-Motto: "Freedom or death"
-Religion: 47% Roman Catholic, 11% non-Catholic Christian, 23% Nondenominational, 19% other
-Official language: Spanish
-Other spoken languages: Brazilero (Mix of Spanish and Portuguese spoken on the Brazilian border), English
-Major Exports: Wool, Wood, Cattle / Beef products, Dairy products, Beans & assorted grain products
-Major Industries: Agriculture
-Currency: Uruguayan Peso (UYU), approx. 19.04 UYU = 1 USD
Geography
Uruguay is the smallest Spanish speaking nation in South America and is roughly the same size as the state of Washington.The terrain mostly consists of plains and small hills, perfect for farming.
The land around the coast is the most fertile.There are many rivers and bodies of water all throughout Uruguay, also good for farming. Uruguay has a warm and temperate climate.
History
Uruguay's capital, Montevideo, was founded as a military stronghold by the Spanish in 1726. Its excellent location at the coast soon made it a wealthy trading center. The country was later claimed by Argentina, then Brazil in 1821. Uruguay gained its independence four years later in 1825. The country later adopted a governmental system very similar to the U.S. A group of rebels caused a power struggle inside the country, leading to the president of the time to give all power to the military in 1973. Many Uruguayans were extremely upset by this but it managed to stop the rebels by the end of the year. The military stayed in control until 1985.
Government
-Type:Constitutional Republic
-Current leader: Jose Mujica (elected March 1, 2010)
-Uruguay elects a president to rule the country (similar to the U.S. system)
-The current president was the co-founder of the 1960's rebel group and was imprisoned during the military rule. During his election, he was constantly fighting to convince people he had left his military past behind and told everyone to look towards the future.
-Uruguay has a very free political and economic system.
-Church and state are separated, also like the U.S.
Culture
Uruguay is known for its high literacy rate and good standard of living. Many of its people are decedents of immigrants from Spain and Italy.
-Food: The main part of the Uruguayan diet is beef and sometimes pork. Traditional dishes include asado (BBQ'd beef, also the national dish) and parrillada (beef and entrails.) Due to much of the population being of Italian descent, pasta is also a good portion of the diet.
-Celebrations: Christmas is refereed to as Family Day. There is a Constitution day celebration on July 18th, and an Independence Day celebration on August 25th. These celebrations usually have parades with people wearing elaborate costumes.
-Art: There are some famous artists in Uruguay, like Juan Manuel Blanes who paints images of historic events.
-Sports: As with most South American countries, soccer is the national sport. There are many sayings and figures of speech that revolve around soccer in Uruguay.
Tourism
Most of the population lives in Montevideo, and that is where most tourists go. 3/5's of the country's economy is tourism. Montevideo is full of hotels and other interesting buildings. Some tourists go to see the celebrations, others for the scenic coastline.There are other towns but they are all dwarfed by the city of Montevideo. There is also the Isla de Gorriti, which not only has many beaches, but also very old naval forts. Another famous attraction is Casa Pueblo, a series of art galleries dedicated to Carlos Vilaro, a Uruguayan painter.
Current Events
In November of 2010, Alicia Castilla (68 yrs. old) moved to her new home in Uruguay. Several months later, 14 police officers burst into her house as part of a drug raid. She had 29 cannabis plants in her house that she had been growing (personal use of pot is not illegal in Uruguay, but growing the plant is). This launched a series of debates in South American governments about legalizing marijuana. Several bills were proposed and met with mixed thoughts. Some proposed that the government could tax and sell it to make a profit, while others said each household could have a certain number of plants. 2 years later, Alicia is released from prison. She is pleased that there is interest in the subject, but says she feels that putting a limit on how much people can have is unfair and too controlling. Many of the activists trying to get the drug legalized have argued that it funds much of the drug cartel gangs, and making it legal would not only make it safer and taxable, but it would also cut the funds available to the cartels. Many others are exploiting the fact that pot consumption is decriminalized, but growing the plant is not, and have created "Cannabis Clubs", which distribute the drug to their members, but they don't grow it.
Uruguay
General Information
-Capital city: Montevideo
-Population: Approximately 3,316,000
-Demographics:
- Life expectancy- Men, 74 yrs. | Women, 81 yrs.
- Ethnic groups- 88% White, 8% Mestizo (Mixed heritage), 4% Black, and <1% other (native groups and Indians)
- Age- 0-14 yrs. 22% | 15-64 yrs. 64% | 65+ yrs. 14%
- Sex ratio- 0.93 Male/Female (Total population)
-Motto: "Freedom or death"-Religion: 47% Roman Catholic, 11% non-Catholic Christian, 23% Nondenominational, 19% other
-Official language: Spanish
-Other spoken languages: Brazilero (Mix of Spanish and Portuguese spoken on the Brazilian border), English
-Major Exports: Wool, Wood, Cattle / Beef products, Dairy products, Beans & assorted grain products
-Major Industries: Agriculture
-Currency: Uruguayan Peso (UYU), approx. 19.04 UYU = 1 USD
Geography
Uruguay is the smallest Spanish speaking nation in South America and is roughly the same size as the state of Washington.The terrain mostly consists of plains and small hills, perfect for farming.
