Uruguay

Oriental Republic of UruguayRepublica Oriental del Uruguay

republicIndependence 25 August 1828 (from Brazil)

Uruguay as the 1996 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 85 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

Position33 00 S, 56 00 W

Area176,220 sq km

LocationSouthern South America, bordering the South Atlantic

Populationas each edition published it

3.24 million July 1996 est. · 3.04m in 1990

Population growth% a year

0.7% 1996 est. · 0.75% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 31.8 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

74.94 years 1996 est. · 73.74 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

2.32 children per woman 1996 est. · 2.4 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

15.4 deaths per 1,000 live births 1996 est. · 22 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$7,600 1995 est. · $3,100 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

-2.4% 1995 est. · 8% in 1993

Geography

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

14 fields

Land useshare of 176,220 sq km

arable land 8%permanent crops 0%meadows and pastures 78%forest and woodland 4%other 10%irrigated 1,100 sq km (1989 est.)

Area

176,220sq km

land area: 173,620 sq kmcomparative area: slightly smaller than Washington State

Coastline

660km

continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitationterritorial sea: 200 nm; overflight and navigation guaranteed beyond 12 nm

Land boundaries

1,564km

border countries: Argentina 579 km, Brazil 985 km

Location

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

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

lowest point:: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point:: Cerro Catedral 514 m

Natural resources

fertile soil, hydropower potential, minor minerals

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

People

15 fields

Population

3,238,952

(July 1996 est.)growth rate: 0.7% (1996 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1996 est.)

Birth

17.02Death

9.05Net migration

-0.99

Male · female(1996 est.)

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years74.94

71.8 · 78.25

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy97.3%

96.9% · 97.7%

MaleFemaleLiteracy age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)

Ethnic divisions

white 88%mestizo 8%black 4%

Religions

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

Age structure

0-14 years:: 24% (male 405,041; female 386,155)
15-64 years:: 63% (male 1,004,089; female 1,035,336)
65 years and over:: 13% (male 170,109; female 238,222) (July 1996 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years:: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years:: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over:: 0.71 male(s)/female
all ages:: 0.95 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate

15.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Uruguayan(s)
adjective:: Uruguayan

Languages

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

Government

Republic

21 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

32%

Colorado 32%Blanco 31%Encuentro Progresista 31%New Sector 5%

Legislature, 30 seatsone dot, one seat

Colorado 11Blanco 10Encuentro Progresista 8New Sector 1

Legislature, 99 seatsone dot, one seat

Colorado 32Blanco 31Encuentro Progresista 31New Sector 5

Name of country

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

Executive branch

chief of state and head of government:: President Julio Maria SANGUINETTI (since 1 March 1995) and Vice President Hugo BATALLA (since 1 March 1995) were elected for five-year terms by popular vote;
election last held 27 November 1994 (next to be held NA November 1999)
cabinet:: Council of Ministers was 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 (Camara 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, judges are nominated by the president and elected for 10-year terms by the General Assembly

Political parties and leaders

National (Blanco) Party, Alberto VOLONTE Berro;
Colorado Party, Jorge BATLLE;
Broad Front Coalition, 12 member Executive Secretariat (as of 11 March 1996);
New Sector Coalition, Hugo BATALLA;
Encuentro Progresista (EP), Tabare VAZQUEZ

International organization participation

AG (observer), CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MINURSO, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNAMIR, UNAVEM III, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMOGIP, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UNOMIL, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Alvaro DIEZ DE MEDINA SUAREZ
chancery:: 1918 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20006
telephone:: [1] (202) 331-1313 through 1316
consulate(s) general:: Los Angeles, Miami, and New York

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

Uruguay's small economy benefits from a | favorable climate for agriculture and substantial hydropower | potential.

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GDP per capita, PPP

$7,600

(1995 est.)

Real growth rate

-2.4%

(1995 est.)industrial production growth: -19% (1995 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

35.4%

(1995 est.)

Unemployment rate

11%

(1995)

GDP composition by sector(1994)

agriculture 10.5%industry 27.5%services 62% (1994)

Budget

Revenues

$3.03 billionExpenditures

$3.37 billion (1994 est.)

expenditures with capital expenditures of $NA

Installed generating capacity, 2,070,000 kW

Electricity production

9 billionElectricity consumption per capita

1,575 (1993)

Economic overview

Uruguay's small economy benefits from a favorable climate for agriculture and substantial hydropower potential. Economic development has been restrained in recent years by high - though declining - inflation and extensive government regulation. The SANGUINETTI government's conservative monetary and fiscal policies are aimed at continuing to reduce inflation, currently at 35.4%;

other priorities include extensive reform of the social security system and increased investment in education. Uruguay went into recession during second quarter 1995 and ended the year with an estimated 2% fall in GDP and a two percentage point rise in unemployment to 11%. This was partly due to Argentina's recession and the slowdown in Brazilian growth in 1995, which contributed to declines in the Uruguayan manufacturing, construction, and service sectors.

However, despite its Mercosur (Southern Cone Common Market) partners' troubles, Uruguayan trade expanded and potential new markets are being explored through Mercosur negotiations with neighboring countries and the European Union (EU). Uruguay also recently augmented its transport and agricultural sector ties with the US. The economy is expected to come out of recession as regional growth prospects improve.

GDP

purchasing power parity - $24.4 billion (1995 est.)

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.)

Industries

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

Agriculture

wheat, rice, corn, sorghum;
livestock;
fishing

Exports

$2.3 billion (f.o.b., 1995 est.)

commodities:: wool and textile manufactures, beef and other animal products, leather, rice
partners:: Brazil, Argentina, US, China, Italy

Imports

$3.1 billion (c.i.f., 1995 est.)

commodities:: machinery and equipment, vehicles, chemicals, minerals, plastics
partners:: Brazil, Argentina, US, Nigeria

External debt

$4.95 billion (1995)

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $91 million (1993)

Currency

1 Uruguayan peso ($Ur) = 100 centesimos

Exchange rates

Uruguayan pesos ($Ur) per US$1 - 7.12 (January 1996), 5.6 (January 1995), 5.0529 (1994), 3.9484 (1993), 3.0270 (1992), 2.0188 (1991) note: on 1 March 1993 the former new peso (N$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

Transportation

6 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right · 66 in all

2 438 to 3 047 m

1 524 to 2 437 m

914 to 1 523 m

under 914 m

PavedUnpaved

Networkskm

Highways

49,600Railways

2,070Waterways

1,600

Highways: paved: 6,656 km · unpaved: 42,944 km (1988 est.) · Railways: (461 km closed; additional 460 km only partially operational) · standard gauge: 2,070 km 1.435-m gauge · Waterways: ; used by coastal and shallow-draft river craft

Railways

total:: 2,070 km (461 km closed; additional 460 km only partially operational)
standard gauge:: 2,070 km 1.435-m gauge

Highways

total:: 49,600 km
paved:: 6,656 km
unpaved:: 42,944 km (1988 est.)

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 (1995 est.)

Communications

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

9 fields

Fixed lines

451,000

(1991 est.)

Telephone system

some modern facilities

domestic:: most modern facilities concentrated in Montevideo; new nationwide microwave radio relay network
international:: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

males age 15-49:: 783,890
males fit for military service:: 636,454 (1996 est.)

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $256 million, 1.5% of GDP (1994)

Central Intelligence Agency. “Uruguay.” The World Factbook 1996. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/uruguay/1996.

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