Uruguay Geography
According to topb2bwebsites, Uruguay is the smallest Spanish-speaking state in South America. The country is located west of Argentina and south of Brazil and has a population of around 3.5 million. Typical for Uruguay are the numerous colonial buildings that can also be found in cities in the hinterland. Well-preserved Spanish and Portuguese cities can be found along the beautiful coast. In particular, the capital Montevideo with its beautiful old town invites you to stroll. Exhibitions and museums around Uruguay also make Montevideo very attractive for educational trips.
Punta del Este is an important holiday center in Uruguay with heavenly sandy beaches. From here there are regular trips to the offshore islands Lobos and Gorriti. Lobos is home to numerous sea lions and offers excellent opportunities to observe the animals in their natural environment.
Night owls can party until the early hours, especially in Salto. The famous thermal springs are also nearby. Those who prefer it more romantic, on the other hand, will get their money’s worth in the picturesque fishing village of Punta del Diablo.
Uruguay continues to rise in popularity among holidaymakers. The neighboring country of the Argentine pampas is a remarkable country. In the south it is still quite flat, but there are also steep cliffs in the coastal region. The largest river in the country, Rio Uruguay, is characterized by its swampy and flat environment. The river often floods the adjacent regions. In the interior there is a low plateau, which with a range of hills is connected. This reaches a height of up to 500 meters. Although Uruguay is mostly flat, the steady inclines give it a hilly train.
For Vacationers the southeast and its coastal areas are recommended.
Uruguay – key data
Area: 176,215 km² (land: 175,015 km², water: 1,200 km²)
Population: 3.3 million people (July 2011, CIA). White 88%, mestizo 8%, black 4%, only a few indigenous residents.
Population density: 19 residents per km²
Population growth: 0.231% per year (2011, CIA)
Capital: Montevideo (1.3 million residents, 2006)
Highest point: Cerro Catedral, 514 m
Lowest point: Atlantic Ocean, 0 m
Form of government: Uruguay has been a presidential republic since 1967, the constitution dates from 1966. The bicameral parliament consists of a House of Representatives with 99 members and a Senate with 30 members and is elected every five years.
Administrative division: 19 departamentos (Artigas, Canelones, Cerro Largo, Colonia, Durazno, Flores,Florida, Lavalleja, Maldonado, Montevideo, Paysandu, Rio Negro, Rivera, Rocha, Salto, San Jose, Soriano, Tacuarembo and Treinta y Tres).
Head of State and Government: President José Mujica, since March 1, 2010
Language: The official language in Uruguay is Spanish. In addition, Portunol or Brazileiro (a mixture of Portuguese and Spanish) is spoken on the border with Brazil and English is also spoken in tourist places.
Religion: Catholics 66% (with less than half of the adult population attending church regularly), Protestants 2%, Jews 1%, others and without confession 31%.
Local time: CET – 4 h.
In Uruguay there is no change between summer and winter time.
The time difference to Central Europe is -4 hours in winter and -5 hours in summer.
International phone code: +598
Internet ID:.uy
Mains voltage: 220 V, 50 Hz
Uruguay – geography
Uruguay is the second smallest country in South America, only Suriname is smaller. The land area corresponds roughly to the size of Austria and Hungary taken together. The northern border with Brazil is 985 km long, the western border with Argentina is formed by the Uruguay River and the Río de la Plata Delta and has a length of 579 km. The coast to the Atlantic Ocean is 660 km long.
Uruagay is very flat, only about 10% of the territory is higher than 200 meters.
Uruguay is a geographical extension of the pampas in Argentina, Much of the generally fertile soil is used as arable land and grazing land for sheep and cattle. Only 5% of the country is covered by forest.
The southern part of the country is relatively flat, with the Coastal drop off steeply.
On the Rio Uruguay there are large swamp plains that are often flooded. Inland there is a low plateau that rises up to 501 m. The landscape appears hilly due to the layers and hardships.
The southeast coast is strongly structured by shallow beach lakes and lowlands.
The north and northeast of Uruguay is characterized by chains of hills (Cuchilla de Haedo and Cuchilla Grande) which, however, barely exceed 500 m in height.
At 514 m, the Cerro Catedral is the highest peak in Uruguay.
Montevideo is located at the southernmost point of Uruguay, a large part of the population lives here.
