Uruguay

Uruguay republic, in east central South America, is the second smallest country on the continent. This country is bounded on the north by Brazil, on the east by Brazil and the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the Atlantic Ocean and the Río de la Plata, and on the west by Argentina. The Uruguay River forms Uruguay's western boundary in full. Uruguay's land mass in whole is a small 176,215 sq km. Uruguay's capital city is Montevideo which is the main port, and economic center of the country. The currency of Uruguay is the peso uruguayos (7.97 peso uruguayos equal U.S.$1).   This country's main sport entertainment is soccer.


        In 1516 Uruguay was discovered by the Spanish explorer Juan Díaz de Solís. He was killed that same year by the Charrua, a local native tribe. Future attempts to colonize the territory during the 16th century were discouraged by this native tribe also. In 1624 the first permanent settlement was made by the Spanish on the Río Negro at Soriano. Between 1680 and 1683, Portuguese colonists in Brazil established several settlements along the Río de la Plata opposite Buenos Aires. However, the Spanish didn't make any attempts to remove the Portuguese until the year of 1723, when the latter began fortifying the heights around the Bay of Montevideo. A Spanish expedition forced the Portuguese to abandon this site, and there the Spanish founded the city of Montevideo in 1726.


        In present times, Uruguay has 660 km of coastline along the Atlantic Ocean and its bay, the Río de la Plata. The country also has an additional 813 km of frontage along its boundary rivers, including the Uruguay River.  


        Uruguay's terrain varies for the different areas of the small country. In the southern areas of Uruguay the land consists of grassy plains, and the marshlands along the country's Atlantic coast. In the northern areas of Uruguay, not to mention the northwest area, there is a low plateau called the Cuchilla de Haedo.

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