Uruguay Guide and Resources

Check for available hotels in Uruguay

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

Size Comparison To U.S-located Area
slightly smaller than the state of Washington

Geographic Coordinates
33 00 S, 56 00 W

Capital
Montevideo

Nationality
Uruguayan(s)

Currency
Uruguayan peso (UYU)

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

Population
3,386,575 (July 2002 est.)

Total Population Ratio Based On Gender
0.95 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Migrant Ratio
-0.41 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Ethnic Groups
white 88%, mestizo 8%, black 4%, Amerindian, practically nonexistent

Religion Demographics
Roman Catholic 66% (less than half of the adult population attends church regularly), Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, nonprofessing or other 31%

Geographic Areas
Total :: 176,220 sq km
Land :: 173,620 sq km
Water :: 2,600 sq km
Coastline :: 660 km

Bordered By
Argentina, Brazil

Argentina Climate
warm temperate; freezing temperatures almost unknown

Terrain
mostly rolling plains and low hills; fertile coastal lowland

Natural Resources
arable land, hydropower, minor minerals, fisheries

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

Brief Geography Notes
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

Government
constitutional republic

Administrative Districts
19 departments