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Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, while bordering the Río de la Plata to the south and the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast. It is part of the Southern Cone region of South America. Uruguay covers an area of approximately . It has a population of almost 3.5 million people, of whom nearly 2 million live in the metropolitan area of its capital and largest city, Montevideo.
The area that became Uruguay was first inhabited by groups of 13,000 years ago. The first European explorer to reach the region was Juan Díaz de Solís in 1516, but the area was colonized later than its neighbors. At the time of European arrival, the Charrúa were the predominant tribe, alongside other groups such as the Guaraní and the Chaná. However, none of these groups were socially or politically organized, which contributed to their decline. Amid territorial disputes, the Portuguese established Colônia do Sacramento in 1680, and the Spanish founded Montevideo as a military stronghold. Uruguay secured its independence between 1811 and 1828, following a four-way struggle involving Portugal, Spain, and later the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata and the Empire of Brazil. In 1830, the country enacted its constitution and was formally established as an independent state. (1992). 9780844407371, Federal Research Division, Library of Congress Country Studies. . ISBN 9780844407371
During the early years following its independence, Uruguay remained subject to foreign influence and intervention, along with a series of internal conflicts and political turmoil. From the second half of the 19th century, the country saw significant waves of European migration—mainly from Spain, Italy, and France—which greatly influenced its demographics and laid the foundation for modern-day Uruguayan culture and society. National politics were dominated by two political parties: the Colorado Party and the National Party, which clashed in several civil wars during the 19th century and are collectively known as the 'Traditional Parties'. At various points in history, the Executive Branch was organized as a collegiate body, with the last instance of this occurring in 1967. A series of Financial crisis and the fight against far-left urban guerrilla warfare in the late 1960s and early 1970s culminated in the 1973 coup d'état, which established a civic-military dictatorship until 1985. In the early 20th century, a series of pioneering economic, labor, and social reforms were introduced, leading to the establishment of a highly developed welfare state. Coupled with its political stability, this contributed to the country being known as the "Switzerland of the Americas". Uruguay is today a democratic Republic, with a president who serves as both head of state and head of government.
Uruguay is highly ranked in international measurements of democracy, government transparency, economic freedom, social progress, income equality, per capita income, innovation, and infrastructure. The country has fully legalized cannabis (the first country in the world to do so), as well as same-sex marriage and abortion. It is a founding member of the United Nations, OAS, and Mercosur.
One of the most popular interpretations of the name was proposed by the renowned Uruguayan poet Juan Zorrilla de San Martín, "the river of painted birds"; this interpretation, although dubious, still holds an important cultural significance in the country.
In Spanish colonial times and for some time thereafter, Uruguay and some neighboring territories were called Banda Oriental del ("Eastern Bank of"), then for a few years the Provincia Oriental ("Eastern Province").
Since its independence, the country has been known as " República Oriental del Uruguay", which literally translates to " Republic East of the Uruguay River". However, it is officially translated either as the " Oriental Republic of Uruguay" or the " Eastern Republic of Uruguay"."Eastern Republic of Uruguay" is the official name used in many United Nations publications in English, e.g. & in some formal UK documents, e.g.
There is an extensive archeological collection of man-made tumulus known as " Cerritos de Indios" in the eastern part of the country, some of them dating back to 5,000 years ago. Very little is known about the people who built them as they left no written record, but evidence has been found in place of indigenous agriculture and of extinct indigenous woolly dogs.
Accessed 21 May 2025
Montevideo, the current capital of Uruguay, was founded by the Spanish in 1726 as a military stronghold. Its natural harbor soon developed into a commercial area competing with Río de la Plata's capital, Buenos Aires. Uruguay's early 19th-century history was shaped by ongoing fights for dominance in the Platine region between British, Spanish, Portuguese, and other colonial forces. In 1806 and 1807, the British army attempted to seize Buenos Aires and Montevideo as part of the Napoleonic Wars. Montevideo was occupied by British forces from February to September 1807.
