Uruguay:
Geography

Pages for other countries and territories

Other pages in this profile of Uruguay:
People, Government, Economy, Communications & Transportation, Military & Transnational Issues.


Background	Definition 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 established 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.

Location	Definition Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Argentina and Brazil
Geographic coordinates	Definition 33 00 S, 56 00 W
Map references	Definition South America
Area	Definition - World rank and map total: 176,220 sq km land: 173,620 sq km water: 2,600 sq km
Area - comparative	Definition slightly smaller than the state of Washington
Land boundaries	Definition total: 1,648 km border countries: Argentina 580 km, Brazil 1,068 km
Coastline	Definition 660 km
Maritime claims	Definition territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or edge of continental margin
Climate	Definition warm temperate; freezing temperatures almost unknown
Terrain	Definition mostly rolling plains and low hills; fertile coastal lowland
Elevation extremes	Definition lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Cerro Catedral 514 m
Natural resources	Definition arable land, hydropower, minor minerals, fisheries
Land use	Definition - World rank and map arable land: 7.77% permanent crops: 0.24% other: 91.99% (2005)
Irrigated land	Definition 2,100 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources	Definition 139 cu km (2000)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)	Definition total: 3.15 cu km/yr (2%/1%/96%) per capita: 910 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards	Definition 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
Environment - current issues	Definition water pollution from meat packing/tannery industry; inadequate solid/hazardous waste disposal
Environment - international agreements	Definition 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, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note	Definition 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

Uruguay: Geography

Uruguay:
Geography