Uruguay is a small country in South America lying between Brazil and Argentina. The official name of Uruguay is “Republica Oriental del Uruguay” (Oriental Republic of Uruguay).
The name 'Uruguay' comes from the Uruguay River which is thought to either mean 'river of the painted birds' in the regional Guarani language or a river snail or mussel called “uruguá”.
The first European in Uruguay was Spanish explorer Juan Diaz de Solis in 1516. He was killed and possibly eaten by the native Charrúa. This kept Europeans away for 100 years.
The first permanent Spanish settlement was founded in 1624 at Soriano on the Río Negro. The Portuguese then established Colonia del Sacramento in 1680.
Uruguay was formally proclaimed independent in 1828 at preliminary peace talks brokered by Great Britain between Brazil and Argentina during the Argentina-Brazil War.
The national flag of Uruguay has a field of nine equal horizontal stripes alternating white and blue. It had 19 stripes until July 11, 1830, when a new law reduced the number of stripes to nine.
In 1920, Uruguay passed a law making dueling legal in order to permit a duel between a policeman and a newspaper editor. For the next 72 years dueling was legal in Uruguay as long as the participants had official permission. In 1992, the law was rescinded making dueling illegal again.
José Mujica (b May 20, 1935), a former left-wing guerrilla leader who spent almost 15 years in prison during the country's military rule, served as the 40th President of Uruguay from 2010 to 2015. He was called "the world's 'poorest' president" as he donated around 90 percent of his $12,000 monthly salary to charities to help poor people and small entrepreneurs.
The growing, sale and smoking of cannabis was legalized in Uruguay on December 10, 2013. They were the first country in the world to do so.
President Jose Mujica was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize by a Dutch pro-drugs institute for legalizing marijuana.
Uraguay has a total area of 176,214 km2 (68,037 sq mi). The only country in South America smaller than Uruguay is Suriname.
Uruguay is the only country in Latin America which is entirely outside the tropics.
The population of Uruguay is 3.4 million which is about the same as that of Berlin.
Uruguayans are mostly of European origin. 88% of the population are from European descent.
Montevideo is the capital of Uruguay. According to the 2011 census, the city proper has a population of 1,319,108, which is about one-third of the country's total population. It is the southernmost capital city in the Americas.
The highest point in the country is the Cerro Catedral whose peak reaches to 514 metres (1,686 ft).
On a per-capita basis, Uruguay contributes more troops to United Nations peacekeeping missions than any other country.
The Uruguayan national anthem has 11 verses. Only Greece, with a huge 158 verses, is longer.
The country with most cows per head of population is Uruguay with 3.7 cows per person.
Uruguay won gold medals for football at both the 1924 and 1928 Olympics. They are the only Olympic golds the country has ever won.
Uruguay won the football World Cup in 1930 and 1950. It is the smallest country by population to win soccer's premier competition.
A tango festival is held every June in Uruguay to celebrate the country's reputation as the place where the tango originated.
The name 'Uruguay' comes from the Uruguay River which is thought to either mean 'river of the painted birds' in the regional Guarani language or a river snail or mussel called “uruguá”.
HISTORY
The first European in Uruguay was Spanish explorer Juan Diaz de Solis in 1516. He was killed and possibly eaten by the native Charrúa. This kept Europeans away for 100 years.
The first permanent Spanish settlement was founded in 1624 at Soriano on the Río Negro. The Portuguese then established Colonia del Sacramento in 1680.
Uruguay was formally proclaimed independent in 1828 at preliminary peace talks brokered by Great Britain between Brazil and Argentina during the Argentina-Brazil War.
The national flag of Uruguay has a field of nine equal horizontal stripes alternating white and blue. It had 19 stripes until July 11, 1830, when a new law reduced the number of stripes to nine.
In 1920, Uruguay passed a law making dueling legal in order to permit a duel between a policeman and a newspaper editor. For the next 72 years dueling was legal in Uruguay as long as the participants had official permission. In 1992, the law was rescinded making dueling illegal again.
José Mujica (b May 20, 1935), a former left-wing guerrilla leader who spent almost 15 years in prison during the country's military rule, served as the 40th President of Uruguay from 2010 to 2015. He was called "the world's 'poorest' president" as he donated around 90 percent of his $12,000 monthly salary to charities to help poor people and small entrepreneurs.
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| José Mujica |
The growing, sale and smoking of cannabis was legalized in Uruguay on December 10, 2013. They were the first country in the world to do so.
President Jose Mujica was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize by a Dutch pro-drugs institute for legalizing marijuana.
FUN URUGUAY FACTS
Uraguay has a total area of 176,214 km2 (68,037 sq mi). The only country in South America smaller than Uruguay is Suriname.
Uruguay is the only country in Latin America which is entirely outside the tropics.
The population of Uruguay is 3.4 million which is about the same as that of Berlin.
Uruguayans are mostly of European origin. 88% of the population are from European descent.
Montevideo is the capital of Uruguay. According to the 2011 census, the city proper has a population of 1,319,108, which is about one-third of the country's total population. It is the southernmost capital city in the Americas.
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| Montevideo. By Rosina Peixoto |
The highest point in the country is the Cerro Catedral whose peak reaches to 514 metres (1,686 ft).
On a per-capita basis, Uruguay contributes more troops to United Nations peacekeeping missions than any other country.
The Uruguayan national anthem has 11 verses. Only Greece, with a huge 158 verses, is longer.
The country with most cows per head of population is Uruguay with 3.7 cows per person.
Uruguay won gold medals for football at both the 1924 and 1928 Olympics. They are the only Olympic golds the country has ever won.
Uruguay won the football World Cup in 1930 and 1950. It is the smallest country by population to win soccer's premier competition.
A tango festival is held every June in Uruguay to celebrate the country's reputation as the place where the tango originated.
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