Uruguay is a country in the southeastern region of South America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean, between Argentina and Brazil. It is located in the Southern Hemisphere on the Atlantic seaboard of South America between 53 and 58 west longitude and 30 and 35 south latitude. It is bordered to the west by Argentina, on the north and northeast by Brazil, and on the southeast by the Atlantic Ocean, which makes up Uruguay's coast. It has an Exclusive Economic Zone of . It is the only country in South America situated completely south of the Tropic of Capricorn, as well as one of only four such in the world.

Topography and hydrography

thumb|Uruguay

Most of Uruguay is a rolling plain that represents a transition from the almost featureless Argentine pampas to the hilly uplands of southern Brazil. Other noteworthy hills are Cerro Pan de Azúcar, Cerro de las Ánimas, Cerro Arequita and Cerro Batoví.

Uruguay is a water-rich land. that is fairly uniform nationwide.

Seasons are fairly well defined, and in most of Uruguay spring is usually damp, cool, and windy; summers are warm; autumns are mild; and winters are chilly and somewhat uncomfortably damp. and that of the neighboring department of Canelones was 485,240, out of a total population of 3,241,003. Thus, these departments and the eastern portion of San José, which together constituted the Greater Montevideo region, held over one-half of Uruguay's population.

Area and boundaries

;Area

:*Total:

:** country rank in the world: 89th

:*Land:

:*Water:

;Area comparative:

:* Australia comparative: approximately the size of Victoria

:* Canada comparative: approximately the size of Newfoundland and Labrador

:* United Kingdom comparative: approximately the size of the United Kingdom

:* United States comparative: approximately the size of Missouri

:* EU comparative: approximately twice the size of Serbia

;Land boundaries:

:*total:

;border countries:

:*Argentina:

:*Brazil:

;Maritime claims:

:*continental shelf:

:** depth or to the depth of exploitation

:*Exclusive Economic Zone:

:**,

:**Overflight and navigation is guaranteed beyond

;Natural resources:

  • :arable land, hydropower, minor minerals, fisheries

;Irrigated land:

:* (2003)

;Total renewable water resources:

:* (2011)

;Environment – current issues:

:*water pollution from meat packing/tannery industry; inadequate solid/hazardous waste disposal

;Environment – international agreements:

:*party to:

:**Antarctic Treaty

:**Antarctic-Environmental Protocol

:**Biodiversity

:**Climate Change

:**Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

:**Desertification, Endangered Species

:**Environmental Modification

:**Hazardous Wastes

:**Kyoto Protocol

:**Law of the Sea

:**Ozone Layer Protection

:**Ship Pollution

:**Wetlands

:*signed, but not ratified:

:**Marine Dumping

:**Marine Life Conservation

See also

  • Instituto Histórico y Geográfico del Uruguay

References