Uruguay on the map of Latin America. Friendly Uruguay. Useful information for tourists

Surely not everyone knows that Uruguay is on the list of the most prosperous countries in the world. It is for this reason that it is comfortable to both relax and live here. In addition, this country has a very low crime rate, so it is safe here.

If you are looking for a place where you can fully enjoy a beach holiday, then choose Uruguay. This country is famous for its beach resorts. By choosing Uruguay as your holiday destination, you can not only soak up the warm rays of the sun and swim in the ocean, but also go fishing, do water sports, learn what a calabash is, take part in a carnival and much more.

Origin of the state and its name

After Christopher Columbus discovered the American continent, he decided to go to its southern edge. But when the Spanish ships reached the Atlantic Ocean in 1516, the landing was unsuccessful, as local Indian tribes met the sailors very aggressively, namely, they threw stones at them from the shore. But this is how Uruguay was discovered. At that time, different tribes lived on its territory.

The second attempt to land on this area was made by the famous navigator Ferdinand Magellan. When his ship was close to these lands, one of the crew members shouted: “Monte vide eu!”, which meant: “I see land!” Years later, everyone has already forgotten these words, but the capital of Uruguay to this day bears the name Montevideo.

Well, the name of the country came into use relatively recently. Before this, only the river was called this way (the word “Uruguay” means “River of Variegated Birds” or “River of Snails”).

Geographical location

Uruguay is located in southeastern South America. It borders on Argentina to the west, Brazil to the north, and is washed by the Atlantic Ocean to the south and east.

Climate

Uruguay has a temperate subtropical climate. A distinctive feature of the weather conditions of this region is short, mild winters with rare frosts and warm summers. In winter, the temperature drops to a maximum of +10 degrees. In summer, the thermometer rises to 22-27 degrees Celsius. In terms of precipitation, Uruguay rains evenly throughout the year.

Interestingly, January is the hottest month in Uruguay, and in July it is winter. If you want your vacation to be a great success and not to be spoiled by weather conditions, you should come here between December and March.

Population

According to the 2010 census, the population of Uruguay is 3.5 million.

State-political structure

By its form of government, Uruguay is a republic. The head of state and government here is the president, who is re-elected by the local population every 5 years.

Currency

The national currency of Uruguay is the Uruguayan peso (the international name of the currency is UYI). Money can be safely exchanged at a bank, exchange office, hotel or airport. By the way, local ATMs do not accept European or North American credit cards.

Religion, culture and customs

Uruguay has no official religion. According to the country's Constitution, freedom of religion is proclaimed here. So on the territory of Uruguay there are Catholics (47.1%), other Christians (11.1%), believers who are undecided (23.2%), Jews (0.3%), other religions (1.1%) , atheists and agnostics (17.2%).

The customs and traditions of Uruguay were based on a symbiosis of Spanish and European cultures. Particular attention is paid here to folk music.

Once in the capital of Uruguay, you will not encounter the “pressure” of local color, as is felt, for example, in neighboring countries. In this sense, it is very easy to relax in Uruguay. This may also be due to the fact that it is not a religious country. Therefore, as far as religious holidays are concerned, Christmas or Easter mostly pass unnoticed. But such a holiday as the New Year is celebrated here on a grand scale.

If you are vacationing in Uruguay at the beginning of the new year, then do not be surprised if on the first of January you see all the streets white, not because of the snow, but because of the calendar sheets. The fact is that the locals have a tradition of throwing last year’s calendars out of the window.

Uruguay has traditions related to cuisine, such as the locals eating large quantities of meat. Uruguayans can easily go out and have a barbecue party on any day, holiday or not. That is, people simply rejoice and enjoy every day they live.

National cuisine

The national cuisine of Uruguay is a mixture of traditions coming from Europe and South America. In any restaurant you can easily find dishes such as pasta, pizza or paella on the menu. However, traditional local dishes will also appeal to most tourists.

