Population:
3,175,050 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.75% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
17.82 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
9.52 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
-0.79 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
18 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.74 years
male:
70.52 years
female:
77.11 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.46 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Uruguayan(s)
adjective:
Uruguayan
Ethnic divisions:
white 88%, mestizo 8%, black 4%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 66% (less than half adult population attends church
regularly), Protestant 2%, Jewish 2%, nonprofessing or other 30%
Languages:
Spanish
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
total population:
96%
male:
97%
female:
96%
Labor force:
1.355 million (1991 est.)
by occupation:
government 25%, manufacturing 19%, agriculture 11%, commerce 12%, utilities,
construction, transport, and communications 12%, other services 21% (1988
est.)
*Uruguay, Government
Names:
conventional long form:
Oriental Republic of Uruguay
conventional short form:
Uruguay
local long form:
Republica Oriental del Uruguay
local short form:
Uruguay
Digraph:
UY
Type:
republic
Capital:
Montevideo
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 1828 (from Brazil)
Constitution:
27 November 1966, effective February 1967, suspended 27 June 1973, new
constitution rejected by referendum 30 November 1980
Legal system:
based on Spanish civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
Independence Day, 25 August (1828)
Political parties and leaders:
National (Blanco) Party, Carlos CAT; Colorado Party, Secretary General
(vacant); Broad Front Coalition, Liber SEREGNI Mosquera - includes PSU, PCU,
MLN, MRO, PVP; Uruguayan Socialist Party (PSU), Jose Pedro CARDOSO, and;
Communist Party (PCU), Marina ARISMENDI; National Liberation Movement (MLN)
or Tupamaros, Eleuterio FERNANDEZ Huidobro; Oriental Rvolutionary Movement
(MRO), Walter ARTOLA; Party for the Victory of the Poor (PVP), Hugo CORES;
New Space Coalition consists of PGP, PDC, and Civic Union, Hugo BATALLA;
People's Government Party (PGP), Hugo BATALLA, secretary general; Christian
Democratic Party (PDC), Carlos VASSALLO, secretary general; Civic Union,
Humberto CIGANDA
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Elections:
President:
last held 26 November 1989 (next to be held NA November 1994); results -
Luis Alberto LACALLE Herrera (Blanco) 37%, Jorge BATLLE Ibanez (Colorado)
29%, Liber SEREGNI Mosquera (Broad Front) 20%
Chamber of Senators:
last held 26 November 1989 (next to be held NA November 1994); results -
Blanco 40%, Colorado 30%, Broad Front 23% New Space 7%; seats - (30 total)
Blanco 12, Colorado 9, Broad Front 7, New Space 2
Chamber of Representatives:
last held NA November 1989 (next to be held NA November 1994); results -
Blanco 39%, Colorado 30%, Broad Front 22%, New Space 8%, other 1%; seats -
(99 total) number of seats by party NA
Executive branch:
president, vice president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
*Uruguay, Government
Legislative branch:
bicameral General Assembly (Asamblea General) consists of an upper chamber
or Chamber of Senators (Camara de Senadores) and a lower chamber or Chamber
of Representatives (Camera de Representantes)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government:
President Luis Alberto LACALLE (since 1 March 1990); Vice President Gonzalo
AGUIRRE Ramirez (since 1 March 1990)
Member of:
AG (observer), CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICC, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO
(correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA, LORCS, MERCOSUR, NAM (observer), OAS,
OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMOGIP, UNOMOZ, UNTAC,
UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Eduardo MACGILLYCUDDY
chancery:
1918 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20006
telephone:
telephone (202) 331-1313 through 1316
consulates general:
Los Angeles, Miami, and New York,
consulate:
New Orleans
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Richard C. BROWN
embassy:
Lauro Muller 1776, Montevideo
mailing address:
APO AA 34035
telephone:
[598] (2) 23-60-61 or 48-77-77
FAX:
[598] (2) 48-86-11
Flag:
nine equal horizontal stripes of white (top and bottom) alternating with
blue; there is a white square in the upper hoist-side corner with a yellow
sun bearing a human face known as the Sun of May and 16 rays alternately
triangular and wavy
*Uruguay, Economy
Overview:
Uruguay is a small economy with favorable climate, good soils, and solid
hydropower potential. Economic development has been held back by excessive
government regulation of economic detail and 50% to 130% inflation. After
several years of sluggish growth, real GDP jumped by about 8% in 1992. The
rise is attributable mainly to an increase in Argentine demand for Uruguayan
exports, particularly agricultural products and electricity. In a major step
toward greater regional economic cooperation, Uruguay in 1991 had joined
Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay in forming the Southern Cone Common Market
(Mercosur). A referendum in December 1992 overturned key portions of
landmark privatization legislation, dealing a serious blow to President
LACALLE's broad economic reform plan.
National product:
GDP - exchange rate conversion - $9.8 billion (1992 est.)
National product real growth rate:
8% (1992 est.)
National product per capita:
$3,100 (1992 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
58% (1992 est.)
Unemployment rate:
9% (1992 est.)
Budget:
revenues $2.9 billion; expenditures $3.0 billion, including capital
expenditures of $388 million (1991)
Exports:
$1.7 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
commodities:
hides and leather goods 17%, beef 10%, wool 9%, fish 7%, rice 4%
partners:
Argentina, Brazil, US, Germany
Imports:
$1.7 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
commodities:
crude oil, fuels, and lubricants, metals, machinery, transportation
equipment, industrial chemicals
partners:
Brazil 23%, Argentina 17%, US 10%, EC 27.1% (1990)
External debt:
$4.1 billion (1991)
Industrial production:
growth rate -1.4% (1990), accounts for almost 25% of GDP
Electricity:
2,168,000 kW capacity; 5,960 million kWh produced, 1,900 kWh per capita
(1992)
Industries:
meat processing, wool and hides, sugar, textiles, footwear, leather apparel,
tires, cement, fishing, petroleum refining, wine
Agriculture:
large areas devoted to livestock grazing; wheat, rice, corn, sorghum;
self-sufficient in most basic foodstuffs
Economic aid:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $105 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $420 million;
Communist countries (1970-89), $69 million
Currency:
1 new Uruguayan peso (N$Ur) = 100 centesimos
*Uruguay, Economy
Exchange rates:
new Uruguayan pesos (N$Ur) per US$1 - 3,457.5 (December 1992), 3,026.9
(1992), 2,489 (1991), 1,594 (1990), 805 (1989), 451 (1988), 281 (1987)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
*Uruguay, Communications