2015 Edition

Background

Montevideo, founded by the Spanish in 1726 as a military stronghold, soon took advantage of its natural harbor to become an important commercial center. Claimed by Argentina but annexed by Brazil in 1821, Uruguay declared its independence four years later and secured its freedom in 1828 after a three-year struggle. The administrations of President Jose BATLLE in the early 20th century launched widespread political, social, and economic reforms that established a statist tradition. A violent Marxist urban guerrilla movement named the Tupamaros, launched in the late 1960s, led Uruguay's president to cede control of the government to the military in 1973. By yearend, the rebels had been crushed, but the military continued to expand its hold over the government. Civilian rule was not restored until 1985. In 2004, the left-of-center Frente Amplio Coalition won national elections that effectively ended 170 years of political control previously held by the Colorado and Blanco parties. Uruguay's political and labor conditions are among the freest on the continent.

Area

land

175,015 sq km

total

176,215 sq km

water

1,200 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than the state of Washington

Climate

warm temperate; freezing temperatures almost unknown

Coastline

660 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

Cerro Catedral 514 m

lowest point

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

Environment - current issues

water pollution from meat packing/tannery industry; inadequate solid/hazardous waste disposal

Environment - international agreements

party to

Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

per capita

1,101 cu m/yr (2000)

total

3.66 cu km/yr (11%/2%/87%)

Geographic coordinates

33 00 S, 56 00 W

Geography - note

second-smallest South American country (after Suriname); most of the low-lying landscape (three-quarters of the country) is grassland, ideal for cattle and sheep raising

Irrigated land

1,810 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

border countries (2)

Argentina 541 km, Brazil 1,050 km

total

1,591 km

Land use

arable land 10.1%; permanent crops 0.2%; permanent pasture 76.9%

agricultural land

87.2%

forest

10.2%

other

2.6% (2011 est.)

Location

Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Argentina and Brazil

Map references

South America

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

continental shelf

200 nm or the edge of continental margin

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

seasonally high winds (the pampero is a chilly and occasional violent wind that blows north from the Argentine pampas), droughts, floods; because of the absence of mountains, which act as weather barriers, all locations are particularly vulnerable to rapid changes from weather fronts

Natural resources

arable land, hydropower, minor minerals, fish

Terrain

mostly rolling plains and low hills; fertile coastal lowland

Total renewable water resources

139 cu km (2011)

Age structure

0-14 years

20.73% (male 352,470/female 340,275)

15-24 years

15.89% (male 269,034/female 262,117)

25-54 years

39.09% (male 644,816/female 661,635)

55-64 years

10.25% (male 161,190/female 181,478)

65 years and over

14.03% (male 187,051/female 281,827) (2015 est.)

Birth rate

13.07 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Child labor - children ages 5-14

percentage

7% (2006 est.)

total number

51,879

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

4.5% (2011)

Death rate

9.45 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Demographic profile

Uruguay rates high for most development indicators and is known for its secularism, liberal social laws, and well-developed social security, health, and educational systems. It is one of the few countries in Latin America and the Caribbean where the entire population has access to clean water. Uruguay's provision of free primary through university education has contributed to the country's high levels of literacy and educational attainment. However, the emigration of human capital has diminished the state's return on its investment in education. Remittances from the roughly 18% of Uruguayans abroad amount to less than 1 percent of national GDP. The emigration of young adults and a low birth rate are causing Uruguay's population to age rapidly.

In the 1960s, Uruguayans for the first time emigrated en masse - primarily to Argentina and Brazil - because of economic decline and the onset of more than a decade of military dictatorship. Economic crises in the early 1980s and 2002 also triggered waves of emigration, but since 2002 more than 70% of Uruguayan emigrants have selected the US and Spain as destinations because of better job prospects. Uruguay had a tiny population upon its independence in 1828 and welcomed thousands of predominantly Italian and Spanish immigrants, but the country has not experienced large influxes of new arrivals since the aftermath of World War II. More recent immigrants include Peruvians and Arabs.

