]! ^! 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. 
]" ^" Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Argentina and Brazil ^# 33 00 S, 56 00 W ^$ South America ^% `! 176,220 sq km `" 173,620 sq km `# 2,600 sq km ^& slightly smaller than the state of Washington ^' `! 1,648 km `Y Argentina 580 km, Brazil 1,068 km ^( 660 km ^) `$ 12 nm `M 24 nm `N 200 nm `O 200 nm or edge of continental margin ^* warm temperate; freezing temperatures almost unknown ^+ mostly rolling plains and low hills; fertile coastal lowland ^, `% Atlantic Ocean 0 m `& Cerro Catedral 514 m ^- arable land, hydropower, minor minerals, fisheries ^. `' 7.77% `( 0.24% `) 91.99% (2005) ^/ 2,100 sq km (2003) ^0 seasonally high winds (the pampero is a chilly and occasional violent wind that 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 ^1 water pollution from meat packing/tannery industry; inadequate solid/hazardous waste disposal _P `P Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands `Q Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation ^2 second-smallest South American country (after Suriname); most of the low-lying landscape (three-quarters of the country) is grassland, ideal for cattle and sheep raising 
]# ^3 3,460,607 (July 2007 est.) ^4 `+ 23% (male 403,745/female 390,623) `, 63.8% (male 1,096,225/female 1,112,568) `- 13.2% (male 184,303/female 273,143) (2007 est.) ^5 `! 32.9 years `. 31.5 years `/ 34.4 years (2007 est.) ^6 0.504% (2007 est.) ^7 14.41 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) ^8 9.16 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) ^9 -0.21 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) ^: `0 1.04 male(s)/female `1 1.034 male(s)/female `, 0.985 male(s)/female `- 0.675 male(s)/female `2 0.948 male(s)/female (2007 est.) ^; `! 12.02 deaths/1,000 live births `. 13.49 deaths/1,000 live births `/ 10.49 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) ^< `2 75.93 years `. 72.68 years `/ 79.3 years (2007 est.) ^= 1.97 children born/woman (2007 est.) ^> 0.3% (2001 est.) ^? 6,000 (2001 est.) ^@ less than 500 (2003 est.) ^A `3 Uruguayan(s) `4 Uruguayan ^B white 88%, mestizo 8%, black 4%, Amerindian (practically nonexistent) ^C Roman Catholic 66% (less than half of the adult population attends church regularly), Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, nonprofessing or other 31% ^D Spanish, Portunol, or Brazilero (Portuguese-Spanish mix on the Brazilian frontier) ^E `5 age 15 and over can read and write `2 98% `. 97.6% `/ 98.4% (2003 est.) 
]$ ^F `6 Oriental Republic of Uruguay `7 Uruguay `Z Republica Oriental del Uruguay `[ Uruguay `\ Banda Oriental, Cisplatine Province ^H constitutional republic ^I `8 Montevideo `9 34 53 S, 56 11 W `: UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) `p +1hr, begins second Sunday in October; ends second Sunday in March ^J 19 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Artigas, Canelones, Cerro Largo, Colonia, Durazno, Flores, Florida, Lavalleja, Maldonado, Montevideo, Paysandu, Rio Negro, Rivera, Rocha, Salto, San Jose, Soriano, Tacuarembo, Treinta y Tres ^K 25 August 1825 (from Brazil) ^L Independence Day, 25 August (1825) ^M 27 November 1966, effective 15 February 1967; suspended 27 June 1973, new constitution rejected by referendum 30 November 1980; two constitutional reforms approved by plebiscite 26 November 1989 and 7 January 1997 ^N based on Spanish civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction ^O 18 years of age; universal and compulsory ^P `; President Tabare VAZQUEZ Rosas (since 1 March 2005); Vice President Rodolfo NIN NOVOA (since 1 March 2005); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government `< President Tabare VAZQUEZ Rosas (since 1 March 2005); Vice President Rodolfo NIN NOVOA (since 1 March 