South Americas Uruguay and Its Geography

South America's Uruguay and Its Geography Uruguay is a country located in South America that shares its borders with Argentina and Brazil. The country is the second smallest in South America, after Suriname, with a land area of 68,036 square miles (176,215 sq km). Uruguay has a population of just over 3.5 million people. 1.4 million of Uruguays citizens live within its capital, Montevideo, or in its surrounding areas. Uruguay is known as being one of South Americas most economically developed nations. Population: 3,510,386 (July 2010 estimate) Capital: MontevideoBordering Countries: Argentina and BrazilLand Area: 68,036 square miles (176,215 sq km)Coastline: 410 miles (660 km)Highest Point: Cerro Catedral at 1,686 feet (514 m) History Prior to European arrival, the only inhabitants of Uruguay were the Charrua Indians. In 1516, the Spanish landed on Uruguays coast but the region was not settled until the 16th and 17th centuries due to hostilities with the Charrua and a lack of silver and gold. When Spain did begin to colonize the area, it introduced cattle which later increased the areas wealth.In the early 18th century, the Spanish founded Montevideo as a military outpost. Throughout the 19th century, Uruguay was involved in several conflicts with the British, Spanish, and Portuguese. In 1811, Jose Gervasio Artigas launched a revolt against Spain and became the countrys national hero. In 1821, the region was annexed to Brazil by Portugal, but in 1825, after several revolts, it declared its independence from Brazil. It did decide, however, to maintain a regional federation with Argentina.In 1828 after a three-year war with Brazil, the Treaty of Montevideo declared Uruguay as an independent nation. In 1830, the new country adopted its first constitution and throughout the rest of the 19th century, Uruguays economy and government had various shifts. In addition, immigration, mainly from Europe, increased.From 1903 to 1907 and 1911 to 1915 President Jose Batlle y Ordoà ±ez established political, social and economic reforms, However, by 1966, Uruguay was suffering from instability in these areas and underwent a constitutional amendment. A new constitution was then adopted in 1967 and by 1973, a military regime was put in place to run the government. This led to human rights abuses and in 1980, the military government was overthrown. In 1984, national elections were held and the country again began to improve politically, economically, and socially.Today, due to several more reforms and various elections throughout the late 1980s and into the 1990s and 2000s, Uruguay has one of the strongest economies in South America and a very high quality of life. Government Uruguay, officially called the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a constitutional republic with a chief of state and a head of government. Both of these positions are filled by Uruguays president. Uruguay also has a bicameral legislative assembly called the General Assembly that is made up the Chamber of Senators and the Chamber of Representatives. The judicial branch is made up of the Supreme Court. Uruguay is also divided into 19 departments for local administration. Economics and Land Use Uruguays economy is considered very strong and is consistently one of the fastest growing in South America. It is dominated by an export-oriented agricultural sector according to the CIA World Factbook. The major agricultural products produced in Uruguay are rice, wheat, soybeans, barley, livestock, beef, fish, and forestry. Other industries include food processing, electrical machinery, transportation equipment, petroleum products, textiles, chemicals, and beverages. Uruguays workforce is also well educated and its government spends a large part of its revenue on social welfare programs. Geography and Climate Uruguay is located in southern South America, with borders on the South Atlantic Ocean, Argentina and Brazil. It is a relatively small country with a topography consisting mostly of rolling plains and low hills. Its coast regions are made up of fertile lowlands. The country is also home to many rivers and the Uruguay River and the Rio de la Plata are some of its largest. Uruguays climate is warm, temperate and there are ​rarely, if ever, freezing temperatures in the country. More Facts About Uruguay 84% of Uruguays terrain is agricultural88% of Uruguays population is estimated to be of European descentUruguays literacy rate is 98%Uruguays official language is Spanish Sources CIA - The World Factbook - Uruguay. Central Intelligence Agency.Uruguay: History, Geography, Government, and Culture- Infoplease.com. Infoplease.com. (n.d.). Uruguay. United States Department of State.Uruguay - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia.com.

Top 10 Best Businesses to Start From Home

Top 10 Best Businesses to Start From Home Maybe you can’t be the guy who creates the next Facebook. But you could easily have the power and the potential to launch a small business and exercise your latent entrepreneurship- and you might not even have to leave the house to do it. The trick is to choose something that requires little or no start-up capital, and doesn’t require an office setting. Here are 10 great possibilities to get you started:1. IT ConsultingThis is a field in which long years of experience are not considered a boon. The youngest and the freshest, i.e. kids straight out of school, often have the sharpest take on the going trends and are up to speed on the newest technologies. You can start small by recommending your tech services to non-tech savvy pals and spreading your business by word of mouth. It won’t take long before you’ll feel confident advertising yourself as a consultant and starting to rake in the income.2. Social Media ConsultingBelieve it or not, there are still com panies out there that don’t have a good social media presence or strategy. And if they do, they limit their exposure to more standard platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn. Use your millennial fluency with all things social media and advertise yourself as a resource to companies in need of a better online presence.3. Graphic DesignExperience is always good, but you don’t need it to get your big break in design. All you need is talent, creativity, drive, and a really good portfolio. Also make sure your business cards and resume reflect your artistic talents and are both unique and well-designed.4. Web DesignIf you already have some website designing experience, you can easily keep working on your skills and start branching out to making websites for profit. This is one of those great careers where you can almost always wear your pajamas while you work.5. PhotographyJust like design, it’s not hard to get paid to take photographs provided you have the talent, creati vity, and drive. We live in a world that relies on images for most levels of communication, and visual content is at a premium. If you’re good behind a lens, digital or analog, get your work out there and get paid.6. Event PlanningIf you have a great eye for detail, and are extremely organized, and you like to throw parties, then you might consider going into event planning. If you’re going out alone, you should make sure you have the proper certification in your area.7. Personal trainingYou will need certification through a program like ACE, plus usually some CPR or AED training, but after acquiring all of that, personal training can be one of the most flexible fields around. If you’re a fitness buff, why not make money getting other people into shape as good as yours?8. Cleaning ServicesA cleaning business is great for quick cash with tons of flexibility. No office required, and most supplies can be purchased at the grocery store. Capitalize on people not want ing to do their own dirty work!9. Freelance Make-up ArtistStart a business for yourself that’s all about the ladies. Start with YouTube video tutorials to show off your skills and build a following. Then start advertising yourself for special occasion make-up gigs and get people primped and ready for their biggest events.10. Landscaping and/or Snow RemovalEither one is a seasonal business, but the two combined? That has the potential, with very low overhead, of making you some serious cash.No matter which route you choose, it’s always important to get the necessary certification or insurance. But a little fresh thinking and some spark can set you up as a successful entrepreneur, right from the comfort of your own home.