República Oriental del Uruguay (Spanish) Eastern Republic of the Uruguay
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: Libertad o muerte  (Spanish) "Freedom or death"
Anthem: Himno Nacional Uruguayo  (Spanish)
Capital (and largest city)		Montevideo 34°53′S, 56°10′W
Official languages		Spanish
Demonym		Uruguayan, Oriental
Government		Republic (presidential system)
-	President	Tabaré Vázquez Rosas
-	Vice President	Rodolfo Nin Novoa
Independence		from Brazil
-	Declaration	25 August 1825
-	Constitution Jury	18 July 1830
Area
-	Total	176.215 km²  68,037 sq mi
-	Water (%)	1. The national flag of Uruguay ( Pabellón Nacional) has a field of nine equal horizontal stripes alternating white and blue The Coat of Arms of Uruguay was first adopted by law on March 19, 1829. A motto (from the Italian word motto, meaning witticism sentence is a phrase meant to formally describe the general motivation or intention of a social group A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history traditions and struggles of its people recognized either by a nation's The " National Anthem of Uruguay " is the longest National anthem in terms of duration (about five minutes Origins and Ethnicity Uruguayans share a Spanish linguistic and cultural background with its neighbour country Argentina. Montevideo (monteβi'ðeo is the largest city the capital and chief port of Uruguay. An official language is a Language that is given a special legal status in a particular Country, State, or other territory A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a People or the inhabitants of a place For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. A republic is a State or Country that is not led by a hereditary Monarch, but in which the people (or at least a part of its people have impact on its A presidential system is a System of government where an executive branch exists and presides (hence the term separately from the Legislature Heads of State of Uruguay (1825-Present Presidents (1825 Governors and Captains-general (1825-1830 Presidents (1830-1952 Presidents of the Tabaré Ramón Vázquez Rosas ( pron taβa'ɾe ra'mon 'bahkes 'rosas (born January 17, 1940) is the current President of Uruguay. List of Vice Presidents of Uruguay Parties: Colorado Party, National Party, Frente Amplio History Rodolfo Nin Novoa (1948- is a Uruguayan political figure Background Having originally received a traditional Roman Catholic education Nin was a member Independence is the Self-government of a Nation, Country, or State by its residents and population or some portion thereof generally exercising |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Events 1248 - The Dutch city of Ommen receives city rights and fortification rights from Otto III the Year 1825 ( MDCCCXXV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Events 390 BC - Roman - Gaulish Wars Battle of the Allia - a Roman army is defeated by raiding Gauls, For the game see 1830 (board game. Year 1830 ( MDCCCXXX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. M^2 redirects here For other uses see M². CM2 redirects here The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Water is a common Chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of Life. In Mathematics, a percentage is a way of expressing a number as a Fraction of 100 ( per cent meaning "per hundred" 5%
Population
-	July 2008[1] estimate	3,477,778 (134)
-	2002 census	3,399,236
-	Density	19/km² (19) 50/sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2006[1] estimate
-	Total	$37. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology List of countries by population in 2005|List of countries by population in 1907This is a list of countries ordered according to Population. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume List of countries and dependencies by Population density in inhabitants/km² The purchasing power parity ( PPP) theory uses the long-term equilibrium Exchange rate of two currencies to equalize their Purchasing power. 54 billion (USD)
-	Per capita	$10,900 (USD)
Gini (2003)		44. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head with Per meaning 'through' or 'by' The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been The Gini coefficient is a measure of statistical dispersion most prominently used as a measure of inequality of income distribution or inequality of wealth 9 (high)
HDI (2007)		▲ 0. The Human Development Index ( HDI) is an index combining normalized measures of Life expectancy, Literacy, Educational attainment, and GDP 852 (high) (46th)
Currency		Uruguayan peso ($, UYU ) (UYU)
Time zone		UYT (UTC-3)
-	Summer (DST)	UYST (UTC-2)
Internet TLD		.uy
Calling code		+598

Uruguay (official full name in Spanish: República Oriental del Uruguay; pron. Spanish pronunciation: [reˈpuβlika oɾjenˈtal del uɾuˈɣwai], Eastern Republic of Uruguay) is a country located in the southeastern part of South America. This is a list of countries by Human Development Index as included in the United Nations Development Program 's Human Development Report 2007 A currency is a unit of exchange, facilitating the transfer of Goods and/or services It is one form of Money, where money is This article is about the present currency of Uruguay. For Uruguay's earlier monetary history see Currency of Uruguay. ISO 4217 is the International standard describing three-letter codes (also known as the currency code) to define the names of currencies established ISO 4217 is the International standard describing three-letter codes (also known as the currency code) to define the names of currencies established Daylight saving time ( DST A country This is a list of country calling codes defined by ITU-T recommendation E South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a It is home to 3. 46 million people,^[1] of which 1. 7 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area. Montevideo (monteβi'ðeo is the largest city the capital and chief port of Uruguay. A metropolitan area is a large population center consisting of a large Metropolis and its adjacent zone of influence or of more than one closely adjoining neighboring central

It is bordered by Brazil to the north, by Argentina across the bank of both the Uruguay River to the west and the estuary of Río de la Plata to the southwest, and the South Atlantic Ocean to the southeast. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. The Uruguay River (in Spanish, Río Uruguay, uɾuˈɣwaj in Portuguese, Rio Uruguai,) is a River in South An estuary is a semi-enclosed Coastal body of Water with one or more Rivers or Streams flowing into it and with a free connection to the open The Río de la Plata ( Spanish: " Silver River" &mdash which is often referred to in English-speaking countries as the River Plate Its surface is 176. 215 km² beeing by its territorial extension the second smallest country in South America, larger only than Suriname and the French overseas department of French Guiana. Suriname ( Dutch: Suriname; Sranan Tongo: Sranan) officially the Republic of Suriname (traditionally spelled Surinam by This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Overseas department (départements d’outre-mer or DOM) is a designation under the 1946 Constitution of the Fourth Republic that was given to the French Guiana (Guyane française officially fr ''Guyane'' is an Overseas department (French département d'outre-mer, or DOM) of France

