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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 ...
- Montevideo
Montevideo (/ ˌ m ɒ n t ɪ v ɪ ˈ d eɪ oʊ /, US also /-ˈ v ɪ d...
- Demographics of Uruguay
According to the 2022 revision of the World Population...
- Outline of Uruguay
An enlargeable relief map of the Eastern Republic of...
- Colorado Party
Ideology. The party seeks to unite moderate and liberal...
- Chamber of Representatives
The Chamber of Representatives (Spanish: Cámara de...
- President of Uruguay
The president of Uruguay (Spanish: presidente del Uruguay),...
- Luis Lacalle Pou
Luis Alberto Aparicio Alejandro Lacalle Pou (Spanish: [ˈlwis...
- Military
The Armed Forces of Uruguay (Spanish: Fuerzas Armadas del...
- Sport in Uruguay
Football (Spanish: fútbol) is the most popular sport in...
- Culture of Uruguay
The culture of Uruguay is diverse since the nation's...
- Montevideo
Уругва́й ( исп. Uruguay ), принятое в русском языке официальное название — Восто́чная Респу́блика Уругва́й (в значении Республика Восточного побережья реки Уругвай; исп. República Oriental del Uruguay [reˈpuβlika oɾjenˈtal del uɾuˈɣwai] ) — государство в юго-восточной части Южной Америки, на побережье Атлантического океана.
- Overview
- Land
- Relief and soils
- Drainage
- Climate
- Plant and animal life
- Ethnic groups and languages
- Religion
Uruguay, country located on the southeastern coast of South America. The second smallest country on the continent, Uruguay has long been overshadowed politically and economically by the adjacent republics of Brazil and Argentina, with both of which it has many cultural and historical similarities. “On the map, surrounded by its large neighbors, Uruguay seems tiny,” writes contemporary Uruguayan historian and novelist Eduardo Galeano. “But not really. We have five times more land than Holland and five times fewer inhabitants. We have more cultivable land than Japan, and a population forty times smaller.”
This combination of open space and low population density has afforded Uruguay many opportunities for economic development. An independent country since 1828, with strong ties to the United Kingdom, France, and Italy, Uruguay developed throughout much of the 20th century as one of Latin America’s more progressive societies, notable for its political stability, advanced social legislation, and a relatively large middle class. A period of repressive military rule (1973–85) has cast a long shadow over national life, and, like other countries in the region, Uruguay has been troubled by economic decline and factional struggles in the decades since civilian democratic rule was restored. Such adversities have caused many Uruguayans to emigrate to Europe and North America; as Galeano has remarked, “We export our young.”
The wedge-shaped country is bounded by Brazil to the north and east, by the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and by the Río de la Plata to the south, while the Uruguay River serves as its western boundary with Argentina.
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The Uruguayan landscape is largely characterized by gently rolling land, with an average elevation of about 383 feet (117 metres). Tidal lakes and sand dunes fringe the coastline. Elsewhere there are broad valleys, plains (pampas), low plateaus and hills, and ridges—notably Haedo Ridge (Cuchilla de Haedo) in the north and Grande Ridge (Cuchilla Gra...
Although it is a well-watered land, no large rivers flow entirely within Uruguay. The Uruguay River and the estuary of the Río de la Plata, along the western border of the nation, are navigable for oceangoing ships until Paysandú and for smaller vessels above that point to the falls at Salto. The smaller Negro River, which traverses the country from northeast to southwest, is navigable only in its lower part, below Rincón del Bonete Lake (the Río Negro Reservoir). Among other small rivers are the Santa Lucía, Cebollatí, and Queguay Grande. Merín (Mirim) Lagoon, which lies mainly within Brazil, is the largest natural lake.
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Uruguay has a generally pleasant, temperate climate. The average temperature for the midwinter month of July varies from 54 °F (12 °C) at Salto in the northern interior to 50 °F (10 °C) at Montevideo in the south. The midsummer month of January varies from a warm average of 79 °F (26 °C) at Salto to 72 °F (22 °C) at Montevideo. Frost is almost unknown along the coast. Both summer and winter weather may vary from day to day with the passing of storm fronts; a hot northerly wind may occasionally be followed by a cold wind (pampero) from the Argentine Pampas.
