Important & Interesting Facts About Uruguay

Uruguay is a a country located in the southeast of South America. Here are some interesting facts about Uruguay that you probably don’t know.

Interesting Facts About Uruguay

• About 3.5 million people live in Uruguay. Almost half of population live in the capital of Uruguay- Montevideo.
• Uruguay is a democratic country. The president is both the head of state and the head of government.
• About 95% of the population are of ‘mostly European’ decent.
• Uruguay is a fairly rich country. The United Nations have ranked it the 45th country in the world for ‘quality of life’.
• Uruguay declared independence from Brazil on August 25, 1825.
• The official currency of Uruguay is the peso.
• The Spanish arrived in Uruguay in 1516. They introduced cattle in 1603, which was a great source of wealth in the region. Uruguay was at the center of many battles between Portugal, Spain and Britain throughout the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries.
• 54% of the population identify themselves as Roman Catholics. About 1% of the population are Jewish.
• Emigration to the United States has risen over the past 10 years.
• Uruguay has a very high literacy rate- 97.3%.
• Uruguayans are known to eat lots of meat! They especially enjoy beef platters and steak sandwiches.
• The main sport in Uruguay is football (soccer). The national football team has won the FIFA World Cup twice- in 1930 and 1950. It is the smallest country (in terms of population) to ever win a World Cup.