Uruguay located on the southeastern coast of South America. The second smallest nation on the continent, Uruguay has long been overshadowed politically and economically by the adjacent republics of Brazil and Argentina, with both of which it shares many cultural and historical similarities.Uruguay known as the "Switzerland of South America" but clearly not because of any geographical similarity. Although it is the second smallest country in South America (after Suriname), Uruguay is more than four times larger than landlocked Switzerland, and its highest peak is only 501 meters. Rather, the analogy was made because Uruguay enjoyed other Swiss-like attributes. It was a peaceful, conservative country with a bountiful, livestock-based economy. It was also home to South America's first social democracy; a cradle-to-grave welfare system; and a largely urban, homogeneous, and relatively well- educated population. A political slogan of the 1940s proudly boasted, "There's no place like Uruguay."
Uruguay's aboriginal inhabitants were the Charrúa Indians, a hunter-gatherer people who cared little for outsiders. They killed the explorer Juan Diaz de Solís and most of his party when the Spaniards encountered them in 1516.In 1680, the Portuguese founded Colonia on the estuary of the Río de la Plata as a rival to Spanish-held Buenos Aires on the opposite shore. Spain responded by building its own citadel at Montevideo.In 1680, the Portuguese set up Colonia on the banks of the Rio de la Plata, an estuary that makes up some of the border between Uruguay and Argentina. The Portuguese did this to counter the Spanish settlement just across the estuary at Buenos Aires. So the Spanish countered by building a settlement at Montevideo, on the same side of the estuary as Colonia.
Uruguayan hero José Artigas fought against the Spanish but was unable to prevent a Brazilian takeover of the "Banda Oriental" (the original name of the eastern shore of the Río de la Plata). Exiled to Paraguay, he inspired the "33 Orientales" who, with Argentine support, liberated the territory in 1825 and established Uruguay as an independent State.
Uruguay's independence was repeatedly threatened during the 19th century, militarily by Argentina and Brazil, and economically by Britain. Federalist forces in collusion with Argentina besieged Montevideo from 1838-51 and helped create two warring political parties, the Blancos and the Colorados. Around the same time, the British introduced new wool, meat and rail industries. They also replaced the rangy criollo stock with their own cattle, thus commercializing one of the country's few abundant resources. For the remainder of the century, the contest between the Blancos and Colorados continued, immersing the country in civil war, dictatorship and political intrigue.
In the early 20th century, the visionary President José Batlle y Ordóñez achieved far-reaching reforms and made Uruguay the only 'welfare state' in Latin America. During his two terms as president - 1903-07 and 1911-15 - he implemented a range of free social services, abolished capital punishment and sought to curb the country's legacy of strong-arm rule. Uruguay soon flourished on the back of the rural livestock sector but its failure to grow, coupled with the country's lack of natural resources, meant the welfare state became increasingly fictitious over time.
Uruguay's former prosperity had ebbed away by the 1960s as state-supported enterprises became riddled with corruption. The country slid into dictatorship and was thrown into turmoil by the Tupamaros, an urban guerrilla movement which appeared publicly in 1967. In 1971, the military was invited to participate in government, Congress was dissolved, and later on the Tupamaros were effectively wiped out.
Uruguay is a small country in southeastern South America. It is sandwiched between Argentina, Brazil, and the Atlantic Ocean. Its location kept it at the center of a tug-of-war between Brazil and Argentina for many years.
Uruguay's aboriginal inhabitants were the Charrúa Indians, a hunter-gatherer people who cared little for outsiders. They killed the explorer Juan Diaz de Solís and most of his party when the Spaniards encountered them in 1516. By the 17th century, the Charrúas had prospered and, abandoning hostilities, began trading with the Spanish. In 1680, the Portuguese founded Colonia on the estuary of the Río de la Plata as a rival to Spanish-held Buenos Aires on the opposite shore. Spain responded by building its own citadel at Montevideo. Uruguayan hero José Artigas fought against the Spanish but was unable to prevent a Brazilian takeover of the Banda (the original name of the eastern shore of the Río de la Plata). Exiled to Paraguay, he inspired the '33 Orientales' who, with Argentine support, liberated the area in 1828 and established Uruguay as an independent buffer state between Argentina and Brazil. Uruguay's fragile independence was repeatedly threatened during the 19th century - militarily by Argentina and Brazil, and economically by Britain. Federalist forces in collusion with Argentina besieged Montevideo from 1838-51 and helped create two warring political parties, the Blancos and the Colorados. Around the same time, the British introduced new wool, meat and rail industries.
Uruguay's first inhabitants were the Charrua Indians, who lived in this remote area of South America. The Charrua Indians kept mostly to themselves and shunned outsiders. They didn't welcome European explorers who began arriving in the Americas in the 15th and 16th centuries. In fact, the Charrua Indians killed the Spanish explorer Juan Diaz de Solis and most of de Solis' exploration crew in 1516. The Charrua Indians were doing well by the 17th century, which made them somewhat of an oddity. Throughout much of the Americas, Europeans were overrunning many native groups. Having successfully defended their land from the explorers, the Charrua Indians began trading with the Spanish.
The climate is temperate, even in winter, and frosts are almost unknown. Winter (June to September) temperatures range from 10 to 16°C (50 to 61°F), while summer (December to March) temperatures are between 21 to 28°C (70 to 82°F). Rainfall, evenly distributed throughout the year, averages about 1m (3ft) over the entire country.The country's flora consists mostly of grasslands, with little forest except on the banks of its rivers and streams. In the southeast, along the Brazilian border, are lingering traces of palm savanna. Wild animals are scarce, although rhea (a bird-like ostrich) can still be seen in areas near major tributaries.
Fish, seafood, and meats such as chicken and pork are eaten in Uruguay, beef is central to the diet. It is served in a variety of ways, of which "asado" (barbecued beef) is one of the most common. "Costillas" (chops), "milanesas" (veal cutlets), and "chivitos" (steak burgers) are also popular, along with roasts, stews, and meat pies. A wide variety of vegetables and fruits are available. Snack foods include "medias lunas mixtas" (a type of croissant filled with cheese and ham), "panchos" (sausages), and "húngaras" (spicy sausages).
In Uruguay more than three-fourths of the people are at least nominally Roman Catholic, but as many as two-fifths of Catholics are estimated to be nonreligious. Less than one-tenth of the population adheres to Mormon and other Protestant churches. Jews, mostly in Montevideo, make up a small minority, which is nevertheless one of the larger Jewish communities in South…
Country name: República Oriental del Uruguay
Capital : Montevideo
Religion: 66% Roman Catholic, 2% Protestant, 2% Jewish.
Language: Spanish. Other European languages spoken
Area: 187,000 sq km (72,930 sq mi)
Population (2005 est.): 3,415,920
birth rate: 14.1/1000;
density per sq mi: 50
Currency: Peso Uruguayo (U$)
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