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.

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

Area:

total:  176,220 sq km

land:  173,620 sq km

water:  2,600 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly smaller than the state of Washington

Land boundaries:

total:  1,564 km

border countries:  Argentina 579 km, Brazil 985 km

Coastline:

660 km

Maritime claims:

contiguous zone:  24 NM

continental shelf:  200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

exclusive economic zone:  200 NM

territorial sea:  12 NM

Climate:

warm temperate; freezing temperatures almost unknown

Terrain:

mostly rolling plains and low hills; fertile coastal lowland

Elevation extremes:

lowest point:  Atlantic Ocean 0 m

highest point:  Cerro Catedral 514 m

Natural resources:

arable land, hydropower, minor minerals, fisheries

Land use:

arable land:  7%

permanent crops:  0%

permanent pastures:  77%

forests and woodland:  6%

other:  10% (1997 est.)

Irrigated land:

7,700 sq km (1997 est.)

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

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, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:  Marine Dumping, 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

Population:

3,360,105 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years:  24.39% (male 419,932; female 399,605)

15-64 years:  62.61% (male 1,038,785; female 1,064,891)

65 years and over:  13% (male 180,130; female 256,762) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate:

0.78% (2001 est.)

Birth rate:

17.36 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate:

9.03 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate:

-0.51 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 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 (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

14.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population:  75.44 years

male:  72.11 years

female:  78.96 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate:

2.36 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

0.33% (1999 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

Religions:

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

Languages:

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

Literacy:

definition:  age 15 and over can read and write

total population:  97.3%

male:  96.9%

female:  97.7% (1995 est.)

Country name:

conventional long form:  Oriental Republic of Uruguay

conventional short form:  Uruguay

local long form:  Republica Oriental del Uruguay

local short form:  Uruguay

former:  Banda Oriental, Cisplatine Province

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 (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 (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 run-off election on 28 November 1999 (next to be held NA 2004)

election results:  Jorge BATLLE elected president; percent of vote - Jorge BATLLE 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]; National Party or Blanco [Alberto VOLONTE]; New Sector/Space Coalition or Nuevo Espacio [Rafael MICHELINI]; Progressive Encounter in the Broad Front or Encuentro Progresista [Tabare VAZQUEZ]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

NA

International organization participation:

CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, 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

chancery:  2715 M Street, NW, Washington, DC 20007

telephone:  [1] (202) 331-1313 through 1316

FAX:  [1] (202) 331-8142

consulate(s) general:  Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, and New York

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 - overview:

Uruguay's economy is characterized by an export-oriented agricultural sector, a well-educated workforce, relatively even income distribution, and high levels of social spending. After averaging growth of 5% annually in 1996-98, in 1999-2000 the economy suffered from lower demand in Argentina and Brazil, which together account for about 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 Latin America. Challenges for the government of President Jorge BATLLE include expanding Uruguay's trade ties beyond its MERCOSUR trade partners and reducing the costs of public services. GDP fell by 1.1% in 2000 and will grow by perhaps 1.5% in 2001.

GDP:

purchasing power parity - $31 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

-1.1% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita:

purchasing power parity - $9,300 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture:  10%

industry:  28%

services:  62% (1999)

Population below poverty line:

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%:  NA%

highest 10%:  NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

4.8% (2000 est.)

Labor force:

1.5 million (1999 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA%

Unemployment rate:

14% (2000 est.)

Budget:

revenues:  $4 billion

expenditures:  $4.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $500 million (2000 est.)

Industries:

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

Industrial production growth rate:

-2.1% (2000 est.)

Electricity - production:

5.704 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel:  3.86%

hydro:  95.44%

nuclear:  0%

other:  0.7% (1999)

Electricity - consumption:

5.89 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports:

215 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports:

800 million kWh (1999)

Agriculture - products:

wheat, rice, barley, corn, sorghum; livestock; fish

Exports:

$2.6 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Exports - commodities:

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

Exports - partners:

MERCOSUR partners 45%, EU 20%, US 7% (1999 est.)

Imports:

$3.4 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Imports - commodities:

road vehicles, electrical machinery, metal manufactures, heavy industrial machinery, crude petroleum

Imports - partners:

MERCOSUR partners 43%, EU 20%, US 11% (1999 est.)

Debt - external:

$8 billion (2000 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:

$NA

Currency:

Uruguayan peso (UYU)

Currency code:

UYU

Exchange rates:

Uruguayan pesos per US dollar - 12.5610 (January 2001), 12.0996 (2000), 11.3393 (1999), 10.4719 (1998), 9.4418 (1997), 7.9718 (1996)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Telephones - main lines in use:

850,000 (2000)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

300,000 (2000)

Telephone system:

general assessment:  some modern facilities

domestic:  most modern facilities concentrated in Montevideo; new nationwide microwave radio relay network

international:  satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 94, FM 115, shortwave 14 (seven are inactive) (1998)

Radios:

1.97 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

26 (plus ten low-power repeaters for the Montevideo station) (1997)

Televisions:

782,000 (1997)

Internet country code:

.uy

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

7 (2000)

Internet users:

300,000 (2000)

Railways:

total:  2,073 km

standard gauge:  2,073 km 1.435-m gauge

note:  of this total, 461 km have been taken out of service and 460 km are in only partial use; moreover, not all lines offer passenger service (2000)

Highways:

total:  8,983 km

paved:  8,085 km

unpaved:  898 km (1999)

Waterways:

1,600 km ( used by coastal and shallow-draft river craft)

Ports and harbors:

Fray Bentos, Montevideo, Nueva Palmira, Paysandu, Punta del Este, Colonia, Piriapolis

Merchant marine:

total:  2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 7,752 GRT/5,228 DWT

ships by type:  petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1 (2000 est.)

Airports:

64 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:

total:  15

2,438 to 3,047 m:  1

1,524 to 2,437 m:  5

914 to 1,523 m:  8

under 914 m:  1 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total:  49

1,524 to 2,437 m:  2

914 to 1,523 m:  16

under 914 m:  31 (2000 est.)

Military branches:

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

Military manpower - availability:

males age 15-49:  817,535 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:

males age 15-49:  661,777 (2001 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:

$172 million (FY98)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:

0.9% (FY98)

Disputes - international:

none