Uruguay

República Oriental del Uruguay

Flag of the Uruguay Flag of Uruguay Coat of Arms of Uruguay
National motto: Libertad o Muerte (Liberty or Death)
Principal language	Spanish
Capital	Montevideo
President	Tabaré Vázquez
Area:  - Total:  - % water:	Ranked 90th 176,220 km² 1.5%
Population:  - Total (2002)  - Density	Ranked 130th 3,399,237 19/km²
Independence	1825
Currency	Uruguayan peso
Time zone	Universal Time -3
National anthem	Orientales, la Patria o la tumba (Easterners, the Fatherland or the Grave)
Internet TLD	.uy
Country calling code]]	598

The Eastern Republic of Uruguay, or Uruguay, is a country located in the southern cone of South America. It is bordered by Brazil to the north and east, the Uruguay River to the west, Argentina and the River Plate Río de la Plata estuary to the south, and finally the South Atlantic Ocean and to the southeast. About half of its people live in the capital and largest city, Montevideo. The nation is the second-smallest country in South America and is one of the most politically and economically stable.

Geography

Uruguay is the second-smallest country in South America, after Suriname. The landscape features mostly rolling plains and low hill ranges (cuchillas) with a fertile coastal lowland, most of it grassland, ideal for cattle and sheep raising. The highest point in the country is the Cerro Catedral (Mount Cathedral) at 514 meters (1,685 feet). To the southwest is the Río de la Plata (River Plate), the estuary of the Uruguay River, which forms the western border, and the Paraná River, which 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 from the north from the pampas plains in Argentina and west down from the Andes separating Argentina and Chile.

History

Satellite photo of Uruguay

The name "Uruguay" comes from Guaraní, the language of the native people of the region. It means "river of the painted birds."

The first Europeans arrived in the area in the early 16th century. Both Spain and Portugal pursued the colonization of Uruguay, with the Spanish eventually gaining control. The future capital, Montevideo, was founded in the early 18th century and became a rival to Buenos Aires across the Río de la Plata. Montevideo, however, was thought of as a military center for the Spanish empire, while Buenos Aires was a commercial center. The meaning of Montevideo is " The mountain that can be seen", referring to the highest point or hill, El Cerro, located to the west of the main metropolitan area and working harbor.

In the early 19th century, independence movements sprung up across South America, including Uruguay (then known as the Banda Oriental del Rio Uruguay, or East Bank of the Uruguay River, referring to the area east of the Uruguay River ). Uruguayan territory was contested between the nascent states of Brazil and Argentina. Brazil annexed the area in 1821 under the name of Provincia Cisplatina, but a revolt began in 1825, after which Uruguay became an independent country with the Treaty of Montevideo in 1828. Since then, Uruguay has performed the role of a buffer state between the two contesting South American powers.

The original population of Charrúa Indians was gradually decimated over three centuries, culminating in 1831 in a mass killing at Salsipuedes, which was led by General Fructuoso Rivera, Uruguay's first president. After that date the few remaining Charrúas were dispersed and a viable Charrúa culture was a thing of the past, although Charrúa blood still runs in the veins of many Uruguayans today as a result of extensive Charrúa-Spanish intermixing during colonial times. Four Charrúas — Senaqué, the leader Vaimaca Pirú, the warrior Tacuabé and his wife Guyunusa — were taken to Paris in 1833 to be displayed as circus attractions.

In the latter part of the 19th century, Uruguay participated in the War of the Triple Alliance against Paraguay.

Uruguay then experienced a series of elected and appointed presidents and saw conflicts with neighboring states, political and economic fluctuations and modernization, and large inflows of immigrants, mostly from Europe. The work of President José Batlle y Ordóñez made Uruguay an advanced nation with a complex welfare system; for most of the 20th century, Uruguay was on par with European nations. Due to its advanced social system and its stable democracy, Uruguay came to be known as "the Switzerland of South America."

