Uruguay

republicIndependence 25 August 1828 (from Brazil)

Uruguay as the 1992 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 72 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalMontevideo

Area176,220 km2

Populationas each edition published it

3.14 million July 1992 · 3.04m in 1990

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 0.75% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 31.8 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 73.74 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

2.4 children per woman 1992 · 2.4 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

23 deaths per 1,000 live births 1992 · 22 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $3,100 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition 8% in 1993

Geography

12 fields

Total area

176,220km2

Comparative area: slightly smaller than Washington State

Coastline

660km

Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitationTerritorial sea: 200 nm (overflight and navigation permitted beyond 12 nm)

Land boundaries

1,564km total

Argentina 579 km, Brazil 985 km

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 area of the Rio Quarai and the islands at the confluence of the Rio Quarai and the Uruguay)

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 NEGL%;
meadows and pastures 78%;
forest and woodland 4%;
other 10%;
includes irrigated 1%

Environment

subject to seasonally high winds, droughts, floods

People

14 fields

Population

3,141,533

(July 1992), growth rate 0.6% (1992)

Per 1,000 population(1992)

Birth

17Death

10Net migration

-1

Ethnic divisions

white 88%mestizo 8%black 4%

Religions

Roman Catholic (less than half adult population attends church regularly) 66%Protestant 2%Jewish 2%nonprofessing or other 30%

Labor force

1,355,000

(1991 est.); government 25%, manufacturing 19%, agriculture 11%, commerce 12%, utilities, construction, transport, and communications 12%, other services 21% (1988 est.)

Literacy

96%

(male 97%, female 96%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

Nationality

noun - Uruguayan(s); adjective - Uruguayan

Organized labor

Interunion Workers' Assembly/National Workers' Confederation (PIT/CNT) Labor Federation

Government

Republic

19 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

37%

Luis Alberto LACALLE Herrera (Blanco) 37%Jorge BATLLE Ibanez (Colorado) 29%Liber SEREGNI Mosquera (Broad Front) 20%

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

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

Executive branch

president, vice president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Legislative branch

bicameral General Assembly (Asamblea General) consists of an upper chamber or Chamber of Senators (Camara de Senadores) and a lower chamber or Chamber of Representatives (Camera de Representantes)

Leaders

Chief of State and Head of Government: President Luis Alberto LACALLE (since 1 March 1990); Vice President Gonzalo AGUIRRE Ramirez (since 1 March 1990)

Political parties and leaders

National (Blanco) Party, Carlos CAT;
Colorado Party, Jorge BATLLE Ibanez;
Broad Front Coalition, Liber SEREGNI Mosquera - includes Communist Party led by Jaime PEREZ and National Liberation Movement (MLN) or Tupamaros led by Eleuterio FERNANDEZ Huidobro;
New Space Coalition consists of the Party of the Government of the People (PGP), Hugo BATALLA;
Christian Democratic Party (PDC), leader NA;
and Civic Union, Humberto CIGANDA

Elections

President:: last held 26 November 1989 (next to be held NA November 1994);
results - Luis Alberto LACALLE Herrera (Blanco) 37%, Jorge BATLLE Ibanez (Colorado) 29%, Liber SEREGNI Mosquera (Broad Front) 20%
Chamber of Senators:: last held 26 November 1989 (next to be held NA November 1994);
results - Blanco 40%, Colorado 30%, Broad Front 23% New Space 7%;
seats - (30 total) Blanco 12, Colorado 9, Broad Front 7, New Space 2
Chamber of Representatives:: last held NA November 1989 (next to be held NA November 1994);
results - Blanco 39%, Colorado 30%, Broad Front 22%, New Space 8%, other 1%;
seats - (99 total) number of seats by party NA

AG (observer), CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA, LORCS, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIIMOG, UNMOGIP, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador Eduardo MACGILLICUDDY;
Chancery at 1918 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20006;
telephone (202) 331-1313 through 1316;
there are Uruguayan Consulates General in Los Angeles, Miami, and New York, and a Consulate in New Orleans

US:: Ambassador Richard C. BROWN;
Embassy at Lauro Muller 1776, Montevideo (mailing address is APO AA 34035);
telephone [598] (2) 23-60-61 or 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

16 fields

Inflation, consumer prices

60%

(1992 est.)

Unemployment rate

8.5%

(1991 est.)

External debt

$4.2billion

(1991 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$1.2 billionExpenditures

$1.4 billion

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $165 million (1988)

Overview

The economy is slowly recovering from the deep recession of the early 1980s. In 1988 real GDP grew by only 0.5% and in 1989 by 1.5%. The recovery was led by growth in the agriculture and fishing sectors, agriculture alone contributing 20% to GDP, employing about 11% of the labor force, and generating a large proportion of export earnings.

Raising livestock, particularly cattle and sheep, is the major agricultural activity. In 1991, domestic growth improved somewhat over 1990, but various government factors, including concentration on the external sector, adverse weather conditions, and greater attention to bringing down inflation and reducing the fiscal deficit kept output from expanding rapidly.

In a major step toward greater regional economic cooperation, Uruguay joined Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay in forming the Southern Cone Common Market (Mercosur). President LACALLE continues to press ahead with a broad economic reform plan to reduce state intervention in the economy, but he faces strong opposition.

GDP

exchange rate conversion - $9.1 billion, per capita $2,935; real growth rate 2.3% (1991 est.)

Exports

$1.6 billion (f.o.b., 1991)

commodities:: hides and leather goods 17%, beef 10%, wool 9%, fish 7%, rice 4%
partners:: Brazil, US, Argentina, Germany

Imports

$1.3 billion (f.o.b., 1991)

commodities:: fuels and lubricants 15%, metals, machinery, transportation equipment, industrial chemicals
partners:: Brazil 23%, Argentina 17%, US 10%, EC 27.1% (1990)

Industrial production

growth rate -1.4% (1990), accounts for almost 25% of GDP

Electricity

2,065,000 kW capacity; 5,677 million kWh produced, 1,819 kWh per capita (1991)

Industries

meat processing, wool and hides, sugar, textiles, footwear, leather apparel, tires, cement, fishing, petroleum refining, wine

Agriculture

large areas devoted to livestock grazing;
wheat, rice, corn, sorghum;
self-sufficient in most basic foodstuffs

Economic aid

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

new Uruguayan peso (plural - pesos); 1 new Uruguayan peso (N$Ur) = 100 centesimos

Exchange rates

new Uruguayan pesos (N$Ur) per US$1 - 2,732.8 (March 1992), 2,018.8 (1991), 1,171.0 (1990), 605.5 (1989), 359.4 (1988), 226.7 (1987)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

8 fields

Merchant marine, 3 ships by typeone square, one ship

cargo 1container 1petroleum tanker 13 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 56,737 GRT/104,143 DWT

Airports, 90 total, 83 usable

permanent-surface runways

16runways | over 3,659 m

nonerunways 2,440-3,659 m

2runways 1,220-2,439 m

Networkskm

Highways

49,900Railroads

3,000Inland waterways

1,600

Highways: ; 6,700 km paved, 3,000 km gravel, 40,200 km earth · Railroads: , all 1.435-meter (standard) gauge and government owned · Inland waterways: ; used by coastal and shallow-draft river craft