The land around the coast is the most fertile.There are many rivers and bodies of water all throughout Uruguay, also good for farming. Uruguay has a warm and temperate climate.
History
Uruguay's capital, Montevideo, was founded as a military stronghold by the Spanish in 1726. Its excellent location at the coast soon made it a wealthy trading center. The country was later claimed by Argentina, then Brazil in 1821. Uruguay gained its independence four years later in 1825. The country later adopted a governmental system very similar to the U.S. A group of rebels caused a power struggle inside the country, leading to the president of the time to give all power to the military in 1973. Many Uruguayans were extremely upset by this but it managed to stop the rebels by the end of the year. The military stayed in control until 1985.
Government
-Type:Constitutional Republic
-Current leader: Jose Mujica (elected March 1, 2010)
-Uruguay elects a president to rule the country (similar to the U.S. system)
-The current president was the co-founder of the 1960's rebel group and was imprisoned during the military rule. During his election, he was constantly fighting to convince people he had left his military past behind and told everyone to look towards the future.
-Uruguay has a very free political and economic system.
-Church and state are separated, also like the U.S.
Culture
Uruguay is known for its high literacy rate and good standard of living. Many of its people are decedents of immigrants from Spain and Italy.
-Food: The main part of the Uruguayan diet is beef and sometimes pork. Traditional dishes include asado (BBQ'd beef, also the national dish) and parrillada (beef and entrails.) Due to much of the population being of Italian descent, pasta is also a good portion of the diet.
-Celebrations: Christmas is refereed to as Family Day. There is a Constitution day celebration on July 18th, and an Independence Day celebration on August 25th. These celebrations usually have parades with people wearing elaborate costumes.
-Art: There are some famous artists in Uruguay, like Juan Manuel Blanes who paints images of historic events.
-Sports: As with most South American countries, soccer is the national sport. There are many sayings and figures of speech that revolve around soccer in Uruguay.
Tourism
Most of the population lives in Montevideo, and that is where most tourists go. 3/5's of the country's economy is tourism. Montevideo is full of hotels and other interesting buildings. Some tourists go to see the celebrations, others for the scenic coastline.There are other towns but they are all dwarfed by the city of Montevideo. There is also the Isla de Gorriti, which not only has many beaches, but also very old naval forts. Another famous attraction is Casa Pueblo, a series of art galleries dedicated to Carlos Vilaro, a Uruguayan painter.
Current Events
In November of 2010, Alicia Castilla (68 yrs. old) moved to her new home in Uruguay. Several months later, 14 police officers burst into her house as part of a drug raid. She had 29 cannabis plants in her house that she had been growing (personal use of pot is not illegal in Uruguay, but growing the plant is). This launched a series of debates in South American governments about legalizing marijuana. Several bills were proposed and met with mixed thoughts. Some proposed that the government could tax and sell it to make a profit, while others said each household could have a certain number of plants. 2 years later, Alicia is released from prison. She is pleased that there is interest in the subject, but says she feels that putting a limit on how much people can have is unfair and too controlling. Many of the activists trying to get the drug legalized have argued that it funds much of the drug cartel gangs, and making it legal would not only make it safer and taxable, but it would also cut the funds available to the cartels. Many others are exploiting the fact that pot consumption is decriminalized, but growing the plant is not, and have created "Cannabis Clubs", which distribute the drug to their members, but they don't grow it.
Sources
"Uruguay." CIA World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency, 11 Sept. 2012. Web. 28 Sept. 2012. <https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/uy.html>.
"Uruguay Country Profile." BBC News. BBC, 14 Sept. 2012. Web. 29 Sept. 2012. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/country_profiles/1229360.stm>.
"Background Note: Uruguay." U.S. Department of State. U.S. Department of State, 2 Apr. 2012. Web. 30 Sept. 2012. <http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2091.htm>.
"Uruguay." Uruguay - Geography. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Sept. 2012. <http://countrystudies.us/uruguay/26.htm>.
"Uruguay." Culture of Uruguay. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Sept. 2012. <http://www.everyculture.com/To-Z/Uruguay.html>.
Current Events article:
"Uruguay's President Mulls a State Marijuana Monopoly." GlobalPost. N.p., 28 Sept. 2012. Web. 30 Sept. 2012. <http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/americas/120927/uruguay-president-state-marijuana-monopoly-reactions>.