Uruguay

republicIndependence 25 August 1828 (from Brazil)

Uruguay as the 1994 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 118 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

LocationSouthern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean between

Populationas each edition published it

3.2 million July 1994 est. · 3.04m in 1990

Population growth% a year

0.75% 1994 est. · 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

2.44 children per woman 1994 est. · 2.4 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

17.1 deaths per 1,000 live births 1994 est. · 22 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$6,000 1993 est. · $3,100 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

2% 1993 est. · 8% in 1993

Geography

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

22 fields

Coastline

660km

Land boundaries

1,564km

total · Argentina 579 km, Brazil 985 km

Irrigated land

1,100sq km

(1989 est.)

Location

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

Map references

South America, Standard Time Zones of the World

total area

176,220 sq km

land area

173,620 sq km

comparative area

slightly smaller than Washington State

continental shelf

200-m depth or to depth of exploitation

territorial sea

200 nm; overflight and navigation permitted 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 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

arable land

permanent crops

meadows and pastures

78%

forest and woodland

other

10%

current issues

natural hazards

subject to seasonally high winds, droughts, floods

international agreements

party to - Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands;
signed, but not ratified - Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Climate Change, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation

People

21 fields

Population

3,198,910

(July 1994 est.)growth rate: 0.75% (1994 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1994 est.)

Birth

17.7Death

9.39Net migration

-0.84

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%

Labor force

1.355million

(1991 est.)

Literacy

15and over can read and write

age · (1990 est.)

Infant mortality rate

17.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

total population

74.09 years

male

70.88 years

female

77.47 years (1994 est.)

noun

Uruguayan(s)

adjective

Uruguayan

Languages

Spanish, Brazilero (Portuguese-Spanish mix on the Brazilian frontier)

total population

96%

male

97%

female

96%

by occupation

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

Government

Republic

32 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

40%

Blanco 40%Colorado 30%Broad Front New Space 7% 23%

Legislature, 30 seatsone dot, one seat

Blanco 12Colorado 9Broad Front 7New Space 2

conventional long form

Oriental Republic of Uruguay

conventional short form

Uruguay

local long form

Republica Oriental del Uruguay

local short form

Uruguay

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

chief of state and head of government

President Luis Alberto LACALLE (since 1 March 1990);
Vice President Gonzalo AGUIRRE Ramirez (since 1 March 1990);
election 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%

cabinet

Council of Ministers; appointed by the president

Legislative branch

bicameral General Assembly (Asamblea General)

Chamber of Senators (Camara de Senadores)

elections 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 (Camera de Representantes)

elections 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

Political parties and leaders

National (Blanco) Party; Colorado Party, Jorge BATLLE; Broad Front Coalition, Gen. Liber SEREGNI Mosquera; New Space Coalition, Hugo BATALLA

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, ITU, LAES, LAIA, LORCS, MERCOSUR, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMOGIP, UNOMOZ, UNTAC, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

chief of mission

Ambassador Eduardo MACGILLYCUDDY

chancery

1918 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20006

telephone

telephone (202) 331-1313 through 1316

consulate(s) general

Los Angeles, Miami, and New York

consulate(s)

New Orleans

chief of mission

Ambassador Thomas DODD

embassy

Lauro Muller 1776, Montevideo

mailing address

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

Uruguay is a small economy with favorable climate, good soils, and | solid hydropower potential.

26 fields

GDP per capita, PPP

$6,000

(1993 est.)

Real growth rate

(1993 est.)industrial production growth: growth rate 4.2% (1992 est.), accounts for almost 25% of GDP

Inflation, consumer prices

50%

(1993 est.)

Unemployment rate

8.8%

(1993 est.)

Overview

Uruguay is a small economy with favorable climate, good soils, and solid hydropower potential. Economic development has been held back by excessive government regulation of economic detail and 50% to 130% inflation. After several years of sluggish growth, real GDP jumped by about 7.5% in 1992.

The rise is attributable mainly to an increase in Argentine demand for Uruguayan exports, particularly agricultural products and electricity. In a major step toward greater regional economic cooperation, Uruguay in 1991 had joined Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay in forming the Southern Cone Common Market (Mercosur). A referendum in December 1992 overturned key portions of landmark privatization legislation, dealing a serious blow to President LACALLE's broad economic reform plan.

Hampered by a slowdown in the agricultural sector, the economy grew at only 2% in 1993 compared with 7.5% in 1992. Although inflation declined for the second consecutive year, a surge in the money supply, rising food prices, a record trade deficit, and an increase in the government deficit toward the end of the year foreshadowed troubles ahead in 1994.

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $19 billion (1993 est.)

revenues

$2.9 billion

expenditures

$3 billion, including capital expenditures of $388 million (1991 est.)

Exports

$1.6 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)

commodities

wool and textile manufactures, beef and other animal products, leather, rice

partners

Brazil, Argentina, US, China, Italy

Imports

$2 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)

commodities

machinery and equipment, vehicles, chemicals, minerals, plastics

partners

Brazil, Argentina, US, Nigeria

External debt

$4.2 billion (1993)

capacity

2,168,000 kW

production

5.96 billion kWh

consumption per capita

1,900 kWh (1992)

Industries

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

Agriculture

accounts for 12% of GDP;
large areas devoted to livestock grazing;
wheat, rice, corn, sorghum;
self-sufficient in most basic foodstuffs

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$1 - 4.4710 (January 1994), 3.9484 (1993);
new Uruguayan pesos (N$Ur) per US$1 - 3,457.5 (December 1992), 3,026.9 (1992), 2,489 (1991), 1,594 (1990), 805 (1989)

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;
consequently there is a major change in the peso/dollar exchange rate

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

14 fields

Networkskm

Railroads

3,000Inland waterways

1,600

Railroads: , all 1.435-meter (standard) gauge and government owned · Inland waterways: ; used by coastal and shallow-draft river craft

Railroads

3,000 km, all 1.435-meter (standard) gauge and government owned

total

49,900 km

paved

6,700 km

unpaved

gravel 3,000 km; earth 40,200 km

total

usable

with permanent-surface runways

with runways over 3,659 m

with runways 2,440-3,659 m

with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Telecommunications

most modern facilities concentrated in Montevideo;
new nationwide microwave network;
337,000 telephones;
broadcast stations - 99 AM, no FM, 26 TV, 9 shortwave;
2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations

Defense Forces

Army, Navy (including Naval Air Arm, Coast Guard, Marines), Air Force, | Grenadier Guards, Police

3 fields

How to cite ← 1993 edition 1995 edition →

Geography

total area

land area

comparative area

continental shelf

territorial sea

arable land

permanent crops

meadows and pastures

forest and woodland

other

current issues

natural hazards

international agreements

People

total population

male

female

noun

adjective

total population

male

female

by occupation

Government

conventional long form

conventional short form

local long form

local short form

chief of state and head of government

cabinet

chief of mission

chancery

consulate(s) general

consulate(s)

chief of mission

embassy

mailing address

Economy

revenues

expenditures

commodities

partners

commodities

partners

capacity

production

consumption per capita

recipient

note

Communications

total

paved

unpaved

total

usable

with permanent-surface runways

with runways over 3,659 m

with runways 2,440-3,659 m

with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Defense Forces

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