Montevideo was founded by the Spanish in the early 18th century as a military stronghold. Uruguay won its independence in 1825-1828 following a three-way struggle between Spain, Argentina and Brazil. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. It is a constitutional democracy, where the president fulfills the roles of both head of state and head of government. History In ancient times history of India Greece, and Rome had governments similar to constitutional democracies President is a Title leaders of Organizations companies, Trade unions universities, and countries. Head of state is the generic term for the individual or collective office that serves as the chief public representative of a Monarchic or Republican Nation-state This article focuses on the cases where the Head of Government is a separate office from the Head of State

The economy is largely based on agriculture (making up 10% of GDP and the most substantial export) and the state sector, Uruguay's economy is on the whole more stable than in its surrounding states, and it maintains a solid reputation with investors. An economy is the realized social system of production exchange distribution and consumption of goods and services of a country or other area Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture

According to Transparency International, Uruguay is the second least corrupt country in Latin America (after Chile),^[2] with its political and labor conditions being among the freest on the continent. Transparency International ( TI) is a leading international Non-governmental organization addressing corruption Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the

In November 2007 it became the first Latin American country and the second in all of the Americas to recognize same-sex civil unions at the national level. Events in November All Saints' Day (formerly All Hallows Day a Christian holy day is celebrated on November 1, the day after Halloween Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World, consisting of the Continents of North America and South America A civil union is a legally recognized union similar to Marriage. ^[3]

94. 6% of the population are of European descent^[4]. The European peoples are the various Nations and Ethnic groups of Europe. Just under half of the population are declared Roman Catholics. However, the majority of Uruguayans are only nominally religious.

Etymology

The name "Uruguay" comes from Guaraní. Guaraní /gwaraˈni/ (local name avañe'ẽ) is an indigenous language of South America that belongs to the Tupí-Guaraní subfamily of the It has many possible meanings. Some of the proposed meanings are:

• "River of the uru" or "River of the country of the uru": a version attributed to Felix de Azara, which suggests that the name of the country comes from the word urú, which means "bird" in the vicinity of the Uruguay River (from uru = "bird", gua = "place of", and y = "water"). ^[5]
• "River of colorful or 'painted' chinchillas (birds)": poetic interpretation attributed to Juan Zorrilla de San Martín.
• "River of those who bring food": an anonymous version which has been popularized since the discovery of an old document written by Jesuit Lucas Marton.

History

Main article: History of Uruguay

The inhabitants of Uruguay before European colonization of the area were various tribes of hunter gatherer native Americans, the most well known being the Charrúa Indians, a small tribe driven south by the Guaraní Indians of Paraguay. This is about the History of Uruguay. See also the History of South America. The Charrúa were an indigenous people of southern South America in the area today known as Uruguay, northeastern Argentina and southern Guaraní are a group of culturally related indigenous peoples of South America, distinguished from the related Tupi by their use of the Guaraní language Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay ( Spanish: República del Paraguay; Guaraní: Tetã Paraguái) is one of the only The population is estimated at no more than 5000 to 10000. ^[6]

The Plaza Independencia ("Independence Square"), in Montevideo, hosts the tomb of José Artigas, late leader of the Provincia Oriental and the Liga Federal. Plaza Independencia ( Spanish for Independence Square) is the name of Montevideo 's most important Plaza. Montevideo (monteβi'ðeo is the largest city the capital and chief port of Uruguay. Uruguay.(official full name in República Oriental del Uruguay;, Oriental Republic of Uruguay) is a country located in the southeastern part of South America The Liga Federal (1815-1820 or Liga de los Pueblos Libres ( League of the Free Peoples in English was a small confederal state in what is now Argentina In front of the square, the Palacio Salvo can be seen. Palacio Salvo ( English: Salvo Palace) is a building in Montevideo, Uruguay, located at the intersection of 18 de Julio Avenue

Europeans arrived in the territory of present-day Uruguay in the year 1536, but the absence of gold and silver limited settlement in the region during the 16th and 17th centuries. Uruguay became a zone of contention between the Spanish and the Portuguese empires. In 1603 the Spanish began to introduce cattle, which became a source of wealth in the region. ^[7] The first permanent settlement on the territory of present-day Uruguay was founded by the Spanish in 1624 at Villa Soriano on the south-western coast of the Río Negro. Villa Soriano is a town in Uruguay. Location and population It is located in the department of Soriano. The Río Negro ( Spanish for "Black River" is a river in Uruguay. In 1680 the Portuguese built a fort at Colonia del Sacramento. Colonia del Sacramento (formerly the Portuguese Colônia do Sacramento) is a City in southwestern Uruguay, by the Río de la Plata, facing ^[8] Spanish colonization increased as Spain sought to limit Portugal's expansion of Brazil's frontiers.

Another segment of colonial Uruguay's population consisted of people of African descent. Colonial Uruguay's African community grew in number as its members escaped harsh treatment in Buenos Aires. Many relocated to Montevideo, which had a larger black community, seemed lest hostile politically than Buenos Aires, and had a more favorable climate with lower humidity.

As a province of the Viceroyalty of La Plata, colonial Uruguay was known as the Banda Oriental, or "Eastern Strip", referring to its location east of the Rio Uruguay. The Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata was the last and most shortlived Viceroyalty created by Spain in 1776 The inhabitants called themselves Orientales ("Easterners"), a term they still commonly use to refer to themselves.

