Uruguay, the south american paradise
Location and market access:
Uruguay is geographically at the centre of a market inhabited by more than 238 million consumers, with the highest per capita income in the continent, and a GDP of US$ 1.631 billions.
MERCOSUR has its best “gateway” in Uruguay, greately enhanced with the conditions that the MERCOSUR agreement has created for the development of trade and business among the members of the block.
In summary, a long tradition of political and economic stability and an open and cosmopolitan society make Uruguay a perfect platform for doing regional and international business.
Utilization of the land
Uruguay covers 176,215 km2, 90% of its territory (some 16 million hectares) are devoted to agricultural production:
Type |
Hectares |
% |
Wild land and other |
13.795.000 |
87.06 |
Artificial prairies |
651.000 |
4.11 |
Grains |
697.000 |
4.40 |
Artificial forests |
620.000 |
3.91 |
Citrus and fruit |
33.000 |
0.21 |
Vegetables |
40.000 |
0.25 |
Vineyards |
9.500 |
0.06 |
Total |
15.845.500 |
100.00 |
The weather
The weather is temperate, with marine influence in the South; average rain in the year amounts to 1,100 mm, and average temperature to 18º C, ranging from 6ºC in the winter and 32ºC in the summer.
Distances
The maximum distances are 700 km from North to South and 600 km from East to West. The country has some 500 km of coastline on the River Plate and the Atlantic Ocean. This offers easy access from the production establishment to ports, beaches and tourism resorts.
Latitud and Longitud
Uruguay is located in the South of Latin America, between 30º and 35º south latitude and the meridians 53º and 58º (west longitude), bordering Brazil on the Northeast and Argentina on the West
- Country name: República Oriental del Uruguay
- Short form: Uruguay
- Data Code: UY
- Land Area: 176.215 km2
- Water: 137.567 km2
- Total Area: 313.782 km2
- National Capital: Montevideo
- Polítical division: 19 Provinces
- Government type: Republic under a presidential system.
- The state is organized in three independent powers: Executive, Legislative and Judiciary.
- Suffrage: Compulsory and universal over 18 years of age.
- National holydays: January 1st, May 1st, July 18th, August 25th, December 25th .
- Legal system: The Uruguayan legal system is based on written law passed by the Parliament and promulgated by the President.
The ultimate source of the law is the Constitution of the Republic. The court or judicial procedures normally have two instances. Although the verdict of a court or a judge may provide guidance for other cases, such verdicts are not a binding precedent.
Currency: Peso uruguayo
GDP (2007): 23.136 Million Dollars
GDP Per Capita (2007): 6.960 Dollars
- agriculture and fisheries - 12,6%
- manufacturing industry and mining - 20%
- electricity, gas and water - 4%
- construction industry – 2,6%
- transportation, communications – 13,8%
- trade, hotels and restaurants – 12,8%
- financial services, insurance,housing and business services - 20,1%
- other services - 14,1%
Inflation rate: 8,5%
Unemployment rate: 8,2 %
Exports of goods: 4.496 (in millions USD)
Main Items: Meat, cereals, dairy products, raw hides skins and leather, wood and articles of wood, wool, oil seeds and fruits, plastics and articles thereof, fish & crustaceans, mineral fuel, oil and bituminous substances.
Main partners:
- Brazil (16.4%)
- USA (10.8%)
- Argentina (8.4%)
- Mexico (4.6%)
- Germany (4.2%)
- China (3.54%)
- Spain (3.34%).
Imports of goods: 5.589 (in millions USD).
Main Items: Machinery and mechanical appliances, mineral fuel, oil and bituminous substances, vehicles, electrical machinery and equipment , plastics and articles thereof, fertilizers, miscellaneous chemical products, organic chemical products.
Main partners:
- Brazil (24,7%)
- Argentina (20,8%)
- USA (12,8%)
- China (11.5%)
- Russia (3.1%)
- China (3.54%)
- Germany (2,3%)
Net Public External Debt: 16.319 (in millions USD)
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Information until year 2007. Source: http://www.uruguayxxi.gub.uy/
Population/physicians ratio: 260
Population with access to drinking water : 98%
Electrification rate: 98%
Cars per 100 inhabitants: 19
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Information until year 2007. Source: http://www.uruguayxxi.gub.uy/
Uruguay has a population of 3,000,000 people, mostly of European origin, particularly Spaniards and Italians. It is therefore a population of great ethnical and cultural homogeneity.
Key data:
- Population: 3.323.906
- Annual Demographic Growth Rate: 0.305%
- Density (population per sq.km.): 18,8
- Life Expectancy at Birth: 75,85 años
- Infant mortality rate: 10,5/1000
- Literacy rate: 97%
- Religions: No official religion (Catholics 56%, non religious 38 %, protestants 2 %, Jews 2%)
- Nationality: Noun: Uruguayan(s)
- Adjective: Uruguayan
- Languages: Spanish
- Business languages: English and Portuguese (French and Italian widely spoken)
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Information until year 2007. Source: http://www.uruguayxxi.gub.uy/
Uruguay has a diverse and extensive communications network, which, added to the competitiveness of the financial services and business support infrastructure, facilitate access to core of MERCOSUR as well as other countries and regions of the world.
- Digital telephone network: 100%
- Telephone lines per 100 inhabitants: 30
- Cellular phones per 100 inhabitants: 7
- Internet Users: 21%
