Uruguay, formally called the Oriental Republic of the Uruguay, is a country in South America. It shares boundaries with Argentina to its west as well as southwest as well as Brazil to its north as well as northeast; while surrounding the Río de la Plata to the south as well as the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast.

Uruguay covers a location of roughly 176,000 square kilometers (68,000 sq mi) and also has a population of an approximated 3.51 million, of whom 2 million reside in the city of its capital and largest city, Montevideo.

The area that came to be Uruguay was first occupied by groups of hunter– collectors 13,000 years back. The primary people at the moment of the arrival of Europeans was the Charrúa people, when the Portuguese first developed Colónia do Sacramento in 1680; Uruguay was conquered by Europeans late relative to neighboring nations.

The Spanish established Montevideo as an armed forces stronghold in the very early 18th century because of the competing claims over the area. Uruguay won its independence between 1811 and 1828, adhering to a four-way struggle between Portugal as well as Spain, as well as later Argentina and also Brazil. It continued to be based on foreign impact and also intervention throughout the 19th century, with the army playing a persisting function in residential politics.

A collection of economic crises as well as the political suppression against left-wing guerrilla activity in the late 1960s and also early 1970s put an end to a democratic period that had started in the early 20th century, culminating in the 1973 coup d’état, which developed a civic-military dictatorship. The military government persecuted leftists, socialists, as well as political challengers, causing several fatalities and also numerous circumstances of torture by the armed force; the armed forces given up power to a private federal government in 1985. Uruguay is today a democratic constitutional republic, with a head of state who functions as both head of state as well as head of federal government.

Uruguay is a developing nation with a high-income economic situation, as well as is ranked initially in Latin America in freedom, tranquility, reduced assumption of corruption, and also e-government. It is first in South America when it involves push liberty, size of the middle class, and also prosperity.

 On a per-capita basis, Uruguay adds a lot more soldiers to United Nations peacekeeping goals than any other nation. It is the lowest ranking South American nation in the Global Terrorism Index, as well as ranks 2nd in the continent on financial liberty, revenue equality, per-capita income, as well as inflows of FDI. Uruguay is the third-best nation on the continent in regards to Human Growth Index, GDP growth, technology, and also infrastructure.

Uruguay is considered among one of the most socially progressive countries in Latin America. It rates high on international actions of individual civil liberties, tolerance, as well as addition issues, including its acceptance of the LGBT neighborhood. The nation has actually legalized marijuana, same-sex marital relationship, as well as abortion. Uruguay is an establishing participant of the United Nations, OAS, as well as Mercosur.