Uruguay's capital, Montevideo, was founded by the Spanish in the early 18th century as a military stronghold; its natural harbor soon developed into a commercial center competing with Argentina's capital, Buenos Aires. Montevideo (monteβi'ðeo is the largest city the capital and chief port of Uruguay. A stronghold is a strongly fortified defensive structureThe history of fortified buildings extends from antiquity to modern times Buenos Aires is the Capital and largest city of Argentina. It is geographically located on the southern shore of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern Uruguay's early 19th century history was shaped by ongoing conflicts between the British, Spanish, Portuguese, and colonial forces for dominance in the Argentina-Brazil-Uruguay region. ^[9] In 1806 and 1807, the British army attempted to seize Buenos Aires as part of their War with Spain. The British invasions of the Río de la Plata (Invasiones Inglesas del Río de la Plata were a series of unsuccessful British attempts to seize control of the Spanish As a result, at the beginning of 1807, Montevideo was occupied by a 10,000-strong British force who held it until the middle of the year when they left to attack Buenos Aires.

The Uruguayans' road to independence was much longer than those of other countries in the Americas. Early efforts at attaining independence focused on overthrow of Spanish rule, a process begun by Jose Gervasio Artigas in 1811 when he led his forces to victory against the Spanish in the battle of Las Piedras on May 18, 1811. José Gervasio Artigas Aznar ( June 19 1764 - September 23 1850) was a national hero of Uruguay and is sometimes called "the father In 1816, Portuguese troops invaded present-day Uruguay, which led to its eventual annexation by Brazil in 1821 under the provincial name, Provincia Cisplatina. The Cisplatina Province (literally Province of this side of the Rio de la Plata from the Brazilian perspective was a Brazilian province in existence from 1815 to On April 19, 1825, thirty-three Uruguayan exiles led by Juan Antonio Lavalleja returned from Buenos Aires to lead an insurrection in Uruguay with the help of Argentine troops. Juan Antonio Lavalleja ( June 24, 1784 - October 22, 1853) was an Uruguayan revolutionary and political figure They were known as the Treinta y Tres Orientales. Their actions inspired representatives from Uruguay to meet in Florida, a town in the recently liberated area, where they declared independence from Portugal (and therefore Brazil) on August 25, 1825. Florida is a city in Uruguay. Location and population It is the capital of the uruguayan department of Florida, in the south of Uruguay Uruguayan independence was not recognized by its neighbors until 1828, after the Argentina-Brazil War, when Britain, in search of new commercial markets, brokered peace between Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay. ^[10]

Río de la Plata in 1603.

Politics

Main article: Politics of Uruguay

Uruguay's politics take place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President of Uruguay is both head of state and head of government, and of a multi-party system. The Politics of Uruguay abide by a presidential representative democratic Republic, under which the President of Uruguay is both the Head A presidential system is a System of government where an executive branch exists and presides (hence the term separately from the Legislature Representative democracy is a form of government founded on the principles of the people's representatives A republic is a State or Country that is not led by a hereditary Monarch, but in which the people (or at least a part of its people have impact on its Heads of State of Uruguay (1825-Present Presidents (1825 Governors and Captains-general (1825-1830 Presidents (1830-1952 Presidents of the Head of state is the generic term for the individual or collective office that serves as the chief public representative of a Monarchic or Republican Nation-state This article focuses on the cases where the Head of Government is a separate office from the Head of State A multi-party system is a system in which three or more political parties have the capacity to gain control of government separately or in coalition Executive branch is exercised by the government. In Political science and Constitutional law, the executive is the branch of government responsible for the day-to-day management of the State. Legislative branch is vested in both the government and the two chambers of the General Assembly of Uruguay. A legislature is a type of representative Deliberative assembly with the power to create amend and change Laws The law created by a legislature is called Legislation For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. The General Assembly ( Asamblea General) has two chambers. the Chamber of Deputies ( Cámara de Diputados) has The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. In Law, the judiciary or judicial system is the system of Courts which administer Justice in the name of the sovereign or State

For most of Uruguay's history, the Partido Colorado has been the government. The Colorado Party (Partido Colorado is a Political party in Uruguay. The other "traditional" party of Uruguay, Partido Blanco, having ruled only twice. The National Party ( Partido Nacional in Spanish) also known as the White Party ( Partido Blanco) is a major Right-wing liberal The Partido Blanco has its roots in the countryside and the original settlers of Spanish origin and the cattle ranchers. The Partido Colorado has its roots in the port city of Montevideo, the new immigrants of Italian origin and the backing of foreign interests. The Partido Colorado built a welfare state financed by taxing the cattle revenue and giving state pickles and free services to the new urban immigrants which became dependent on the state. The elections of 2004, however, brought the Frente Amplio, a coalition of socialists, former Tupamaros, former communists and mainly social democrats among others to govern with majorities in both houses of parliament and the election of President Tabaré Vázquez by an absolute majority. The Broad Front or FA (in Spanish: Frente Amplio) is a Uruguayan Centre-left Political party. Tupamaros, also known as the MLN ( Movimiento de Liberación Nacional or National Liberation Movement was an Urban guerrilla organization in Uruguay Social democracy is a Political ideology of the left and centre-left Tabaré Ramón Vázquez Rosas ( pron taβa'ɾe ra'mon 'bahkes 'rosas (born January 17, 1940) is the current President of Uruguay.

The Reporters Without Borders worldwide press freedom index has ranked Uruguay as 57th of 168 reported countries in 2006. ^[11]

According to Freedom House, an American organization that tracks global trends in political freedom, Uruguay ranked twenty-seventh in its "Freedom in the World" index. Freedom House is a United States -based international Non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on Democracy, political Freedom in the World is a yearly report by US-based Freedom House that attempts to measure the degree of Democracy and political freedom According to the Economist Intelligence Unit, Uruguay scores a 7. The Economist Intelligence Unit ( EIU) is part of The Economist Group. 96 on the Democracy Index, located in the last position among the 28 countries considered to be Full Democracies in the world. The Economist has in a study examined the state of Democracy in 167 countries and attempted to quantify this with an Economist Intelligence Unit Index of Democracy The report looks at 60 indicators across five categories: Free elections, civil liberties, functioning government, political participation and political culture. ^[12]

Uruguay ranks 28th in the World CPI (Corruption Perception Index) composed by Transparency International. Since 1995, Transparency International has published an annual Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI ordering the countries of the world according to "the degree Transparency International ( TI) is a leading international Non-governmental organization addressing corruption ^[13]

Culture

Uruguay has an impressive legacy of artistic and literary traditions, especially for its small size. The contribution of its alternating conquerors and diverse immigrants has resulted in native traditions that integrate this diversity. Uruguay has centuries old remains, fortresses of the colonial era. Its cities have a rich architectural heritage and an impressive number of writers, artists, and musicians. Uruguayan tango is the form of dance that originated in the neighborhoods of Montevideo, Uruguay towards the end of the 1800s. Tango, candombe, and murga are the three main styles of music in this city.

