Search Geography Explorer

Search countries, cities, rivers, lakes, deserts, oceans, islands and more

Fun facts about Uruguay

5 facts - tap any card to flip it and learn more.

Discover more facts
Monument to the last four Charrúa, the indigenous people of Uruguay
country

The name 'Uruguay' is derived from the Indigenous Guaraní language, meaning 'bird-river'.

Uruguay
Tap to learn more
country

Uruguay

Population
3.4M
Area
176,215 km²
Capital
Montevideo
Continent
South America
132nd most populous country in the world

Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, while bordering the Río de la Plata to the south and the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast.

From the “Etymology” section

Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Photo: Maximasu · CC BY-SA 3.0

Fact 1 permalink
Monument to the last four Charrúa, the indigenous people of Uruguay
country

Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay, was founded by the Spanish in 1726 as a military stronghold.

Uruguay
Tap to learn more
country

Uruguay

Population
3.4M
Area
176,215 km²
Capital
Montevideo
Continent
South America
132nd most populous country in the world

Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, while bordering the Río de la Plata to the south and the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast.

From the “History” section

Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Photo: Maximasu · CC BY-SA 3.0

Fact 2 permalink
Monument to the last four Charrúa, the indigenous people of Uruguay
country

Uruguay is the only country in South America situated entirely south of the Tropic of Capricorn.

Uruguay
Tap to learn more
country

Uruguay

Population
3.4M
Area
176,215 km²
Capital
Montevideo
Continent
South America
132nd most populous country in the world

Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, while bordering the Río de la Plata to the south and the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast.

From the “Geography” section

Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Photo: Maximasu · CC BY-SA 3.0

Fact 3 permalink
Monument to the last four Charrúa, the indigenous people of Uruguay
country

Uruguay ranks first in the world on a per capita basis for its contributions to United Nations peacekeeping forces.

Uruguay
Tap to learn more
country

Uruguay

Population
3.4M
Area
176,215 km²
Capital
Montevideo
Continent
South America
132nd most populous country in the world

Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, while bordering the Río de la Plata to the south and the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast.

From the “Government and politics” section

Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Photo: Maximasu · CC BY-SA 3.0

Fact 4 permalink
Monument to the last four Charrúa, the indigenous people of Uruguay
country

In 2012, Uruguay became the first country in the modern era to legalize cannabis.

Uruguay
Tap to learn more
country

Uruguay

Population
3.4M
Area
176,215 km²
Capital
Montevideo
Continent
South America
132nd most populous country in the world

Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, while bordering the Río de la Plata to the south and the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast.

From the “History” section

Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Photo: Maximasu · CC BY-SA 3.0

Fact 5 permalink