The Republic of Uruguay is a small Latin American country in South America bordering Brazil and Argentina. Prior to the discovery of the New World and the ensuing European colonization, the area was inhabited by a few scattered tribes of Indians. The first permanent Spanish settlement was founded in 1624 to restrict Portuguese southern expansion.

The 19th Century saw Uruguay's in the centre of ongoing conflicts between the British, Spanish, Portuguese, and colonial forces for dominance in the Argentina-Brazil-Uruguay region. Spanish rule was overthrown by rebels in 1811 but in 1816, Uruguay was invaded by Portuguese troops and later annexed by Brazil. With the aid of Argentina troops, Uruguay declared independence in 1825, but was first formally recognised three years later after the Argentine-Brazil war ended.

The following decades saw Uruguay in great turmoil with civil wars and meddling by Argentina and Brazil. Uruguay experienced economic growth at the end of the 19th Century and the beginning of the 20th Century, however, recession set in from the mid of the 20th Century resulting in guerrilla movements and dictatorships. The latter ended in 1984 after general strikes.

Inhabitants: 3,500,000
Area: 180,000 km2
Capital: Montevideo (1,300,000 inhabitants)
Languages: Spanish
Religion: Roman Catholics (47%), Protestants (11%), atheists (17%), others (25%)GDP (PPP) per capita: $10,900
Government: Republic (presidential system)
Climate: The climate in Uruguay is temperate: it has warm summers and cold winters.