Uruguay

Uruguay - Location, scenery and population

This small country placed between Argentina and Brazil, and unknown for the traditional tourism has an extension of 176,215 km² for its scarcely 3.400.000 inhabitants and is the second smallest country in South America, after Suriname which is the first smallest country.

Not only its subtropical climate, its paradisiac beaches and its so unusual sceneries, wide pasture lands and low hills (the highest is 530 m), make Uruguay to an unforgettable experience but also the diversity of sports, cultural activities and leisure it offers. Uruguay is known as well for being one of the most peaceful countries in South America and for its hospitality.

Within small distances it offers a diversity of sceneries, a combination of valley, rivers, beaches and forests, that shelter a big quantity of different species of birds (more than 400 species are calculated approx.).

The climate in Uruguay is predominantly temperate, with warm summers and cold winters and due to the plane scenery fast weather changes are frequent.

The history of Uruguay is present in all corners of the country, not only in the capital, Montevideo, but also in its villages. The UNESCO declared, in 1995, the historical center "Colonia del Sacramento" as cultural heritage to the humanity.

Today only about 5% of the population show Indian traces of the original inhabitants, the Charrua. Due to the colonization era Uruguayan people have strong influences of the Spanish and Portuguese cultures. During the 20th century the country experienced an important immigration of Europeans, mainly from Italy and Spain.