The basis of Uruguayan cuisine consists of beef and pork dishes cooked on the grill. Be sure to try a dish called parilladu, which is beef on a plate, and milanesas, chops that are coated in breadcrumbs and egg and deep fried. Well, true gourmets simply cannot pass up a marbled steak. For this dish, the meat is pre-soaked in a marinade of soy sauce, garlic, vinegar and salt, and then stuffed with slices of ham and cheese.

Fast food lovers should try the chivito - a sandwich with pork or veal chop with slices of tomato, cheese and lettuce.

And only in Uruguay you can taste real mate. This tea is drunk everywhere here. You can often meet locals with thermoses, and there is a high probability that this drink from Paraguayan holly leaves will be poured there.

(Spanish Uruguay), official name - Eastern Republic of Uruguay (Spanish Republica Oriental del Uruguay) is a small state in the southeast of the South American continent. In the northeast it borders with (the length of the border is 985 km), in the east it is washed by the Atlantic Ocean, in the west and south it borders with (579 km), which runs along the river (Spanish Río de la Plata; “Silver River”) and (Spanish: Río Uruguay; from which the country got its name). More precisely, La Plata is a narrow, long bay of the Atlantic Ocean, which was mistaken for a large river by the first Spanish expeditions.

The name of the country Uruguay comes from the Indian language and literally translates as “river where the bird lives.” The length of the land borders is 1564 km, the length of the coastline is 660 km.

The territory of the state, whose area is only 176.2 thousand km², is home to about 3.5 million people, of which 85% are urban, 15% are rural. The capital is a city.

Uruguay's network of roads and expressways is considered the densest in South America.

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general information

State structure: It is a parliamentary republic. The head of state and government is the President, popularly elected for a term of 5 years, and he does not have the right to be re-elected for a second consecutive term.

The administrative-territorial division of the country is 19 departments.

The state parliament, which develops and passes laws, consists of a bicameral General Assembly: the upper House - the Senate (30 seats), the lower House - the House of Representatives (99 seats). Members of Parliament are also elected by popular vote for a 5-year term. The President himself forms the Cabinet of Ministers, the composition of which is approved by the General Assembly. Current President - (Spanish: Tabart Ramjn Vfzquez Rosas)

In Uruguay, in addition to many small parties, there are 2 leading ones: the Colorado Party (Spanish: Partido Colorado, meaning “Red Party”) and the National Blanco Party (Spanish: PartidoBlanco, “White”). Both parties were founded in the 1830s; their founders were prominent military leaders - the Uruguayan general Jose Fructuoso Rivera(Spanish: Jose Fructuoso Rivera y Toscana; 1784 – 1854) and General Manuel Oribe (Spanish: Manuel Ceferino Oribe y Viana; 1792 – 1857)

State language: The official language of Uruguay is Spanish. The majority of the country's residents speak English fluently. The few native Indians found in some areas are native speakers of traditional languages. On the border with Brazil they communicate in a special dialect based on a mixture of Spanish and Portuguese.

Religion: More than half of the population (66%) profess the Catholic faith. Many local residents consider themselves atheists or agnostics, this group of the population amounts to about 30%. There are also Jews, about 2%. A small number of adherents of ancient pagan cults have survived in the country, mainly local Indians and people from Africa.

Currency: Monetary unit: Uruguayan peso (UYU) = 100 centesimos. Banknotes in circulation include the following denominations: 1, 10, 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1000 pesos. Metal coins: 1, 5, 10 and 50 centesimo.

Population

The population is mainly represented by Uruguayans - descendants of the Spanish conquistadors, as well as immigrants from Europe: Spaniards, Italians, French. Due to the almost complete extermination of the indigenous population during the colonial wars, the indigenous Indian population is very small.

The ethnic composition of the population of Uruguay is approximately as follows: 88% are white (immigrants from European countries), 8% are mestizo, 4% are black and mulatto.

Excursion into History

The Spaniards appeared on the territory of present-day Uruguay in the 16th century, when the country, like most other South American states, became part of the colonial empire of Spain. Before Spanish expansion, these places were inhabited by the indigenous Chana and Charrua Indian tribes. In order to protect against raids by smugglers and filibusters, in 1724 the Spanish conquistadors founded the city of Montevideo (Spanish: San Felipe y Santiago de Montevideo), which later became the capital of the state.