2005) `= Council of Ministers appointed by the president with parliamentary approval `> president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for five-year terms (may not serve consecutive terms); election last held 31 October 2004 (next to be held in October 2009) `? Tabare VAZQUEZ elected president; percent of vote - Tabare VAZQUEZ 50.5%, Jorge LARRANAGA 35.1%, Guillermo STIRLING 10.3%; other 4.1% ^Q bicameral General Assembly or Asamblea General consists of Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores (30 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms; vice president has one vote in the Senate) and Chamber of Representatives or Camara de Representantes (99 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) `> Chamber of Senators - last held 31 October 2004 (next to be held October 2009); Chamber of Representatives - last held 31 October 2004 (next to be held October 2009) `? Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - EP-FA 16, Blanco 11, Colorado Party 3; Chamber of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - EP-FA 52, Blanco 36, Colorado Party 10, Independent Party 1 ^R Supreme Court (judges are nominated by the president and elected for 10-year terms by the General Assembly) ^S Broad Front Coalition (Frente Amplio) [Jorge BROVETTO] (formerly known as the Progressive Encounter/Broad Front Coalition or EP-FA); Colorado Party [Julio Maria SANGUINETTI]; Independent Party (Partido Independiente) [Pablo MIERES]; Movement of Popular Participation or MPP [Jose MUJICA]; National Party or Blanco [Jorge LARRANAGA]; New Sector/Space Coalition (Nuevo Espacio) [Rafael MICHELINI]; Broad Front Coalition (Frente Amplio) [Jorge BROVETTO] (formerly known as the Progressive Encounter/Broad Front Coalition or EP-FA); Uruguayan Assembly or Asamblea Uruguay [Danilo ASTORI] ^T Architect's Society of Uruguay (professional organization); Catholic Church; Chamber of Uruguayan Industries (manufacturer's association); Chemist and Pharmaceutical Association (professional organization); PIT-CNT (powerful federation of Uruguayan unions); Rural Association of Uruguay (rancher's association); students; Uruguayan Construction League ^U CAN (associate), CSN, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMOGIP, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO ^V `R Ambassador Carlos Alberto GIANELLI Derois `S 1913 I Street NW, Washington, DC 20006 `T [1] (202) 331-1313 through 1316 `U [1] (202) 331-8142 `V Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York `^ San Juan (Puerto Rico) ^W `R Ambassador Frank BAXTER `_ Lauro Muller 1776, Montevideo 11200 `` APO AA 34035 `T [598] (2) 418-7777 `U [598] (2) 418-8611 ^X nine equal horizontal stripes of white (top and bottom) alternating with blue; there is a white square in the upper hoist-side corner with a yellow sun bearing a human face known as the Sun of May with 16 rays that alternate between triangular and wavy 
]% ^Y Uruguay's well-to-do economy is characterized by an export-oriented agricultural sector, a well-educated work force, and high levels of social spending. After averaging growth of 5% annually during 1996-98, in 1999-2002 the economy suffered a major downturn, stemming largely from the spillover effects of the economic problems of its large neighbors, Argentina and Brazil. For instance, in 2001-02 Argentina made massive withdrawals of dollars deposited in Uruguayan banks, which led to a plunge in the Uruguayan peso and a massive rise in unemployment. Total GDP in these four years dropped by nearly 20%, with 2002 the worst year due to the banking crisis. The unemployment rate rose to nearly 20% in 2002, inflation surged, and the burden of external debt doubled. Cooperation with the IMF helped stem the damage. A debt swap with private-sector creditors