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October 2008

Uruguay, The Free People
About the People of Uruguay.

Uruguayans have a strong sense of nationalistic pride.

Because they struggled so long and hard for independence, the people of Uruguay have developed a strong nationalistic feeling. Their tradition is democratic and they are possesive about it. It is almost as if they invented democracy! The Uruguayan people treasure the freedom they finaly won, and the spirit of liberty is still strong among the Uruguayans. They have a voice in their goverment, and they are practicaly guaranteed a good life because of laws that are just, and the many educational opportunities offered freely to all. Many people have immigrated to this republic, hence, Uruguay has more of a cosmopolitan air than any other Country in South America. By nature the people are friendly and unassuming. They are not only good citizens but are also good neighbors. There are more than three million people in Uruguay and the majority of Uruguayans are of European origin. They came largely from Spain, and include many Basques. There are also groups of Italians, English, German and Swiss, and often visitors to Uruguay are surprised to find so many men, women and children with light skin, blond hair and blue eyes.

When Spain established its first fort in the Banda Oriental in Montevideo,"

Naturally, the people who came were of Spanish origin. There were already Portuguese soldiers and their families living at Colonia. The original inhabitants, the Charrua Natives, were wiped out during the colonial period. In fact, by the time Uruguay had become a republic, the Indians had dissapeared. They had either been killed in the wars, or they had died out. Today, only about 5 percent of the population has any trace of Indian or Negro blood. Traces of Indian blood are seen in the features of those gauchos who have straight hair and dark complexions.

After achieving independence, more immigrants came to Uruguay from Italy and
Spain, at a time when Argentina was torn by civil strife. The newcomers were afraid to settle on the pampas and therefore went to Montevideo and settled along the Plata and Uruguay rivers.
In the seventy years between 1830 and 1900, the immigrants from Europe swelled the country's population from about sixty thousand to nine hundred thousand which created a large middle class. Most of them preferred city life to the country, and by the beginning of the twentieth century Montevideo had approximately one hundred thousand people.
Immigrants from Slavic countries also settled in various parts of the country. In the 1930's, some restrictions were placed on the people wanting to enter the country and at that time the importing of seasonal farm workers was stopped, but during the Nazi persecution Uruguay received Jewish refugees from Europe.


Emigration-How did it start ? (an emigrant version)

Immigration, which had produced a society 90 per cent European and 8 per cent mestizo (mixed European and Indian), had slowed down considerably, and in 1967 there were only 387 inmigrants. The people had come from the following countries: Spain 144, USA 58, Argentina 47, Italy 21, Germany 20, others 97, but what officials were not aware of was that people were leaving the country in increasingly large numbers: 3,700 in 1961, 17,000 in 1967, and that went on to progress in geometrical proportion. Today, the goverment does not want to acknowledge the fact that the exodus of Uruguayans is so out of control that some people say that there are more Uruguayans living abroad than in Uruguay itself. Unfortunately, the people who were leaving were those the country needed most to build a more prosperous nation.

The youngest, best educated and economically most valuable men and women are still leaving because the unstable economy is so uncertain that there are no jobs for them. Uruguay has the lowest birthrate (21/1000), the lowest rate of population growth (0.6%) and the oldest population in the hemisphere. There are more Uruguayans over fifty years of age than under.

While Spanish is the official language, Uruguayan Spanish, like Argentinian Spanish, has been changed somewhat by the Italians who inmigrated in large numbers to both countries. The Uruguayans speak a softer Spanish than the Castillian, and some words are different from those commonly used in Spain. The gaucho has had a great influence on the language, especially in words that are a part of their way of life.
Although there are few gauchos today, compared to Artigas' time, there are many who still work with the cattle. If a person wishes to compliment a friend or business associate, he often describes him/her as being muy gaucho it means he or she is straightforward and frank.



Uruguayans have their own way of expressing themselves. Some of the proverbs reveal their thinking. These proverbs, which have their counterparts in other lands, add color as well as humor to the language. Here are same examples:

Las palabras vuelan, los escritos quedan. - Words fly, writing endures.
Los gatos quieren zapatos y los ratones pantalones. - (The cats want shoes and the mice want trousers) People want what they can't have.
Palabras y plumas, el viento las lleva. - The wind carries away words and feathers.
Machete estate en tu propia vaina. - Mind your own business.
La hierba mala nunca muere. - Weeds never die out.
El que mucho duerme, poco aprende. - He who sleeps much, learns less.
Dime con quien andas y te dire quien eres. - Tell me with whom you walk and I will tell you who you are.
Quien canta sus males espanta. - Singing drive troubles away.

 

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