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Geography of Uruguay

Location:Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Argentina and Brazil
Geographic coordinates:33 00 S, 56 00 W
Map references:South America
Area:total: 176,220 sq km
land: 173,620 sq km
water: 2,600 sq km
Area - comparative:slightly smaller than the state of Washington
Land boundaries:total: 1,648 km
border countries: Argentina 580 km, Brazil 1,068 km
Coastline:660 km
Maritime claims:territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or edge of continental margin
Climate:warm temperate; freezing temperatures almost unknown
Terrain:mostly rolling plains and low hills; fertile coastal lowland
Elevation extremes:lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Cerro Catedral 514 m
Natural resources:arable land, hydropower, minor minerals, fisheries
Land use:arable land: 7.77%
permanent crops: 0.24%
other: 91.99% (2005)
Irrigated land:2,100 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards:seasonally high winds (the pampero is a chilly and occasional violent wind that blows north from the Argentine pampas), droughts, floods; because of the absence of mountains, which act as weather barriers, all locations are particularly vulnerable to rapid changes from weather fronts
Environment - current issues:water pollution from meat packing/tannery industry; inadequate solid/hazardous waste disposal
Environment - international agreements:party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note:second-smallest South American country (after Suriname); most of the low-lying landscape (three-quarters of the country) is grassland, ideal for cattle and sheep raising

Uruguay Quickstats

  • Population: 3,460,607 (July 2007 est.)
  • Area: 176,220 sq km
  • Density: 19 /km² (156th)
  • GDP (total): $33.98 billion (96th)
  • GDP (per capita): $9,900 (88th)
  • Literacy: 98%

Languages of Uruguay

Useful to know

  • Currency: Uruguayan Peso (UYU)
  • Dial code: +598

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