Direct democracy

The Uruguayan constitution allows citizens to repeal laws or to change the constitution, by referendum. A referendum (plural referendums or referenda) ballot question, or plebiscite (from Latin plebiscita During the last 15 years the method has been used several times; to confirm a law renouncing prosecution of members of the military who violated human rights during the military regime (1973-1985), to stop privatization of public utilities companies (See Economy: Public Sector), to defend pensioners' incomes, and to protect water resources.

Departments

Main article: Departments of Uruguay

Uruguay consists of nineteen departments (departamentos, singular "departamento"). |||} Uruguay consists of 19 departments ( departamentos, singular departamento) (capitals in parentheses Artigas In the Terminology of Political geography and Historiography a National department (département departamento is an administrative The first departments were formed in 1816 and the newest date from 1885 which is Flores. The departments are governed by an intendente municipal who is elected for five years. The members of the Departmental Assembly (Junta Departamental) form the legislative level of the department.

Geography

Main article: Geography of Uruguay

At 176,214 square kilometres (68,036 square miles) of continental land and 142,199 square kilometres (54,903 sq mi) of jurisdictional waters and small river islands,^[14] Uruguay is the second smallest sovereign nation in South America (after Suriname) and the third smallest territory (French Guiana is the smallest). Geography and climate Neighbouring departments are Salto to the South and Rivera to the Southeast Artigas is the capital of the department of Artigas in Uruguay. Geography and climate Neighbouring departments are Maldonado and Lavalleja to the East Flores to the North San José to the West and Canelones is the capital of the department of Canelones in Uruguay. History During the 19th and early 20th centuries when intermittent periods of Civil war occurred in Uruguay the department was a stronghold of the Blanco For the play and film adaptations see Mélo. Melo is a city in Uruguay. Population and Demographics As of the census of 2004 there were 119266 people and 40243 households in the department Colonia del Sacramento (formerly the Portuguese Colônia do Sacramento) is a City in southwestern Uruguay, by the Río de la Plata, facing Economy and Geography The economy of Durazno largely depends on agriculture and agrotourism San Pedro del Durazno is the capital of the department of Durazno in Uruguay. History and cultural heritage The department is named after the former Colorado Party leader Venancio Flores, who was born in Trinidad in the nineteenth Trinidad is a city in Uruguay. Location and population It is the capital of the department of Flores in the south of Uruguay Population and Demographics As of the census of 2004 there were 68181 people and 21938 households in the department Florida is a city in Uruguay. Location and population It is the capital of the uruguayan department of Florida, in the south of Uruguay Population and Demographics As of the census of 2004 there were 60925 people and 20737 households in the department Minas is the capital of the department of Lavalleja in Uruguay. Geography and climate Neighbouring departments are Rocha to the East Lavalleja to the North and Northwest and Canelones to the West Maldonado is the capital of Uruguay ´s Maldonado Department. Population and Demographics As of the census of 2004 there were 1325968 people and 456587 households in the department Montevideo (monteβi'ðeo is the largest city the capital and chief port of Uruguay. Population and demographics As of the census of 2004 there were 113244 people and 33691 households in the department Paysandú is the second largest city in Uruguay, with a population of 97000 Geography and climate Neighbouring departments are Paysandú to the North Tacuarembó to the East Durazno to the Southeast and Soriano Fray Bentos is a town Uruguay. Location and population It is located in western Uruguay, close to the border with Argentina, and about Population and Demographics As of the census of 2004 there were 104921 people and 32391 households in the department Rivera is a city in Uruguay. Population and location It is the capital of the department of Rivera in Uruguay with Population and Demographics As of the census of 2004 there were 69937 people and 24834 households in the department The word Rocha literally means Boulder in Portuguese. It is also a Topographical surname that is found in Portugal as "da Rocha" Salto Department is a department of Uruguay. Its capital is Salto. Salto is the Second city of Uruguay. Population and location It has a population of 99072 (2004 census Population and Demographics As of the census of 2004 there were 103104 people and 33063 households in the department San José de Mayo is an Uruguayan city capital of San José Department. Population and Demographics As of the census of 2004 there were 84563 people and 26105 households in the department Mercedes is the capital and largest city of the department of Soriano in Uruguay. Population and Demographics As of the census of 2004 there were 90489 people and 28054 households in the department Tacuarembó, is a town in Uruguay. Location and population It is located in north-central Uruguay, in the Department of the same name of which History of name 'Treinta y Tres' is Spanish for 'Thirty-Three' Treinta y Tres is a small town in Uruguay. Location and name It is situated in eastern Uruguay. Uruguay is a country in Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Argentina and Brazil. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a Suriname ( Dutch: Suriname; Sranan Tongo: Sranan) officially the Republic of Suriname (traditionally spelled Surinam by French Guiana (Guyane française officially fr ''Guyane'' is an Overseas department (French département d'outre-mer, or DOM) of France The landscape features mostly rolling plains and low hill ranges (cuchillas) with a fertile coastal lowland. A dense fluvial network covers the country, consisting of four river basins or deltas; the Río de la Plata, the Uruguay River, the Laguna Merín and the Río Negro. Lagoa Mirim ( Portuguese) or Laguna Merín ( Spanish) is a large estuarine Lagoon which extends from southern Rio Grande do The major internal river is the Río Negro ('black river'). The Río Negro ( Spanish for "Black River" is a river in Uruguay. Several lagoons are found along the Atlantic coast. A lagoon is a body of comparatively shallow salt or Brackish water separated from the deeper Sea by a shallow or exposed sandbank, coral

The highest point in the country is the Cerro Catedral at 513. 66 meters (1,685 ft 3 in) in the Sierra de Carapé mountain range. Inches redirects here To see the Les Savy Fav album see Inches. To the southwest is the Río de la Plata, the estuary of the Uruguay River, which forms the western border, and the Paraná River, that does not run through Uruguay itself. The Río de la Plata ( Spanish: " Silver River" &mdash which is often referred to in English-speaking countries as the River Plate The Uruguay River (in Spanish, Río Uruguay, uɾuˈɣwaj in Portuguese, Rio Uruguai,) is a River in South This article is about the second-longest river in South America For the shorter river in Goiás, central Brazil see Paranã River The Paraná River

Borders

Uruguay shares borders with Argentina and Brazil.

