Uruguay Population: 3,324,460
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| Background | |
| 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. |
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| Geography | |
| 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 | |
| Location: | Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Argentina and Brazil |
| Geographic coordinates: | 33 00 S, 56 00 W |
| Area: | total: 176,215 sq km land: 175,015 sq km water: 1,200 sq km Size comparison: slightly smaller than the state of Washington |
| Land Boundaries: | total: 1,648 km border countries: Argentina 580 km, Brazil 1,068 km |
| Coastline: | 660 km |
| Maritime claims: | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or edge of continental margin |
| Climate: | warm temperate; freezing temperatures almost unknown |
| Terrain: | mostly rolling plains and low hills; fertile coastal lowland |
| Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Cerro Catedral 514 m |
| Natural resources: | arable land, hydropower, minor minerals, fish |
| Land use: | arable land: 7.77% permanent crops: 0.24% other: 91.99% (2005) |
| Irrigated land: | 2,180 sq km (2003) |
| Natural hazards: | 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 |
| Current Environment Issues: | water pollution from meat packing/tannery industry; inadequate solid/hazardous waste disposal |
| International Environment Agreements: | party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation |
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| People | |
| Population: | 3,324,460 (July 2013 est.) |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 21.4% (male 361,589/female 349,257) 15-24 years: 16% (male 269,649/female 262,582) 25-54 years: 38.8% (male 635,252/female 655,518) 55-64 years: 9.9% (male 155,192/female 174,976) 65 years and over: 13.9% (male 183,450/female 276,995) (2013 est.) population pyramid: |
| Median age: | total: 33.8 years male: 32.2 years female: 35.5 years (2012 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 0.24% (2012 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 13.4 births/1,000 population (2012 est.) |
| Death rate: | 9.55 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | -1.45 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.) |
| Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2011 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 9.44 deaths/1,000 live births male: 10.47 deaths/1,000 live births female: 8.38 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.) |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 76.41 years male: 73.27 years female: 79.66 years (2012 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 1.86 children born/woman (2013 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 0.5% (2009 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 9,900 (2009 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths: | NA |
| Nationality: | noun: Uruguayan(s) adjective: Uruguayan |
| Ethnic groups: | white 88%, mestizo 8%, black 4%, Amerindian (practically nonexistent) |
| Religions: | Roman Catholic 47.1%, non-Catholic Christians 11.1%, nondenominational 23.2%, Jewish 0.3%, atheist or agnostic 17.2%, other 1.1% (2006) |
| Languages: | Spanish (official), Portunol, Brazilero (Portuguese-Spanish mix on the Brazilian frontier) |
| Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 98% male: 97.6% female: 98.4% (2003 est.) |
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| Government | |
| Country name: | conventional long form: Oriental Republic of Uruguay conventional short form: Uruguay local long form: Republica Oriental del Uruguay local short form: Uruguay former: Banda Oriental, Cisplatine Province |
| Government type: | constitutional republic |
| Capital: | name: Montevideo geographic coordinates: 34 51 S, 56 10 W time difference: UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in October; ends second Sunday in March |
| 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 15 February 1967; suspended 27 June 1973; revised 26 November 1989 and 7 January 1997 |
| Legal system: | civil law system based on the Spanish civil code |
| Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal and compulsory |
| Executive branch: | chief of state: President Jose "Pepe" MUJICA Cordano (since 1 March 2010); Vice President Danilo ASTORI Saragoza (since 1 March 2010); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Jose "Pepe" MUJICA Cordano (since 1 March 2010); Vice President Danilo ASTORI Saragoza (since 1 March 2010) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president with parliamentary approval (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for five-year terms (may not serve consecutive terms); election last held on 29 November 2009 (next to be held in October 2014) election results: Jose "Pepe" MUJICA elected president; percent of vote - Jose "Pepe" MUJICA 54.8%, Luis Alberto LACALLE 45.2% |
