay River serves as the border with Argentina. In the north the Cuareim River forms part of the border with Brazil. The largest river system within Uruguay is the Río Negro. A dam on this river created the Embalse del Río Negro, an artificial lake that is larger than any natural lake in the country. The landscape of Uruguay consists mostly of low hills and and gently rolling plains. The country's highest point is Mount Catedral in the southeast, which rises only 1,683 feet (513 meters). The Atlantic coast is lined with sandy beaches from the Brazilian border to Montevideo. The climate is generally pleasant and mild. Plants and animalsTall prairie grasses cover the ground in most of Uruguay. Wildflowers such as scarlet and white verbenas brighten the prairies. Uruguay has few forests. Most of its trees grow along the waterways. They include the alder, willow, eucalyptus, poplar, and aloe. The wood and bark of the quebracho tree are used in tanning and dyeing leather. Few wild animals live in Uruguay. Some pumas and jaguars may be seen in remote areas. Other native animals include the fox, deer, wildcat, and the large rodent called the capybara. The alligatorlike caiman lives in parts of the Uruguay River. The birds of Uruguay include vultures, parakeets, and flamingos. People and cultureMost Uruguayans are of European ancestry. They are descended mainly from immigrants who arrived from Spain and Italy in the 19th and 20th centuries. The early Spanish and Portuguese settlers of Uruguay virtually wiped out the American Indian population. But the country still has a sizable population of mestizos, or people of mixed European and Indian ancestry. The rest of the people are of African or mixed African and European ancestry. Almost all Uruguayans speak Spanish, the official language. Roman Catholicism is the main religion. The population of Uruguay is mostly urban. Almost half of the people live in Montevideo, the capital. Located on the coast, Montevideo has about 15 times as many people as Salto, the second-largest city. Economy - Gaucho herding cattle on a ranch in central Uruguay.
The economy of Uruguay has long been dependent on agriculture. The country's vast grasslands are used for raising large herds of cattle and sheep. Live animals and animal products such as beef and wool are Uruguay's leading exports. Animal hides and skins are also sold to other countries. With the emphasis on livestock, little of Uruguay's land has been available for growing crops. The crops that are grown include rice, wheat, corn (maize), oranges, and sugarcane. Manufacturing in Uruguay is based largely on the processing of food and other agricultural products. Meatpacking and the production of textiles and leather goods are important industries. The country's factories also produce chemicals, beverages, household appliances, tires, and cement. Uruguay is not rich in mineral resources. This has limited the growth of industry in the country. Tourism is an important industry that centers on seaside resorts. HistoryA group of Indian tribes known together as the Charrúa lived in what is now Uruguay before the arrival of Europeans. The first European to reach the area was the Spanish explorer Juan Díaz de Solís, who arrived in 1516. The Indians were hostile to the newcomers. In addition, the Spanish found no gold or silver in the area. For these reasons the Spanish chose not to settle the land. Banda OrientalCattle from neighboring regions roamed freely in Uruguayan territory. They multiplied over the years until their numbers reached the millions. Bands of gauchos, or cowboys, hunted the cattle but did not build settlements. At that time the Spanish referred to the area only as the Banda Oriental del Uruguay (the east bank of the Uruguay River). Today the official name of the country is República Oriental del Uruguay (Oriental Republic of Uruguay). In 1680 the Portuguese rulers of Brazil established the town of Colonia in the Banda Oriental on the Río de la Plata. The Spanish were determined not to let the Portuguese establish themselves in the area. They founded Montevideo in 1726 and attacked Colonia. By the late 1770s the Spanish had driven the Portuguese from their settlement. They made the area part of a colonial territory known as the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata. In 1810 Spain's American colonies began fighting for independence. A soldier named José Gervasio Artigas led the war in the Banda Oriental. He defeated the Spanish and held Montevideo for a time. Soon, however, the Portuguese took over the region. They made the Banda Oriental part of Brazil. After three more years of warfare, the Banda Oriental became the independent nation of Uruguay in 1828. Political and economic strugglesIndependence did not bring peace to Uruguay. The country was plagued with nearly continuous civil war for the first 70 years of its existence. Both Argentina and Brazil meddled in the affairs of the new state between them. Uruguay's civil wars ended during the first term of President José Batlle y Ordóñez. Batlle y Ordóñez was elected president in 1903 and dominated Uruguayan politics until his death in 1929. He is generally credited with transforming his country into a stable democratic state. He also helped develop Uruguay's ranching economy. At the same time, his far-reaching social reforms helped improve conditions for workers. In the 1950s, however, Uruguay's economy suffered because of a drop in the price of wool. The economic crisis led to protests and demonstrations. The country's difficulties grew in the 1960s when a revolutionary group called the Tupamaros began trying to overthrow the government using acts of terrorism. Military rule to civilian governmentIn response to these problems, the military took control of Uruguay in 1973. The military defeated the Tupamaros, but it also ruled very harshly. Many opponents of the government were imprisoned, tortured, or killed. As the economy worsened in the 1980s, the military agreed to hold elections. In 1985 a freely elected civilian government replaced the military dictatorship. Uruguay's economy grew significantly during the 1990s. In the early 21st century there was growing pressure to investigate human-rights abuses that occurred under military rule. Population (2001 estimate), 3,303,000. |