Uruguay
Geography - People - Economy - Government - Communications - Transportation - Military - Transnational IssuesCountry name - conventional long form : Oriental Republic of Uruguay
Country name - conventional short form : Uruguay
Country name - local long form : Republica Oriental del Uruguay
Country name - local short form : Uruguay
Country name - former : Banda Oriental, Cisplatine Province
Government type : constitutional republic
Capital - name : Montevideo
Capital - time difference : UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
National holiday : Independence Day, 25 August (1825)
Population : 3,477,778 (July 2008 est.)
Nationality - noun : Uruguayan(s)
Nationality - adjective : Uruguayan
Languages : Spanish, Portunol, or Brazilero (Portuguese-Spanish mix on the Brazilian frontier)
Currency (code) : Uruguayan peso (UYU)
Currency code : UYU
Uruguay is located Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Argentina and Brazil. The climate is warm temperate; freezing temperatures almost unknown. The terrain is mostly rolling plains and low hills; fertile coastal lowland.
Background
This entry usually highlights major historic events and current issues and may include a statement about one or two key future trends.Background : Montevideo, founded by the Spanish in 1726 as a military stronghold, soon took advantage of its natural harbor to become an important commercial center. Claimed by Argentina but annexed by Brazil in 1821, Uruguay declared its independence four years later and secured its freedom in 1828 after a three-year struggle. The administrations of President Jose BATLLE in the early 20th century established widespread political, social, and economic reforms that established a statist tradition. A violent Marxist urban guerrilla movement named the Tupamaros, launched in the late 1960s, led Uruguay's president to cede control of the government to the military in 1973. By yearend, the rebels had been crushed, but the military continued to expand its hold over the government. Civilian rule was not restored until 1985. In 2004, the left-of-center Frente Amplio Coalition won national elections that effectively ended 170 years of political control previously held by the Colorado and Blanco parties. Uruguay's political and labor conditions are among the freest on the continent.
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