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.