The Uruguayan economy of today relies largely on agricultural exports. The two world wars brought prosperity as Uruguayan beef and grain went to feed a war-ravaged Europe. World food prices dropped precipitously following the end of WWII, which triggered years of decline for the Uruguayan economy. By the 1960s, the stable social system began to break down as the economy spiraled. The government began losing popular support as students, workers and lower-class families felt the pain of an economy unable to adapt to a post-agricultural world economy. The Tupamaros, a radical leftist group, responded to the crisis with violence, which triggered government repression that ended with the suspension of individual rights by the president, Jorge Pacheco Areco, and his successor, Juan María Bordaberry. Finally, in 1973, the army seized power, ushering in 11 years of military dictatorship in what was once one of the thye region's most stable democracies. In 1984, democracy was finally restored with the election of Julio María Sanguinetti.

Map of Uruguay

Politics

Uruguay's Constitution of 1967 created a strong presidency, subject to legislative and judicial controls. The president, who is both head of state and head of government, is elected by popular vote for a five-year term, with the vice president elected on the same ticket. Thirteen cabinet ministers, appointed by the president, head executive departments.

The parliament is the bicameral General Assembly or, Asamblea General, which consists of a 30-member senate, presided over by the vice president, and a 99-member Chamber of Representatives. Members of both houses are elected by popular vote for five-year terms.

The Supreme Court is the nation’s highest judicial body. It is composed of five justices who are elected by the General Assembly. The judicial system also includes appeals courts, various lower courts, justices of the peace, and a military justice system.

For most of Uruguay's history, the Colorado, Blanco and National parties (centrist to conservative) alternated in power. The elections of 2004, however, saw the victory of the Encuentro Progresista-Frente Amplio-Nueva Mayoría, or Broad Front coalition, a grouping of various leftist parties. Their leader, Tabaré Vázquez Rosas, was elected president by an absolute majority on the first ballot and his party won majorities in both houses of parliament.

Economy

Uruguay's economy is characterized by an export-driven agricultural sector, a well-educated workforce, high levels of social spending, as well as a developed industrial sector. After averaging an annual growth of 5 percent from 1996-98, the country suffered a recession from 1999 to 2003 as a result of 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 neighbors, a reflection of its national fiscal policies earning a 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 attention towards developing the commercial use of IT technologies, and has become the leading exporter of software in Latin America. Leading natural product exports include, beef, cut logs for the European paper pulp industry, seafood, and rice.

While some parts of the economy appeared to be resilient, the major exports of beef took a severe blow when Mad Cow disease was discovered in the Uruguayan herds, disqualifying it from almost every international market during 2001. This downturn began a series of severe financial shocks leading to a 20 percent rise in unemployment, a fall in real wages, the devaluation of the peso, and a 40 percent rise in Uruguayans below the poverty level. These worsening economic conditions played a part in turning public opinion against the free-market economic policies adopted by previous administrations in the 1990s, and leading to popular rejection of a proposed privatization of the state petroleum company in 2003 and 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 crash job programs to attack the widespread problems of poverty and unemployment that have befallen the nation since 2001.

Demographics

Most Uruguayans share a Spanish cultural heritage, although over half of the population is of Italian origin, with another large segment traces its ancestry to the Canary Islands. Some 88% of the population is of European descent, with mestizos (8%) and blacks (4%) forming the only significant ethnic minorities. First-time visitors to Uruguay often remark on the country’s strong European and Mediterranean cultural influence. Church and state are officially separated, with most adhering to the Roman Catholic faith (66%). However the influence of the Catholic Church is much less apparent on the social and political fabric of Uruguay than the nations of Brazil, Argentina or especially Chile. Uruguay also has smaller Protestant (2%) and Jewish (1%) communities, as well as a large non-professing group (31%), considered the highest percentage of atheists and non-religious people in Latin America.