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

22.5%

potential support ratio

4.4% (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio

55.9%

youth dependency ratio

33.4%

Drinking water source

urban: 100% of population

rural: 93.9% of population

total: 99.7% of population

urban: 0% of population

rural: 6.1% of population

total: 0.3% of population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

4.4% of GDP (2011)

Ethnic groups

white 88%, mestizo 8%, black 4%, Amerindian (practically nonexistent)

Health expenditures

8.8% of GDP (2013)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.7% (2014 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

600 (2014 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

14,400 (2014 est.)

Hospital bed density

2.5 beds/1,000 population (2012)

Infant mortality rate

female

7.75 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)

male

9.7 deaths/1,000 live births

total

8.74 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Spanish (official), Portunol, Brazilero (Portuguese-Spanish mix on the Brazilian frontier)

Life expectancy at birth

female

80.26 years (2015 est.)

male

73.86 years

total population

77 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

98.8% (2015 est.)

male

98.2%

total population

98.5%

Major urban areas - population

MONTEVIDEO (capital) 1.707 million (2015)

Median age

female

36.2 years (2015 est.)

male

32.8 years

total

34.5 years

Nationality

adjective

Uruguayan

noun

Uruguayan(s)

Net migration rate

-0.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

27.6% (2014)

Physicians density

3.74 physicians/1,000 population (2008)

Population

3,341,893 (July 2015 est.)

Population growth rate

0.27% (2015 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 47.1%, non-Catholic Christians 11.1%, nondenominational 23.2%, Jewish 0.3%, atheist or agnostic 17.2%, other 1.1% (2006)

Sanitation facility access

urban: 96.6% of population

rural: 92.6% of population

total: 96.4% of population

urban: 3.4% of population

rural: 7.4% of population

total: 3.6% of population (2015 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

17 years (2010)

male

14 years

total

16 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.04 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.03 male(s)/female

25-54 years

0.98 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.89 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.66 male(s)/female

at birth

1.04 male(s)/female

total population

0.94 male(s)/female (2015 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.82 children born/woman (2015 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

23.6% (2012 est.)

male

14.7%

total

18.5%

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.53% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

urban population

95.3% of total population (2015)

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

geographic coordinates

34 51 S, 56 10 W

name

Montevideo

time difference

UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Constitution

several previous; latest approved by plebiscite 27 November 1966, effective 15 February 1967; amended several times, last in 2004 (2013)

Country name

conventional long form

Oriental Republic of Uruguay

conventional short form

Uruguay

former

Banda Oriental, Cisplatine Province

local long form

Republica Oriental del Uruguay

local short form

Uruguay

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Brad FREDEN (since 10 December 2014)

embassy

Lauro Muller 1776, Montevideo 11200

FAX

[598] (2) 1770-2128

mailing address

APO AA 34035

telephone

[598] (2) 1770-2000

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

1913 I Street NW, Washington, DC 20006

chief of mission

Ambassador Juan Carlos PITA Alvariza (since 3 August 2015)

consulate(s) general

Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York

FAX

[1] (202) 331-8142

telephone

[1] (202) 331-1313

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the president with approval of the General Assembly

chief of state

President Tabare VAZQUEZ (since 1 March 2015); Vice President Raul Fernando SENDIC Rodriguez (since 1 March 2015); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

election results

Tabare VAZQUEZ elected president in a runoff election; percent of vote - Tabare VAZQUEZ (Socialist Party) 56.5%, Luis Alberto LACALLE Pou (Blanco) 43.4%

elections/appointments

president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for nonconsecutive terms); election last held on 29 November 2009 (next to be held on 26 October 2014, and a runoff if needed on 30 November 2014)

head of government

President Tabare VAZQUEZ (since 1 March 2015); Vice President Raul Fernando SENDIC Rodriguez (since 1 March 2015)

Flag description

nine equal horizontal stripes of white (top and bottom) alternating with blue; a white square in the upper hoist-side corner with a yellow sun bearing a human face known as the Sun of May with 16 rays that alternate between triangular and wavy; the stripes represent the nine original departments of Uruguay; the sun symbol evokes the legend of the sun breaking through the clouds on 25 May 1810 as independence was first declared from Spain (Uruguay subsequently won its independence from Brazil); the sun features are said to represent those of Inti, the Inca god of the sun

note

the banner was inspired by the national colors of Argentina and by the design of the US flag

