Uruguay

Oriental Republic of UruguayRepublica Oriental del Uruguay

constitutional republicIndependence 25 August 1825 (from Brazil)

Uruguay as the 2002 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 112 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 Ocean, between Argentina and Brazil

Populationas each edition published it

3.39 million July 2002 est. · 3.04m in 1990

Population growth% a year

0.79% 2002 est. · 0.75% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 31.8 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

75.66 years 2002 est. · 73.74 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

2.35 children per woman 2002 est. · 2.4 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

14.25 deaths per 1,000 live births 2002 est. · 22 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$9,200 2001 est. · $3,100 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

-1.5% 2001 est. · 8% in 1993

Introduction

1 field

Background

A violent Marxist urban guerrilla movement, the Tupamaros, launched in the late 1960s, led Uruguay's president to agree to military control of his administration in 1973. By the end of the year the rebels had been crushed, but the military continued to expand its hold throughout the government. Civilian rule was not restored until 1985. Uruguay's political and labor conditions are among the freest on the continent.

Geography

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

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Land useshare of 176,220 sq km

arable land 7.21%permanent crops 0.27%other 92.52% (1998 est.)irrigated 1,800 sq km (1998 est.)

Area

176,220sq km

land: 173,620 sq kmwater: 2,600 sq kmslightly smaller than the state of Washington

Coastline

660km

contiguous zone: 24 NMterritorial sea: 12 NMcontinental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitationexclusive economic zone: 200 NM

Highest point

514m

Cerro Catedrallowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m

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

Geographic coordinates

33 00 S, 56 00 W

Map references

South America

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, all locations are particularly vulnerable to rapid changes from weather fronts

Environment - current issues

water pollution from meat packing/tannery industry; inadequate solid/hazardous waste disposal

Environment - international agreements

party to:: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:: Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban

Geography - note

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

People

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Population

3,386,575

(July 2002 est.)growth rate: 0.79% (2002 est.)

Per 1,000 population(2002 est.)

Birth

17.28Death

9Net migration

-0.41

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (2002 est.)75.66

72.32 · 79.17

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (1995 est.)97.3%

96.9% · 97.7%

MaleFemaleLiteracy definition: age 15 and over can read and write

Religions

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.33%

(1999 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years:: 24.4% (male 422,826; female 402,324)
15-64 years:: 62.6% (male 1,047,740; female 1,072,032)
65 years and over:: 13% (male 181,522; female 260,131) (2002 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years:: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years:: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over:: 0.7 male(s)/female
total population:: 0.95 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate

14.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.35 children born/woman (2002 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

6,000 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

150 (1999 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Uruguayan(s)
adjective:: Uruguayan

Ethnic groups

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

Languages

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

Government

Constitutional republic; President Jorge BATLLE Ibanez (since 1 March 2000) and Vice President Luis HIERRO (since 1 March 2000); President Jorge BATLLE Ibanez (since 1 March 2000) and Vice President Luis HIERRO (since 1 March 2000)

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Chamber of Senators, 99 seats, elected 31 October 1999one dot, one seat

Encuentro Progresista 40Colorado Party 33Blanco 22New Sector/Space Coalition 4

Country name

conventional long form:: Oriental Republic of Uruguay
conventional short form:: Uruguay
local short form:: Uruguay
former:: Banda Oriental, Cisplatine Province
local long form:: Republica Oriental del Uruguay

Government type

constitutional 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 1825 (from Brazil)

National holiday

Independence Day, 25 August (1825)

Constitution

27 November 1966, effective February 1967, suspended 27 June 1973, new constitution rejected by referendum 30 November 1980;
two constitutional reforms approved by plebiscite 26 November 1989 and 7 January 1997

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:: President Jorge BATLLE Ibanez (since 1 March 2000) and Vice President Luis HIERRO (since 1 March 2000);
note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government:: President Jorge BATLLE Ibanez (since 1 March 2000) and Vice President Luis HIERRO (since 1 March 2000);
note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet:: Council of Ministers appointed by the president with parliamentary approval
elections:: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for five-year terms;
election last held 31 October 1999, with runoff election on 28 November 1999 (next to be held NA 2004)
election results:: Jorge BATLLE Ibanez elected president; percent of vote - Jorge BATLLE Ibanez 52% in a runoff against Tabare VAZQUEZ 44%

Legislative branch

bicameral General Assembly or Asamblea General consists of Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores (30 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and Chamber of Representatives or Camara de Representantes (99 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections:: Chamber of Senators - last held 31 October 1999 (next to be held NA 2004); Chamber of Representatives - last held 31 October 1999 (next to be held NA 2004)
election results:: Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party - NA%;
seats by party - Encuentro Progresista 12, Colorado Party 10, Blanco 7, New Sector/Space Coalition 1;
Chamber of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%;
seats by party - Encuentro Progresista 40, Colorado Party 33, Blanco 22, New Sector/Space Coalition 4

