Disputes: short section of boundary with Argentina is in dispute;
two short sections of the boundary with Brazil are in dispute (Arroyo
de la Invernada area of the Rio Quarai and the islands at the confluence
of the Rio Quarai and the Uruguay)
Climate: warm temperate; freezing temperatures almost unknown
Terrain: mostly rolling plains and low hills; fertile coastal
lowland
Natural resources: soil, hydropower potential, minor minerals
Land use: arable land 8%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and
pastures 78%; forest and woodland 4%; other 10%; includes irrigated 1%
Environment: subject to seasonally high winds, droughts, floods
PEOPLE
Population: 3,121,101 (July 1990), growth rate 0.6% (1991)
Birth rate: 17 births/1,000 population (1991)
Death rate: 10 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
Net migration rate: - 1 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
Infant mortality rate: 22 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
Life expectancy at birth: 69 years male, 76 years female (1991)
Total fertility rate: 2.4 children born/woman (1991)
GOVERNMENT
Long-form name: Oriental Republic of Uruguay
Type: republic
Capital: Montevideo
Administrative divisions: 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
Independence: 25 August 1828 (from Brazil)
Constitution: 27 November 1966, effective February 1967, suspended
27 June 1973, new constitution rejected by referendum 30 November 1980
Legal system: based on Spanish civil law system; accepts compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Independence Day, 25 August (1828)
Executive branch: president, vice president, Council of Ministers
(cabinet)
Legislative branch: bicameral General Assembly (Asamblea General)
consists of an upper chamber or Chamber of Senators (Camara de
Senadores) and a lower chamber or Chamber of Representatives (Camera de
Representantes)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government--President Luis Alberto
LACALLE (since 1 March 1990); Vice President Gonzalo AGUIRRE (since
1 March 1990)
Political parties and leaders:
National (Blanco) Party, Luis Alberto LACALLE Herrera;
Colorado Party, Jorge BATLLE Ibanez;
Broad Front Coalition, Liber SEREGNI Mosquera--includes Communist Party
led by Jaime PEREZ
and National Liberation Movement (MLN) or Tupamaros led by Eleuterio
FERNANDEZ Huidobro;
New Space Coalition consists of the Party of the Government
of the People (PGP), Hugo BATALLA;
Christian Democratic Party (PDC), Hector LESCANO;
and Civic Union, Humberto CIGANDA
Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age 18
Elections:
President--last held 26 November 1989 (next to be held November
1994);
results--Luis Alberto LACALLE Herrera (Blanco) 37%, Jorge BATLLE
Ibanez (Colorado) 29%, Liber SEREGNI Mosquera (Broad Front) 20%;
Chamber of Senators--last held 26 November 1989 (next to be held
November 1994);
results--Blanco 40%, Colorado 30%, Broad Front 23% New Space 7%;
seats--(30 total) Blanco 12, Colorado 9, Broad Front 7, New Space 2;
Chamber of Representatives--last held NA November 1989 (next to
be held November 1994);
results--Blanco 39%, Colorado 30%, Broad Front 22%, New Space 8%, other
1%;
seats--(99 total) number of seats by party NA
Communists: 50,000
Member of: AG (observer), CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-77, GATT, IADB,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC,
IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA, LORCS, NAM
(observer), OAS, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIIMOG,
UNMOGIP, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Eduardo MACGILLICUDDEY;
Chancery at 1918 F Street NW, Washington DC 20006; telephone (202)
331-1313 through 1316; there are Uruguayan Consulates General in Los
Angeles, Miami, and New York, and a Consulate in New Orleans;
US--Ambassador Richard C. BROWN; Embassy at Lauro Muller 1776,
Montevideo (mailing address is APO Miami 34035); telephone 598 (2)
23-60-61
Flag: 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
and 16 rays alternately triangular and wavy
ECONOMY
Overview: The economy is slowly recovering from the deep recession
of the early 1980s. In 1988 real GDP grew by only 0.5% and in 1989 by
1.5%. The recovery was led by growth in the agriculture and fishing
sectors, agriculture alone contributing 20% to GDP, employing about 11%
of the labor force, and generating a large proportion of export earnings.
Raising livestock, particularly cattle and sheep, is the major
agricultural activity. In 1990, despite healthy exports and an improved
current account, domestic growth remained weak because of government
concentration on the external sector, adverse weather conditions, and
prolonged strikes. Bringing down high inflation, reducing a large fiscal
deficit, and avoiding frequent strikes remain major economic problems
for the government.
GDP: $9.2 billion, per capita $2,970; real growth rate 1%
(1990 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 129% (1990)
Unemployment rate: 8.8% (1990 est.)
Budget: revenues $1.2 billion; expenditures $1.4 billion,
including capital expenditures of $165 million (1988)
Exports: $1.7 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities--hides and leather goods 17%, beef 10%, wool 9%,
fish 7%, rice 4%;
partners--Brazil 17%, US 15%, FRG 10%, Argentina 10% (1987)
Imports: $1.28 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities--fuels and lubricants 15%, metals, machinery,
transportation equipment, industrial chemicals;
partners--Brazil 24%, Argentina 14%, US 8%, FRG 8% (1987)
Agriculture: large areas devoted to extensive livestock grazing;
wheat, rice, corn, sorghum; self-sufficient in most basic foodstuffs
Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $105
million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
(1970-88), $293 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $69 million
Currency: new Uruguayan peso (plural--pesos);
1 new Uruguayan peso (N$Ur) = 100 centesimos
COMMUNICATIONS
Railroads: 3,000 km, all 1.435-meter standard gauge and government
owned
Highways: 49,900 km total; 6,700 km paved, 3,000 km gravel,
40,200 km earth
Inland waterways: 1,600 km; used by coastal and shallow-draft river
craft
Ports: Montevideo, Punta del Este
Merchant marine: 4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 65,212
GRT/116,613 DWT; includes 2 cargo, 1 container, 1 petroleum, oils, and
lubricants (POL) tanker
Civil air: 14 major transport aircraft
Airports: 91 total, 86 usable; 16 with permanent-surface runways;
none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m;
17 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: most modern facilities concentrated in
Montevideo; new nationwide radio relay network; 337,000 telephones;
stations--99 AM, no FM, 26 TV, 9 shortwave; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT
earth stations
DEFENSE FORCES
Branches: Army, Navy (including Naval Air Arm and Marines), Air
Force, Coast Guard, Grenadier Guards, Police
Manpower availability: males 15-49, 735,971; 597,302 fit for
military service; no conscription
Defense expenditures: $168 million, 2.2% of GDP (1988)