As a result, Artigas broke with Buenos Aires and besieged Montevideo, taking the city in early 1815. Once the troops from Buenos Aires had withdrawn, the Banda Oriental appointed its first autonomous government. Artigas organized the Liga Federal under his protection, consisting of six provinces, five of which later became part of Argentina.
In 1816, 10,000 Portuguese troops invaded the Banda Oriental from Brazil; they took Montevideo in January 1817. After nearly four more years of struggle, the Portuguese Kingdom of Brazil annexed the Banda Oriental as a province under the name of "Cisplatina". The Brazilian Empire became independent of Portugal in 1822. In response to the annexation, the Thirty-Three Orientals, led by Juan Antonio Lavalleja, declared independence on 25 August 1825, supported by the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata (present-day Argentina). This led to the 500-day-long Cisplatine War. Neither side gained the upper hand, and in 1828, the Treaty of Montevideo, fostered by the United Kingdom through the diplomatic efforts of Viscount John Ponsonby, gave birth to Uruguay as an independent state. 25 August is celebrated as Independence Day, a national holiday. The nation's first constitution was adopted on 18 July 1830.
The Colorados favored the exiled Argentine liberal Unitarian Party, many of whom had taken refuge in Montevideo, while the Blanco president Manuel Oribe was a close friend of the Argentine ruler Manuel de Rosas. On 15 June 1838, an army led by the Colorado leader Rivera overthrew President Oribe, who fled to Argentina. Rivera declared war on Rosas in 1839. The conflict would last 13 years and become known as the Guerra Grande (the Great War). In 1843, an Argentine army overran Uruguay on Oribe's behalf but failed to take the capital. The siege of Montevideo began in February 1843 and lasted nine years. The besieged Uruguayans called on resident foreigners for help, which led to a French and an Italian legion being formed, the latter led by the exiled Giuseppe Garibaldi. pp. 13–14 In 1845, Britain and France intervened against Rosas to restore commerce to normal levels in the region. Their efforts proved ineffective, and by 1849, tired of the war, both withdrew after signing a treaty favorable to Rosas. It appeared that Montevideo would finally fall when an uprising against Rosas, led by Justo José de Urquiza, governor of Argentina's Entre Ríos Province, began. The Brazilian intervention in May 1851 on behalf of the Colorados, combined with the uprising, changed the situation, and Oribe was defeated. The siege of Montevideo was lifted, and the Guerra Grande finally came to an end. Montevideo rewarded Brazil's support by signing treaties that confirmed Brazil's right to intervene in Uruguay's internal affairs.
In accordance with the 1851 treaties, Brazil intervened militarily in Uruguay as often as it deemed necessary. In 1865, the Triple Alliance was formed by the emperor of Brazil, the president of Argentina, and the Colorado general Venancio Flores, the Uruguayan head of government whom they both had helped to gain power. The Triple Alliance declared war on the Paraguayan leader Francisco Solano López. The resulting Paraguayan War ended with the invasion of Paraguay and its defeat by the armies of the three countries. Montevideo was used as a supply station by the Brazilian navy, and it experienced a period of prosperity and relative calm during the war.
The first railway line was assembled in Uruguay in 1867, and a branch consisting of a horse-drawn train was opened. The present-day State Railways Administration of Uruguay maintains of extendable railway network.
The constitutional government of General Lorenzo Batlle y Grau (1868–72) suppressed the Revolution of the Lances by the Blancos. After two years of struggle, a peace agreement was signed in 1872 that gave the Blancos a share in the emoluments and functions of government through control of four of the departments of Uruguay. This establishment of the policy of co-participation represented the search for a new formula of compromise based on the coexistence of the party in power and the opposition party. Despite this agreement, the Colorado rule was threatened by the failed Tricolor Revolution in 1875 and the Revolution of the Quebracho in 1886.
The Colorado effort to reduce Blancos to only three departments caused a Blanco uprising of 1897, which ended with creating 16 departments, of which the Blancos now had control over six. Blancos were given ⅓ seats in Congress. This division of power lasted until President Jose Batlle y Ordonez instituted his political reforms, which caused the last uprising by Blancos in 1904 that ended with the Battle of Masoller and the death of Blanco leader Aparicio Saravia.
