Global InformationUruguay information
Oriental Republic of Uruguay República Oriental del Uruguay (Spanish) | |
|---|---|
 Flag
 Coat of arms
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| Motto: Libertad o Muerte "Freedom or Death" | |
| Anthem: Himno Nacional de Uruguay "National Anthem of Uruguay" | |
| Sol de Mayo[1][2] (Sun of May)  | |
 Location of Uruguay (dark green) in South America | |
| Capital and largest city | Montevideo 34°53′S 56°10′W / 34.883°S 56.167°W |
| Official language |
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| Ethnic groups (2022) |
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| Religion (2021)[5] |
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| Demonym(s) | Uruguayan |
| Government | Unitary presidential republic |
• President | Luis Lacalle Pou |
• Vice President | Beatriz Argimón |
| Legislature | General Assembly |
• Upper house | Senate |
• Lower house | Chamber of Representatives |
| Independence from Brazil | |
• Declared | 25 August 1825 |
• Recognized | 27 August 1828 |
• Current constitution | 15 February 1967 |
| Area | |
• Total | 176,215 km2 (68,037 sq mi)[6][7] (89th) |
• Water (%) | 1.5 |
| Population | |
• 2023 census | 3,444,263[7] (132nd) |
• Density | 19.5/km2 (50.5/sq mi) (206th) |
| GDP (PPP) | 2024 estimate |
• Total |  $107.946 billion[8] (97th) |
• Per capita | $30,170[8] (65th) |
| GDP (nominal) | 2024 estimate |
• Total | $82.605 billion[8] (76th) |
• Per capita | $23,088[8] (49th) |
| Gini (2021) |  40.8[9]medium |
| HDI (2022) | 0.830[10] very high (52nd) |
| Currency | Uruguayan peso (UYU) |
| Time zone | UTC−3 (UYT) |
| Date format | dd/mm/yyyy |
| Driving side | right |
| Calling code | +598 |
| ISO 3166 code | UY |
| Internet TLD | .uy |
Uruguay (/ˈjʊərəɡwaɪ/ ⓘ[11] YOOR-ə-gwy, Spanish: [uɾuˈɣwaj] ⓘ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay (Spanish: República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, while bordering the Río de la Plata to the south and the Atlantic ocean to the southeast. It is part of the Southern Cone region of South America. Uruguay covers an area of approximately 176,215 square kilometres (68,037 sq mi)[7] and has a population of around 3.4 million, of whom nearly 2 million live in the metropolitan area of its capital and largest city, Montevideo.
The area that became Uruguay was first inhabited by groups of hunter–gatherers 13,000 years ago.[12] The predominant tribe at the moment of the arrival of Europeans was the Charrúa people, while there were also other tribes, such as the Guaraní and the Chaná, when the Portuguese first established Colónia do Sacramento in 1680; Uruguay was colonized by Europeans later than its neighboring countries.
The Spanish founded Montevideo as a military stronghold in the early 18th century due competing claims over the region, while Uruguay won its independence between 1811 and 1828, following a four-way struggle between Portugal and Spain, and later Argentina and Brazil. It remained subject to foreign influence and intervention throughout the 19th century, with the military playing a recurring role in domestic politics. A series of economic crises and the political repression against left-wing guerrilla activity in the late 1960s and early 1970s put an end to a democratic period that had begun in the late 19th century,[clarification needed] culminating in the 1973 coup d'état, which established a civic-military dictatorship. The military government persecuted leftists, socialists, and political opponents, resulting in deaths and numerous instances of torture by the military; the military relinquished power to a civilian government in 1985. Uruguay is today a democratic constitutional republic, with a president who serves as both head of state and head of government.
Uruguay is ranked first in the Americas for democracy, and first in South America in peace, low perception of corruption,[13] and e-government.[14][15] It is the lowest-ranking South American nation in the Global Terrorism Index, and ranks second in South America on economic freedom, income equality, per capita income, and inflows of FDI.[13] Uruguay is ranked third on the continent in terms of Human Development Index, GDP growth,[16] innovation, and infrastructure.[13] Uruguay is regarded as one of the most socially progressive countries in Latin America.[17] It ranks high on global measures of personal rights, tolerance, democracy, and inclusion issues,[18] including its acceptance of the LGBT community.[19] The country has fully legalized cannabis (the first country in the world to do so) as well as same-sex marriage, prostitution, and abortion. It is a founding member of the United Nations, OAS, and Mercosur.
- ^ Crow, John A. (1992). The Epic of Latin America (4th ed.). Berkeley: University of California Press. p. 457. ISBN 978-0-520-07723-2.
In the meantime, while the crowd assembled in the plaza continued to shout its demands at the cabildo, the sun suddenly broke through the overhanging clouds and clothed the scene in brilliant light. The people looked upward with one accord and took it as a favorable omen for their cause. This was the origin of the ″sun of May″ which has appeared in the center of the Argentine flag and on the Argentine coat of arms ever since.
- ^ Kopka, Deborah (2011). Central & South America. Dayton, OH: Lorenz Educational Press. p. 5. ISBN 978-1-4291-2251-1.
The sun's features are those of Inti, the Incan sun god. The sun commemorates the appearance of the sun through cloudy skies on May 25, 1810, during the first mass demonstration in favor of independence.
- ^ Ley N° 17378 [Law #17378] (Law) (in Spanish). 25 July 2001. Archived 20 May 2022 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Meyers, Stephen; Lockwood, Elizabeth (6 December 2014). "The Tale of Two Civil Societies: Comparing disability rights movements in Nicaragua and Uruguay". Disability Studies Quarterly. 34 (4). doi:10.18061/dsq.v34i4.3845. ISSN 2159-8371. Archived from the original on 27 June 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
- ^ "Encuesta Continua de Hogares (ECH) – Instituto Nacional de Estadística". Archived from the original on 8 December 2022. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
- ^ "Uruguay". The World Factbook (2024 ed.). Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 22 June 2023. (Archived 2011 edition.)
- ^ a b c "Población en Uruguay aumentó 1%: se contabiliza en 3.444.263 habitantes". Uruguay Presidencia (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 28 November 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
- ^ a b c d "Report for Selected Countries and Subjects: April 2024". imf.org. International Monetary Fund.
- ^ "GINI index". World Bank. Archived from the original on 10 November 2016. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
- ^ "Human Development Report 2023/2024" (PDF). United Nations Development Programme. 13 March 2024. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 March 2024. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
- ^ Wells, John C. (1990). Longman pronunciation dictionary. Harlow, England: Longman. p. 755. ISBN 0-582-05383-8. entry "Uruguay"
- ^ "Hace 13.000 años cazadores-recolectores exploraron y colonizaron planicie del río Cuareim". archivo.presidencia.gub.uy (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 18 March 2014. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
- ^ a b c "Uruguay Rankings" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 February 2017. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
- ^ "Data Center". United Nations. Archived from the original on 11 August 2014.
- ^ "Overview". World Bank. Archived from the original on 30 March 2021. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
- ^ "From 2005 to 2011" (PDF). U.S. State Department. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 February 2017. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
- ^ First in Latin America on two out of three basic dimensions of the Social Progress Index, and second to Costa Rica in Latin America overall, and 26th worldwide, in 2013.
- ^ The Social Progress Imperative. socialprogressimperative.org
- ^ "Spartacus Gay Travel Index" (PDF). spartacus.gayguide.travel. Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 September 2017. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
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