in 2003 extended the maturity dates on nearly half of Uruguay's then $11.3 billion of public debt and helped restore public confidence. The economy grew about 12% in 2004 as a result of high commodity prices for Uruguayan exports, a competitive peso, growth in the region, and low international interest rates, and it continued to grow nearly 7% annually in 2005 and 2006. ^Z $36.56 billion (2006 est.) ^[ $14.3 billion (2006 est.) ^\ 7% (2006 est.) ^] $10,700 (2006 est.) ^^ `@ 9.3% `A 33.7% `B 57% (2006 est.) ^_ 1.27 million (2006 est.) ^` `@ 14% `A 16% `B 70% ^a 10.8% (2006 est.) _! 27.37% of households (2006) _" `C 3.7% `D 25.8% (1997) _d 45.2 (2006) _# 6.5% (2006 est.) _V 13.6% of GDP (2006 est.) _$ `E $5.203 billion `F $5.449 billion; including capital expenditures of $193 million (2006 est.) _% 70.6% of GDP (2006 est.) _& rice, wheat, corn, barley; livestock; fish _' food processing, electrical machinery, transportation equipment, petroleum products, textiles, chemicals, beverages _( 12.6% (2006 est.) _) 8.183 billion kWh (2004) _* 9.939 billion kWh (2004) _+ 19 million kWh (2004) _, 2.348 billion kWh (2004) _- 513.5 bbl/day (2004 est.) _. 38,100 bbl/day (2004 est.) _/ NA bbl/day _0 NA bbl/day _1 0 cu m (2004 est.) _2 120 million cu m (2004 est.) _X 0 cu m (2004 est.) _Y 120 million cu m (2004 est.) _Q $-600 million (2006 est.) _3 $3.993 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) _4 meat, rice, leather products, wool, fish, dairy products _5 US 23.2%, Brazil 13.5%, Argentina 7.8%, Germany 4.2%, Mexico 4.1% (2005) _6 $4.532 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) _7 machinery, chemicals, road vehicles, crude petroleum _8 Brazil 21.3%, Argentina 20.3%, Russia 8%, US 6.7%, Venezuela 6.3%, China 6.2%, Nigeria 5.9% (2005) _[ $5.518 billion (October 2006 est.) _9 $11.4 billion (30 September 2006 est.) _: $NA _; Uruguayan peso (UYU) _< Uruguayan pesos per US dollar - 24.048 (2006), 24.479 (2005), 28.704 (2004), 28.209 (2003), 21.257 (2002) _= calendar year 
]& _> 1 million (2004) _? 600,000 (2004) _@ `G fully digitalized `H most modern facilities concentrated in Montevideo; new nationwide microwave radio relay network `I country code - 598; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2002) _A AM 93, FM 191, shortwave 7 (2005) _B 62 (2005) _C .uy _D 145,774 (2006) _E 680,000 (2005) 
]' _F 64 (2006) _G `! 8 `a 1 `b 4 `c 1 `W 2 (2006) _R `! 56 `b 3 `c 22 `W 31 (2006) _^ gas 257 km; oil 160 km (2006) _e `! 2,073 km `m 2,073 km 1.435-m gauge `* 461 km have been taken out of service and 460 km are in partial use (2005) _H `! 77,732 km `K 7,743 km `L 69,989 km (2004) _b 1,600 km (2005) _S `! 13 ships (1000 GRT or over) 34,259 GRT/19,725 DWT by type: cargo 2, chemical tanker 1, passenger/cargo 7, petroleum tanker 2, roll on/roll off 1 `X 4 (Argentina 3, Greece 1) `d 8 (Argentina 1, Bahamas 2, Liberia 3, Spain 2) (2006) _I Montevideo, Nueva Palmira, Fray Bentos, Colonia, Juan Lacaze 
]( _J Army, Navy (includes naval air arm, Marines, Maritime Prefecture in wartime), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Uruguaya, FAU) (2006) _T 18 years of age for voluntary and compulsory military service (2001) _K males age 18-49: 764,408 females age 18-49: 760,341 (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 637,445 females age 18-49: 631,046 (2005 est.) _U 1.7% (2006 est.) 
]) _N in Jan 2007, ICJ provisionally ruled Uruguay may begin construction of two paper mills on the Uruguay River, which forms the border with Argentina, while the court examines further whether Argentina has the legal right to stop such construction with potential environmental implications to both countries; uncontested dispute with Brazil over certain islands in the Quarai/Cuareim and Invernada streams and the resulting tripoint with Argentina 