With Argentina:

Uruguay River to the west and Río de la Plata in the south.

With Brazil:

Chuy Stream 13 kilometres (8. 1 mi), straight line (Chuy) 8. 7 kilometres (5. 4 mi), San Miguel Stream 13 km (8. 1 mi), Merín Lagoon, 280. 1 km (174 mi) Yaguarón River, 142. The Jaguarão or Yaguarón River ( Portuguese Rio Jaguarão, Spanish Río Yaguarón) forms the border between Uruguay and 4 km (88. 5 mi), Yaguarón 'Chico' River 18. 5 km (11. 5 mi), 'Arrollo de la Mina' Stream 20. 4 km (12. 7 mi), Aceguá straight line 37. 2 km (23. 1 mi), San Luis Stream 31. 3 km (19. 4 mi), North Branch of the San Luis Stream 3. 6 km (2. 2 mi), Straight line 8 km (5 mi), 'Cañada del Cementerio' 4 km (2. 5 mi), Straight lines 0. 6 km (0. 4 mi), 'Cuchilla de Santa Ana' SE 168. 5 km (104. 7 mi), Rivera-Livramento 4. 8 km (3 mi), 'Cuchilla de Santa Ana' 20. 8 km (12. 9 mi), 'Cuchilla Negra' 4189. 3 km (2603. 1 mi), 'Arrollo de la Invernada' Stream 37. 8 km (23. 5 mi), Cuareim River 313. The Quaraí or Cuareim River ( Portuguese Rio Quaraí, Spanish Río Cuareim) is a Tributary of the Uruguay River 4 km (194. 7 mi)^[15]

Climate

The climate in Uruguay is temperate: it has warm summers and cold winters. Climate encompasses the temperatures humidity rainfall atmospheric particle count and numerous other meteorogical factors in a given region over long periods of The predominantly gently undulating landscape is also somewhat vulnerable to rapid changes from weather fronts. It receives the periodic influence of the polar air in winter, and tropical air from Brazil in summer. Without mountains in zone that act as a barrier, the air masses freely move by the territory, causing abrupt weather changes.

The coolest month is June, while the warmest is January. The rainfall is equally distributed throughout the year, but tends to be a bit more frequent in the autumn months. There can be frequent thunderstorms in the summer. Although snow is not very common, it snowed in 1913, 1918, 1963, 1989, 1992, and 2007.

Playa Brava in Punta del Este, Uruguay

Enclaves and exclaves

Since 1984 Uruguay has the Antarctic base "General Artigas" on King George Island in Antarctica, part of the South Shetland Islands archipelago, at 62°11′04″S, 58°54′09″W, some 100 km (62 mi) from the Antarctic peninsula itself. King George Island (Argentina Isla 25 de Mayo, Chile Isla Rey Jorge Russian historical name - Vaterlo (Waterloo) is the largest of the The South Shetland Islands are a group of Antarctic islands, lying about 120 kilometres north of the Antarctic Peninsula.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Uruguay

Montevideo, Uruguay's capital. Peculiarities of Uruguay Raw Data GDP purchasing power parity - $37 Montevideo (monteβi'ðeo is the largest city the capital and chief port of Uruguay.

Uruguay has a middle income economy, mainly dominated by the State services sector, an export-oriented agricultural sector and an industrial sector. Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture Uruguay relies heavily on trade, particularly in agricultural exports, leaving the country particularly vulnerable to slumps in commodity prices and global economic slowdowns. After averaging growth of 5% annually in 1996-1998, in 1999-2001 the economy suffered from lower demand in Argentina and Brazil, which together account for nearly half of Uruguay's exports. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Despite the severity of the trade shocks, Uruguay's financial indicators remained stabler than those of its neighbours, a reflection of its solid reputation among investors and its investment-grade sovereign bond rating — one of only two in South America. ^[16] In recent years Uruguay has shifted some of its energy into developing the commercial use of technologies and has become the first exporter of software in Latin America. ^[17]

While some parts of the economy appeared to be resilient, the downturn had severe impact on the local population. Unemployment levels rose to more than 20%, real wages fell, the peso devalued. The term real wages refers to wages that have been adjusted for Inflation. This article is about the present currency of Uruguay. For Uruguay's earlier monetary history see Currency of Uruguay. These worsening economic conditions played a part in turning public opinion against the mildly free market economic policies adopted by the previous administrations in the 1990s, leading to the popular rejection of proposals for privatization of the state petroleum company in 2003 and of the state water company in 2004. A free market is a Market in which property rights are voluntarily exchanged at a price arranged completely by the mutual consent of sellers and buyers Privatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of business from the Public sector (government to the Private sector (business The newly elected Frente Amplio government, while pledging to continue payments on Uruguay's external debt,^[18] has also promised to undertake a Emergency Plan (See section:Social Problems Poverty and inequality) to attack the widespread problems of poverty and unemployment. The Broad Front or FA (in Spanish: Frente Amplio) is a Uruguayan Centre-left Political party. ^[19]

Agriculture

Main article: Agriculture of Uruguay

Agriculture played such an important part in Uruguayan history and national identity until the middle of the twentieth century that the entire country was then sometimes likened to a single huge estancia (agricultural estate) centred around Montevideo, where the wealth generated in the hinterland was spent, at its casco or administrative head. Agriculture played such an important part in Uruguayan history and national identity until the middle of the 20th century that the entire country was then sometimes likened to a single huge

A heartland of historic estancias: Estancia San Eugenio, Casupá, southern department of Florida.

