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 in weather fronts

Environment - current issues: substantial pollution from Brazilian
industry along border; one-fifth of country affected by acid rain
generated by Brazil; water pollution from meat packing/tannery
industry; inadequate solid/hazardous waste disposal

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty,
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban,
Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified : Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation

@Uruguay:People

Population: 3,270,707 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 24% (male 405,016; female 385,863)
15-64 years: 63% (male 1,021,166; female 1,042,401)
65 years and over: 13% (male 173,345; female 242,916) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.7% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 16.98 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 8.97 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.99 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over : 0.71 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 14.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population : 75.23 years
male: 72.09 years
female : 78.55 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.3 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Uruguayan(s)
adjective: Uruguayan

Ethnic groups: white 88%, mestizo 8%, black 4%, Amerindian,
specifically, the Charrua, which are practically nonexistent and make
up probably less than 1%

Religions: Roman Catholic 66% (less than one-half of the adult
population attends church regularly), Protestant 2%, Jewish 2%,
nonprofessing or other 30%

Languages: Spanish, Portunon, or Brazilero (Portuguese-Spanish mix on
the Brazilian frontier)

Literacy:
definition : age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97.3%
male: 96.9%
female: 97.7% (1995 est.)

@Uruguay:Government

Country name:
conventional long form: Oriental Republic of