Between 1875 and 1890, the military became the center of power. During this authoritarian period, the government took steps toward the organization of the country as a modern state, encouraging its economic and social transformation. Pressure groups (consisting mainly of businessmen, , and industrialists) were organized and had a strong influence on the government. A transition period (1886–90) followed, during which politicians began recovering lost ground, and some civilian participation in government occurred. After the Guerra Grande, there was a sharp rise in the number of immigrants, primarily from Italy and Spain. By 1879, the total population of the country was over 438,500. The economy reflected a steep upswing (if demonstrated graphically, above all other related economic determinants) in livestock raising and exports. Montevideo became a major financial center of the region and an entrepôt for goods from Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay.
Gabriel Terra became president in March 1931. His inauguration coincided with the effects of the Great Depression, and the social climate became tense as a result of the lack of jobs. There were confrontations in which police and leftists died. In 1933, Terra organized a coup d'état, dissolving the General Assembly and governing by decree. A new constitution was promulgated in 1934, transferring powers to the president. In general, the Terra government weakened or neutralized economic nationalism and social reform. pp. 27–33
In 1938, general elections were held, and Terra's brother-in-law, General Alfredo Baldomir, was elected president. Under pressure from organized labor and the National Party, Baldomir advocated free elections, freedom of the press, and a new constitution. Although Baldomir declared Uruguay neutral in 1939, British warships and the German ship fought a battle not far off Uruguay's coast. The Admiral Graf Spee took refuge in Montevideo, claiming sanctuary in a neutral port, but was later ordered out. pp. 31–33
In 1945, Uruguay formally signed the Declaration by the United Nations and entered World War II, leading the country to declare war on Nazi Germany and Japan. Following the end of the war, it became a founding member of the United Nations.
An armed group of Marxist–Leninist urban guerrillas, known as the Tupamaros, emerged in the 1960s, engaging in activities such as bank robbery, kidnapping, and assassination, in addition to attempting an overthrow of the government.
According to one source, around 180 Uruguayans are known to have been killed and disappeared, with thousands more illegally detained and tortured during the 12-year civil-military rule from 1973 to 1985. Most were killed in Argentina and other neighboring countries, with 36 of them having been killed in Uruguay. According to Edy Kaufman (cited by David Altman), Uruguay at the time had the highest per capita number of political prisoners in the world. "Kaufman, who spoke at the U.S. Congressional Hearings of 1976 on behalf of Amnesty International, estimated that one in every five Uruguayans went into exile, one in fifty were detained, and one in five hundred went to prison (most of them tortured)." Social spending was reduced, and many state-owned companies were privatized. However, the economy did not improve and deteriorated after 1980; the gross domestic product (GDP) fell by 20%, and unemployment rose to 17%. The state intervened by trying to bail out failing companies and banks.
The 1999 national elections were held under a new electoral system established by a 1996 constitutional amendment. Colorado Party candidate Jorge Batlle, aided by the support of the National Party, defeated Broad Front candidate Tabaré Vázquez. The formal coalition ended in November 2002, when the Blancos withdrew their ministers from the cabinet, although the Blancos continued to support the Colorados on most issues. Low commodity prices and economic difficulties in Uruguay's main export markets (starting in Brazil with the devaluation of the Brazilian real, then in Argentina in 2002) caused a severe recession; the economy contracted by 11%, unemployment climbed to 21%, and the percentage of Uruguayans in poverty rose to over 30%.
In 2004, Uruguayans elected Tabaré Vázquez as president while giving the Broad Front a majority in both houses of Parliament. Vázquez stuck to economic orthodoxy. As commodity prices soared and the economy recovered from the recession, he tripled foreign investment, cut poverty and unemployment, cut Government debt from 79% of GDP to 60%, and kept inflation steady. In 2009, José Mujica, a former left-wing guerrilla leader (Tupamaros) who spent almost 15 years in prison during the country's military rule, emerged as the new president as the Broad Front won the election for a second time. Abortion was legalized in 2012, followed by same-sex marriage and cannabis in the following year, making Uruguay the first country in the modern era to legalize cannabis.