| Legislative branch: | bicameral General Assembly or Asamblea General consists of Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores (30 seats; members 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 elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: Chamber of Senators - last held on 25 October 2009 (next to be held in October 2014); Chamber of Representatives - last held on 25 October 2009 (next to be held in October 2014) election results: Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Frente Amplio 16, Blanco 9, Colorado Party 5; Chamber of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Frente Amplio 50, Blanco 30, Colorado Party 17, Independent Party 2 |
| Judicial branch: | Supreme Court (judges are nominated by the president and elected for 10-year terms by the General Assembly) |
| Political parties and leaders: | Broad Front (Frente Amplio) - formerly known as the Progressive Encounter/Broad Front Coalition or EP-FA [Monica XAVIER] (a broad governing coalition that includes Movement for Popular Participation or MPP, New Space Party (Nuevo Espacio) [Rafael MICHELINI], Progressive Alliance (Alianza Progresista) [Rodolfo NIN NOVOA], Socialist Party [vacant], Communist Party [Eduardo LORIER], Uruguayan Assembly (Asamblea Uruguay) [Danilo ASTORI], and Vertiente Artiguista [Enrique RUBIO]); Colorado Party (Vamos Uruguay) [Martha MONTANER]; Independent Party [Pablo MIERES]; National Party or Blanco [Luis Alberto HEBER] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: | Chamber of Commerce and Export of Agriproducts; Chamber of Industries (manufacturer's association); Exporters Union of Uruguay; National Chamber of Commerce and Services; PIT/CNT (powerful federation of Uruguayan Unions - umbrella labor organization); Rural Association of Uruguay (rancher's association); Uruguayan Network of Political Women other: B'nai Brith; Catholic Church; students |
| International organization participation: | CAN (associate), CD, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNISFA, UNMOGIP, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Carlos Alberto GIANELLI Derois chancery: 1913 I Street NW, Washington, DC 20006 telephone: [1] (202) 331-1313 through 1316 FAX: [1] (202) 331-8142 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York |
| Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Thomas H. LLOYD embassy: Lauro Muller 1776, Montevideo 11200 mailing address: APO AA 34035 telephone: [598] (2) 1770-2000 FAX: [598] (2) 1770-2128 |
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| Economy | |
| Uruguay has a free market economy characterized by an export-oriented agricultural sector, a well-educated work force, and high levels of social spending. Following financial difficulties in the late 1990s and early 2000s, economic growth for Uruguay averaged 8% annually during the period 2004-08. The 2008-09 global financial crisis put a brake on Uruguay's vigorous growth, which decelerated to 2.6% in 2009. Nevertheless, the country managed to avoid a recession and keep positive growth rates, mainly through higher public expenditure and investment, and GDP growth reached 8.9% in 2010 but fell about 3.5% in 2012, the result of a renewed slowdown in the global economy and in Uruguay's main trade partners and Common Market of the South (Mercosur) counterparts, Argentina and Brazil. Uruguay has sought to expand trade within Mercosur and with non-Mercosur members. Uruguay's total merchandise trade with Mercosur since 2006 has increased by nearly 70% to more than $5 billion while its total trade with the world has almost doubled to roughly $20 billion. | |
| GDP (purchasing power parity): | GDP (purchasing power parity): $53.55 billion (2012 est.) $51.74 billion (2011 est.) $48.95 billion (2010 est.) note: data are in 2012 US dollars |
| GDP (official exchange rate): | GDP (official exchange rate): $49.72 billion (2012 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate: | 3.5% (2012 est.) 5.7% (2011 est.) 8.9% (2010 est.) |
| GDP - per capita (PPP): | GDP - per capita (PPP): $15,800 (2012 est.) $15,400 (2011 est.) $14,600 (2010 est.) note: data are in 2012 US dollars |
| GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 9.1% industry: 21.5% services: 69.3% (2012 est.) |
| Labor force: | 1.691 million (2012 est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture: 13% industry: 14% services: 73% (2010 est.) |
| Unemployment rate: | 6.1% (2012 est.) 6% (2011 est.) |
| Population below poverty line: | 18.6% (2010 est.) (2010 est.) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: 1.9% highest 10%: 34.4% (2010 est.) |
| Distribution of family income - Gini index: | 45.3 (2010) 44.8 (1999) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices): | Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.1% (2012 est.) 8.1% (2011 est.) |
| Investment (gross fixed): | Investment (gross fixed): 20% of GDP (2012 est.) |
| Budget: | revenues: $14.28 billion expenditures: $15.07 billion (2012 est.) |
| Public debt: | 57.2% of GDP (2012 est.) 58.3% of GDP (2011 est.) note: data cover general government debt, and include debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions. |
