NAVIGATION
|
HOME
• FLAG FINDER
• MAP FINDER
• SOURCES
• ADD YOURSELF TO THE ATLAS! COUNTRIES A-D • COUNTRIES E-K • COUNTRIES L-R • COUNTRIES S-Z |
NAVIGATION
Oriental Republic of Uruguay
Republica Oriental del Uruguay
former: Banda Oriental, Cisplatine Province
GOVERNMENT
|
Country name:
|
conventional long form: Oriental Republic of Uruguay
conventional short form: Uruguay local short form: Uruguay former: Banda Oriental, Cisplatine Province local long form: Republica Oriental del Uruguay |
|
Government type:
|
constitutional republic |
|
Capital:
|
Montevideo |
|
Administrative 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 |
|
Independence:
|
25 August 1825 (from Brazil) |
|
National holiday:
|
Independence Day, 25 August (1825) |
|
Constitution:
|
27 November 1966, effective February 1967, suspended 27 June 1973, new constitution rejected by referendum 30 November 1980; two constitutional reforms approved by plebiscite 26 November 1989 and 7 January 1997 |
|
Legal system:
|
based on Spanish civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
|
Suffrage:
|
18 years of age; universal and compulsory |
|
Executive branch:
|
chief of state: President Jorge BATLLE Ibanez (since 1 March 2000) and Vice President Luis HIERRO (since 1 March 2000); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Jorge BATLLE Ibanez (since 1 March 2000) and Vice President Luis HIERRO (since 1 March 2000); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president with parliamentary approval elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for five-year terms; election last held 31 October 1999, with runoff election on 28 November 1999 (next to be held NA 2004) election results: Jorge BATLLE Ibanez elected president; percent of vote - Jorge BATLLE Ibanez 52% in a runoff against Tabare VAZQUEZ 44% |
|
Legislative branch:
|
bicameral General Assembly or Asamblea General consists of Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores (30 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and Chamber of Representatives or Camara de Representantes (99 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: Chamber of Senators - last held 31 October 1999 (next to be held NA 2004); Chamber of Representatives - last held 31 October 1999 (next to be held NA 2004) election results: Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Encuentro Progresista 12, Colorado Party 10, Blanco 7, New Sector/Space Coalition 1; Chamber of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Encuentro Progresista 40, Colorado Party 33, Blanco 22, New Sector/Space Coalition 4 |
|
Judicial branch:
|
Supreme Court (judges are nominated by the president and elected for 10-year terms by the General Assembly) |
|
Political parties and leaders:
|
Colorado Party [Jorge BATLLE Ibanez]; National Party or Blanco [Luis Alberto LACALLE Herrera]; New Sector/Space Coalition or Nuevo Espacio [Rafael MICHELINI]; Progressive Encounter/Broad Front Coalition or Encuentro Progresista/Frente Amplio [Tabare VAZQUEZ] |
|
Political pressure groups and leaders:
|
NA |
|
International organization participation:
|
ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMEE, UNMISET, UNMOGIP, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
|
Diplomatic representation in the US:
|
chief of mission: Ambassador Hugo FERNANDEZ-FAINGOLD
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, and New York FAX: [1] (202) 331-8142 telephone: [1] (202) 331-1313 through 1316 chancery: 1913 I Street NW, Washington, DC 20006 |
|
Diplomatic representation from the US:
|
chief of mission: Ambassador Martin J. SILVERSTEIN
embassy: Lauro Muller 1776, Montevideo 11200 mailing address: APO AA 34035 telephone: [598] (2) 418-7777 FAX: [598] (2) 418-8611 |
|
Flag description:
|
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 |
ECONOMY
|
Economy - overview:
|
Uruguay's economy is characterized by an export-oriented agricultural sector, a well-educated workforce, and high levels of social spending. After averaging growth of 5% annually during 1996-98, in 1999-2002 the economy suffered a major downturn, stemming largely from lower demand in Argentina and Brazil, which together account for nearly half of Uruguay's exports. Total GDP in these four years dropped by nearly 20%, with 2002 the worst year. Unemployment rose to nearly 20% in 2002, inflation surged, and the burden of external debt doubled. Cooperation with the IMF and the US has limited the damage, which is still extensive. Moves to reschedule debt and promote economic recovery may help limit a further decline in output in 2003. |
|
GDP:
|
purchasing power parity - $26.5 billion (2002 est.) |
|
GDP - real growth rate:
|
-10.5% (2002 est.) |
|
GDP - per capita:
|
purchasing power parity - $7,800 (2002 est.) |
|
GDP - composition by sector:
|
agriculture: 6%
industry: 27% services: 67% (2001) |
|
Population below poverty line:
|
6% (1997) |
|
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
|
lowest 10%: 3.7%
highest 10%: 25.8% (1997) |
|
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
|
42.3 (1989) |
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
|
14.1% (2002) |
|
Labor force:
|
1.2 million (2001) |
|
Labor force - by occupation:
|
agriculture 14%, industry 16%, services 70% |
|
Unemployment rate:
|
19.4% (2002) |
|
Budget:
|
revenues: $3.7 billion
expenditures: $4.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $500 million (2000) |
|
Industries:
|
food processing, electrical machinery, transportation equipment, petroleum products, textiles, chemicals, beverages |
|
Industrial production growth rate:
|
-12% (2002 est.) |
|
Electricity - production:
|
7.963 billion kWh (2001) |
|
Electricity - production by source:
|
fossil fuel: 0.7%
hydro: 99.1% other: 0.2% (2001) nuclear: 0% |
|
Electricity - consumption:
|
6.152 billion kWh (2001) |
|
Electricity - exports:
|
1.377 billion kWh (2001) |
|
Electricity - imports:
|
123 million kWh (2001) |
|
Oil - production:
|
0 bbl/day (2001 est.) |
|
Oil - consumption:
|
41,500 bbl/day (2001 est.) |
|
Oil - exports:
|
NA (2001) |
|
Oil - imports:
|
NA (2001) |
|
Agriculture - products:
|
rice, wheat, corn, barley; livestock; fish |
|
Exports:
|
$2.1 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.) |
|
Exports - commodities:
|
meat, rice, leather products, wool, vehicles, dairy products |
|
Exports - partners:
|
Brazil 23.8%, Argentina 18.4%, US 8.9%, Germany 3.7%, Paraguay 3.6% (2001) |
|
Imports:
|
$1.87 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.) |
|
Imports - commodities:
|
machinery, chemicals, road vehicles, crude petroleum |
|
Imports - partners:
|
Argentina 23.0%, Brazil 19.1%, US 11.4%, Italy 4.4%, UK 4.1% (2001) |
|
Debt - external:
|
$11.8 billion (2002 est.) |
|
Economic aid - recipient:
|
$NA |
|
Currency:
|
Uruguayan peso (UYU) |
|
Currency code:
|
UYU |
|
Exchange rates:
|
Uruguayan pesos per US dollar - 21.257 (2002), 13.3191 (2001), 12.0996 (2000), 11.3393 (1999), 10.4719 (1998) |
|
Fiscal year:
|
calendar year |