Uruguay
Uruguay is a country located in the southern part of South America and is slightly smaller than the state of Washington. It borders the South Atlantic Ocean, between Argentina and Brazil. Its capital city, Montevideo, was founded in 1726 by the Spanish as a military stronghold. After a three-year struggle, Uruguay declared its independence in 1828. Independence Day is a major holiday in this country and is celebrated on August 25th. The Uruguayan flag has nine equal horizontal stripes of white that alternate with blue on it along with a white square containing a yellow sun bearing a human face in the upper hoist-side corner.
Geographical Facts about Uruguay
The climate of Uruguay is warm temperate with a terrain of rolling plains and low hills along with fertile coastal lowlands. Grasslands make up a quarter of the country and are used for farming and raising farm animals such as sheep and cattle. Some of Uruguay's natural resources include fisheries, hydropower, arable land, and minor minerals. Uruguay often experiences some natural hazards including seasonally high winds, floods, droughts, and extreme weather changes due to the absence of moutains. Uruguay currently suffers water pollution caused by meat packing/tannery industry. Inadequate solid/hazardous waste disposal is another problem of this country.
Facts about Uruguay's Population
The current population of Uruguay is 3,460,607. The median age is 32.7 years with a growth rate of 0.46%. The infant mortality rate is 11.61 deaths per every 1000 live births. The life expectancy of males is 73.12 years, while females is 79.65 years. Ethnic groups in this country are 88% white, 8% mestizo, and 4% black. Religious groups include 66% Roman Catholic (with less than half of the adult population attending church regularly), 2% Protestant, 1% Jewish, and 33% non-religious or other. The languages used in Uruguay are Spanish, Brazilero, or Portunol. The literacy rate of...