In 2014, Tabaré Vázquez was elected to a non-consecutive second presidential term, which began on 1 March 2015. In 2020, after 15 years of left-wing rule, he was succeeded by Luis Alberto Lacalle Pou, a member of the conservative National Party, as the 42nd President of Uruguay. On 1 March 2025, Yamandu Orsi took office as Uruguay's new president, as the left-wing coalition of the Broad Front returned to power after a five-year interruption.
A dense fluvial network covers the country, consisting of four river basins, or deltas: the Río de la Plata Basin, the Uruguay River, the Lagoa Mirim, and the Río Negro. The major internal river is the Río Negro ("Black River"), dammed in 1945, resulting in the formation of the artificial Rincón del Bonete Lake in the heart of Uruguay. Several lagoons are found along the Atlantic coast.
Montevideo is the southernmost national capital in the Americas and the third most southerly in the world (after Canberra and Wellington). Uruguay is the only country in South America situated entirely south of the Tropic of Capricorn, and is the southernmost sovereign state in the world when ordered by northernmost point of latitude. There are ten national parks in Uruguay: Five in the wetland areas of the east, three in the central hill country, and one in the west along the Rio Uruguay. Uruguay is home to the Uruguayan savanna terrestrial ecoregion. The country had a 2019 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 3.61/10, ranking it 147th globally out of 172 countries.
The country experiences four seasons, with summer from December to March and winter from June to September. Seasonal variations are pronounced, but extremes in temperature are rare. Summers are tempered by winds off the Atlantic, and severe cold in winter is unknown. Although it never gets too cold, frosts occur every year during the winter months, and precipitation such as sleet and hail occur almost every winter, but snow is very rare; it does occur every couple of years at higher elevations, but almost always without accumulation. As would be expected with its abundance of water, high humidity and fog are common.
The absence of mountains, which act as weather barriers, makes all locations vulnerable to high winds and rapid changes in weather as fronts or storms sweep across the country. These storms can be strong; they can bring , hail, and sometimes even . The country experiences extratropical cyclones but no tropical cyclones, due to the fact that the Atlantic Ocean is rarely warm enough for their development. Both summer and winter weather may vary from day to day with the passing of storm fronts, where a hot northerly wind may occasionally be followed by a cold wind (pampero) from the Argentine Pampas.
Even though both temperature and precipitation are quite uniform nationwide, there are considerable differences across the territory. The average annual temperature of the country is , ranging from in the southeast to in the northwest. Winter temperatures range from a daily average of in the south to in the north, while summer average daily temperatures range from in the southeast to in the northwest. The southeast is considerably cooler than the rest of the country, especially during spring, when the ocean with cold water after the winter cools down the temperature of the air and brings more humidity to that region. However, the south of the country receives less precipitation than the north. For example, Montevideo receives approximately of precipitation per year, while the city of Rivera in the northeast receives . The heaviest precipitation occurs during the autumn months, although more frequent rainy spells occur in winter. But periods of drought or excessive rain can occur anytime during the year.
National extreme temperatures at sea level are in Paysandú city (20 January 1943) and Florida city (14 January 2022) and in Melo city (14 June 1967). RECORDS METEOROLOGICOS EN EL URUGUAY — Boletín Meteorológico Mensual – Dirección Nacional de Meteorología . None. Retrieved on 25 June 2012.
The Executive branch is exercised by the president of the Republic who serves both as head of state and head of government, along with a Council of Ministers of 14 members. Together with the Vice President, the President is elected through a direct popular vote for a five-year term, with no possibility of immediate re-election. Each party presents a single presidential ticket—determined through primary elections—and the winning ticket must receive an absolute majority of votes.
The Legislative branch is constituted by the General Assembly, a bicameral legislature made up of the Chamber of Representatives and the Chamber of Senators. The former consists of 99 members representing the 19 departments, elected for a five-year term based on proportional representation, while the latter comprises 31 members—30 elected for five-year terms by proportional representation—and the Vice President, who presides over the chamber and has the right to vote. Parliamentary elections are held jointly with the presidential election in a general vote.