In 1776 Uruguay became part of the Spanish Viceroyalty of Rio de La Plata(Spanish: Virreinato del Río de la Plata), and in 1778 Spain granted Montevideo the right to free trade, which was a great impetus for accelerating the economic development of both the city and the state as a whole. At that time, the territory of modern Uruguay was called Eastern lane(Spanish: Banda Oriental). Many migrants began to flock there, in the 19th century. Montevideo already had more than 30 thousand inhabitants.

Handsome Montevideo

The national liberation movement was growing in the country. In 1811, the liberation army led by (Spanish: Jose Gervasio Artigas; 1764-1850) defeated the Spanish troops. The struggle for independence, which has continued for many years, led to new clashes between Argentina and Brazil. The territory of Uruguay was part of Brazil for some time and was occupied by the Portuguese army. The country was then annexed by Argentina, and in 1828 Argentina and Brazil signed an agreement to renounce claims to this territory and create an independent state. In 1830, a Constitution was adopted, which proclaimed the formation of the Eastern Republic of Uruguay (Spanish: Republica Oriental del Uruguay).

The modern history of the state is marked by a series of crisis situations, incl. and the era of the Great Depression of 1929. Gradually, the political and economic situation in the state stabilized, and by the end of the 20th century. Uruguay began to assert itself more and more confidently as one of the most developed countries in South America.

Economy

Uruguay is one of the most economically developed countries in South America. The basis of the economy is agriculture and processing of agricultural products; the country is focused on exporting agricultural products, livestock and fisheries.

Agricultural land occupies almost 90% of the territory of Uruguay (of which about 14 million hectares are pastures), on which many crops are grown, the most popular of which are rice, wheat, corn, sugar cane, oilseed flax, olives, sunflowers, as well as citrus and grape. Livestock farming is developed: beef cattle and wool sheep are bred here. The main branches of local industry: food, meat-packing, canning, wine-making.

Of particular note are the actively developing textile and leather-footwear industries, which is a consequence of excellent performance in the field of livestock breeding. About 75% of all industrial enterprises are concentrated in Montevideo.

In recent years, banking has become increasingly important in the Uruguayan economy. Since Uruguay has beautiful beaches, tourism is actively developing.

Features of geographical location, natural conditions

The state is located on the Atlantic coast, in the southeastern part Brazilian plateau(Spanish: Planalto Brasileiro), which decreases to the southwest. There are no high mountains on the territory of the state: the highest point of Uruguay is Mount Catedral (Spanish: Cerro Catedral; 514 m). From north to south in the eastern part of the country stretches the small hill of Cuchilla Grande (Spanish: Cuchilla Grande; up to 300 m), in the north-west of Uruguay - Cuchilla de Haedo (Spanish: Cuchilla de Haedo; up to 274 m). Between these two hills lies the valley of the Rio Negro River (Spanish: Río Negro; lit. "Black River").

The Atlantic coast is low-lying, with many lagoons and dunes.

The natural landscape of Uruguay is not particularly diverse; most of the state's territory is a monotonous alternation of hills and steppes, turning into the Argentine pampa, which is very suitable for pastures, of which there are a huge number in Uruguay.

Climate

The country is located in a zone of temperate subtropical, oceanic climate - mild, moderately humid. Winters here are mild and short, frosts are extremely rare, and summers are warm. In summer, average temperatures (January-February) are +23-25°C, in winter (July-August) + 8-10°C.

The maximum amount of rain occurs in the autumn period, June-September. During the invasion of strong currents of southern winds (pampero), there are short-term nighttime drops in temperature, down to −5°C, in such cases frost formation is observed.

A significant part of the beaches of Uruguay - more than 600 km of the Atlantic Ocean - are wonderful, sandy. The beach season here lasts from December to March.