Government type

constitutional republic

Independence

25 August 1825 (from Brazil)

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

CAN (associate), CD, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAM (observer), OAS, OIF (observer), OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, SICA (observer), UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMOGIP, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Supreme Court of Justice (consists of 5 judges)

judge selection and term of office

judges nominated by the president and appointed in joint conference of the General Assembly; judges appointed for 10-year terms, with reelection after a lapse of 5 years following the previous term

subordinate courts

Courts of Appeal; District Courts (Juzagados Letrados); Peace Courts (Juzagados de Paz); Rural Courts (Juzgados Rurales)

Legal system

civil law system based on the Spanish civil code

Legislative branch

description

bicameral General Assembly or Asamblea General consists of the Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores (31 seats; members directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote; the vice-president serves as the presiding ex-officio member; elected members serve 5-year terms) and the Chamber of Representatives or Camara de Representantes (99 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms)

election results

Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Frente Amplio 15, Blanco 10, Colorado Party 4, Independent Party 1; Chamber of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Frente Amplio 50, Blanco 32, Colorado Party 13, Independent Party 3, Popular Assembly 1

elections

Chamber of Senators - last held on 26 October 2014 (next to be held in October 2019); Chamber of Representatives - last held on 26 October 2014 (next to be held in October 2019)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Francisco Esteban ACUNA de Figueroa/Francisco Jose DEBALI

name

"Himno Nacional" (National Anthem of Uruguay)

note

adopted 1848; the anthem is also known as "Orientales, la Patria o la tumba!" ("Uruguayans, the Fatherland or Death!"); it is the world's longest national anthem in terms of music (105 bars; almost five minutes); generally only the first verse and chorus are sung

National holiday

Independence Day, 25 August (1825)

National symbol(s)

Sun of May (a sun-with-face symbol); national colors: blue, white, yellow

Political parties and leaders

Broad Front (Frente Amplio) or EP-FA [Monica XAVIER] (a broad governing coalition that includes Liber Seregni Front (FLS) [Danilo ASTORI], Socialist Party [Monica XAVIER], Artigas Wing [Mariano ARANA], Christian Democratic Party [Juan Andres ROBALLO], Popular Participation Movement (MPP) [Jose MUJICA], Broad Front Commitment [Raul SENDIC], Action and Thought Current-Freedom (CAP-L) [Eleuterio FERNADEZ HUIDOBRO], Big House [Constanza MOREIRA], Communist Party [Marcos CARAMBULA], The Federal League

Colorado Party (including Vamos Uruguay [Pedro Bordaberry] and Propuesta Batllista [Jorge AMORIN BATLLE])

Independent Party [Pablo MIERES]

National Party or Blanco (including All Forward [Luis LACALLE POU] and National Alliance [Jorge LARRANAGA])

Popular Assembly [Gonzalo ABELLA]

Political pressure groups and leaders

B'nai Brith

Catholic Church

Chamber of Commerce and Export of Agriproducts

Chamber of Industries (manufacturer's association)

Exporters Union of Uruguay

National Chamber of Commerce and Services

PIT/CNT (powerful federation of Uruguayan Unions - umbrella labor organization)

Rural Association of Uruguay (rancher's association)

Uruguayan Network of Political Women

other

students

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Agriculture - products

soybeans, rice, wheat; beef, dairy products; fish; lumber, cellulose

Budget

expenditures

$18.71 billion (2014 est.)

revenues

$16.8 billion

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-3.4% of GDP (2014 est.)

Central bank discount rate

9% (31 December 2012)

8.75% (31 December 2011)

note

Uruguay's central bank uses the benchmark interest rate, rather than the discount rate, to conduct monetary policy; the rates shown here are the benchmark rates

Commercial bank prime lending rate

15.7% (31 December 2014 est.)

12.44% (31 December 2013 est.)

Current account balance

-$2.615 billion (2014 est.)

-$3.144 billion (2013 est.)

