URUGUAY
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URUGUAY
@Uruguay:Geography
Location: Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean,
between Argentina and Brazil
Map references: South America
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URUGUAY - MAJOR CITIES
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Latitude, Internat'l Time
Population Longitude Phone Code Zone
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MONTEVIDEO 1,248,000 34.55S, 56.10W 598-2 GMT-3
Salto 81,000 31.27S, 57.58W 598-732 GMT-3
Paysandu 75,000 32.21S, 58.05W 598-722 GMT-3
Las Piedras 61,000 34.42S, 56.14W 598-322 GMT-3
Rivera 56,000 30.54S, 55.31W 598-622 GMT-3
Melo 42,000 32.22S, 54.10W 598-462 GMT-3
Tacuarembo 40,000 31.44S, 55.59W 598-632 GMT-3
Mercedes 37,000 33.16S, 58.02W 598-532 GMT-3
Minas 35,000 34.20S, 55.15W 598-442 GMT-3
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Area:
total area: 176,220 sq km
land area: 173,620 sq km
comparative area: slightly smaller than Washington State
Land boundaries: total 1,564 km, Argentina 579 km, Brazil 985 km
Coastline: 660 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
territorial sea: 200 nm; overflight and navigation guaranteed beyond
12 nm
International disputes: short section of boundary with Argentina is in
dispute; two short sections of the boundary with Brazil are in dispute
- Arroyo de la Invernada (Arroio Invernada) area of the Rio Cuareim
(Rio Quarai) and the islands at the confluence of the Rio Cuareim (Rio
Quarai) and the Uruguay River
Climate: warm temperate; freezing temperatures almost unknown
Terrain: mostly rolling plains and low hills; fertile coastal lowland
Natural resources: soil, hydropower potential, minor minerals
Land use:
arable land: 8%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures: 78%
forest and woodland: 4%
other: 10%
Irrigated land: 1,100 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues: substantial pollution from Brazilian industry along
border; one-fifth of country affected by acid rain generated by
Brazil; water pollution from meat packing/tannery industry; inadequate
solid/hazardous waste disposal
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 in weather fronts
international agreements: party to - Antarctic-Environmental Protocol,
Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species,
Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear
Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed,
but not ratified - Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation
@Uruguay:People
Population: 3,222,716 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 25% (female 392,262; male 409,580)
15-64 years: 63% (female 1,026,314; male 995,492)
65 years and over: 12% (female 233,377; male 165,691) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.74% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 17.57 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 9.27 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.93 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 16.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74.46 years
male: 71.24 years
female: 77.83 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.41 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Uruguayan(s)
adjective: Uruguayan
Ethnic divisions: white 88%, mestizo 8%, black 4%
Religions: Roman Catholic 66% (less than half adult population attends
church regularly), Protestant 2%, Jewish 2%, nonprofessing or other
30%
Languages: Spanish, Brazilero (Portuguese-Spanish mix on the Brazilian
frontier)
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
total population: 96%
male: 97%
female: 96%
Labor force: 1.355 million (1991 est.)
by occupation: government 25%, manufacturing 19%, agriculture 11%,
commerce 12%, utilities, construction, transport, and communications
12%, other services 21% (1988 est.)
@Uruguay:Government
Names:
conventional long form: Oriental Republic of Uruguay
conventional short form: Uruguay
local long form: Republica Oriental del Uruguay
local short form: Uruguay
Digraph: UY
Type: 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 1828 (from Brazil)
National holiday: Independence Day, 25 August (1828)
Constitution: 27 November 1966, effective February 1967, suspended 27
June 1973, new constitution rejected by referendum 30 November 1980
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 and head of government: President Julio Maria
SANGUINETTI (since 1 March 1995); Vice President Hugo BATALLA (since 1
March 1995); election last held 27 November 1994 (next to be held NA
November 1999)
cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the president
Legislative branch: bicameral General Assembly (Asamblea General)
Chamber of Senators (Camara de Senadores): elections last held 27
November 1994 (next to be held NA November 1999); results - Colorado
36%, Blanco 34 %, Encuentro Progresista 27%, New Sector 3%; seats -
(30 total) Colorado 11, Blanco 10, Encuentro Progresista 8, New Sector
1
Chamber of Representatives (Camera de Representantes): elections last
held 27 November 1994 (next to be held NA November 1999); results -
Colorado 32%, Blanco 31%, Encuentro Progresista 31%, New Sector 5%;
seats - (99 total) Colorado 32, Blanco 31, Encuentro Progresista 31,
New Sector 5
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: National (Blanco) Party; Colorado