Flora and fauna

The local flora is not very diverse. The territory of Uruguay is dominated by herbaceous vegetation: hills covered with grass are beautiful natural pastures that still retain their pristine character. In the south there is a shrubby savanna, in the east there are palm groves.

Only about 4% of the state's territory is covered with forests (mostly deciduous), which is less than in other South American countries. Forests stretch in green ribbons along the western river valleys, meeting in the northwestern hills. The most important tree species include astronium, rosewood, mesquito, guava, cedar, willow and acacia. Of the trees growing here, mostly all are imported, especially valuable species such as eucalyptus, plane tree, pine, and oak. The east coast dunes are planted with pine and eucalyptus trees to protect the sandy soils from landslides and erosion. In some places you can find a rare, amazing giant ombu tree (Phytolacca dioica), which was once characteristic of the Argentine pampa. Unfortunately, recently there are fewer and fewer forests.

When the Spanish settlers first began to explore the territory of Uruguay, there were many deer, pumas, tapirs, rheas, seals, and all kinds of birds. As Europeans moved deeper into the continent, most of these animals were destroyed. Today, the remains of wild fauna are concentrated in inaccessible areas and forests. Representatives of the current local fauna include puma, tapir, pea (American ostrich), wild boar, deer, Pampas cat, fox, armadillo and anteater.

The most common bird species in Uruguay are the swan, crane, stork, heron, wild duck, cardinal, vulture, darter, rabbit owl, lapwing and hummingbird. All kinds of spiders, reptiles and reptiles are found in abundance, including the rattlesnake and viper. Since Uruguay lies on the ocean coast, the local fauna is characterized by a rich variety of marine life.

Attractions

The main attractions of small Uruguay are concentrated mainly in the capital, Montevideo. This city is famous for its magnificent colonial-era buildings, a large number of parks and museums.

The most interesting places in the city are the squares Plaza Constitución and the Palacio Salvo, the ancient churches of the Cabildo and Iglesia Matriz. To become more fully acquainted with the history of the country, it is worth visiting National Historical Museum of Uruguay And Natural History Museum.

The city is home to the tallest building in South America, the 26-story Palacio Salvo (Spanish: Palacio Salvo).

Once in Uruguay, you should visit the Santa Teresa or Cabo Polono National Parks, and, of course, soak up the ocean beaches.

Uruguay: Largest cities

Uruguay is characterized by a high degree of urbanization, with the capital (Montevideo) home to about 50% of the country's total population.