Uruguay has neither a decidedly dry nor a rainy season. The heaviest precipitation occurs during the autumn months (March and April), although more frequent rains occur in winter. The mean annual precipitation is generally greater than 40 inches (1,000 mm), decreasing with distance from the seacoast, and is relatively evenly distributed throughout the year. Thunderstorms occur frequently during the summer.
Tall-grass prairies once covered most of Uruguay’s land surface but now compete with enclosed, planted pastures. Only a small percentage of the land is forested, most of the trees growing in narrow stretches along watercourses. The principal species are ombu—a scrubby, treelike plant—and alder. Others include willow, eucalyptus, pine, poplar, acacia, and aloe. The algaroba (carob tree) and quebracho (whose wood and bark are utilized in tanning and dyeing) are prevalent, and indigenous palms grow in the valleys and along the southeastern coast. Common smaller plants include mimosa, myrtle, rosemary, and scarlet-flowered ceibo.
Animals native to Uruguay have largely disappeared, although pumas and jaguars are still occasionally found in remote areas. Other native mammals include foxes, deer, wildcats, armadillos (mulitas), and several types of rodents, including huge capybaras. Scorpions are rare, but venomous spiders are common. Birdlife includes tiny burrowing owls, crows, lapwings, partridges, quails, hummingbirds, and cardinals. Parakeets are plentiful in the hills, and the lagoons swarm with waterfowl, including white herons, cranes, and flamingos. Rheas are now mainly limited to semidomesticated settings. Lizards, tortoises, and venomous snakes are found in many areas. Caimans inhabit the upper waters of the Uruguay River, and seals are found on small islands off the southeastern coast, particularly on Lobos Island. A network of national parks and a wildlife reserve are dedicated to the preservation of animal and bird populations. Marvin H. Alisky
Uruguayans are of predominantly European origin, mostly descendants of 19th- and 20th-century immigrants from Spain and Italy and, to a much lesser degree, from France and Britain. Earlier settlers had migrated from Argentina and Paraguay. Few direct descendants of Uruguay’s indigenous peoples remain, and mestizos (of mixed European and Indian ancestry) account for less than one-tenth of the population. Blacks and persons of mixed Black and white ancestry make up an even smaller proportion of the total.
Spanish is spoken throughout Uruguay, although in Rivera and other borderland towns close to Brazil an admixture of Portuguese and Spanish can be heard, often in a slang called portuñol, from the words português and español.
Nearly half of the people are at least nominally Roman Catholic. About one-third of the population adhere to other Christian faiths or are nondenominational Christians. About one-sixth of Uruguayans are agnostics or atheists. Jews, mostly in Montevideo, make up a small minority, which is nevertheless one of the larger Jewish communities in South Am...
Уругвай, официално Източна република Уругвай, (на испански: República Oriental del Uruguay) е държава, разположена в южната част на Южна Америка. Граничи с Бразилия на север, с Аржентина на запад и юг и с Атлантическия океан на югоизток. Страната има площ 177,4 хил. km² и е разположена в югоизточната част на Южна Америка.
Uruguay МФА : [uɾuˈɣwai̯] Уругва́й ), офіційно Східна Республіка Уругвай (у значенні Республіка Східного берега річки Уругвай) — держава в південно-східній частині Південної Америки, на узбережжі Атлантичного океану. Межує з Бразилією та Аргентиною . Зміст. 1 Географія. 1.1 Клімат. 2 Назва. 3 Історія. 3.1 ХХ-ХХІ століття. 4 Державний устрій.
Geography of Uruguay. Uruguay is a country in the southeastern region of South America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean, between Argentina and Brazil. It is located in the Southern Hemisphere on the Atlantic seaboard of South America between 53 and 58 west longitude and 30 and 35 south latitude. [1] .
May 4, 2023 · Uruguay country profile. 4 May 2023. Uruguay has traditionally been more affluent than other countries in South America, and is known for its advanced education and social security systems and ...