Today, agriculture contributes roughly 11% to the country’s GDP and is still the main foreign exchange earner, putting Uruguay in line with other agricultural exporters like Brazil, Canada and New Zealand. Uruguay is a member of the Cairns Group of exporters of agricultural products. The Cairns Group is an interest group of 19 agricultural exporting countries composed of Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada Uruguay’s agriculture has relatively low inputs of labor, technology and capital in comparison with other such countries, which results in comparatively lower yields per hectare but also opens the door for Uruguay to market its products as "natural" or "ecological. "

Campaigns like “Uruguayan grass-fed beef” and “Uruguay Natural” aim to establish Uruguay as a premium brand in beef, wine and other food products.

Recently, an industry has developed around estancia tourism which capitalizes on the traditional or folkloristic connotations associated with gaucho culture and the remaining resources of Uruguay's historic estancias. Agritourism is a style of vacation that normally takes place on a Farm. Hacienda is a Spanish word for an estate usually but not always a vast Ranch.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Uruguay

People in Montevideo, Uruguay

Queen of Colonia Valdense 12th annual celebration

The overwhelming majority of Uruguay's population is of predominantly white European descent: Spaniards, and Italians being the most prevalent, followed by French, Germans, Portuguese, British, Swiss, Russians, Poles, Bulgarians, Hungarians, Ukrainians, Lithuanians, Estonians, Latvians, Lebanese, Israeli, Dutch, Belgians, Croatians, Austrians, Greeks, Scandinavians, Irish, Romanians, Argentines, Serbians, Brazilians, and Armenians. Origins and Ethnicity Uruguayans share a Spanish linguistic and cultural background with its neighbour country Argentina. The' Italian people' are a Southern European Ethnic group located primarily in Italy, Switzerland, France and by virtue of a wide-ranging Legal residents and citizens To be French according to the first article of the Constitution is to be a citizen of France regardless of one's origin race or religion ( The German people (Deutsche are an Ethnic group, in the sense of sharing a common German culture, descent and speaking the German language as The Portuguese people (os Portugueses literally the Portuguese) are the Ethnic group or Nation native to the country of Portugal, in the west British people, or Britons, are the native inhabitants of Great Britain and their descendants or citizens of the United Kingdom, of the The Russian people (Русские— Russkie) are an East Slavic Ethnic group, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries The Polish people, or Poles, (Polacy) are a Western Slavic Ethnic group of Central Europe, living predominantly in Poland. The Bulgarians (българи balgari) are a South Slavic people generally associated with the Republic of Bulgaria and the Bulgarian language Hungarians (or Magyars, magyarok are an Ethnic group primarily associated with Hungary. Ukrainians (Українці Ukrayintsi,) are an East Slavic Ethnic group primarily living in Ukraine, or more broadly— Citizens Lithuanians are the Baltic Ethnic group native to Lithuania, where they number a little over 3 million Estonians ( Estonian: eestlased, previously maarahvas) are a Finnic people closely related to the Finns and inhabiting primarily the country Latvians or Letts (latvieši the indigenous Baltic people of Latvia, occasionally refer to themselves by the ancient name of Latvji, which The Dutch people ( Dutch:) are the dominant Ethnic group of the Netherlands. Belgium has a population of about 10666866 citizens as of January 2008 Croats (Hrvati are a South Slavic people mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries Austrians (Österreicher are a nation and an ethnic group originating from the Republic of Austria and its historical predecessor states ( March of Austria, The Greeks ( Greek: Έλληνες) are a Nation and Ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighbouring regions Terminology and usage As a cultural term "Scandinavia" has no official definition and is subject to usage by those who identify with the culture in question as well The Irish people ( Irish: Muintir na hÉireann, na hÉireannaigh, na Gaeil) are a Western European Ethnic group who originate The Romanians (dated Rumanians or Roumanians; Romanian: români or historically and today rather seldom and only regional rumâni For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. Brazilians ( brasileiros in Portuguese) are all people born in Brazil The Armenians (Հայեր Hayer) are a Nation and Ethnic group originating in the Caucasus and in the Armenian Highlands A large According to the 2006 National Survey of Homes by the Uruguayan National Institute of Statistics: 94. 6% chose European ancestry, 9. 1% chose Afro/Black ancestry and 4. 5% chose native-American ancestry (People surveyed were allowed to choose more than one option). ^[4]

Many of the European immigrants arrived in Uruguay in the late 1800s and have heavily influenced the architecture and culture of Montevideo and other major cities. For this reason, Montevideo and life within the city are reminiscent of parts of Europe. ^[20]

Some colonies such as Colonia Valdense -a Waldensian colony-, Colonia Suiza -also named Nueva Helvecia- a mainly Swiss colony with some German and Austrian settlers, were founded in the department of Colonia. New Helvetia was a ranch owned by John Sutter in Alta California. Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation There are also towns founded by early British settlers such as Conchillas and Barker. See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands A Russian colony called San Javier was founded in the department of Río Negro. Mennonite colonies can also be found in the department of Río Negro and in the department of Canelones. The Mennonites are a group of Christian Anabaptist denominations named after Menno Simons (1496&ndash1561 though his teachings were a relatively One of them, called El Ombú, is famous for its well-known Dulce de Leche "Claldy" and is located near the city of Young.

Uruguay has a large urban middle class and a literacy rate of 96. The middle class, in colloquial usage consists of those who have some economic independence but not a great deal of social Influence or power. traditional definition of literacy is considered to be the ability to read and write or the ability to use Language to read, write, listen, 79% (1996 est). ^[21] During the 1970s and 1980s, an estimated 600,000 Uruguayans emigrated, mainly to Spain, Italy, Argentina and Brazil. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Other Uruguayans went to various countries in Europe, to the USA, Canada, and Australia. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics.