The Judicial branch is headed by the Supreme Court, whose members—known as “Ministers”—are appointed by the General Assembly with a two-thirds majority and serve ten-year terms or until reaching the age of 70. The Court functions as the highest appellate body and the court of last resort, while also reviewing the constitutionality of laws. Below it are the Courts of Appeals—each composed of three members—and the Lawyer Judges and the Justices of the Peace, the latter two being single-member courts, with all appointed by the Supreme Court.
Uruguay adopted its current constitution in 1967, with the most recent reform occurring in 1997. Drawing on Switzerland and its use of the initiative, the Uruguayan Constitution allows citizens to propose bills, call for referendums to repeal laws, and submit constitutional reform proposals, which are ultimately decided in a nationwide referendum.
For most of Uruguay's history, the country was characterized by a two-party system between the Colorado and National parties, although the former held power for longer periods. At certain times, Uruguay has had periods of collegial executive governance. The earlier period, under the National Council of Administration (1919–1933), was a diarchic system in which the Council shared executive power with the President and Cabinet. The later period, under the National Council of Government (1952–1967), authority was largely concentrated in the Council itself, which acted as the sole executive body.
In 2024, Uruguay was classified as a "full democracy" by The Economist’s Democracy Index, ranking 15th globally and first in Latin America. Latinobarómetro surveys consistently place the country among the highest in terms of public support for democracy and satisfaction with it. Moreover, according to the 2023 V-Dem Democracy Indices, Uruguay ranked 31st in the world for electoral democracy and 2nd globally—behind Switzerland—for citizen-initiated direct democracy..
| Artigas | 77,487 | |
| Canelones | 608,956 | |
| Melo | 91,025 | |
| Colonia del Sacramento | 135,797 | |
| Durazno | 62,011 | |
| Trinidad | 26,271 | |
| Florida | 70,325 | |
| Minas | 59,175 | |
| Maldonado | 212,951 | |
| Montevideo | 1,302,954 | |
| Paysandú | 121,843 | |
| Fray Bentos | 57,334 | |
| Rivera | 109,300 | |
| Rocha | 80,707 | |
| Salto | 136,197 | |
| San José de Mayo | 119,714 | |
| Mercedes | 83,685 | |
| Tacuarembó | 96,013 | |
| Treinta y Tres | 47,706 | |
| — | 3,499,451 |
Uruguay is also a founding member of The Forum of Small States (FOSS), a voluntary and informal grouping at the UN. (2025). 9789814713030, World Scientific. ISBN 9789814713030 The country has friendly relations with the United States since its transition back to democracy. Commercial ties between both countries have expanded with the signing of a bilateral investment treaty in 2004 and a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement in January 2007. The United States and Uruguay have also cooperated on military matters, with both countries playing significant roles in the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti. In 2017, Uruguay signed the UN treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. It also rejoined the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance (TIAR or "Rio Pact") in 2020.
Uruguay ranks first in the world on a per capita basis for its contributions to the United Nations peacekeeping forces, with 2,513 soldiers and officers in 10 UN peacekeeping missions. As of February 2010, Uruguay had 1,136 military personnel deployed to Haiti in support of MINUSTAH and 1,360 deployed in support of MONUC in the Congo. In December 2010, Uruguayan Major General Gloodtdofsky, was appointed Chief Military Observer and head of the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan.
Since May 2009, homosexuals have been allowed to serve in the military after the defense minister signed a decree stating that military recruitment policy would no longer discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation. Uruguay To Lift Ban On Gays In The Military . Huffingtonpost.com (13 May 2009). Retrieved on 25 June 2012. In the fiscal year 2010, the United States provided Uruguay with $1.7 million in military assistance, including $1 million in Foreign Military Financing and $480,000 in International Military Education and Training.
