Uruguay

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<p>The Spanish founded the city of Montevideo in modern-day Uruguay in 1726 as a military stronghold, and it soon became an important commercial center due to its natural harbor. Argentina initially claimed Uruguay, but Brazil annexed the country in 1821. Uruguay declared its independence in 1825 and secured its freedom in 1828 after a three-year struggle. The administrations of President Jose BATLLE in the early 20th century launched widespread political, social, and economic reforms that established a statist tradition. A violent Marxist urban guerrilla movement named the Tupamaros (or Movimiento de Liberación Nacional-Tupamaros) launched in the late 1960s and pushed Uruguay's president to cede control of the government to the military in 1973. By year-end, the rebels had been crushed, but the military continued to expand its hold over the government. Civilian rule was restored in 1985. In 2004, the left-of-center Frente Amplio (FA) Coalition won national elections that effectively ended 170 years of political control by the Colorado and National (Blanco) parties. The left-of-center coalition retained the presidency and control of both chambers of congress until 2019. Uruguay's political and labor conditions are among the freest on the South American continent.</p>

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

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33 00 S, 56 00 W

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South America

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about the size of Virginia and West Virginia combined; slightly smaller than the state of Washington

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660 km

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warm temperate; freezing temperatures almost unknown

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mostly rolling plains and low hills; fertile coastal lowland

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arable land, hydropower, minor minerals, fish

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2,230 sq km (2018)

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Rio de la Plata/Parana river mouth (shared with Brazil [s], Argentina, Paraguay) - 4,880 km; Uruguay river mouth (shared with Brazil [s] and Argentina) - 1,610 km<br><br><strong>note:</strong> [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

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Guarani Aquifer System

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most of the country's population resides in the southern half of the country; approximately 80% of the populace is urban; nearly half of the population lives in and around the capital of Montevideo

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seasonally high winds (the pampero is a chilly and occasional violent wind that 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

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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

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White 87.7%, Black 4.6%, Indigenous 2.4%, other 0.3%, none or unspecified 5% (2011 est.)

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<strong>note:</strong> data represent primary ethnic identity

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Roman Catholic 36.5%, Protestant 5% (Evangelical (non-specific) 4.6%, Adventist 0.2%, Protestant (non-specific) 0.3%), African American Cults/Umbanda 2.8%, Jehovah's Witness 0.6%, Church of Jesus Christ 0.2%, other 1%, Believer (not belonging to the church) 1.8%, agnostic 0.3%, atheist 1.3%, none 47.3%, unspecified 3.4%<br><br>Roman Catholic 42%, Protestant 15%, other 6%, agnostic 3%, atheist 10%, unspecified 24% (2023 est.)

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-0.06% (2025 est.)

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9.05 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

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9.88 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

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0.19 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

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most of the country's population resides in the southern half of the country; approximately 80% of the populace is urban; nearly half of the population lives in and around the capital of Montevideo

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1.774 million MONTEVIDEO (capital) (2023)

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15 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

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1.27 children born/woman (2025 est.)

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0.62 (2025 est.)

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4.67 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

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2.5 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)

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27.9% (2016)

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1.8% (2018 est.)

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55.4% (2023 est.)

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water pollution from meat-packing, tannery industries; heavy metal pollution; inadequate solid and hazardous waste disposal; deforestation

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warm temperate; freezing temperatures almost unknown

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8.5 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

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172.2 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

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presidential republic

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19 departments (<em>departamentos</em>, singular - <em>departamento</em>); Artigas, Canelones, Cerro Largo, Colonia, Durazno, Flores, Florida, Lavalleja, Maldonado, Montevideo, Paysandú, Rio Negro, Rivera, Rocha, Salto, San José, Soriano, Tacuarembó, Treinta y Tres

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civil law system based on the Spanish civil code

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accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

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18 years of age; universal and compulsory

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<strong>note: </strong>the president is both chief of state and head of government

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Broad Front or FA (Frente Amplio) - (a broad governing coalition that comprises 34 factions including Popular Participation Movement or MPP, Uruguay Assembly, Progressive Alliance, Broad Social Democratic Space, Socialist Party, Vertiente Artiguista, Christian Democratic Party, Big House, Communist Party, The Federal League, Fuerza Renovadora)<br>Colorado Party or PC (including Batllistas and Ciudadanos)<br>Intransigent Radical Ecologist Party (Partido Ecologista Radical Intransigente) or PERI<br>Independent Party<br>National Party or PN (including Todos (Everyone) and National Alliance)<br>Open Cabildo<br>Popular Unity