Curious facts

Uruguay is the Latin American equivalent of Switzerland: calm, quiet, almost complete absence of crime.
The locals are very emotional, friendly and welcoming. When they meet, they love to kiss. Moreover, if strangers simply rub their cheeks, imitating a kiss, then acquaintances kiss tastefully, for real.
It is difficult to meet blacks or Indians here. The main population of Uruguay are descendants of white settlers and emigrants from the Old World.
The country pays great attention to education. For example, Uruguay is the first South American country to sell laptops to children for $100. This, however, was not always the case; relatively recently, up to 40% of the population was illiterate here.
Although it is difficult to find work here, it is quite easy to open your own business here. You can, for example, buy a plantation inexpensively and grow olives.
Local officials are friendly, they are very calm, they never raise their voices. If you are opening your own business, they will not throw stones in the wheels; on the contrary, they will help you in every possible way.
Many retirees from the United States move to South America, including Uruguay: it is quiet and peaceful here, and the pension is about $1,000.
One funny thing happens here: if you move into a house and no one “asks” you to leave for a month, you can officially register the house in your name. Great! But they can do the same with your home, so it’s better not to leave your house for a long time without security in Uruguay.
For example, in the center of Piriapolis (Spanish: Piriapolis) - in a beautiful town near Montevideo, there is an abandoned hotel worth more than $500 thousand, with which the owner cannot do anything, because... several homeless people “moved in” to it.
Uruguayans are often called “Muy amables”, in Russian this means something like “kind, cordial, friendly”. In fact, they are very attentive to others and are always ready to help. It seems that in this country even the dogs are friendly and polite.
In general, the locals are very relaxed and serene people; no one is in a hurry. All Uruguayans love to sleep in a hammock.
It’s not for nothing that Uruguay is called the “Land of Eternal Mañana” (Spanish la Mañana; means “tomorrow”). In fact, “tomorrow” for them is a very flexible concept, from the real “tomorrow” to infinity.
The state constitution proclaims freedom of religion. The main religion of the Uruguayans is... football. It’s not enough to say that Uruguay loves football; the national football team is truly an object of adoration and close attention. Suffice it to say that a tiny country in the 20th century. won 19 (!) international football titles.
Children are loved here very much, they are carried in their arms and kissed constantly. In Uruguay you almost never see crying children! And if any child cries, then it is definitely a child of newcomers - he has not yet acclimatized. And when Uruguayan children grow up, they carry their parents in their arms and kiss them often.
Uruguayans say goodbye to the passing year in a unique way - they tear up and throw calendars out the windows, not really bothering where the scraps fall. Thank you at least for the fact that they do not throw furniture and all sorts of old rubbish out of the windows, as is customary in Italy.
In Uruguay, the division of labor is not a means to increase productivity, but serves exclusively to increase employment of the population: here one saleswoman weighs, another wraps, and a third accepts money.
There are practically no “bespectacled” or bald people in the country.
People with so-called “disabilities” are treated very carefully here.
In most countries in the world, drunk driving is severely punished, but not in Uruguay! Here, on the contrary, in case of violation of traffic rules, the state of intoxication can serve as a mitigating circumstance for the offender.
In Uruguay, medicine is free, even for tourists; you only have to pay one doctor - the dentist.
There is a law according to which all citizens automatically become organ donors after death, however, with the exception of those persons who have expressed their disagreement in writing in advance.
The state is famous for its huge number of sheep and cattle; with a population of 3.5 million people, according to statistics, there are on average 3 cows and 5 sheep for every Ecuadorian!
Gambling, prostitution, marijuana and same-sex marriage are legalized here.
Even in small things, Uruguayans try to emphasize their difference from the Argentines. In both countries, meat is consumed in incredible quantities, but if in Argentina it is cooked mainly on coals, then in Uruguay it is cooked exclusively on wood. In both places, the meat is fried on a metal grill (parrilla). But if in Argentina it is installed horizontally, then in Uruguay it is installed only at an angle!
“We,” local residents proudly say, “have the best and most environmentally friendly beef in the world!”
Due to the good education and good manners of the local population, small, friendly Uruguay is often compared to Switzerland; because of the welfare of the people and the careful preservation of age-old traditions - with Sweden; thanks to the abundance of lush pastures and numerous flocks of sheep - with New Zealand!

Eastern Republic of Uruguay.

The name of the country comes from the Uruguay River, which means “river” in the language of the local Indians.

Capital of Uruguay. Montevideo.

Area of Uruguay. 176215 km2.

Population of Uruguay. 3360 thousand people

Location of Uruguay. Uruguay is a country in the southeast. In the north and east it borders, in the west - with, in the east and south it is washed by waters.

Administrative divisions of Uruguay. The state is divided into 19 departments.

Form of government of Uruguay. Republic.

Head of State of Uruguay. The president.

Supreme legislative body of Uruguay. General Assembly (two chambers: Senate and House of Representatives).

Supreme executive body of Uruguay. Government.

Major cities in Uruguay. Salto, Paysandu.

Official language of Uruguay. Spanish.

Tips in expensive restaurants and bars amount to up to 10% of the bill (although often this already includes a service charge), in cheap eateries - 1-2 pesos, in cafes and tips it is not customary to tip, a porter at a hotel or airport should be given 5 - 10 pesos, the taxi driver’s bill is rounded up (when using cars of different brands, the amount may vary, a separate fee will be charged for turning on the air conditioning).

Uruguay or Oriental Republic of Uruguay- a state in the southeastern part of South America, on the Atlantic coast. In the north it borders with Brazil (border length - 985 km), in the west - with Argentina (579 km), in the east and south it is washed by the Atlantic Ocean. Area 176,220 km².

