Uruguay

Uruguay, otherwise known as the Oriental Republic of Uruguay (Spanish: Republica Oriental del Uruguay) is one of the most economically developed countries in South America with a high quality of life index and a low level of corruption.

Ranked as the ninth "most livable and greenest country" in the world and first in all the Americas, Uruguay is ranked highest in Latin America on the Global Peace Index.

As the majority of its military personnel are deployed as UN Peacekeepers, most of its military spending is reimbursed by the UN.

With a good record of stable democracy, a strong tradition of consensus-building and prudent economic policies, Uruguay was the only country in the Americas that did not go into recession as a result of the recent global financial crisis..

Given these conditions, it's not surprising that Uruguay is one of the safest countries to visit in South America.

Uruguay has a population of 3.5 million of which 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo. Like all large urban centres, Montevideo has its fair share of criminals. But, in general, they rarely resort to violence in the absence of resistance.

Family

By the beginning of the twentieth century, the traditional pattern of patriarchy was breaking down in Uruguay. The relative emancipation of women put Uruguay far ahead of the rest of Latin America in terms of legal rights and social custom

Religion

Church and state are officially separated since 1916 in Uruguay. According to the most recent official survey approximately 58.1% of Uruguayans define themselves as Christian (47% Roman Catholic, 11.1% Protestant), and approximately 40.89% of the population professes no religion (23.2% as "believing in God but without religion", 17.2% as atheist or agnostic), 0.6% as followers of Umbanda or other African religions, 0.5% as Jewish, 0.1% Buddhist and 0.4% chose "other".[1] Although the majority of Uruguayans do not actively practice a religion, they are nominally church members in the Catholic church. However, Protestants are more active. The first Anglican church in the country was erected in 1844 by British traders, and is considered a historical landmark. Other religious groups in Uruguay include the Jehovah's Witnesses.

Education

Uruguay had the highest literacy rate in Latin America, at 96 percent in 1985. There was no appreciable difference in literacy rates between males and females, but there were discrepancies between urban and rural rates (rural rates being demonstrably lower). Uruguay's system of universal, free, and secular education required a total of nine years of compulsory school attendance, from ages six to fifteen. The proportion of children of primary school age enrolled in school had long been virtually 100 percent. Furthermore, from 1965 to 1985 the proportion of children of secondary school age enrolled in some form of secondary school grew from 44 to 70 percent, also the highest rate in Latin America. The postsecondary education enrollment rate was about 20 percent.Coeducation was the norm, and females and males attended school in near-equal numbers at all levels. As is typical of any country, however, rates of schooling were higher in urban

areas than in rural areas. It was the first nation in the world to provide every school child with a free laptop and wireless internet

Politics

Pres. Tabare Vazquez.

The politics of Uruguay abide by a presidential representative democratic republic, under which the President of Uruguay is both the head of state and the head of government, as well as a multiform party system. The president exercises executive power andlegislative power is vested in the two chambers of the General Assembly of Uruguay. The Judiciary branch is independent from that of the executive and legislature.

Uruguay's Constitution of 1967 created a strong presidency, subject to legislative and judicial balance. Many of these provisions were suspended in 1973 but reestablished in 1985. The president, who is both the head of state and the head of government, is elected by popular vote for a five-year term, with the vice president elected on the same ticket. The President must act together with the Council of Ministers, which comprises cabinet ministers, appointed by the president. Thirteen ministers head various executive departments. The ministers can be removed by the General Assembly by a majority vote.

Economy

The economy of Uruguay is characterized by an export-oriented agricultural sector and a well-educated work force, along with high levels of social spending. After averaging growth of 5% annually during 1996–98, in 1999–2002 the economy suffered a major downturn. Nevertheless, the country managed to avoid a recession and keep positive growth rates, mainly through higher public expenditure and investment, and GDP growth exceeded 7% in 2010.

Agriculture, Textiles and Leather

Throughout Uruguay's history, their strongest exporting industries have been beef and wool. In the

case of beef exports, they have been boosted since Uruguay joined the Mercosur agreement in

1991 and the country has been able to reach more distant markets, such as Japan. In the case of

wool exports, they have not been doing so well in recent years suffering from other competitors in

the market like New Zealand and the fluctuations of its demand during the 2008/09 recession in the

developed world. At the same time with timber refining being kept within the country, forestry has

become a growth industry in the recent years.