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CAN (associate), CD, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAM (observer), OAS, OIF (observer), OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, SICA (observer), UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNISFA, UNMOGIP, UNOCI, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

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25 August 1825 (from Brazil)

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Independence Day, 25 August (1825)

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<strong>description: </strong>nine equal horizontal stripes of white (top and bottom) alternating with blue; a white square in the upper-left corner has a yellow sun with a human face (outlined in black) known as the Sun of May, with 16 rays that alternate between triangular and wavy<br><br><strong>meaning: </strong>the stripes represent the country's nine original departments; the sun refers to the legend of the sun breaking through the clouds on 25 May 1810 as independence was declared from Spain; the sun is said to be Inti, the Inca god of the sun

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<strong>note:</strong> the banner was inspired by the national colors of Argentina and the design of the US flag

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Sun of May (a sun-with-face symbol)

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blue, white, yellow

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high-income, export-oriented South American economy; South America&rsquo;s largest middle class; low socioeconomic inequality; growing homicide rates; growing Chinese and EU relations; 2019 Argentine recession hurt; key milk, beef, rice, and wool exporter

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<b>note:</b> data in 2021 dollars

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<b>note:</b> annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

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<b>note:</b> data in 2021 dollars

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$80.962 billion (2024 est.)

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<b>note:</b> data in current dollars at official exchange rate

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<b>note:</b> annual % change based on consumer prices

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<b>note:</b> figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

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<b>note:</b> figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

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milk, rice, wheat, barley, soybeans, beef, rapeseed, sugarcane, maize, beef offal (2023)

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<b>note:</b> top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

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

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4.4% (2024 est.)

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<b>note:</b> annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

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1.768 million (2024 est.)

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<b>note:</b> number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

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<b>note:</b> % of labor force seeking employment

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<b>note:</b> % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

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10.1% (2023 est.)

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<b>note:</b> % of population with income below national poverty line

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<b>note:</b> index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

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<b>note:</b> % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

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<b>note:</b> personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

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<b>note:</b> central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

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<b>note:</b> central government debt as a % of GDP

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18.7% (of GDP) (2023 est.)

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<b>note:</b> central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

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<b>note:</b> balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

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<b>note:</b> balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

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China 21%, Brazil 17%, USA 8%, Argentina 5%, Netherlands 5% (2023)

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<b>note:</b> top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

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wood pulp, beef, milk, rice, wood (2023)

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<b>note:</b> top five export commodities based on value in dollars

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<b>note:</b> balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

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Brazil 22%, China 18%, Argentina 11%, USA 9%, Nigeria 4% (2023)

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<b>note:</b> top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

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crude petroleum, refined petroleum, cars, trucks, fertilizers (2023)

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<b>note:</b> top five import commodities based on value in dollars

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<b>note:</b> holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

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mix of privately owned and state-run broadcast media; over 100 commercial radio stations and about 20 TV channels; cable TV is available; many community radio and TV stations; adopted the hybrid Japanese/Brazilian HDTV standard (ISDB-T) in 2010 (2019)

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.uy

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CX

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65 (2025)

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4 (2025)

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Armed Forces of Uruguay (Fuerzas Armadas del Uruguay or FF.AA. del Uruguay): National Army, National Navy (includes Coast Guard (Prefectura Nacional Naval or PRENA)), Uruguayan Air Force<br><br>Ministry of Interior: National Police (2025)

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<strong>note: </strong>the National Police includes the paramilitary National Republican Guard (Guardia Nacional Republicana)

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approximately 23,000 active-duty Armed Forces (15,000 Army; 5,000 Navy; 3,000 Air Force) (2025)

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the military's inventory includes a variety of mostly older or secondhand equipment originating from a range of suppliers, including Brazil, Germany, Russia/former Soviet Union, South Korea, and the US (2025)

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generally 18-30 years of age (up to 22 for the Navy and up to 40 for some specialist positions) for voluntary military service for men and women; initial 24-month service obligation (2025)

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630 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO); 210 Golan Heights (UNDOF) (2025)

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the armed forces are responsible for defense of the country&rsquo;s independence, national sovereignty, and territorial integrity, as well as protecting strategic resources; it has some domestic responsibilities, including perimeter security for a number of prisons, border security, and providing humanitarian/disaster assistance; it also assists the Ministry of Interior in combating narcotics trafficking; the military participates in UN peacekeeping missions and multinational exercises with foreign partners; Uruguay traditionally has held security ties with Argentina, Brazil, Peru, and the US; since 2018, it has also signed defense cooperation agreements with China and Russia (2025)