Rachel Venter is a recent graduate of Metropolitan State University of Denver. She has a BA in political science. She has worked as a university writing consultant for over three years.
Uruguay is a small South American nation located on the continent's Atlantic coast. It is the second smallest country in South America, with an area of 176,215 square kilometers, or 68,036 square miles. Uruguay boasts warm weather year-round, rolling hills, fertile land, and a picturesque coastline. The nation is sparsely populated, with most of its population residing in urban areas in the southern half of the country—almost half of the nation's population lives in Uruguay's capital city, Montevideo. The majority of the nation's land is used for agricultural purposes.
As of 2022, Uruguay is home to 3,407,213 citizens. Most Uruguayans are of European descent due to the European colonization of and migration to South America in the 19th and 20th centuries. The second most common ethnicity among Uruguayans is Black, while the Indigenous Charrúa and Guaraní peoples of Uruguay make up just 2.4% of the population. Like many other South American nations, as a result of Spanish colonization, the official language of Uruguay is Spanish. Uruguayan culture and daily life are heavily influenced by European culture, too.
Located in southern South America, Uruguay is bordered to the north by Brazil, to the west by Argentina, and to the south by the Atlantic Ocean. Most of Uruguay's major cities are located in the southern half of the country, closer to the Atlantic coast. 95.7% of Uruguay's population lives in these urban areas, with nearly half of the population—over 1.7 million people—residing in the capital city of Montevideo on the Atlantic coast. The northern half of the country is largely rural and used for agriculture and animal husbandry. The county's landscape is ideal for raising livestock such as sheep and cattle. The nation's position on the Atlantic coast makes fishing a major industry.
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The official language of Uruguay is Spanish. Like every Spanish-speaking country, Uruguayan Spanish is its own unique dialect. The Italian language heavily influences Uruguayan Spanish because of an influx of Italian immigrants to Uruguay in the 20th century. Not only are the pronunciations of Spanish words influenced by Italian pronunciation, but Italian words are often incorporated into Uruguayan vocabulary.
The Uruguayan Spanish dialect is similar to that of its western neighbor, Argentina. Notably, both nations replace the standard second-person pronoun tu with the pronoun vos. Consequently, verbs are conjugated differently. Uruguayan pronunciation is different from that of other Spanish-speaking populations, too. The y or ll sound, which sounds like the English y in most Spanish dialects, sounds more like the English sh sound in the Uruguayan dialect.
Spanish words and phrases unique to Uruguay include:
According to a 2022 estimate, Uruguay has a population of 3,407,213. The population of Uruguay is relatively young, with an average age of 35.5 years. As young people migrate away from Uruguay, however, that demographic is shifting, with the average age of Uruguayan citizens rising. The gender distribution among Uruguayans is about equal, with 0.94 males for every female citizen. This may be explained, in part, by the discrepancy in life expectancy between Uruguayan men and women. The average life expectancy for a Uruguayan man is about 75 years, while the life expectancy for a Uruguayan woman is about 81.
Uruguay's population is over 80% white, with the second most common ethnicity being black or "mestizo" (mixed-race), and the native Charrúa and Guaraní people representing less than 3% of the population. Uruguay's population is largely Christian, with Judaism being the second-most practiced religion in the country.
Uruguay is a middle-income, developed nation. 100% of the population of Uruguay has reliable access to clean drinking water, 100% of the population has access to electricity, and 99% of the population has access to sanitation facilities. The Uruguayan government provides free primary, secondary, and university-level education to all its citizens, making its population one of the most literate and educated in Latin America. Uruguayan women stay in school for an average of 20 years, while men attend school for an average of 17 years. Uruguay has a high-quality healthcare system, with both public and private healthcare options.
Uruguay has the 99th highest GDP in the world, with a real GDP of $75.06 billion. Uruguay's economy is a free market, service-based economy, with nearly 70% of its GDP generated by services. Uruguay's natural beauty attracts millions of visitors annually, contributing significantly to its GDP. Uruguay also exports several agricultural goods, such as beef, wool, soybeans, milk, and rice. Just 8.8% of Uruguayans live below the nation's poverty line, compared to a poverty rate of over 15% in the United States. Uruguay's GDP per capita ranks 84th globally, at $21,600. Over 95% of Uruguay's population resides in urban areas, with nearly half the population situated in the capital city of Montevideo alone.
Uruguay is a small, southern South American country on the Atlantic Coast, bordering Argentina and Brazil. Its warm weather, rolling hills, and beautiful beaches attract millions of tourists each year. Uruguay is a developed, middle-income country. Its major exports include wool, beef, and soybeans. Virtually all of its 3,407,213 citizens have access to clean water, sanitation services, and electricity. Its government provides free primary, secondary, and college-level education to its citizens, making it one of the most educated nations in South America. Most of Uruguay's population lives in urban areas in the country's southern half, with nearly half of the population living in the capital city of Montevideo. Uruguay's colonial history has strongly influenced its language, culture, and demographics. Over 80% of the population is of European descent, with the indigenous peoples of the region representing only about 2% of the population. The nation's official language is Spanish, as in many other Latin American countries formerly colonized by Spain.
Uruguay is a developed, middle-income country. It has the 99th largest GDP in the world. 100% of its population has access to clean drinking water, sanitation services, and electricity.
Uruguay is known for its picturesque rolling hills and beautiful beaches. Some of its major exports include wool, beef, and soybeans.
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