Party, Jorge BATLLE; Broad Front Coalition, Gen. Liber SEREGNI
Mosquera; New Sector Coalition, Hugo BATALLA; Encuentro Progresista
Member of: AG (observer), CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-77, GATT, IADB,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, MERCOSUR, NAM
(observer), OAS, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNAMIR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UNIKOM, UNMOGIP, UNOMIL, UNOMOZ, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Eduardo MACGILLYCUDDY
chancery: 1918 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20006
telephone: [1] (202) 331-1313 through 1316
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, Miami, and New York
consulate(s): New Orleans
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador Thomas J. DODD
embassy: Lauro Muller 1776, Montevideo
mailing address: APO AA 34035
telephone: [598] (2) 23 60 61, 48 77 77
FAX: [598] (2) 48 86 11
Flag: 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
Overview: Uruguay's economy is a small one with favorable climate,
good soils, and substantial hydropower potential. Economic development
has been restrained in recent years by excessive government regulation
of economic detail and 40% to 130% inflation. Although the GDP growth
rate slowed in 1993 to 1.7%, following a healthy expansion to 7.5% in
1992, it rebounded in 1994 to an estimated 4%, spurred mostly by
increasing agricultural and other exports and a surprise reversal of
the downward trend in industrial production. In a major step toward
regional economic cooperation, Uruguay confirmed its commitment to the
Southern Cone Common Market (MERCOSUR) customs union by implementing
MERCOSUR's common external tariff on most tradables on 1 January 1995.
Inflation in 1994 declined for the third consecutive year, yet, at
44%, it remains the highest in the region; analysts predict that the
expanding fiscal deficit and wage indexation will force the inflation
rate back toward the 50% mark in 1995.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $23 billion (1994
est.)
National product real growth rate: 4% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $7,200 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 44% (1994 est.)
Unemployment rate: 9% (1994 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $2.9 billion
expenditures: $3 billion, including capital expenditures of $388
million (1991 est.)
Exports: $1.78 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.)
commodities: wool and textile manufactures, beef and other animal
products, leather, rice
partners: Brazil, Argentina, US, China, Italy
Imports: $2.461 billion (c.i.f., 1994 est.)
commodities: machinery and equipment, vehicles, chemicals, minerals,
plastics
partners: Brazil, Argentina, US, Nigeria
External debt: $4.2 billion (1993)
Industrial production: growth rate 3.9% (1992); accounts for 28% of
GDP
Electricity:
capacity: 2,070,000 kW
production: 9 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 1,575 kWh (1993)
Industries: meat processing, wool and hides, sugar, textiles,
footwear, leather apparel, tires, cement, petroleum refining, wine
Agriculture: accounts for 12% of GDP; large areas devoted to livestock
grazing; wheat, rice, corn, sorghum; fishing; self-sufficient in most
basic foodstuffs
Economic aid:
recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $105 million;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
(1970-89), $420 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $69 million
Currency: 1 Uruguayan peso ($Ur) = 100 centesimos
Exchange rates: Uruguayan pesos ($Ur) per US$1 - 5.6 (January 1995),
4.4710 (January 1994), 3.9484 (1993), 3.0270 (1992), 2.0188 (1991),
1.1710 (1990)
note: on 1 March 1993 the former New Peso (N$Ur) was replaced as
Uruguay's unit of currency by the Peso which is equal to 1,000 of the
New Pesos
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Uruguay:Transportation
Railroads:
total: 3,000 km
standard gauge: 3,000 km 1.435-m gauge
Highways:
total: 49,900 km
paved: 6,700 km
unpaved: gravel 3,000 km; earth 40,200 km
Inland waterways: 1,600 km; used by coastal and shallow-draft river
craft
Ports: Fray Bentos, Montevideo, Nueva Palmira, Paysandu, Punta del
Este
Merchant marine:
total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 71,405 GRT/110,939 DWT
ships by type: cargo 1, container 1, oil tanker 1
Airports:
total: 85
with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 8
with paved runways under 914 m: 54
with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 2
with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 14
@Uruguay:Communications
Telephone system: 337,000 telephones; telephone density 10/100
persons; some modern facilities
local: most modern facilities concentrated in Montevideo
intercity: new nationwide microwave network
international: 2 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth stations
Radio:
broadcast stations: AM 99, FM 0, shortwave 9
radios: NA
Television:
broadcast stations: 26
televisions: NA
@Uruguay:Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy (includes Naval Air Arm, Coast Guard, Marines),
Air Force, Grenadier Guards, Coracero Guard, Police
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 775,060; males fit for military
service 629,385 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $216 million, 2.3% of
GDP (1991 est.)
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