Uruguay




                                 Geography


Location:
     Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean between
     Argentina and Brazil
Map references:
     South America, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
     176,220 sq km
land area:
     173,620 sq km
comparative area:
     slightly smaller than Washington State
Land boundaries:
     total 1,564 km, Argentina 579 km, Brazil 985 km
Coastline:
     660 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf:
     200-m depth or to depth of exploitation
territorial sea:
     200 nm; overflight and navigation permitted beyond 12 nm
International 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 (Arroio Invernada) area of the Rio Quarai and the islands at
     the confluence of the Rio Cuareim (Rio Quarai) and the Uruguay River
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:
     0%
meadows and pastures:
     78%
forest and woodland:
     4%
other:
     10%
Irrigated land:
     1,100 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues:
     NA
natural hazards:
     subject to seasonally high winds, droughts, floods




international agreements:
     party to - Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Endangered Species,
     Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone
     Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified -
     Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Climate Change, Law of the Sea,
     Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation


                                  People


Population:
     3,198,910 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
     0.75% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
     17.7 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
     9.39 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
     -0.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
     17.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
     74.09 years
male:
     70.88 years
female:
     77.47 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
     2.44 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
     Uruguayan(s)
adjective:
     Uruguayan
Ethnic divisions:
     white 88%, mestizo 8%, black 4%
Religions:
     Roman Catholic 66% (less than half adult population attends church
     regularly), Protestant 2%, Jewish 2%, nonprofessing or other 30%
Languages:
     Spanish, Brazilero (Portuguese-Spanish mix on the Brazilian frontier)
Literacy:
     age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
total population:
     96%
male:
     97%
female:
     96%
Labor force:
     1.355 million (1991 est.)




by occupation:
     government 25%, manufacturing 19%, agriculture 11%, commerce 12%,
     utilities, construction, transport, and communications 12%, other
     services 21% (1988 est.)


                                Government


Names:
conventional long form:
     Oriental Republic of Uruguay
conventional short form:
local long form:
     Republica Oriental del Uruguay
local short form:
Digraph:
     UY
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)
National holiday:
     Independence Day, 25 August (1828)
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
Suffrage:
     18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government:
     President Luis Alberto LACALLE (since 1 March 1990); Vice President
     Gonzalo AGUIRRE Ramirez (since 1 March 1990); election last held 26
     November 1989 (next to be held NA November 1994); results - Luis
     Alberto LACALLE Herrera (Blanco) 37%, Jorge BATLLE Ibanez (Colorado)
     29%, Liber SEREGNI Mosquera (Broad Front) 20%
cabinet:
     Council of Ministers; appointed by the president
Legislative branch:
     bicameral General Assembly (Asamblea General)
Chamber of Senators (Camara de Senadores):
     elections last held 26 November 1989 (next to be held NA 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 (Camera de Representantes):
     elections last held NA November 1989 (next to be held NA November
     1994); results - Blanco 39%, Colorado 30%, Broad Front 22%, New Space
     8%, other 1%; seats - (99 total) number of seats by party NA
Judicial branch:
     Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
     National (Blanco) Party; Colorado Party, Jorge BATLLE; Broad Front
     Coalition, Gen. Liber SEREGNI Mosquera; New Space Coalition, Hugo
     BATALLA
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, ITU, LAES, LAIA, LORCS, MERCOSUR, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL,
     PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMOGIP, UNOMOZ, UNTAC,
     UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
     Ambassador Eduardo MACGILLYCUDDY
chancery:
     1918 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20006
telephone:
     telephone (202) 331-1313 through 1316
consulate(s) general:
     Los Angeles, Miami, and New York
consulate(s):
     New Orleans
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
     Ambassador Thomas DODD
embassy:
     Lauro Muller 1776, Montevideo
mailing address:
     APO AA 34035
telephone:
     [598] (2) 23-60-61 or 48-77-77
FAX:
     [598] (2) 48-86-11
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:
     Uruguay is a small economy with favorable climate, good soils, and
     solid hydropower potential. Economic development has been held back by
     excessive government regulation of economic detail and 50% to 130%
     inflation. After several years of sluggish growth, real GDP jumped by
     about 7.5% in 1992. The rise is attributable mainly to an increase in
     Argentine demand for Uruguayan exports, particularly agricultural
     products and electricity. In a major step toward greater regional
     economic cooperation, Uruguay in 1991 had joined Brazil, Argentina,
     and Paraguay in forming the Southern Cone Common Market (Mercosur). A
     referendum in December 1992 overturned key portions of landmark
     privatization legislation, dealing a serious blow to President
     LACALLE's broad economic reform plan. Hampered by a slowdown in the
     agricultural sector, the economy grew at only 2% in 1993 compared with
     7.5% in 1992. Although inflation declined for the second consecutive
     year, a surge in the money supply, rising food prices, a record trade
     deficit, and an increase in the government deficit toward the end of
     the year foreshadowed troubles ahead in 1994.
National product:
     GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $19 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
     2% (1993 est.)
National product per capita:
     $6,000 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
     50% (1993 est.)
Unemployment rate:
     8.8% (1993 est.)
Budget:
revenues:
     $2.9 billion
expenditures:
     $3 billion, including capital expenditures of $388 million (1991 est.)
Exports:
     $1.6 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
commodities:
     wool and textile manufactures, beef and other animal products,
     leather, rice
partners:
     Brazil, Argentina, US, China, Italy
Imports:
     $2 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
commodities:
     machinery and equipment, vehicles, chemicals, minerals, plastics
partners:
     Brazil, Argentina, US, Nigeria
External debt:
     $4.2 billion (1993)
Industrial production:
     growth rate 4.2% (1992 est.), accounts for almost 25% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
     2,168,000 kW
production:
     5.96 billion kWh