In 2004, the Batlle government signed a three-year $1.1 billion stand-by arrangement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), committing the country to a substantial primary surplus, low inflation, considerable reductions in external debt, and several structural reforms designed to improve competitiveness and attract foreign investment. Uruguay terminated the agreement in 2006 following the early repayment of its debt but maintained a number of the policy commitments. Vázquez, who assumed the government in March 2005, created the Ministry of Social Development and sought to reduce the country's poverty rate with a $240 million National Plan to Address the Social Emergency (PANES), which provided a monthly conditional cash transfer of approximately $75 to over 100,000 households in extreme poverty. In exchange, those receiving the benefits were required to participate in community work, ensure that their children attended school daily, and have regular health check-ups.
Following the 2001 Argentine credit default, prices in the Uruguayan economy made a variety of services, including information technology and architectural expertise, once too expensive in many foreign markets, exportable. The Frente Amplio government, while continuing payments on Uruguay's external debt, also undertook an emergency plan to attack the widespread problems of poverty and unemployment. The economy grew at an annual rate of 6.7% during the 2004–2008 period. Uruguay's export markets have been diversified to reduce dependency on Argentina and Brazil. Poverty was reduced from 33% in 2002 to 21.7% in July 2008, while extreme poverty dropped from 3.3% to 1.7%.
Between 2007 and 2009, Uruguay was the only country in the Americas that did not technically experience a recession (two consecutive downward quarters). Unemployment reached a record low of 5.4% in December 2010 before rising to 6.1% in January 2011. While unemployment is still at a low level, the IMF observed a rise in inflationary pressures, and Uruguay's GDP expanded by 10.4% for the first half of 2010. According to IMF estimates, Uruguay was probably to achieve growth in real GDP of between 8% and 8.5% in 2010, followed by 5% growth in 2011 and 4% in subsequent years. Gross public sector debt contracted in the second quarter of 2010, after five consecutive periods of sustained increase, reaching $21.885 billion US dollars, equivalent to 59.5% of the GDP.
Uruguay was ranked 62nd in the Global Innovation Index in 2024.World Intellectual Property Organization (2025). 9789280536812, World Intellectual Property Organization. . ISBN 9789280536812 The number of union members has quadrupled since 2003, rising from 110,000 to more than 400,000 in 2015 for a working population of 1.5 million. According to the International Trade Union Confederation, Uruguay has "ratified all eight core ILO labour Conventions". The growth, use, and sale of cannabis were legalized on 11 December 2013, "Uruguay becomes first nation to legalise marijuana trade" , BBC, 11 December 2013 by former president José "Pepe" Mujica, making Uruguay the first country in the world to fully legalize marijuana. The law was voted on at the Uruguayan Senate on the same date with 16 votes to approve it and 13 against.
According to FAOSTAT, Uruguay is one of the world's largest producers of soybeans (9th), Scoured wool (12th), horse meat (14th), beeswax (14th), and quinces (17th). Most farms (25,500 out of 39,120) are family-managed; beef and wool represent the main activities and main source of income for 65% of them, followed by vegetable farming at 12%, dairy farming at 11%, Pig at 2%, and poultry also at 2%. Beef is the main export commodity of the country, totaling over US$1 billion in 2006.
In 2007, Uruguay had cattle herds totalling 12 million head, making it the country with the highest number of cattle per capita at 3.8. However, 54% is in the hands of 11% of farmers, who have a minimum of 500 head. At the other extreme, 38% of farmers exploit small lots and have herds averaging below one hundred head.
Another beautiful place to visit in Uruguay is Cabo Polonio, a seaside resort located in the municipality of Castillos, in the Rocha Department of Uruguay. This seaside resort is part of Cabo Polonio National Park, a protected natural area. It lies a short distance from the resort town of Valizas and features three small islands off its coast, known as the Torres Islands: Isla Rasa, Isla Encantada, and El Islote.
The Punta del Este International Airport, located from Punta del Este in the Maldonado Department, is the second busiest air terminal in Uruguay, built by the Uruguayan architect Carlos Ott. It was inaugurated in 1997.
