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Guide to Uruguay

Introduction

Background: Montevideo, founded by the Spanish in 1726 as a military stronghold, soon took advantage of its natural harbor to became an important commercial center. Annexed by Brazil as a separate province in 1821, Uruguay declared its independence four years later and secured its freedom in 1828 after a three-year struggle. The administrations of President BATLLE in the early 20th century established widespread political, social, and economic reforms. A violent Marxist urban guerrilla movement, the Tupamaros, launched in the late 1960s, led Uruguay's president to agree to military control of his administration in 1973. By yearend, the rebels had been crushed, but the military continued to expand its hold throughout the government. Civilian rule was not restored until 1985. Uruguay's political and labor conditions are among the freest on the continent.

Geography

Location: Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Argentina and Brazil
Geographic coordinates: 33 00 S, 56 00 W
Map references: South America
Area: total
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than the state of Washington
Land boundaries: total
Coastline: 660 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea
Climate: warm temperate; freezing temperatures almost unknown
Terrain: mostly rolling plains and low hills; fertile coastal lowland
Elevation extremes: lowest point
Natural resources: arable land, hydropower, minor minerals, fisheries
Land use: arable land
Irrigated land: 1,800 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: seasonally high winds (the pampero is a chilly and occasional violent wind which 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
Environment - current issues: water pollution from meat packing/tannery industry; inadequate solid/hazardous waste disposal
Environment - international agreements: party to
Geography - note: 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

People

Population: 3,415,920 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years
Median age: total
Population growth rate: 0.47% (2005 est.)
Birth rate: 14.09 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate: 9.06 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth
Infant mortality rate: total
Life expectancy at birth: total population
Total fertility rate: 1.91 children born/woman (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.3% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 6,000 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 500 (2003 est.)
Nationality: noun
Ethnic groups: white 88%, mestizo 8%, black 4%, Amerindian (practically nonexistent)
Religions: Roman Catholic 66% (less than half of the adult population attends church regularly), Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, nonprofessing or other 31%
Languages: Spanish, Portunol, or Brazilero (Portuguese-Spanish mix on the Brazilian frontier)
Literacy: definition

Government

Country name: conventional long form
Government type: constitutional republic
Capital: Montevideo
Administrative divisions: 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
Independence: 25 August 1825 (from Brazil)
National holiday: Independence Day, 25 August (1825)
Constitution: 27 November 1966, effective February 1967; suspended 27 June 1973, new constitution rejected by referendum 30 November 1980; two constitutional reforms approved by plebiscite 26 November 1989 and 7 January 1997
Legal system: based on Spanish civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch: chief of state
Legislative branch: 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) and Chamber of Representatives or Camara de Representantes (99 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (judges are nominated by the president and elected for 10-year terms by the General Assembly)
Political parties and leaders: Colorado Party [Jorge BATLLE Ibanez]; National Party or Blanco [Luis Alberto LACALLE Herrera]; New Sector/Space Coalition (Nuevo Espacio) [Rafael MICHELINI]; Progressive Encounter/Broad Front Coalition (Encuentro Progresista/Frente Amplio) or EP-FA [Tabare VAZQUEZ]; Independent Party (Partido Independiente) [leader NA]
Political pressure groups and leaders: Agrupacion UTE (powerful state worker's union), Rural Association of Uruguay (rancher's association), Uruguayan Construction League, Chamber of Uruguayan Industries (manufacturer's association), Chemist and Pharmaceutical Association (professional organization), Architect's Society of Uruguay (professional organization), the Catholic Church, students
International organization participation: CSN, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM (observer), OAS, ONUB, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMOGIP, UNMOT, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission
Flag description: nine equal horizontal stripes of white (top and bottom) alternating with blue; there is a white square in the upper hoist-side corner with a yellow sun bearing a human face known as the Sun of May and 16 rays alternately triangular and wavy

Economy

Economy - overview: Uruguay's well-to-do economy is characterized by an export-oriented agricultural sector, a well-educated workforce, 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. For instance, in 2001-02 massive withdrawals by Argentina of dollars deposited in Uruguayan banks led to a plunge in the Uruguyan peso and a massive rise in unemployment. Total GDP in these four years dropped by nearly 20%, with 2002 the worst year due to the serious banking crisis. Unemployment rose to nearly 20% in 2002, inflation surged, and the burden of external debt doubled. Cooperation with the IMF limited the damage. The debt swap with private creditors carried out in 2003, which extended the maturity dates on nearly half of Uruguay's $11.3 billion in public debt, substantially alleviated the country's amortization burden in the coming years and restored public confidence. The economy grew about 10% in 2004 as a result of high commodity prices for Uruguayan exports, the weakness of the dollar against the euro, growth in the region, low international interest rates, and greater export competitiveness.
GDP (purchasing power parity): $49.27 billion (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 10.2% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $14,500 (2004 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture
Labor force: 1.56 million (2004 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 14%, industry 16%, services 70%
Unemployment rate: 13% (2004 est.)
Population below poverty line: 21% of households (2003)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%
Distribution of family income - Gini index: 44.8 (1999)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7.6% (2004 est.)
Investment (gross fixed): 9.6% of GDP (2004 est.)
Budget: revenues
Agriculture - products: rice, wheat, corn, barley; livestock; fish
Industries: food processing, electrical machinery, transportation equipment, petroleum products, textiles, chemicals, beverages
Industrial production growth rate: 22% (2004 est.)
Electricity - production: 8.536 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel
Electricity - consumption: 5.878 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports: 954 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports: 434.2 million kWh (2003)
Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption: 41,500 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports: NA
Oil - imports: NA
Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - consumption: 64.5 million cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - imports: 65 million cu m (2003 est.)
Current account balance: $181.8 million (2004 est.)
Exports: $2.2 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Exports - commodities: meat, rice, leather products, wool, fish, dairy products
Exports - partners: US 17.3%, Brazil 16%, Germany 6.3%, Argentina 6.2%, Mexico 4.2% (2004)
Imports: $2.071 billion f.o.b. (2003)
Imports - commodities: machinery, chemicals, road vehicles, crude petroleum
Imports - partners: Argentina 19.5%, Brazil 19%, Paraguay 12.9%, US 9.2%, China 6% (2004)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $2.362 billion (2004 est.)
Debt - external: $12.8 billion (March 2004)
Economic aid - recipient: NA
Currency (code): Uruguayan peso (UYU)
Currency code: UYU
Exchange rates: Uruguayan pesos per US dollar - 28.704 (2004), 28.209 (2003), 21.257 (2002), 13.319 (2001), 12.1 (2000)
Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications

Telephones - main lines in use: 946,500 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 652,000 (2002)
Telephone system: general assessment
Radio broadcast stations: AM 91, FM 149, shortwave 7 (2001)
Radios: 1.97 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 23 (2002)
Televisions: 782,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .uy
Internet hosts: 87,630 (2003)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 14 (2001)
Internet users: 400,000 (2002)

Transportation

Railways: total
Highways: total
Waterways: 1,600 km (2002)
Pipelines: gas 192 km (2004)
Ports and harbors: Montevideo
Merchant marine: total
Airports: 64 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total
Airports - with unpaved runways: total

Military

Military branches: Army, Navy (includes Naval Air Arm, Marines, Maritime Prefecture in wartime), Air Force
Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary and compulsory military service (2001)
Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49
Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $257.5 million (2004)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 2% (2004)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: uncontested dispute with Brazil over certain islands in the Quarai/Cuareim and Invernada streams and the resulting tripoint with Argentina
Last updated: 20 October, 2005


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