Uruguay

Official Name:

Oriental Republic of Uruguay (Uruguay)

Area:

176.220 km ²

Population (2007):

3.460.607 inhabitants

Coastline:

660 km

Capital:

Montevideo

Maritime Ports and terminals:

Fray Bentos, Montevideo, Nueva Palmira,Paysandú, Punta del Este, Colonia, Piriápolis

Maritime claims:

• Territorial sea: 12 nm
• Contiguous zone: 24 nm
• Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
• Continental shelf: 200 nm or edge of continental margin

Political divisions:

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

Language(s):

Spanish, Portunol, or Brazilero (Portuguese-Spanish mix on the Brazilian frontier)

National holiday:

Independence Day, 25 August (1825)

Nationality:

Uruguayan(s)

Official time:

UTC-3. Daylight saving time: 1hr, begins second Sunday in October; ends second Sunday in March

Member of:

CAN (associate), CSN, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMOGIP, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Internet country code:

.uy

Economic Profile

Currency:

Uruguayan peso (UYU)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

USD10.900 (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

(2006 est.) USD 14.500.000.000

PIB (Real growth rate:

7% (2006 est.)

GDP (Composition by sector): (2006 est.)

• Agriculture: 9,3%
• Industry: 33,7%
• Services: 57%

Labor force:

1.270.000 (2006 est.)

Labor force - by occupation (1999):

• Agriculture 14%
• Industry: 16%
• Services 70%

Unemployment rate:

10,8% (2006 est.)

Inflation rate (Consumer prices):

6,5% (2006 est)

Investment (Gross Fixed):

13,6% del PIB (2006 est.)

Budget:

• Revenues: USD5.203.000.000
• Expenditures: USD5.449.000.000

Public debt:

70,6% of GDP (2006 est.)

Current account balance:

USD -600.000.000 (2006 est.)

Exports:

USD 3.993.000.000 FOB (2006 est.)

Exports - Commodities:

Meat, rice, leather products, wool, fish, dairy products

Exports - Partners:

US 23,2%, Brazil 13,5%, Argentina 7,8%, Germany 4,2%, Mexico 4,1% (2005)

Imports:

USD 4.532.000.000 FOB (2006 est.)

Imports - Commodities:

Machinery, chemicals, road vehicles, crude petroleum

Imports - partners:

Brazil 21,3%, Argentina 20,3%, Russia 8%, US 6,7%, Venezuela 6,3%, China 6,2%, Nigeria 5,9% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

USD 5.518.000.000 (2006 est.)

Debt - external:

USD 11.400.000.000 (2006)