1990 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1990 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
warm temperate; freezing temperatures almost unknown
Coastline
660 km
Comparative area
slightly smaller than Washington State
Continental shelf
200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
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)
Environment
subject to seasonally high winds, droughts, floods
Land boundaries
1,564 km total; Argentina 579 km, Brazil 985 km
Land use
8% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 78% meadows and pastures; 4% forest and woodland; 10% other; includes 1% irrigated
Natural resources
soil, hydropower potential, minor minerals
Terrain
mostly rolling plains and low hills; fertile coastal lowland
Territorial sea
200 nm (overflight and navigation permitted beyond 12 nm)
Total area
176,220 km2; land area: 173,620 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
17 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate
10 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Ethnic divisions
88% white, 8% mestizo, 4% black
Infant mortality rate
22 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Labor force
1,300,000; 25% government, 19% manufacturing, 11% agriculture, 12% commerce, 12% utilities, construction, transport, and communications, 21% other services (1988 est.)
Language
Spanish
Life expectancy at birth
70 years male, 76 years female (1990)
Literacy
94%
Nationality
noun--Uruguayan(s); adjective--Uruguayan
Net migration rate
- 2 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Organized labor
Interunion Workers' Assembly/National Workers' Confederation (PIT/CNT) Labor Federation
Population
3,036,660 (July 1990), growth rate 0.6% (1990)
Religion
66% Roman Catholic (less than half adult population attends church regularly), 2% Protestant, 2% Jewish, 30% nonprofessing or other
Total fertility rate
2.4 children born/woman (1990)
Government
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
Capital
Montevideo
Communists
50,000
Constitution
27 November 1966, effective February 1967, suspended 27 June 1973, new constitution rejected by referendum 30 November 1980
Diplomatic representation
Ambassador Juan Podesta PINON; 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 Malcolm R. WILKEY; Embassy at Lauro Muller 1776, Montevideo (mailing address is APO Miami 34035); telephone [598] (2) 40-90-51
Elections
President--last held 26 November 1989 (next to be held November 1994); results--Luis Lacalle (Blanco) 37%, Jorge Batlle (Colorado) 29%, Liber Seregni (Broad Front) 20%; Senate--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 Deputies--last held NA November 1989 (next to be held November 1994); results--Blanco 39%, Colorado 30%, Broad Front 22%, New Space 8%, others 1%; seats--(99 total) number of seats by party NA
Executive branch
president, vice president, Council of Ministers
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
Independence
25 August 1828 (from Brazil)
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)
Legal system
based on Spanish civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch
bicameral Congress (Congreso) consists of an upper chamber or Senate (Senado) and a lower chamber or Chamber of Deputies
Long-form name
Oriental Republic of Uruguay
Member of
CCC, FAO, G-77, GATT, Group of Eight, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IRC, ITU, LAIA, OAS, PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG
National holiday
Independence Day, 25 August (1828)
Political parties and leaders
National (Blanco) Party, Roberto Rubio; Colorado Party; Broad Front Coalition, Liber Seregni 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) led by Hugo Batalla, Christian Democratic Party (PDC), and Civic Union led by Humberto Ciganda
Suffrage
universal and compulsory at age 18
Type
republic
Economy
Agriculture
large areas devoted to extensive livestock grazing; wheat, rice, corn, sorghum; self-sufficient in most basic foodstuffs
Aid
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $105 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $263 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $69 million
Budget
revenues $1.2 billion; expenditures $1.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $165 million (1988)
Currency
new Uruguayan peso (plural--pesos); 1 new Uruguayan peso (N$Ur) = 100 centesimos
Electricity
1,950,000 kW capacity; 4,330 million kWh produced, 1,450 kWh per capita (1989)
Exchange rates
new Uruguayan pesos (N$Ur) per US$1--832.62 (January 1990), 605.62 (1989), 359.44 (1988), 226.67 (1987), 151.99 (1986), 101.43 (1985)
Exports
$1.5 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities--hides and leather goods 17%, beef 10%, wool 9%, fish 7%, rice 4%; partners--Brazil 17%, US 15%, FRG 10%, Argentina 10% (1987)
External debt
$6 billion (1988)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
$8.8 billion, per capita $2,950; real growth rate 1% (1989 est.)
Imports
$1.1 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities--fuels and lubricants 15%, metals, machinery, transportation equipment, industrial chemicals; partners--Brazil 24%, Argentina 14%, US 8%, FRG 8% (1987)
Industrial production
growth rate - 2.9% (1988 est.)
Industries
meat processing, wool and hides, sugar, textiles, footwear, leather apparel, tires, cement, fishing, petroleum refining, wine
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
80% (1989 est.)
Overview
The economy is slowly recovering from the deep recession of 1981-84. In 1986 real GDP grew by 6.6% and in 1987 by 4.9%. 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 1988, despite healthy exports and an improved current account, domestic growth slowed because of government concentration on the external sector, adverse weather conditions, and prolonged strikes. High inflation rates of about 80%, a large domestic debt, and frequent strikes remain major economic problems for the government.
Unemployment rate
9.0% (1989 est.)
Communications
Airports
92 total, 87 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
Civil air
14 major transport aircraft
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
Merchant marine
4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 65,212 GRT/116,613 DWT; includes 2 cargo, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 container
Ports
Montevideo, Punta del Este
Railroads
3,000 km, all 1.435-meter standard gauge and government owned
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
Military and Security
Branches
Army, Navy, Air Force
Defense expenditures
2.5% of GDP (1986)
Military manpower
males 15-49, 711,700; 580,898 fit for military service; no conscription