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (judges are nominated by the president and elected for 10-year terms by the General Assembly)

Political parties and leaders

Colorado Party [Jorge BATLLE Ibanez];
National Party or Blanco [Luis Alberto LACALLE Herrera];
New Sector/Space Coalition or Nuevo Espacio [Rafael MICHELINI];
Progressive Encounter/Broad Front Coalition or Encuentro Progresista/Frente Amplio [Tabare VAZQUEZ]

Political pressure groups and leaders

International organization participation

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

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Hugo FERNANDEZ-FAINGOLD
consulate(s) general:: Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, and New York
FAX:: [1] (202) 331-8142
telephone:: [1] (202) 331-1313 through 1316
chancery:: 1913 I Street NW, Washington, DC 20006

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Martin J. SILVERSTEIN
embassy:: Lauro Muller 1776, Montevideo 11200
mailing address:: APO AA 34035
telephone:: [598] (2) 418-7777
FAX:: [598] (2) 418-8611

Flag description

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 economy is characterized by an export-oriented agricultural sector, a well-educated workforce, and high levels of social spending.

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Real growth rate

-1.5%

(2001 est.)industrial production growth: -2.4% (2001 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

3.6%

(2001) (2001)

Unemployment rate

15.2%

(2001) (2001)

Population below poverty line

(1997)

GDP - composition by sector(2001)

agriculture 6%industry 29%services 65% (2001) (2001)

Trading partnersexports left, imports right

40%

Mercosur partners

44%

20%

18%

Exports $2.24 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)Imports $2.9 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)(2001 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$3.7 billionExpenditures

$4.6 billion (2000)

expenditures including capital expenditures of $500 million (2000)

Electricity

fossil fuel 7%hydro 93%other 1% (2000)nuclear 0%

Electricity production

7.527 billion (2000)Electricity consumption

7.35 billion (2000)Electricity exports

950 million (2000)Electricity imports

1.3 billion (2000)

Economy - overview

Uruguay's economy is characterized by an export-oriented agricultural sector, a well-educated workforce, and high levels of social spending. After averaging growth of 5% annually in 1996-98, in 1999-2001 the economy suffered from lower demand in Argentina and Brazil, which together account for nearly half of Uruguay's exports.

Despite the severity of the trade shocks, Uruguay's financial indicators remained more stable than those of its neighbors, a reflection of its solid reputation among investors and its investment-grade sovereign bond rating - one of only two in South America. Challenges for the government of President Jorge BATLLE include reducing the budget deficit, expanding Uruguay's trade ties beyond its Mercosur trade partners, and reducing the costs of public services. GDP fell by 1.3% in 2000 and by 1.5% in 2001.

GDP

purchasing power parity - $31 billion (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $9,200 (2001 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

42 (1989)

Labor force

1.2 million (2001) (2001)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 14%, industry 16%, services 70%

Industries

food processing, electrical machinery, transportation equipment, petroleum products, textiles, chemicals, beverages

Agriculture - products

rice, wheat, corn, barley;
livestock;
fish

Exports

$2.24 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)

Exports - commodities

meat, rice, leather products, wool, vehicles, dairy products

Imports

$2.9 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery, chemicals, road vehicles, crude petroleum

Debt - external

$7.7 billion (2001 est.)

Economic aid - recipient

$NA

Currency

Uruguayan peso (UYU)

Currency code

UYU

Exchange rates

Uruguayan pesos per US dollar - 14.3325 (January 2002), 13.3191 (2001), 12.0996 (2000), 11.3393 (1999), 10.4719 (1998), 9.4418 (1997)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

10 fields

Mobile cellular

350,000

(2001)

Internet users

(2001)

Fixed lines

929,141

(2001) · country code .uy

Telephone system

general assessment:: fully digitalized
domestic:: most modern facilities concentrated in Montevideo; new nationwide microwave radio relay network
international:: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2002)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 91, FM 149, shortwave 7 (2001)

Radios

1.97 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations

20 (2001)

Televisions

782,000 (1997)

Internet users

400,000 (2002)

Transportation

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Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right

2,438 to 3,047 m

1,524 to 2,437 m

914 to 1,523 m

under 914 m

Paved 15Unpaved 49

Networkskm

Highways

8,764Railways

2,993Waterways

1,600

Highways: paved: 7,800 km · unpaved: 964 km (2001) · Railways: standard gauge: 2,993 km 1.435-m gauge note: of the total route length, 461 km have been taken out of service and 460 km are in only partial use; moreover, not all lines offer passenger service (2001) · Waterways: (used by coastal and shallow-draft river craft)

Railways

total:: 2,993 km
standard gauge:: 2,993 km 1.435-m gauge

note: of the total route length, 461 km have been taken out of service and 460 km are in only partial use; moreover, not all lines offer passenger service (2001)