Oriental Republic of Uruguay

National name: República Oriental del Uruguay

President: Tabaré Vázquez (2005)

Land area: 67,035 sq mi (173,621 sq km); total area: 68,039 sq mi (176,220 sq km)

Population (2006 est.): 3,431,932 (growth rate: 0.5%); birth rate: 13.9/1000; infant mortality rate: 11.6/1000; life expectancy: 76.3; density per sq mi: 51

Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Montevideo, 1,745,100 (metro. area), 1,347,600 (city proper)

Monetary unit: Uruguay peso

Languages: Spanish, Portunol, or Brazilero

Ethnicity/race: white 88%, mestizo 8%, black 4%

Religions: Roman Catholic 66%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%

Literacy rate: 98% (2003 est.)

Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2005 est.): $54.58 billion; per capita $16,000. Real growth rate: 6.1%. Inflation: 4.9%. Unemployment: 12.5%. Arable land: 8%. Agriculture: rice, wheat, corn, barley; livestock; fish. Labor force: 1.52 million; agriculture 14%, industry 16%, services 70%. Industries: food processing, electrical machinery, transportation equipment, petroleum products, textiles, chemicals, beverages. Natural resources: arable land, hydropower, minor minerals, fisheries. Exports: $3.55 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.): meat, rice, leather products, wool, fish, dairy products. Imports: $3.54 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.): machinery, chemicals, road vehicles, crude petroleum. Major trading partners: U.S., Brazil, Germany, Argentina, Mexico, Paraguay, China (2004).

Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 929,141 (2001); mobile cellular: 350,000 (2001). Radio broadcast stations: AM 91, FM 149, shortwave 7 (2001). Radios: 1.97 million (1997). Television broadcast stations: 20 (2001). Televisions: 782,000 (1997). Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 14 (2001). Internet users: 400,000 (2002).

Transportation: Railways: total: 2,073 km (2002). Highways: total: 8,983 km; paved: 8,081 km; unpaved: 902 km (1999 est.). Waterways: 1,600 km; used by coastal and shallow-draft river craft. Ports and harbors: Colonia, Fray Bentos, Juan La Caze, La Paloma, Montevideo, Nueva Palmira, Paysandu, Punta del Este, Piriapolis. Airports: 64 (2002).

International disputes: uncontested dispute with Brazil over certain islands in the Quarai/Cuareim and Invernada streams and the resulting tripoint with Argentina.


 

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