The mobile phone market is shared by the state-owned ANTEL and two private companies, Movistar and Claro Americas. The ANTEL has the largest market share at 49% of Uruguay's mobile lines. ANTEL has launched a commercial 5G network in April 2019 with still continual development. While Movistar and Claro have only 30% and 21% of the market share, respectively. The Google Search engine accounted for 95% of total search engine market share in 2023–2024.
From 1963 to 1985, an estimated 320,000 Uruguayans emigrated. The most popular destinations for Uruguayan emigrants are Argentina, followed by the United States, Australia, Canada, Spain, Brazil, Italy, France and Portugal. In 2009, for the first time in 44 years, the country saw an overall positive influx when comparing immigration to emigration. 3,825 residence permits were awarded in 2009, compared with 1,216 in 2005. 50% of new legal residents come from Argentina and Brazil. A migration law passed in 2008 gives immigrants the same rights and opportunities that nationals have, with the requisite of proving a monthly income of $650.
Metropolitan Montevideo is the only large city, with around 1.9 million inhabitants, or more than half the country's total population. The rest of the urban population lives in about 30 towns. Uruguay's rate of population growth is much lower than in other Latin American countries. Its median age is 35.3 years, higher than the global average due to its low birth rate, high life expectancy, and relatively high rate of emigration among younger people. A quarter of the population is less than 15 years old, and about a sixth are aged 60 and older. In 2017, the average total fertility rate (TFR) across Uruguay was 1.70 children born per woman, below the replacement rate of 2.1. It remains considerably below the high of 5.76 children born per woman in 1882. A 2017 IADB report on labor conditions for Latin American nations ranked Uruguay as the region's leader overall in all but one subindexes, including gender, age, income, formality, and labor participation.
As few indigenous people exist in the population, no indigenous languages are thought to remain in active use in the country. Another spoken dialect was the Patois, which is an Occitan language dialect. The dialect was spoken mainly in the Colonia Department, where the first pilgrims settled, in the city called La Paz. There are still written tracts of the language in the Waldensians Library (Biblioteca Valdense) in the town of Colonia Valdense, Colonia Department. Patois speakers arrived to Uruguay from the Piedmont. Originally, they were Vaudois who become Waldensians, giving their name to the city Colonia Valdense, which translated from the Spanish to mean "Waldensian Colony".
In 2001, Uruguayan Sign Language (LSU) was recognized as an official language of Uruguay under Law 17.378.
Political observers consider Uruguay the most secular country in the Americas. Uruguay's secularization began with the relatively minor role of the church in the colonial era, compared with other parts of the Spanish Empire. The small numbers of Uruguay's indigenous peoples and their resistance to proselytism reduced the influence of the ecclesiastical authorities.
After independence, Anti-clericalism ideas spread to Uruguay, particularly from France, further eroding the influence of the church. In 1837, civil marriage was recognized, and in 1861, the state took over the running of public cemeteries. In 1907, divorce was legalized, and in 1909, all religious instruction was banned from state schools. Under the influence of the Colorado politician José Batlle y Ordóñez (1903–1911), complete separation of church and state was introduced with the new constitution of 1917. Uruguay's capital has 12 synagogues and a community of 20,000 Jews as of 2011. With a peak of 50,000 during the mid-1960s, Uruguay has the world's highest rate of aliyah as a percentage of the Jewish population.
The country maintains an adult literacy rate approaching 100% and ranks high at the regional level in standardized assessments, including PISA. In 2023, the government invested 4.9% of GDP in education.
Uruguay is part of the One Laptop per Child project, and in 2009 it became the first country in the world to provide a laptop for every primary school student as part of the Plan Ceibal. Over the 2007–2009 period, 362,000 pupils and 18,000 teachers were involved in the scheme; around 70% of the laptops were given to children who did not have computers at home. The OLPC project represents less than 5% of the country's education budget.
Uruguay has many , most of which are in Montevideo, such as the Torres García Museum and the Gurvich Museum. The Torres García Museum was dedicated in honor of the Uruguayan artist Joaquín Torres-García.