consumption per capita:
     1,900 kWh (1992)
Industries:
     meat processing, wool and hides, sugar, textiles, footwear, leather
     apparel, tires, cement, fishing, petroleum refining, wine
Agriculture:
     accounts for 12% of GDP; large areas devoted to livestock grazing;
     wheat, rice, corn, sorghum; self-sufficient in most basic foodstuffs
Economic aid:
recipient:
     US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $105 million; Western
     (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $420
     million; Communist countries (1970-89), $69 million
Currency:
     1 Uruguayan peso ($Ur) = 100 centesimos
Exchange rates:
     Uruguayan pesos ($Ur) per US$1 - 4.4710 (January 1994), 3.9484 (1993);
     new Uruguayan pesos (N$Ur) per US$1 - 3,457.5 (December 1992), 3,026.9
     (1992), 2,489 (1991), 1,594 (1990), 805 (1989)
note:
     on 1 March 1993 the former New Peso (N$Ur) was replaced as Uruguay's
     unit of currency by the Peso which is equal to 1,000 of the New Pesos;
     consequently there is a major change in the peso/dollar exchange rate
Fiscal year:
     calendar year


                              Communications


Railroads:
     3,000 km, all 1.435-meter (standard) gauge and government owned
Highways:
total:
     49,900 km
paved:
     6,700 km
unpaved:
     gravel 3,000 km; earth 40,200 km
Inland waterways:
     1,600 km; used by coastal and shallow-draft river craft
Ports:
     Montevideo, Punta del Este, Colonia
Merchant marine:
     4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 84,797 GRT/132,296 DWT, cargo 1,
     container 2, oil tanker 1
Airports:
total:
     87
usable:
     80
with permanent-surface runways:
     16
with runways over 3,659 m:
     0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
     2




with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
     14
Telecommunications:
     most modern facilities concentrated in Montevideo; new nationwide
     microwave network; 337,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 99 AM, no
     FM, 26 TV, 9 shortwave; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations


                              Defense Forces


Branches:
     Army, Navy (including Naval Air Arm, Coast Guard, Marines), Air Force,
     Grenadier Guards, Police
Manpower availability:
     males age 15-49 765,490; fit for military service 621,629
Defense expenditures:
     exchange rate conversion - $216 million, 2.3% of GDP (1991 est.)