The land borders are 1564 km long, the coastline is 660 km.

Uruguay occupies the southern edge of the Brazilian Highlands, which slopes down to the southwest. Most of the territory is hilly and intersected by low ridges. In the east of the country, the low (up to 300 m) hill of Cuchilla Grande stretches from north to south, and in the northwest - Cuchilla de Aedo (274 m). Between these hills is the plain of the Rio Negro River.

The Atlantic coast is low-lying, with many lagoons, and in some places there are dunes.

Climate in Uruguay

The climate in Uruguay is subtropical, oceanic. Average temperatures in January are +22…+24°C, in July +8…+9 °C. Sometimes, on hot and humid days, the temperature rises above +34° C, but the heat is easier to bear thanks to the cool daytime breeze. During the invasion of southern winds, “pampero”, the temperature drops to -6 °C and snowfalls occur.

Precipitation occurs throughout the year with an autumn maximum of 1000 mm in the south and inland areas and up to 1200 mm in the north and higher elevations.

Last changes: 04/30/2013

Population

The population of Uruguay is 3,323,906 people (2006). Urban population - 92%.

Average life expectancy is 73 years for men, 80 years for women.

Ethnic and racial composition: whites 88%, mestizos 8%, blacks and mulattoes 4%.

Christians 58.2% (most are Catholics, there are also Protestants), 23.2% are believers, but do not consider themselves followers of any religion, 17.2% are atheists and agnostics, there are also Jews, followers of African cults and other.

Languages - Spanish (official), on the border with Brazil - a dialect based on a mixture of Spanish and Portuguese. Last changes: 04/30/2013

Currency

The Uruguayan peso (UYU) is the currency of the state of Uruguay. One Uruguayan peso is equal to 100 centesimos. Banknotes in circulation are in denominations of 1, 10, 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1000 pesos. Metal coins in denominations of 1, 5, 10 and 50 centesimo.

Last changes: 09/13/2010

Communications

Calling code: 598

Internet domain: .uy

Telephone city codes

Montevideo - 2

How to call

To call from Russia to Uruguay, you need to dial: 8 - dial tone - 10 - 598 - area code - subscriber number.

To call from Uruguay to Russia, you need to dial: 00 - 7 - city code - subscriber number.

Last changes: 04/30/2013

Shopping

In Montevideo and in the center of Punta del Este there are large shopping centers where you can buy quality goods, both affordable local brands and world famous designers.

Popular purchases (souvenirs) among tourists: mate tea, leather goods, handmade and machine-knitted woolen sweaters, jewelry with agates and gems, pumpkin souvenirs, wood crafts and ceramics.

Last changes: 04/30/2013

Sea and beaches

Uruguay has more than 600 km of beaches (Atlantic Ocean), much of which are sandy. The beach season lasts here from December to March.

The country's main beach resort.

Last changes: 04/30/2013

Story

Before the conquest of the territory of modern Uruguay by the Spaniards, tribes of Charrua Indians lived on its territory.

In the 16th century, Spanish conquistadors arrived here and Uruguay, like most other South American countries, became part of the vast colonial empire of Spain. But since the country was located at the junction of Spanish and Portuguese colonial possessions, there was a struggle between Spanish and Portuguese colonialists for a long time. In 1680, the Portuguese founded the fortified city of Colonia del Sacramento; The Spaniards founded the city of Montevideo in 1726. The struggle for Uruguayan territory ended in victory for Spain. In 1750, the eastern coast was assigned to Spain.

In 1776, Uruguay became part of the Spanish Viceroyalty of Rio de La Plata, and in 1778 Montevideo received free trade rights from Spain, which was of great importance for accelerating the economic development of both the city and the country as a whole. In 1806, Montevideo was occupied by the British, but they soon abandoned the city.

