The Oriental Republic of Uruguay is located in the Southern Cone of South America, bordering Brazil to the north and northeast, Argentina to the west, and the Río de la Plata and the Atlantic Ocean to the south and southeast, respectively.
Uruguay has an area of 176,215 km² and a population of 3,415,920 inhabitants, who maintain a high literacy rate of 97% of the population.
Uruguay's climate is temperate and humid (averaging 17 °C / 63 °F), with warm summers and fairly evenly distributed rainfall throughout the year. In Uruguay, where both maritime and continental influences are felt, rainfall follows a dual rainy season, spread across spring-summer and autumn, with a peak in autumn and a secondary peak in spring.
Uruguay is an agro-exporting country, which is why agriculture—rice, wheat, corn, sunflower, sorghum, barley, soybeans—and livestock farming (cattle, sheep) are the fundamental resources of its economy. The country is located in one of the world's largest cattle- and sheep-raising regions, alongside its large agricultural and livestock-producing neighbors such as Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Chile.
Uruguayan society is cosmopolitan, the result of several successive waves of European migration. It is an open society, with a democratic government elected through free elections every 5 years, and it promotes tolerance of religions and political ideologies, as well as non-discrimination.
Uruguay has notable tourist destinations, among which Punta del Este, Montevideo, Colonia del Sacramento, Salto, Lavalleja, and Rocha stand out, among others. Punta del Este is the most visited compared to other seaside resorts, although tourists also seek out other coastal destinations such as Atlántida and Piriápolis, among others. To encourage tourism in Uruguay, the Uruguayan government implemented the so-called "VAT Refund Program for Non-Resident Tourists," which has been in operation since 2009. This benefit applies to the purchase of national products such as leather goods, knitwear, food, beverages, or locally made handicrafts that the tourist takes abroad, refunding 85% of the VAT. Country estates (chacras) also stand out as a tourist attraction.
Newsletter
Farms, ranches and investments across Uruguay.
