Total area: 176,220 sq km (68,039 sq mi)
Population (2009 est.): 3,494,382
Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Montevideo - 1,745,100 (metro. area)
Monetary unit: Uruguay peso
Languages: Spanish
Religions: Roman Catholic 66%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%
Time zone: GMT-3; DST: GMT-2 (from the second Sunday in October to the second Sunday in March)
Electricity: AC 220V/50Hz; two types of plugs are generally used: with two round pins (European type - Europlug) and with three flat pins (Australian standard)
Uruguay (República Oriental del Uruguay) is a country in South America on the Atlantic Ocean, bordered by Brazil on the north and Argentina on the west; the western border runs along the Uruguay River.
Uruguay's terrain consists of a low, rolling plain in the south and a low plateau in the north. The highest point in the country is Cerro Catedral at only 514 m (1,686 ft) above the sea level. Most of the area is used as grazing land for sheep and cattle or cultivated. The 193 km (120 mi) long Atlantic coast features fertile lowlands marked with strings of beaches.
Uruguay is the second smallest country in South America. Half of the population lives in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area. It is estimated that about 90% of the population is of European or mixed descent.