There are numerous radio stations and musical events of rock music and the Caribbean genres. Early classical music in Uruguay showed Spanish and Italian influence, but since the 20th century, a number of composers of classical music, including Eduardo Fabini, Héctor Tosar, and Eduardo Gilardoni, have made use of Latin American musical idioms more. There are two symphony orchestras in Montevideo, OSSODRE and Filarmonica de Montevideo. Some of the well-known classical musicians are pianists Alberto Reyes Enrique Graf; guitarists Eduardo Fernandez and Marco Sartor; and singers Erwin Schrott.
Tango has especially affected Uruguayan culture during the 20th century, particularly the 1930s and 1940s with Uruguayan singers such as Julio Sosa from Las Piedras. When tango singer Carlos Gardel was 29 years old, he changed his nationality to be Uruguayan, saying he was born in Tacuarembó.Carlos Gardel was born in France: (2025). 9789870400134, Taurus. ISBN 9789870400134
Bocaz, Luis (March 1986). "Tango Time" , UNESCO Courier, p. 11. Nevertheless, a Carlos Gardel museum was established in 1999 in Valle Edén, near Tacuarembó.
Rock and roll was first introduced into Uruguay with the arrival of the Beatles and other British bands in the early 1960s. A wave of bands appeared in Montevideo, including Los Shakers, Los Iracundos, Los Moonlights, and Los Malditos, of which all became major figures in the so-called Uruguayan Invasion of Argentina. Popular Uruguayan rock bands include La Vela Puerca, El Cuarteto de Nos, and Cursi. In 2004, the Uruguayan musician and actor Jorge Drexler won an Academy Award for composing the song "Al otro lado del río" from the movie The Motorcycle Diaries, which narrated the life of Che Guevara.
From about the same period came the romantic poetry of Juan Zorrilla de San Martín (1855–1931), who wrote epic poems about Uruguayan history. Also notable are Juana de Ibarbourou (1895–1979), Delmira Agustini (1866–1914), Idea Vilariño (1920–2009), and the short stories of Horacio Quiroga and Juan José Morosoli (1899–1959). The psychological stories of Juan Carlos Onetti (such as "No Man's Land" and "The Shipyard") have earned widespread critical praise, as have the writings of Mario Benedetti.
Uruguay's best-known contemporary writer is Eduardo Galeano, author of Las venas abiertas de América Latina (1971; "Open Veins of Latin America") and the trilogy Memoria del fuego (1982–87; "Memory of Fire"). Other modern Uruguayan writers include Sylvia Lago, Jorge Majfud, and Jesús Moraes.
State-run radio and TV are operated by the official broadcasting service SODRE. Some newspapers are owned by, or linked to, the main political parties. El Día was the nation's most prestigious paper until its demise in the early 1990s, founded in 1886 by the Colorado party leader and (later) president José Batlle y Ordóñez. El País, the paper of the rival Blanco Party, has the largest circulation. Búsqueda serves as a forum for political and economic analysis. Although it sells only about 16,000 copies a week, its estimated readership exceeds 50,000.
Typical dishes include: "asado uruguayo" (big grill or barbecue of all types of meat), roasted lamb, chivito (sandwich containing thin grilled beef, lettuce, tomatoes, fried egg, ham, olives and others, and served with French fries), milanesa (a kind of fried breaded beef), tortellini, spaghetti, gnocchi, ravioli, rice and vegetables.
One of the most consumed spreads in Uruguay is dulce de leche (a caramel confection from Latin America prepared by slowly heating sugar and milk). The most typical sweet is afajor, which is a small cake, filled with dulce de leche and covered with chocolate or meringue. Other typical desserts include the pastafrola (a type of cake filled with quince jelly) and chajá (meringue, sponge cake, whipped cream and fruits, typically peaches and strawberries are added). mate, an Herbal tea, is the most typical beverage in Uruguay.
Another popular sport is basketball. Its national team qualified for the Basketball World Cup seven times, more often than other countries in South America, except Brazil and Argentina. Uruguay hosted the official Basketball World Cup for the 1967 FIBA World Championship and the official Americas Basketball Championship in 1988 and 1997, and is a host of the 2017 FIBA AmeriCup.
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