According to the United States State Department, approximately 850 families are practicing Buddhists. The Unification Church is active in the country and has major property holdings, including a daily newspaper and an international hotel. There is a Muslim population that lives primarily near the border with Brazil. There are also an estimated 4,000 Baha'is, concentrated mainly in Montevideo.

Many Christian groups perform foreign missionary work, and report no difficulties obtaining visas for religious work. Statistics indicated that there were an estimated 780 Mormon missionaries from neighboring countries and the United States in the country.

Uruguay is distinguished by its high literacy rate, large urban middle class, and relatively even income distribution. During the past two decades, an estimated 500,000 Uruguayans have emigrated, principally to Argentina and Brazil and a smaller group to the United States and Europe. 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. There is a sense within the youth of the nation that they must leave to use their technical and business skills in the more dynamic economies located to the North.

Culture

Despite its small size, Uruguay has made significant contributions to the arts in Latin America. Uruguay’s greatest literary figure is the essayist Jose Enrique Rodó, who greatly influenced Latin-American thought. His best-known work, Ariel (1900), expresses the importance of upholding spiritual values against materialistic ways of life. Writing during the same period was Horacio Quiroga, who is considered a master of the short story.

During the 19th century, Uruguayan painter Juan Manuel Blanes became well known for his depictions of historical events, and was the first Uruguayan to win widespread recognition. Post-Impressionist painter Pedro Figari achieved international fame during the early 1900's for his pastels of life in Montevideo and the countryside.

Interwoven into much of Uruguay’s folk music, art and drama is the gaucho, the nomadic, free-spirited horseman and cowhand who roamed the pampas from the mid-18th to the mid-19th century. Carved mate gourds, a traditional Uruguayan handicraft, often show scenes of gaucho life.

Sports

The most popular sport in Uruguay is soccer, and the country has earned many honors in that sport, including gold medals at the 1924 and 1928 Olympics and two World Cups. The first football world championship was celebrated in Montevideo in 1930.

Rugby, basketball and diving are also popular.

References

ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

CIA World Factbook - Uruguay https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/uy.html

U.S. State Department Background Notes – Uruguay http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2091.htm

A Country Study: Uruguay Library of Congress Call Number F2708.U855 1992 http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/uytoc.html

BBC News - Country Profile: Uruguay http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/country_profiles/1229360.stm

External links

Government resources

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

General information

• Uruguay Total - Uruguayan portal (in Spanish)
• Uruguay.com - Uruguayan portal (in Spanish, with English links)
• Open Directory Project - Uruguay directory category (multiple languages)
• From Uruguay - Uruguayan blog (in English)
• Wine Uruguay - Uruguayan Wine Guide (in English, Spanish, German)

Media

• El País - Montevideo daily newspaper
• La República - Montevideo daily newspaper
• Ultimas Noticias - Montevideo daily newspaper
• El Observador - Montevideo daily newspaper
• El Espectador - Montevideo radio station
• Radio Sarandí - Montevideo radio station
• Montevideo.com - Montevideo news web site.

Travel and commerce

• Ministerio de Turismo del Uruguay - Government tourism information site (in Spanish, Portuguese and English)
• Travel guide to Uruguay from Wikitravel
• Uruguay XXI - Investment and Export Promotion (in Spanish and English)
• Traveltouruguay.com - Touristic information and promotion

Credits

New World Encyclopedia writers and editors rewrote and completed the Wikipedia article in accordance with New World Encyclopedia standards. This article abides by terms of the Creative Commons CC-by-sa 3.0 License (CC-by-sa), which may be used and disseminated with proper attribution. Credit is due under the terms of this license that can reference both the New World Encyclopedia contributors and the selfless volunteer contributors of the Wikimedia Foundation. To cite this article click here for a list of acceptable citing formats.The history of earlier contributions by wikipedians is accessible to researchers here:

• Uruguay  ^history

The history of this article since it was imported to New World Encyclopedia:

• History of "Uruguay"

Note: Some restrictions may apply to use of individual images which are separately licensed.