1994 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1994 (Project Gutenberg)
Introduction
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
Agriculture
accounts for 12% of GDP; large areas devoted to livestock grazing; wheat, rice, corn, sorghum; self-sufficient in most basic foodstuffs
Airports
total: 87 usable: 80 with permanent-surface runways: 16 with runways over 3,659 m: with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 14
Area
total area: 176,220 sq km land area: 173,620 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than Washington State
Birth rate
17.7 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Branches
Army, Navy (including Naval Air Arm, Coast Guard, Marines), Air Force, Grenadier Guards, Police
Budget
revenues: $2.9 billion expenditures: $3 billion, including capital expenditures of $388 million (1991 est.)
Capital
Montevideo
Chamber of Representatives (Camera de Representantes)
elections last held NA November 1989 (next to be held NA November 1994); results - Blanco 39%, Colorado 30%, Broad Front 22%, New Space 8%, other 1%; seats - (99 total) number of seats by party NA
Chamber of Senators (Camara de Senadores)
elections last held 26 November 1989 (next to be held NA November 1994); results - Blanco 40%, Colorado 30%, Broad Front 23% New Space 7%; seats - (30 total) Blanco 12, Colorado 9, Broad Front 7, New Space 2
Climate
warm temperate; freezing temperatures almost unknown
Coastline
660 km
Constitution
27 November 1966, effective February 1967, suspended 27 June 1973, new constitution rejected by referendum 30 November 1980
Currency
1 Uruguayan peso ($Ur) = 100 centesimos
Death rate
9.39 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Defense expenditures
exchange rate conversion - $216 million, 2.3% of GDP (1991 est.)
Digraph
UY
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
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), $69 million
Electricity
capacity: 2,168,000 kW production: 5.96 billion kWh consumption per capita: 1,900 kWh (1992)
Environment
current issues: NA natural hazards: subject to seasonally high winds, droughts, floods international agreements: party to - Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Climate Change, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation
Ethnic divisions
white 88%, mestizo 8%, black 4%
Exchange rates
Uruguayan pesos ($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
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
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
External debt
$4.2 billion (1993)
FAX
[598] (2) 48-86-11
Fiscal year
calendar year
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
Highways
total: 49,900 km paved: 6,700 km unpaved: gravel 3,000 km; earth 40,200 km
Imports
$2 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.) commodities: machinery and equipment, vehicles, chemicals, minerals, plastics partners: Brazil, Argentina, US, Nigeria
Independence
25 August 1828 (from Brazil)
Industrial production
growth rate 4.2% (1992 est.), accounts for almost 25% of GDP
Industries
meat processing, wool and hides, sugar, textiles, footwear, leather apparel, tires, cement, fishing, petroleum refining, wine
Infant mortality rate
17.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
50% (1993 est.)
Inland waterways
1,600 km; used by coastal and shallow-draft river craft
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
Irrigated land
1,100 sq km (1989 est.)
Judicial branch
Supreme Court
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.)
Land boundaries
total 1,564 km, Argentina 579 km, Brazil 985 km
Land use
arable land: 8% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 78% forest and woodland: 4% other: 10%
Languages
Spanish, Brazilero (Portuguese-Spanish mix on the Brazilian frontier)
Legal system
based on Spanish civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch
bicameral General Assembly (Asamblea General)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 74.09 years male: 70.88 years female: 77.47 years (1994 est.)
Literacy
age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.) total population: 96% male: 97% female: 96%
Location
Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean between Argentina and Brazil
Manpower availability
males age 15-49 765,490; fit for military service 621,629
Map references
South America, Standard Time Zones of the World
Maritime claims
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to depth of exploitation territorial sea: 200 nm; overflight and navigation permitted beyond 12 nm
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
Merchant marine
4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 84,797 GRT/132,296 DWT, cargo 1, container 2, oil tanker 1
Names
conventional long form: Oriental Republic of Uruguay conventional short form: Uruguay local long form: Republica Oriental del Uruguay local short form: Uruguay
National holiday
Independence Day, 25 August (1828)
National product
GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $19 billion (1993 est.)
National product per capita
$6,000 (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate
2% (1993 est.)
Nationality
noun: Uruguayan(s) adjective: Uruguayan
Natural resources
soil, hydropower potential, minor minerals
Net migration rate
-0.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
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.
Political parties and leaders
National (Blanco) Party; Colorado Party, Jorge BATLLE; Broad Front Coalition, Gen. Liber SEREGNI Mosquera; New Space Coalition, Hugo BATALLA
Population
3,198,910 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate
0.75% (1994 est.)
Ports
Montevideo, Punta del Este, Colonia
Railroads
3,000 km, all 1.435-meter (standard) gauge and government owned
Religions
Roman Catholic 66% (less than half adult population attends church regularly), Protestant 2%, Jewish 2%, nonprofessing or other 30%
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal and compulsory
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
Terrain
mostly rolling plains and low hills; fertile coastal lowland
Total fertility rate
2.44 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Type
republic
Unemployment rate
8.8% (1993 est.)
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