Debt - external

$17.54 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$16.27 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

45.3 (2010)

44.8 (1999)

Economy - overview

Uruguay has a free market economy characterized by an export-oriented agricultural sector, a well-educated work force, and high levels of social spending. Following financial difficulties in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Uruguay's economic growth averaged 8% annually during the period 2004-08. The 2008-09 global financial crisis put a brake on Uruguay's vigorous growth, which decelerated to 2.6% in 2009. Nevertheless, the country managed to avoid a recession and keep positive growth rates, mainly through higher public expenditure and investment; GDP growth reached 8.9% in 2010 but slowed in 2012-13 as a result of a renewed slowdown in the global economy and in Uruguay's main trade partners and Common Market of the South (Mercosur) counterparts, Argentina and Brazil. Uruguay has sought to expand trade within Mercosur and with non-Mercosur members, and President VAZQUEZ has said he will maintain his predecessor’s mix of pro-market policies and a strong social safety net.

Exchange rates

Uruguayan pesos (UYU) per US dollar -

23.18 (2014 est.)

20.482 (2013 est.)

20.31 (2012 est.)

19.314 (2011 est.)

20.059 (2010 est.)

Exports

$11 billion (2014 est.)

$10.29 billion (2013 est.)

Exports - commodities

beef, soybeans, cellulose, rice, wheat, wood, dairy products; wool

Exports - partners

China 22.4%, Brazil 17.9%, Argentina 6.3%, Venezuela 5% (2014)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

(2014 est.)

exports of goods and services

24.2%

government consumption

14%

household consumption

66.1%

imports of goods and services

-28%

investment in fixed capital

22.9%

investment in inventories

0.7%

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

7.5%

industry

20.4%

services

72.1% (2014 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$20,600 (2014 est.)

$19,900 (2013 est.)

$19,100 (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

3.3% (2014 est.)

4.4% (2013 est.)

3.7% (2012 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$55.14 billion (2014 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$69.98 billion (2014 est.)

$67.73 billion (2013 est.)

$64.88 billion (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

Gross national saving

17.3% of GDP (2014 est.)

18.3% of GDP (2013 est.)

18.2% of GDP (2012 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

34.4% (2010 est.)

lowest 10%

1.9%

Imports

$12.05 billion (2014 est.)

$11.6 billion (2013 est.)

Imports - commodities

refined oil, crude oil, passenger and other transportation vehicles, vehicle parts, cellular phones

Imports - partners

Brazil 20.3%, China 16.9%, Argentina 13.1%, US 10.2%, Venezuela 4.6% (2014)

Industrial production growth rate

1.8% (2014 est.)

Industries

food processing, electrical machinery, transportation equipment, petroleum products, textiles, chemicals, beverages

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

8.9% (2014 est.)

8.6% (2013 est.)

Labor force

1.712 million (2014 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

13%

industry

14%

services

73% (2010 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$175.4 million (31 December 2012 est.)

$174.6 million (31 December 2011)

$156.9 million (31 December 2010 est.)

Population below poverty line

18.6% (2010 est.)

Public debt

64.7% of GDP (2014 est.)

62.1% of GDP (2013 est.)

note

data cover general government debt, and include debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions.

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$17.96 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$16.28 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of broad money

$8.568 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$8.919 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$411.7 million (31 December 2014 est.)

$376.6 million (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$23.41 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$20.59 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$19.82 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$19.48 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$5.201 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$5.455 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

30.2% of GDP (2014 est.)

Unemployment rate

6.5% (2014 est.)

6.6% (2013 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

7.591 million Mt (2012 est.)

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Crude oil - imports

38,680 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Crude oil - production

400 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2013 est.)

Electricity - consumption

9.333 billion kWh (2011 est.)

Electricity - exports

194 million kWh (2012 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

41.6% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

56.8% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

1.6% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

Electricity - imports

742 million kWh (2012 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

2.707 million kW (2011 est.)

