ed on 20 October, 2005

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@Uruguay

Introduction Uruguay

Background:
Montevideo, founded by the Spanish in 1726 as a military
stronghold, soon took advantage of its natural harbor to became an
important commercial center. Annexed by Brazil as a separate
province in 1821, Uruguay declared its independence four years later
and secured its freedom in 1828 after a three-year struggle. The
administrations of President BATLLE in the early 20th century
established widespread political, social, and economic reforms. 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 yearend, 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.

Geography Uruguay

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:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

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: 7.43%
permanent crops: 0.23%
other: 92.34% (2001)

Irrigated land:
1,800 sq km (1998 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
from weather fronts

Environment - curr