Geographical Information

The Republic Oriental del Uruguay is a Country of South America that borders to the North with Brazil, the East with the Atlantic Ocean, the South with the Rio de la Plata and to the West with Argentina, separated by the Uruguay River.

Punta del Este is in the State of Maldonado, 130 km East of Montevideo, the National Capital, and is the geographic limit between the Rio de la Plata and the Atlantic Ocean.

Relief

The Uruguayan ground is smoothly waved, crossed by hills, whose altitude oscillates between 200 and 500 meters. The Cuchilla Grande, between the Rio Negro, the Rio de la Plata and the Atlantic Ocean, and the Cuchilla de Haedo, prolonged in the limit with Brazil by the Negro and Santa Ana. In the southern part of the territory, hills and green pastures areas are common, like the hill of the Animas (501 meters). An almost continuous vegetal carpet of natural pastures, apt for the breeding of bovine and ovine cattle.

Coasts and Islands

The country has about 450 km of coasts throughout the Uruguay River and the Rio de la Plata and 220Km of marine coasts. This coast offers a sandy beach succession, of great tourist interest (Pocitos, Atlántida, Piriápolis, Punta del Este, La Paloma, etc.), alternated with rock points. The coast of the Atlantic is subject to flooding in some sites, and throughout her the lagoons abound. The main islands, next to the coast, are those of Juncal, Flores, Gorriti and Lobos.

Hydrograph

The country is crossed by numerous rivers, affluent almost all of the Uruguay river. It has 1,600 km of course, it is born in Brazil and it is navigable, even by ships of great openwork, until Paysandú. Between its affluent are the Cuareim, Arapey, Dayman, Queguay and the Negro river, of 600 km that also comes from Brazil, crosses the country and receives the rivers Yi and Tacuarembó as well, among others, towards the Rio de la Plata and the Merin lagoon.

Statistical Data

• Population: 3.100.000 inhabitants
• Urban population :85%
• Density :17 h./km2
• Area: 177.410. km2
• Capital : Montevideo
• Language : Castilian (Spanish)
• Monetary Unit: Uruguayan Peso.
• National Celebration: 25 of August of 1825, Day of Independence; 18 of Julio of 1830, Oath of the Constitution.
• Health: 1 doctor per 880 h. and 1 bed of hospital per 80 h. (1986).
• Infantile mortality: 25 /1,000 smaller children of 5 years.
• Potable Water: 73% of the population has access (88/90).