Electricity - production

10.16 billion kWh (2011 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

60 million cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - imports

60 million cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

49,140 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

4,656 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

16,420 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

43,440 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Broadcast media

mixture of privately owned and state-run broadcast media; more than 100 commercial radio stations and about 20 TV channels; cable TV is available; many community radio and TV stations; adopted the hybrid Japanese/Brazilian HDTV standard (ISDB-T) in December 2010 (2010)

Internet country code

.uy

Internet users

percent of population

59.0% (2014 est.)

total

2 million

Radio broadcast stations

AM 93, FM 191, shortwave 7 (2005)

Telephone system

domestic

most modern facilities concentrated in Montevideo; nationwide microwave radio relay network; overall fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity has reached 170 telephones per 100 persons

general assessment

fully digitalized

international

country code - 598; the UNISOR submarine cable system provides direct connectivity to Brazil and Argentina; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2011)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

32 (2014 est.)

total subscriptions

1.08 million

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

165 (2014 est.)

total

5.5 million

Television broadcast stations

62 (2005)

Airports

133 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

4

914 to 1,523 m

4

over 3,047 m

1

total

11

under 914 m

2 (2013)

Airports - with unpaved runways

79 (2013)

1,524 to 2,437 m

3

914 to 1,523 m

40

total

122

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 1, cargo 2, chemical tanker 3, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker 3, roll on/roll off 1

foreign-owned

8 (Argentina 1, Denmark 1, Greece 1, Spain 5)

registered in other countries

1 (Liberia 1) (2010)

total

16

Pipelines

gas 257 km; oil 160 km (2013)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

Montevideo

Railways

standard gauge

1,641 km 1.435-m gauge (2014)

total

1,641 km

Roadways

paved

7,743 km

total

77,732 km

unpaved

69,989 km (2010)

Waterways

1,600 km (2011)

Manpower available for military service

females age 16-49

780,932 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

771,159

Manpower fit for military service

females age 16-49

654,903 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

649,025

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

26,811 (2010 est.)

male

27,564

Military branches

Uruguayan Armed Forces: Uruguayan National Army (Ejercito Nacional Uruguaya, ENU), Uruguayan National Navy (Armada Nacional del Uruguay; includes naval air arm, Naval Rifle Corps (Cuerpo de Fusileros Navales, Fusna), Maritime Prefecture in wartime), Uruguayan Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Uruguaya, FAU) (2012)

Military expenditures

1.95% of GDP (2012)

1.94% of GDP (2011)

1.95% of GDP (2010)

Military service age and obligation

18-30 years of age (18-22 years of age for navy) for male or female voluntary military service; up to 40 years of age for specialists; enlistment is voluntary in peacetime, but the government has the authority to conscript in emergencies; minimum 6-year education (2013)

Disputes - international

in 2010, the ICJ ruled in favor of Uruguay's operation of two paper mills on the Uruguay River, which forms the border with Argentina; the two countries formed a joint pollution monitoring regime; uncontested boundary dispute between Brazil and Uruguay over Braziliera/Brasiliera Island in the Quarai/Cuareim River leaves the tripoint with Argentina in question; smuggling of firearms and narcotics continues to be an issue along the Uruguay-Brazil border

Illicit drugs

small-scale transit country for drugs mainly bound for Europe, often through sea-borne containers; law enforcement corruption; money laundering because of strict banking secrecy laws; weak border control along Brazilian frontier; increasing consumption of cocaine base and synthetic drugs

Trafficking in persons

current situation

Uruguay is a source country for women and children subjected to sex trafficking and, to a lesser extent, a transit and destination country for men, women, and children exploited in forced labor and sex trafficking; most victims are women and girls exploited in sex trafficking domestically; some Uruguayan women lured by fraudulent job employment offers in Spain, Italy, and Argentina are forced into prostitution; foreign workers in domestic service, agriculture, and lumber processing are vulnerable to forced labor in Uruguay; some human trafficking cases are reportedly linked to international crime rings

tier rating

Tier 2 Watch List – Uruguay does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; authorities investigated and prosecuted several trafficking cases in 2013 but reported no convictions; limited anti-trafficking data makes it difficult to assess law enforcement efforts; the government provides limited services to human trafficking victims outside the capital and to forced labor victims; two public awareness campaigns were launched with foreign funding in 2013 (2014)