The national liberation movement was growing in the country. In 1811, the liberation army led by Artigas defeated Spanish troops. The struggle for independence continued for many more years, which led to new military clashes between Argentina and Brazil. For some time, Uruguayan territory was occupied by Portuguese troops and was part of Brazil. Then it was torn away from Brazil and annexed to Argentina. In 1828, an agreement was signed between Argentina and Brazil on the mutual renunciation of claims to this territory and the creation of an independent state. In 1830, a constitution was adopted proclaiming the formation of the Eastern Republic of Uruguay.

Second half of the 19th century. was characterized by civil wars, a struggle for power between two political parties - the Colorado (red) and the Blanco (white), which arose during this period. The first - the liberal party - expressed the interests of the growing national bourgeoisie. The conservative Blanco party represented the latifundism and large financial circles. Civil wars were accompanied by invasions by Argentine troops. For more than 10 years, the Great War raged on the territory of Uruguay, in which France and Great Britain participated on its side.

The wars significantly undermined the economic situation of the country.

At the beginning of the 20th century. The political situation in the country has more or less stabilized. The civil wars ended with the victory of the bourgeoisie and the coming to power of the bourgeois Colorado party.

The presidency of the leader of this party, José Batlle y Ordoñez, in 1903-1907 and 1911-1915. was characterized by the democratization of the political system, for example, the introduction of universal suffrage, secret ballot, etc. A number of social transformations were carried out - an 8-hour working day was established, the church was separated from the state. Protectionist measures were taken to protect national industry. Since the beginning of the First World War, Uruguay declared neutrality, and in 1917 broke diplomatic relations with Germany.

In 1945, Uruguay declared war on Germany.

In 1951, the form of government was changed: the functions of the head of state began to be carried out by the National Government Council.

The parliamentary elections of 1958 brought victory to the Blanco party, which had been in opposition for almost 100 years. The government of this party began to implement policies aimed at strengthening the position of the United States and subordinating the Uruguayan economy to American corporations.

In 1966, the Colorado Party returned to power, nominating Oscar Hestido as president. He died in December 1967 and was succeeded by Jorge Areco. Inflation was gaining momentum, and Areko introduced wage controls. This led to a series of strikes and uprisings, and a guerrilla movement developed, in particular the Tupamaros led by Raul Sendik, which operated until 1971.

In the 1971 elections, leftist forces were inspired by the victory of Salvador Allende in Chile and created the Broad Front. They hoped to carry out agrarian reform and nationalization of banks in the country. However, the candidate from the Colorado Party, Juan Bordaberry, won the election. The strike movement gained momentum, and partisan activities resumed. Bordaberry abolished the constitution and sent the army to fight the rebels. The army eventually began to gain political weight, and the military began to strive for power. On June 20, 1973, a coup d'etat was carried out in the country. In 1976, Bordaberry resigned and was replaced by Aparacio Mendez, who banned all political parties. However, the strike movement grew.

In 1984, the moderate Colorado candidate Julio Sanguinetti came to power and immediately released all political prisoners. His reign was accompanied by a huge external debt, inflation reaching 75% per year.

In 1992, the country held a referendum on privatization, where 72% of voters were against it. However, President Lacalle de Herrera introduced some trade liberalization.

During the 1994 presidential elections, the country's former president Julio Sanguinetti won, whose second term began in 1995 and expired in 2000.

In 1999, the elections brought success to Jorge Batier (2000-2005), and in 2004 to Tabara Vazquez (2005-2010). During the 2009 presidential elections, Senate member and former Agriculture Minister José Mujica defeated his rivals. He officially took office on March 1, 2010.

Origin of the state and its name

Geographical location

Uruguay is located in southeastern South America. It borders on Argentina to the west, Brazil to the north, and is washed by the Atlantic Ocean to the south and east.

Climate

Population

According to the 2010 census, the population of Uruguay is 3.5 million.

State-political structure

By its form of government, Uruguay is a republic. The head of state and government here is the president, who is re-elected by the local population every 5 years.

Currency

Religion, culture and customs

The customs and traditions of Uruguay were based on a symbiosis of Spanish and European cultures. Particular attention is paid here to folk music.

National cuisine

Fast food lovers should try the chivito - a sandwich with pork or veal chop with slices of tomato, cheese and lettuce.

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