Religion

Uruguay's oldest church is in San Carlos, Maldonado.

Main article: Religion in Uruguay

Church and state are officially separated since 1919. Church and state are officially separated since approximately 1916 in Uruguay. Year 1919 ( MCMXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common According to the 2006 National Survey of Homes by the Uruguayan National Institute of Statistics: 47. 1% of Uruguayans define themselves as Roman Catholic, 23. 2% as "believing in God but without religion", 17. 2% as Atheist or Agnostic, 11. Atheism Agnosticism ( Greek: α- a-, without + γνώσις gnōsis, knowledge after Gnosticism) is the philosophical view that the 1% "Non-Catholic Christian" (Protestant), 0. Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. 6% as followers of Umbanda or other "afro" religions, 0. 3% as Jewish, and 0. PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ 4% chose "Other". ^[22]

The majority of Uruguayans do not actively practice religion. It is widely considered the most secular nation in Latin America.

Social Issues

According to data published by the United Nations, the Gini index for Uruguay was 0. The Gini coefficient is a measure of statistical dispersion most prominently used as a measure of inequality of income distribution or inequality of wealth 449 in 2003, where 1. 00 stands for maximum inequality and 0 for even distribution of the wealth between the population. ^[23]

A recent report^[24] used 2 indicators to estimate the number of people living in poverty in the country.

• Indigence line: income of the family is not enough for the basic food consumption.

• Poverty line: income of the family is not enough for food consumption, clothing, health and transport.

The numbers obtained depends according with the methodology used, the inform uses 3 different methods. According to the one proposed by the Regional Workshop about poverty measurement in 1996, which produces the highest values of all, the results for the first quarter of 2006 are:

Population below Indigence line: 3. 01%

Population below Poverty line: 18%

The reports shows the indicators are improving as the country is recovering from the last 2002 crisis; in 2004, poverty indicators reached an all time high. ^[25]

A new ministry of Social Development was created by the Broad Front (Uruguay) (Frente Amplio) government led by Tabare Vazquez, and an Emergency plan which targets the less favoured 200. The Broad Front or FA (in Spanish: Frente Amplio) is a Uruguayan Centre-left Political party. Tabaré Ramón Vázquez Rosas ( pron taβa'ɾe ra'mon 'bahkes 'rosas (born January 17, 1940) is the current President of Uruguay. Emergency management (or disaster management) is the discipline of dealing with and avoiding risks 000 Uruguayans.

The average income of a woman in 2002 in Uruguay was 71. 8% of the income of men for the same activity. ^[26] The average income of African heritage workers is 65% of that of those of European heritage. ^[27]

Montevideo, capital of the country. Montevideo (monteβi'ðeo is the largest city the capital and chief port of Uruguay. A view of pedestrian street in the Ciudad Vieja, former Spanish citadel

Although rents in neighborhoods not in high demand are not very expensive in Uruguay, it is usually required to have another property as a warranty for the contract, or leave a deposit which many can not afford. This first condition makes renting a property especially difficult for the least favoured sectors of the population. According to the INE 23, 3% of the population lives in a place neither owned nor rented. Some of them are proper built houses, but others are precarious constructions built illegally in public or private empty land just outside the cities. Thus, whole new poor neighborhoods have emerged in the last decades. They are called Asentamientos or more colloquially Cantegriles in ironic allusion to the fashionable Neighborhood of Cantegril in Punta del Este. Punta del Este is an upscale vacation spot on the southern tip of Uruguay, southeast of the town of Maldonado and about 140 km east of Montevideo. The phenomena is similar to the Favelas in Brazil, Villas Miseria in Argentina, Barrios in Venezuela, Arrabales in Spain, Poblaciones Callampa in Chile or Jacales in Mexico. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. Venezuela (ˌvɛnəˈzweɪlə) officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish República Bolivariana de Venezuela) is a country on the Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America.

Sport

The main sport in Uruguay is football. The Uruguay national football team is one of only five nations to win the FIFA World Cup on two or more occasions. The Uruguay national football team is controlled by the Asociación Uruguaya de Fútbol. The FIFA World Cup, occasionally called the Football World Cup, but usually referred to simply as the World Cup, is an international Association football In 1930, Uruguay hosted the first ever World Cup and went on to win the competition, defeating Argentina 4-2 in the final. Year 1930 ( MCMXXX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The 1930 FIFA World Cup was the first FIFA World Cup, the world championship for international football teams The Argentina national football team is the national football team of Argentina and is controlled by the Asociación del Fútbol Argentino (AFA Uruguay won the 1950 FIFA World Cup as well, famously defeating the favored hosts, Brazil, 2-1 in the final. The 1950 FIFA World Cup, held in Brazil from June 24 to July 16, was the fourth staging of the World Cup and the first staged in 12 years due to World Uruguay vs Brazil was a football match which decided the winners of the 1950 FIFA World Cup tournament The Brazil national football team is the national team of Brazil and is managed by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF that represents Brazil in international Uruguay is by far the smallest country, population wise, to win a World Cup. Out of the World Cup winners, the nation with the second smallest population is Argentina (winners of the 1978 and 1986 editions) who currently have just over 40,000,000 people according to the latest estimate; the 2002 census has Uruguay's current population slightly under 3,400,000. The 1978 FIFA World Cup, the 11th staging of the World Cup was held in Argentina between June 1 and June 25. The 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from May 31 to June 29. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. The Uruguay national team has also won the Copa América 14 different times, a record it shares with Argentina. The Copa América ( Spanish and Portuguese for "America Cup" is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by

The most popular football teams in Uruguay are Club Atlético Peñarol (Three times World champions, five times Copa Libertadores de América champions, and oldest club in Uruguay) and Club Nacional de Football (Three times World champions, three times Copa Libetadores de América champions), followed by Defensor, Danubio (last Uruguayan champion). Club Atlético Peñarol is a Sports club in Montevideo, Uruguay, best known for its traditional football team a three-time World Champion Club Nacional de Football is a traditional Uruguayan Sports club, full of history based in Montevideo and founded in May 14, 1899 Uruguay has had many great known players such as Enzo Francescoli and Currently known now Diego Forlan UEFA golden boot winner.

