Country name: Oriental Republic of Uruguay
Conventional short form: Uruguay
Data code: UY
National Capital: Montevideo
Political Division: 19 "provinces" ("departamentos")

People
Population: 3.313.239
Annual demographic growth rate: 0,7
Density (population per sq.km.): 18
Life expectancy at birth: 74
Infant mortality rate (under one year): 16/1000
Literacy rate: 97%
Religions: No official religion (catholics 56%, non religious 38%, protestants 2%, jews 2%)
Nationality: Uruguayan(s)
Adjective: Uruguayan
Languages: Spanish
Business languages: English and Portuguese (French and Italian widely spread)

Government
Political System: Representative Democratic Republic
President: Dr. Jorge Batlle Ibañez
Vice President: Prof. Luis Hierro López
Government type: Republic under a presidential system. The state is organized in three independent powers: Executive, Legislative and Judiciary. The Executive is in the hands of a President and a cabinet of 13 ministers. The Legislative is represented by the General Assembly, or Parliament, composed by two chambers. The Senate of 30 members, plus the Vice President of the Republic who acts as chairman, elected on a nationwide basis. The House of Representatives of 99 members, elected on a basis of proportional representation of each of the 19 provinces.
Suffrage: Compulsory and universal over 18 years of age.
Legal system: The Uruguayan legal system is based on written law passed by the Parliament and promulgated by the President. The ultimate source of the law is the Constitution of the Republic. The court or judicial procedures normally have two instances. Although the veredict of a court or a judge may provide guidance for other cases, such veredicts are not a binding precedent.

Economy
GDP (1999): 21,034 million dollars
GDP per capita (1999): 6,348 dollars
GDP composition by sector:
agriculture and fisheries - 11%
manufacturing industry and mining- 19%
transportation, communications - 10%
trade,hotels and restaurants - 14%
financial services, insurance, housing and business services - 24%
Inflation rate: 4.17% (1999)
Economically active population: 1,540,656 (1999))
Unemployment rate: 11.3% (1999)
Exports of goods and services: 3,586,100 (in thousand U$S)(1999)
Main Items: Beef, Rice and other grains,skins hides and leather products, foodstuffs beverages and tobacco, wool, textiles and manufactured textile goods, plastic materials, rubber and their manufactured goods.
Main partners: Brazil (25%), European Union (20%), Argentine (17%), Asia (8%), USA (6%), Middle East (6%)
Imports of goods and services: 4,069,500 (in thousand U$S)(1999)
Main items: Machinery and appliances-electric materials, chemicals and connected products, petroleum and derivates, transportation materials
Main partners: Argentine (24%), Brazil (19%), European Union (19%), USA (11%), Asia (10%)
Net public external debt 2,775,000 (in thousand U$S)(1999)

Living Standards Indicators
Population with health coverage: 95%
Population physicians ratio: 270
Population supplied with drinking water: 87%
Electrification rate: 94%
Cars per 100 inhabitants: 17

Internet and Communications Indicators for the Country
Number of Internet users: 300.000
Percentage of Internet penetration: 10%
Available bandwidth (09/2001)

• 155 Mbps (direct optic fiber connection to the US)


• 45/8 Mbps (satellite connection to the US)

Cultural Profile
Literacy: 96,2 %
Students per Teacher: 21
Official Education System: Non-sectarian, Free of charge, and Mandatory

Miscellaneous
Land Area: 176.215 Sq. km
Jurisdictional Waters: 137.567 Sq. km
Total Area: 313.782 Sq. km
Currency: Uruguayan Peso
Visa: It´s given for 90 days and it´s renovable
Migrations requests:

• For banding countries: identifications document


• Rest of the world: passport

• Spring: 62 F
• Summer: 73 F
• Autum: 64 F
• Winter: 53 F

National Holiday:
January 1st, May 1st, July 18th, August 25th Declaration of Independence, December 25th

Member of:
ONU, OEA, ALADI and MERCOSUR

Current Constitution: Novembre 28th, 1966

Why Uruguay ?

People
Uruguay is a country where the human dimension of its society remains intact. Comparable to those of the developed world, the social indicators show the educational and intellectual foundations of its population. From the outset, since it became an independent nation, economic activity in Uruguay has developed around the perfect symbiosis of two pillars: the abundance of its natural resources and the work of its people, most of which were European immigrants.

Successive generations of Uruguayanshave completed primary schooling in the framework of a long-standing traditionof lay, free and compulsory education. The State-run school system has now extended its coverage to younger children (starting pre-school at 4 years of age), and at present 92% of all Uruguayan children attends kindergarten, be it public or private, for at least one year.

At secondary school level, Uruguay has the highest schooling rate in Latin America –85%-, double the mean rate for the hemisphere. Specialised vocational training starts at that level, apart from the normal programme that prepares students who wish to pursue university studies in whatever field they choose.

The Uruguayan university system is acknowledged world-wide for the capacity of its scientists, teachers and graduates in the different technical and professional areas. The traditional, almost 200-year old, Universidad de la República is no longer alone: in the last few years numerous private institutions and universities are also providing a complementary range of similarly high-quality educational programmes at tertiary level.

The high level of training of the workforce explains the ease with which Uruguayans  can adapt to the use of new technologies in productive processes, and it also accounts for the development of new technological tools to be applied in businesses. The result of all this is a continuous increase in productivity. At present, one out of every three workers has completed vocational and/or university studies.

The capacity of the Uruguayan people has always been the leading comparative advantages of the country. This quality is especially well known among strategic decision-makers working for Uruguayan and foreign companies.

There is no doubt that the main asset of Uruguay is its people.