1991 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1991 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
warm temperate; freezing temperatures almost unknown
Coastline
660 km
Comparative area
slightly smaller than Washington State
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
arable land 8%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 78%; forest and woodland 4%; other 10%; includes irrigated 1%
Maritime claims
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation; Territorial sea: 200 nm (overflight and navigation permitted beyond 12 nm)
Natural resources
soil, hydropower potential, minor minerals
Terrain
mostly rolling plains and low hills; fertile coastal lowland
Total area
176,220 km2; land area: 173,620 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
17 births/1,000 population (1991)
Death rate
10 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
Ethnic divisions
white 88%, mestizo 8%, black 4%
Infant mortality rate
22 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
Labor force
1,300,000; government 25%, manufacturing 19%, agriculture 11%, commerce 12%, utilities, construction, transport, and communications 12%, other services 21% (1988 est.)
Language
Spanish
Life expectancy at birth
69 years male, 76 years female (1991)
Literacy
96% (male 97%, female 96%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Nationality
noun--Uruguayan(s); adjective--Uruguayan
Net migration rate
- 1 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
Organized labor
Interunion Workers' Assembly/National Workers' Confederation (PIT/CNT) Labor Federation
Population
3,121,101 (July 1990), growth rate 0.6% (1991)
Religion
Roman Catholic (less than half adult population attends church regularly) 66%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 2%, nonprofessing or other 30%
Total fertility rate
2.4 children born/woman (1991)
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 Eduardo MACGILLICUDDEY; 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 Richard C. BROWN; Embassy at Lauro Muller 1776, Montevideo (mailing address is APO Miami 34035); telephone [598] (2) 23-60-61
Elections
President--last held 26 November 1989 (next to be held November 1994); results--Luis Alberto LACALLE Herrera (Blanco) 37%, Jorge BATLLE Ibanez (Colorado) 29%, Liber SEREGNI Mosquera (Broad Front) 20%; Chamber of Senators--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 Representatives--last held NA November 1989 (next to be held November 1994); results--Blanco 39%, Colorado 30%, Broad Front 22%, New Space 8%, other 1%; seats--(99 total) number of seats by party NA
Executive branch
president, vice president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
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 General Assembly (Asamblea General) consists of an upper chamber or Chamber of Senators (Camara de Senadores) and a lower chamber or Chamber of Representatives (Camera de Representantes)
Long-form name
Oriental Republic of Uruguay
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 (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA, LORCS, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIIMOG, UNMOGIP, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
National holiday
Independence Day, 25 August (1828)
Political parties and leaders
National (Blanco) Party, Luis Alberto LACALLE Herrera; Colorado Party, Jorge BATLLE Ibanez; Broad Front Coalition, Liber SEREGNI Mosquera--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), Hugo BATALLA; Christian Democratic Party (PDC), Hector LESCANO; and Civic Union, 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
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
Economic aid
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $105 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $293 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $69 million
Electricity
1,950,000 kW capacity; 5,274 million kWh produced, 1,740 kWh per capita (1990)
Exchange rates
new Uruguayan pesos (N$Ur) per US$1--1,626.4 (January 1991), 1,171.0 (1990), 605.5 (1989), 359.44 (1988), 226.67 (1987), 151.99 (1986), 101.43 (1985)
Exports
$1.7 billion (f.o.b., 1990); 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
$4.2 billion (1990 est.)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
$9.2 billion, per capita $2,970; real growth rate 1% (1990 est.)
Imports
$1.28 billion (f.o.b., 1990); 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 - 2.1% (1989 est.)
Industries
meat processing, wool and hides, sugar, textiles, footwear, leather apparel, tires, cement, fishing, petroleum refining, wine
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
129% (1990)
Overview
The economy is slowly recovering from the deep recession of the early 1980s. In 1988 real GDP grew by only 0.5% and in 1989 by 1.5%. 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 1990, despite healthy exports and an improved current account, domestic growth remained weak because of government concentration on the external sector, adverse weather conditions, and prolonged strikes. Bringing down high inflation, reducing a large fiscal deficit, and avoiding frequent strikes remain major economic problems for the government.
Unemployment rate
8.8% (1990 est.)
Communications
Airports
91 total, 86 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 container, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker
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 (including Naval Air Arm and Marines), Air Force, Coast Guard, Grenadier Guards, Police
Defense expenditures
$168 million, 2.2% of GDP (1988) _%_
Manpower availability
males 15-49, 735,971; 597,302 fit for military service; no conscription