Basketball, Rugby, and tennis are other popular sports in Uruguay. Basketball is a team Sport in which two teams of five active players each try to score points against one another by propelling a ball through a 10 feet (3 m Overview See also Playing rugby union A rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes (plus stoppage time with a short Tennis is a sport played between two players ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles)

Brother countries

New Zealand

International rankings

Political and economic rankings

GDP per capita - 60^th highest, at I$11,969

Human Development Index - 46^th high, at 0. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island This article includes three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP at Purchasing power parity (PPP Per capita The Geary-Khamis dollar, also known as the international dollar, is a hypothetical unit of Currency that has the same Purchasing power that the U This is a list of countries by Human Development Index as included in the United Nations Development Program 's Human Development Report 2007 852

Income Equality - , at 0. This is a list of countries or dependencies by Income inequality metrics, including Gini coefficients according to the United Nations (UN and the 449 (Gini Index)

Literacy Rate - 51^st, at 97. The Gini coefficient is a measure of statistical dispersion most prominently used as a measure of inequality of income distribution or inequality of wealth List of countries by Literacy rate, as included in the United Nations Development Programme Report 2007/2008 7%

Unemployment rate - 112^th, at 8. This is a list of countries by unemployment rate. Unless indicated otherwise information is based on The World Factbook. 70%

Health rankings

Fertility rate- 139^th most fertile, at 1. This page consists of two tables Table 1 is sourced from the CIA World Factbook''' 97 per woman

Birth rate - 157^th most births, at 13. This is a list of countries by crude Birth rate, based on the United Nations Population Division's quinquennial estimates and projections 91 per 1000 people

Infant mortality - 128^th most deaths, at 1 per 1000 live births

Death rate - 84^th highest death rate, at 9. This is a list of countries by infant mortality rate. Figures are from the 2006 revision of the United Nations World Population Prospects report for the period 2005-2010 and the This is a list of countries by crude Death rate, based on the United Nations Population Division's quinquennial estimates and projections 16 per 1000 people

Life Expectancy - 47^th highest, at 76. __FORCETOC__This is a list of countries by Life expectancy at birth the average number of years to be lived by a group of people born in the same year if mortality at each age remains 4 years

Suicide Rate - 24^th highest suicide rate, at 15. The following is a List of suicide rates by country according to data from the World Health Organization in which a country's rank is determined by its total rate of Suicides 1 for males and 6. 4 for females per 100,000 people

HIV/AIDS rate - 108^th most cases, at 0. This is a list of countries and territories by people living with HIV / AIDS and the prevalence rate among adults, based on data from various sources such as the 30%

Other rankings

CO₂ emissions - 125^th highest emissions, at 1. This is a list of countries by Carbon dioxide emissions Per capita from 1990 through 2004 65 tonnes per capita

Electricity Consumption - 88^th highest consumption of electricity, at 7,762,000,000 kWh

Broadband Internet access - no data

Global Peace Index - 21^th highest peace rate in 2008

Comparative ranking by index

⁽¹⁾ Worldwide ranking among countries evaluated. The Human Poverty Index is an indication of the Standard of living in a country developed by the United Nations (UN Although the most severe Poverty is in the Developing world, there is evidence of poverty in every region The Global Peace Index is an attempt to measure the relative position of nations’ and regions’ peacefulness The Economist is an English-language weekly news and International affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd and edited in London The Economist has in a study examined the state of Democracy in 167 countries and attempted to quantify this with an Economist Intelligence Unit Index of Democracy The Economist is an English-language weekly news and International affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd and edited in London Since 1995, Transparency International has published an annual Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI ordering the countries of the world according to "the degree Transparency International ( TI) is a leading international Non-governmental organization addressing corruption The Human Development Index ( HDI) is an index combining normalized measures of Life expectancy, Literacy, Educational attainment, and GDP The Index of Economic Freedom is a series of 10 economic measurements created by the Wall Street Journal and The Heritage Foundation to measure the degree of Economic freedom The Economist Intelligence Unit ’s quality of life index is based on a unique methodology that links the results of Subjective life-satisfaction surveys to the The Economist is an English-language weekly news and International affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd and edited in London The Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report was first published in 2007 by the World Economic Forum. The World Economic Forum (WEF is a Geneva -based Non-profit foundation best known for its Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland The Global Competitiveness Report is a yearly report published by the World Economic Forum. The World Economic Forum (WEF is a Geneva -based Non-profit foundation best known for its Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland This is a list of countries or dependencies by Income inequality metrics, including Gini coefficients according to the United Nations (UN and the

⁽²⁾ Ranking among the 20 Latin American countries.

⁽³⁾ Ranking among 108 developing countries with available data only. Developing countries are countries that haven't reached Western-style standards of democratic government free market economy industrialization social programs and human rights guaranties

⁽⁴⁾ Ranking among 71 developing countries with available data only. Developing countries are countries that haven't reached Western-style standards of democratic government free market economy industrialization social programs and human rights guaranties Countries in the sample suveyed between 1990-2005. Refers to population below income poverty line as define by the World Bank's $2 per day indicator

⁽⁵⁾ Because the Gini coefficient used for the ranking corresponds to different years depending of the country, and the underlying household surveys differ in method and in the type of data collected, the distribution data are not strictly comparable across countries. The World Bank is an internationally supported Bank that provides financial and technical assistance to developing countries for development programs (e The Gini coefficient is a measure of statistical dispersion most prominently used as a measure of inequality of income distribution or inequality of wealth The ranking therefore is only a proxy for reference purposes, and though the source is the same, the sample is smaller than for the HDI

References