Uruguay is a unitary presidential republic in the Southern Cone of South America, bordered by Argentina and Brazil along the Rio de la Plata and the Atlantic Ocean, with Montevideo as its capital and largest city. Independence was secured between 1811 and 1828 through a complex struggle involving Portugal, Spain, the United Provinces of the Rio de la Plata and the Empire of Brazil, and Uruguay formally became an independent state in 1830 with its first constitution; Independence Day is celebrated on 25 August. Early twentieth century reforms earned Uruguay a reputation as the Switzerland of the Americas, though a civic-military dictatorship ruled the country from 1973 to 1985. Covering about 176,215 square kilometers with a population of nearly 3.5 million, Uruguay is today a high income economy highly ranked in international measures of democracy, government transparency and economic freedom, and it was the first country in the world to fully legalize cannabis.
Reader Challenges (0 open reader challenges)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.
View At A Past Year
The atlas records no dated fact of its own for this entry, so there is no other year to choose.