Mining

Although this is a sector that does not make substantial contributions to the country's economy, in

recent years there have been some activity in gold and cement production, and also in the extraction

of granite.

Plastics

Due to two major investments made in 1991 and 1997, the most significant manufactured exports in

Uruguay are plastics. This investments laid the way for most of the substantial exports of plastic-

based products which has taken an important role in Uruguay's economy.

Telecommunications

In spite of having poor levels of investment in the fixed-line sector, the small size of Uruguay's

population has enabled them to attain one of the highest teledensity levels in South America and

reach a 100% digitalization of main lines. Although the telecommunications sector has been under a

state monopoly for some years, provisions have been made to introduce liberalization and to allow

for entry of more firms into the cellular sector.

Travel & Tourism

In 2013, travel and tourism accounted for 9.4% of the country's GDP.[13] Their tourist industry is

mainly characterized for attracting visitors from neighboring countries. Currently Uruguay's major

attraction is the interior, particularly located in the region around Punta del Este.

conflict

The Uruguayan Civil War, also known in Spanish as the Guerra Grande ("Great War"), was a

series of armed conflicts that took place between the Colorado Party and the National

Party in Uruguay from 1839 to 1851. The two parties received backing from foreign sources

including both neighbouring countries such as the Empire of Brazil and theArgentine

Confederation as well as imperial powers, primarily the British Empire and the Kingdom of France,

but also a legion of Italian volunteers including Giuseppe Garibaldi. The nine-year Great Siege of

Montevideo captured the imagination of European writers (such as Alexandre Dumas, who

wrote The New Troy).

Criminality

Crime Rating: High

Crime Threats

The crime rate is high by U.S. standards. In Montevideo, street crimes (pickpocketing, purse

snatching, confrontational robbery, smash-and-grab robbery, and theft from parked automobiles) are

common.

Uruguayan National Police Officers are well trained, but their approach to crime is largely reactive.

Police presence on the streets is minimal and provides little in the way of a deterrent. Police

sometimes face shortages of resources and funding. In addition, Uruguayan law prevents

prosecution of minors for non-violent crimes, thus many crimes are committed by adolescents, who

are released within 24 hours. Minors are never tried as adults.

Culture

The culture of Uruguay is diverse in its nature since the nation's population is one of multicultural

origins. The country has an impressive legacy of artistic and literary traditions, especially for its small

size. The contribution of its alternating conquerors, Spain and Portugal, and diverse immigrants –

Italians, Germans, Swiss, Russians, Jews, and Armenians, among others – has resulted in traditions

that integrate this diversity with Native American elements. Uruguay has centuries-old remains and

fortresses of the colonial era. Its cities have a rich architectural heritage, and an impressive number

of writers, artists, and musicians. The folk and popular music of Uruguay shares with Argentina not

only its gaucho roots, but also the tango.

Tango

Candombe

Candombe is an Uruguayan music and dance style originating with African slaves. 

Deviance

"express kidnappings", a method of abduction where a small ransom, that a

company or family can pay is requested. Single-family homes are more prone to burglary

attempts than apartments. Residential burglaries are a significant problem in the Carrasco, Punta

Carretas, and Pocitos areas, where many affluent families and foreign diplomats reside. Most

incidents involve burglaries of homes while the occupants are away, either during the day or at night.

Demography

Environment

The Uruguayan savanna ecoregion used to be covered by grasslands, palm savannas, and gallery

forests along the Uruguay, Negro,Yaguarí, Queguay, and Tacuarembó rivers. Unfortunately,

agriculture and cattle ranching have heavily altered these natural communities. The savannas are

critically endangered because there are few small isolated patches of intact habitat remaining. The

whole ecoregion has been severely altered by cattle ranching, one of the main pillars of the national

economy in Uruguay. About 80% of Uruguayan territory is used for cattle ranching on natural and

artificial savannas

Quebrada de los Cuervos .

Gender

Equality

 the civil equality law introduced in 1946, women have the same rights as men to administer and dispose of

their own property, irrespective of their marital status.[43] Men and women have equal legal access to bank

loans, but some discriminatory attitudes within financial institutions are reported to exist, creating barriers for

women accessing credit.