Uruguay is a South American country known for its verdant interior and beach-lined coast. The capital, Montevideo, revolves around Plaza Independencia, once home to a Spanish citadel. It leads to Ciudad Vieja (Old City), with art deco buildings, colonial homes and Mercado del Puerto, an old port market with many steakhouses. La Rambla, a waterfront promenade, passes fish stalls, piers and parks.
Languages: Spanish, Portunol, or Brazilero (Portuguese-Spanish mix on the Brazilian frontier)
Ethnic Groups: white 88%, mestizo 8%, black 4%, Amerindian
Belief Systems: Roman Catholic 47.1%, non-Catholic Christians 11.1%, nondenominational 23.2%, Jewish 0.3%, atheist or agnostic 17.2%, other 1.1%
Demographics:
Population: 3.42 million people (World Rank: 133rd) (2014 estimate)
Population Density: 50.5 people/mi^2 (People per Square Mile) (World Rank: 200th) (2014 estimate)
Population Growth: 0.345 %/yr (World Rank: 179th) (2013 estimate)
Life Expectancy: 77.2 years (World Rank: 68th) (2013 estimate)
Median Age: 33.7 years (World Rank: 60th) (2010 estimate)
Sites for More Information:
Map of Uruguay
Worldatlas.com
Uruguay
World Factbook
Uruguay - Country Profile
U.S. Library of Congress
Uruguay - General Information
Encyclopedia.com
Travel Info for Uruguay
Travelnotes.org
Uruguayan Embassy
in Washington D.C.
Uruguayan Government Web Sites
by Gunnar Anzinger
