Flag Description

nine equal horizontal stripes of white (top and bottom) alternating with blue; a white square in the upper hoist-side corner with a yellow sun bearing a human face known as the Sun of May with 16 rays that alternate between triangular and wavy; the stripes represent the nine original departments of Uruguay; the sun symbol evokes the legend of the sun breaking through the clouds on 25 May 1810 as independence was first declared from Spain (Uruguay subsequently won its independence from Brazil)

Background:Montevideo, founded by the Spanish in 1726 as a military stronghold, soon took advantage of its natural harbor to become an important commercial center. Claimed by Argentina but annexed by Brazil in 1821, Uruguay declared its independence four years later and secured its freedom in 1828 after a three-year struggle. The administrations of President Jose BATLLE in the early 20th century launched widespread political, social, and economic reforms that established a statist tradition. A violent Marxist urban guerrilla movement named the Tupamaros, launched in the late 1960s, led Uruguay's president to cede control of the government to the military in 1973. By yearend, the rebels had been crushed, but the military continued to expand its hold over the government. Civilian rule was not restored until 1985. In 2004, the left-of-center Frente Amplio Coalition won national elections that effectively ended 170 years of political control previously held by the Colorado and Blanco parties. Uruguay's political and labor conditions are among the freest on the continent.

Total Area: 176,215 sq km

Land Area:175,015 sq km

Water Area:1,200 sq km

Land Boundries Total:1,591 km

Border Countries:Argentina 541 km, Brazil 1,050 km

Coastline:660 km

Lowest Point:Atlantic Ocean 0 m

Highest Point:Cerro Catedral 514 m

Population:3,332,972 (July 2014 est.)

Population Growth Rate:0.26% (2014 est.)

Religion:Roman Catholic 47.1%, non-Catholic Christians 11.1%, nondenominational 23.2%, Jewish 0.3%, atheist or agnostic 17.2%, other 1.1% (2006)

Literacy(%):0.981

Literacy(%) Male:0.976

Literacy(%) Female:98.5% (2010 est.)

Independence Day:25 August 1825 (from Brazil)

National Holiday:Independence Day, 25 August (1825)

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