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Communications

Airports [time series]

91 total, 86 usable; 16 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 17 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air [time series]

14 major transport aircraft

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

49,900 km total; 6,700 km paved, 3,000 km gravel, 40,200 km earth

Waterways (Inland waterways) [time series]

1,600 km; used by coastal and shallow-draft river craft

Merchant marine [time series]

4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 65,212 GRT/116,613 DWT; includes 2 cargo, 1 container, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker

Ports [time series]

Montevideo, Punta del Este

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

3,000 km, all 1.435-meter standard gauge and government owned

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

most modern facilities concentrated in Montevideo; new nationwide radio relay network; 337,000 telephones; stations--99 AM, no FM, 26 TV, 9 shortwave; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations

Defense Forces

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Army, Navy (including Naval Air Arm and Marines), Air Force, Coast Guard, Grenadier Guards, Police

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

$168 million, 2.2% of GDP (1988)

Manpower availability [time series]

males 15-49, 735,971; 597,302 fit for military service; no conscription

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

large areas devoted to extensive livestock grazing; wheat, rice, corn, sorghum; self-sufficient in most basic foodstuffs

Budget [time series]

revenues $1.2 billion; expenditures $1.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $165 million (1988)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

new Uruguayan peso (plural--pesos); 1 new Uruguayan peso (N$Ur) = 100 centesimos

Economic aid [time series]

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $105 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $293 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $69 million

Electricity [time series]

1,950,000 kW capacity; 5,274 million kWh produced, 1,740 kWh per capita (1990)

Exchange rates [time series]

new Uruguayan pesos (N$Ur) per US$1--1,626.4 (January 1991), 1,171.0 (1990), 605.5 (1989), 359.44 (1988), 226.67 (1987), 151.99 (1986), 101.43 (1985)

Exports [time series]

$1.7 billion (f.o.b., 1990); commodities--hides and leather goods 17%, beef 10%, wool 9%, fish 7%, rice 4%; partners--Brazil 17%, US 15%, FRG 10%, Argentina 10% (1987)

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$4.2 billion (1990 est.)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

$9.2 billion, per capita $2,970; real growth rate 1% (1990 est.)

Imports [time series]

$1.28 billion (f.o.b., 1990); commodities--fuels and lubricants 15%, metals, machinery, transportation equipment, industrial chemicals; partners--Brazil 24%, Argentina 14%, US 8%, FRG 8% (1987)

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate - 2.1% (1989 est.)

Industries [time series]

meat processing, wool and hides, sugar, textiles, footwear, leather apparel, tires, cement, fishing, petroleum refining, wine

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

129% (1990)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

The economy is slowly recovering from the deep recession of the early 1980s. In 1988 real GDP grew by only 0.5% and in 1989 by 1.5%. The recovery was led by growth in the agriculture and fishing sectors, agriculture alone contributing 20% to GDP, employing about 11% of the labor force, and generating a large proportion of export earnings. Raising livestock, particularly cattle and sheep, is the major agricultural activity. In 1990, despite healthy exports and an improved current account, domestic growth remained weak because of government concentration on the external sector, adverse weather conditions, and prolonged strikes. Bringing down high inflation, reducing a large fiscal deficit, and avoiding frequent strikes remain major economic problems for the government.

Unemployment rate [time series]

8.8% (1990 est.)

Geography

Climate [time series]

warm temperate; freezing temperatures almost unknown

Coastline [time series]

660 km Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation; Territorial sea: 200 nm (overflight and navigation permitted beyond 12 nm)

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly smaller than Washington State

Disputes - international (Disputes) [time series]

short section of boundary with Argentina is in dispute; two short sections of the boundary with Brazil are in dispute (Arroyo de la Invernada area of the Rio Quarai and the islands at the confluence of the Rio Quarai and the Uruguay)

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

subject to seasonally high winds, droughts, floods

Land boundaries [time series]

1,564 km total; Argentina 579 km, Brazil 985 km

Land use [time series]

arable land 8%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 78%; forest and woodland 4%; other 10%; includes irrigated 1%

Natural resources [time series]

soil, hydropower potential, minor minerals

Terrain [time series]

mostly rolling plains and low hills; fertile coastal lowland

Area (Total area) [time series]

176,220 km2; land area: 173,620 km2

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

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

Capital [time series]

Montevideo

Political parties (Communists) [time series]

50,000

Constitution [time series]

27 November 1966, effective February 1967, suspended 27 June 1973, new constitution rejected by referendum 30 November 1980

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation) [time series]

Ambassador Eduardo MACGILLICUDDEY; Chancery at 1918 F Street NW, Washington DC 20006; telephone (202) 331-1313 through 1316; there are Uruguayan Consulates General in Los Angeles, Miami, and New York, and a Consulate in New Orleans; US--Ambassador Richard C. BROWN; Embassy at Lauro Muller 1776, Montevideo (mailing address is APO Miami 34035); telephone [598] (2) 23-60-61

Executive branch [time series]

president, vice president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Flag [time series]

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

Independence [time series]

25 August 1828 (from Brazil)

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court Chief of State and Head of Government--President Luis Alberto LACALLE (since 1 March 1990); Vice President Gonzalo AGUIRRE (since 1 March 1990) National (Blanco) Party, Luis Alberto LACALLE Herrera; Colorado Party, Jorge BATLLE Ibanez; Broad Front Coalition, Liber SEREGNI Mosquera--includes Communist Party led by Jaime PEREZ and National Liberation Movement (MLN) or Tupamaros led by Eleuterio FERNANDEZ Huidobro; New Space Coalition consists of the Party of the Government of the People (PGP), Hugo BATALLA; Christian Democratic Party (PDC), Hector LESCANO; and Civic Union, Humberto CIGANDA

Legal system [time series]

based on Spanish civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch [time series]

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)

Country name (Long-form name) [time series]

Oriental Republic of Uruguay

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

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, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIIMOG, UNMOGIP, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 25 August (1828)

Suffrage [time series]

universal and compulsory at age 18 President--last held 26 November 1989 (next to be held 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 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 November 1994); results--Blanco 39%, Colorado 30%, Broad Front 22%, New Space 8%, other 1%; seats--(99 total) number of seats by party NA

Government type (Type) [time series]

republic

People

Birth rate [time series]

17 births/1,000 population (1991)

Death rate [time series]

10 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

white 88%, mestizo 8%, black 4%

Infant mortality rate [time series]

22 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

Labor force [time series]

1,300,000; government 25%, manufacturing 19%, agriculture 11%, commerce 12%, utilities, construction, transport, and communications 12%, other services 21% (1988 est.)

Languages (Language) [time series]

Spanish

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

69 years male, 76 years female (1991)

Literacy [time series]

96% (male 97%, female 96%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

Nationality [time series]

noun--Uruguayan(s); adjective--Uruguayan

Net migration rate [time series]

- 1 migrants/1,000 population (1991)

Organized labor [time series]

Interunion Workers' Assembly/National Workers' Confederation (PIT/CNT) Labor Federation

Population [time series]

3,121,101 (July 1990), growth rate 0.6% (1991)

Religions (Religion) [time series]

Roman Catholic (less than half adult population attends church regularly) 66%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 2%, nonprofessing or other 30%

Total fertility rate [time series]

2.4 children born/woman (1991)