| Agriculture - products: | soybeans, rice, wheat; beef, dairy products; fish; lumber, cellulose |
| Industries: | food processing, electrical machinery, transportation equipment, petroleum products, textiles, chemicals, beverages |
| Industrial production growth rate: | -1% (2011 est.) |
| Electricity - production: | 9.5 billion kWh (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 95 |
| Electricity - consumption: | 7.96 billion kWh (2011 est.) |
| Electricity - exports: | 18.9 million kWh (2011 est.) |
| Electricity - imports: | 470 million kWh (2011 est.) |
| Natural gas - production: | 0 cu m (2011 est.) |
| Natural gas - consumption: | 80 million cu m (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - exports: | 0 cu m (2011 est.) |
| Natural gas - imports: | 86.4 million cu m (2011 est.) |
| Natural gas - proved reserves: | 0 cu m (1 January 2012 est.) |
| Current account balance: | -$1.189 billion (2012 est.) -$875.9 million (2011 est.) |
| Exports: | $9.812 billion (2012 est.) $9.341 billion (2011 est.) |
| Exports - commodities: | beef, soybeans, cellulose, rice, wheat, wood, dairy products; wool |
| Exports - partners: | Brazil 19.3%, China 14.2%, Argentina 6.8%, Germany 6%, Venezuela 4.3% (2011) |
| Imports: | $10.97 billion (2012 est.) $10.41 billion (2011 est.) |
| Imports - commodities: | refined oil, crude oil, passenger and other transportation vehicles, vehicles parts, cellular phones |
| Imports - partners: | Brazil 16.3%, China 15%, Argentina 13.4%, US 9.4%, Paraguay 7.1%, Venezuela 6.7% (2011) |
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: | $12.23 billion (31 December 2012 est.) $10.3 billion (31 December 2011 est.) |
| Debt - external: | $15.9 billion (31 December 2012 est.) $15.03 billion (31 December 2011 est.) |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - at home: | $15.2 billion (31 December 2011) $14.8 billion (31 December 2010) |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad: | $345 million (31 December 2010 est.) $300 million (31 December 2009 est.) |
| Market value of publicly traded shares: | $231 million (31 December 2011) $238 million (31 December 2010) $219 million (31 December 2009) |
| Exchange rates: | Uruguayan pesos (UYU) per US dollar - 20.63 (2012 est.) 19.314 (2011 est.) 20.059 (2010 est.) 22.568 (2009) 20.936 (2008) |
| Fiscal year: | calendar year |
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| Communications | |
| Telephones in use: | 964,900 (2011) country comparison to the world: 80 |
| Cellular Phones in use: | 4.757 million (2011) |
| Telephone system: | general assessment: fully digitalized domestic: most modern facilities concentrated in Montevideo; nationwide microwave radio relay network; overall fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity has reached 170 telephones per 100 persons international: country code - 598; the UNISOR submarine cable system provides direct connectivity to Brazil and Argentina; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2011) |
| Radio broadcast stations: | |
| Television broadcast stations: | |
| Internet country code: | .uy |
| Internet hosts: | 1.036 million (2012) |
| Internet users: | 1.405 million (2009) |
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| Transportation | |
| Airports: | 94 (2012) country comparison to the world: 63 |
| Airports (paved runways): | total: 11 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 2 (2012) |
| Airports (unpaved runways): | total: 83 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 27 under 914 m: 53 (2012) |
| Pipelines: | gas 226 km; oil 155 km (2010) |
| Railways: | total: 1,641 km standard gauge: 1,641 km 1.435-m gauge (1,200 km operational) (2010) |
| Roadways: | total: 77,732 km paved: 7,743 km unpaved: 69,989 km (2010) |
| Waterways: | 1,600 km (2011) |
| Merchant marine: | total: 16 by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 2, chemical tanker 3, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker 3, roll on/roll off 1 foreign-owned: 8 (Argentina 1, Denmark 1, Greece 1, Spain 5) registered in other countries: 1 (Liberia 1) (2010) |
| Ports and terminals: | Montevideo |
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| Military | |
| Military branches: | Uruguayan Armed Forces: Uruguayan National Army (Ejercito Nacional Uruguaya, ENU), Uruguayan National Navy (Armada Nacional del Uruguay; includes naval air arm, Naval Rifle Corps (Cuerpo de Fusileros Navales, Fusna), Maritime Prefecture in wartime), Uruguayan Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Uruguaya, FAU) (2012) |
| Military service age and obligation: | 18-30 years of age for voluntary military service; up to 40 years of age for specialists; enlistment is voluntary in peacetime, but the government has the authority to conscript in emergencies; minimum 6-year education (2009) |
| Manpower available for military service: | males age 16-49: 771,159 females age 16-49: 780,932 (2010 est.) |
| Manpower fit for military service: | males age 16-49: 649,025 females age 16-49: 654,903 (2010 est.) |
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