URUGUAY

Official name: ORIENTAL REPUBLIC OF URUGUAY

Date of membership: 16 March 1977

Short name: Uruguay

Capital: Montevideo

Government

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.

Independence: 25 August 1825 (from Brazil)

Constitution: 27 November 1966, effective February 1967; suspended 27 June 1973, new constitution rejected by referendum 30 November 1980; two constitutional reforms approved by plebiscite 26 November 1989 and 7 January 1997.

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch: Chief of state: President Tabaré Vasquez (since 1 March 2015) and Vice President Raúl Sendic (since 1 March 2015); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

Legislative branch: Bicameral General Assembly or Asamblea General consists of Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores (30 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and Chamber of Representatives or Camara de Representantes (99 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms).

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (judges are nominated by the president and elected for 10-year terms by the General Assembly).

Internet code: .uy

Official Web Portal: http://www.presidencia.gub.uy

Geography

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

Area: 176,220 sq km

Land boundaries: 1,564 km

Border countries: Argentina 579 km, Brazil 985 km

Coastline: 660 km

Natural resources: Arable land, hydropower, minor minerals, fisheries

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, Tropical Timber 94.

Economic indicators  

Source: Uruguay: Economic National Profile. CEPALSTAT. Databases and
Statistical Publications. ECLAC.  On line. Inquiry: July 07, 2019.

Socio-demographic indicators  

Source: Uruguay: National Socio-Demographic Profile. CEPALSTAT.
Data Bases and Statistical Publications.ECLAC. On line. Inquiry:July 07, 2019.

Languages: Spanish (official)