Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay or the Republic East of the Uruguay, Once known as the "Switzerland of America", is a country located in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to 3.3 million people, of which 1.7 million live in Montevideo and its metropolitan area.

Area
176,215 sq km (68,037 sq miles).

Population
3,385,000 (2002).

Population Density
19.2 per sq km.

Capital
Montevideo. Population: 1,329,000 (UN estimate 2001).

Geography
Uruguay is one of the smallest of the South American republics. It is bordered to the north by Brazil, to the southeast by the Atlantic, and is separated from Argentina in the west and south by the River Uruguay, which widens out into the Rio de la Plata estuary. The landscape is made up of hilly meadows broken by streams and rivers. There is a string of beaches along the coast. Most of the country is grazing land for sheep and cattle. Montevideo, the most southern point of the nation, accommodates more than half of the population. About 90 per cent of the land is suitable for agriculture, although only 12 per cent is used in this way. Uruguay is known as the Oriental Republic’ because it stands on the eastern bank of the Rio de la Plata.

Language
Spanish. Some English is spoken in tourist resorts.