The Eastern Republic of Uruguay, formerly called Banda Oriental (East Bank), is located in the southern part of South America. It is bordered by Brazil to the northeast, Argentina to the west, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast and the Río de la Plata (River Plate) to the southwest.
The country is divided in 19 departments. The capital of Uruguay is the city of Montevideo, which is located inside the department with the same name, and it is placed in the south, in the bank of the River Plate.
It is one of the smallest countries in the continent. According to some studies, it is the least corrupt nation in Latin America after Chile.Furthermore, it has the lowest rate of poverty in the area.
People are highly educated, kind and friendly. The population consist mainly of white people and, for the most part, descendants of Italian and Spanish immigrants. There is also, in small proportion, native, mixed race and black people.
Another characteristic that distinguishes Uruguay is that it is one of the safest countries of the world with a high standard of living and a high life expectancy.
In arriving to Uruguay, you will feel welcome, smothered with attention, and you will realize that, beside the wonderful and varied touristic options, there is affable and polite people who are willing to offer you excelent assistance.
MORE DETAILS ABOUT URUGUAY
| Official Name | Eastern Republic of Uruguay |
| Capital | Montevideo |
| Geographical Location | South America- between parallels 30º and 35° latitud South and meridians 53° and 58° longitude West |
| Surface | 176.215 km2 |
| Limits | Brazil to the N and NE, Argentina to the E, River Plate to the SW and Atlantic Ocean to the SE |
| Gentile | Uruguayan - Oriental |
| Official Language | Spanish |
| Independency | August 25th, 1825 |
| Population | 3.151.662 inhabitants according to census from 1996 |
| Type of Government | Democratic Republican Representative |
| Official Educational System | Lay, free and compulsory |
| Literacy | 96,2%, |
| Elections | Presidential elections every 5 years, in years ending in 0 or 5 |
| Suffrage | Compulsory, starting at the age of 18 |
| Religion | Catholics 56,2% - Non religious 38,3% - Protestants - 2% Jewish 1,7% |
| Ethnic Groups | White 88% - Mixed Race 8% - Black 4% |
| Visa | Granted for 90 days |
| Immigration Requirement | Neighbouring Countries: documento de identidad
Rest of the world: passport
|
| Coasts | 660 km |
| Highest Point | 514 metres, Cerro Catedral |
| Currency | Uruguayan Peso |
| National Flower | The Ceibo |
| Electricity | 220 Volts |
| Business Hours | Monday to Friday from 9am to 7pm |
| Banking Hours | Monday to Friday from 1pm to 5pm |
| Tip | 10% |
| Local Grape Variety | Tannat |
| Native Dog Breed | Cimarrón Uruguayo |
| Telephone Prefix | + 598 |
| Time Zone | UTC-3 |
| Internet Domain | com.uy |
Español |
English | 
