Uruguay is often called the "Switzerland
of Latin America"...
...because of its small size and democratic institutions. Shaped like an upside-down heart, it lies south of the equator. Over the years, Uruguay has provided significant social benefits to its people. It was the first nation in the world to have minimum wage scale for its agricultural workers. Uruguay is proud of many things. Among them is the fact that it never permitted slavery, was the first country in Latin America to have woman suffrage, and that more than 70 years ago, established an eight-hour work day.
Uruguay has the most advanced social security system in the Americas (including the USA) and has the best public health record on the continent.
Education in this proud nation is free, not only for the citizen of Uruguay, but to foreign students as well! To make sure that the country would be ruled by its people, this democratic republic made voting obligatory - the first country in South America to do so.Citizens of eighteen years of age and older must vote. Because of the rapid inflation rate in recent years - and the desire to give its citizens a good life - Uruguay now faces grave economic, political and social problems.
Solving these problems will require strong, intelligent leadership, and perhaps sacrificing some of the social benefits. Located on the southeastern corner of South America, Uruguay is one of the smallest countries on the continent, but it has more people per square mile than any of the others.
Uruguay-how did the name originate? (Interesting Versions)
While it is a widely accepted fact that the country gets its name from the Rio Uruguay, the river that divides Uruguay from Argentina on the west, there are two different stories interpreting the name's origination.
Most historians agree on the theory that "uruguay" was a word used by the Guarani Natives long ago. There was a kind of mussel found in the fresh waters of this river, and the Guarani called this shellfish urugua. So, the river where the mussel was found was also called urugua, or, "river of shellfish".
The other story is that the Guarani Natives called a special bird that lived near the river, uru. the name of the Rio Uruguay, therefore, meant "water where the uru comes from". The Natives aslo had a word, gua, which meant "to proceed from" and "y" which meant "water". Combining the three words spells Uru-gua-y.
The name, however, is appropriate since the country is sorrounded on three sides by water - three rivers and the Atlantic Ocean.
Uruguay's offical name is "La Republica Oriental del Uruguay". The word "Oriental" goes back to the times of the Spanish conquest and the viceroys, when this land was known as the Eastern, or Oriental bank, of the Uruguay River.
Uruguayans are intensely loyal to their country, and they have every reason for being so patriotic, since for over a hundred years they had to fight the King of Spain, the Emperor of Portugal, the English, and forces in South America, before they finally achieved independence in 1828.
These easterners or, Orientales, as they were called, were determined to keep their land, and they fought for it fiercely. "We love our motherland, our patria", Uruguayans declare with feeling, and they often quote the national slogan, "Como Uruguay, no hay." (There is no other like Uruguay.)
The Uruguayan Coat of Arms is symbolic to what the people of this tiny country believe in. The oval shield crowned with a sun is divided into four quarters. If you take a look at it, on the upper left on a blue field, you will see a pair of scales representing equality and justice. On the upper right, on a field of silver, is a mountain - El Cerro de Montevideo - a symbol of power. On the lower left, also on a silver field, is a horse running free - a symbol of liberty. On the right on a blue field you will see an ox - a symbol of abundance, and at the base are branches of olive and laurel - symbols of peace.
Click the musical button to start Uruguay's National Anthem while you browse this page.
The first line the Uruguayans chose for their National Anthem shows their devotion to their country: "Orientales, la patria o la tumba!", which means "Eastern landsmen, our country or the tomb!" or, "Uruguayans, the fatherland or death!", The words and music of the anthem were written and composed by two patriots, Francisco Acuña de Figueroa and Francisco Jose Deballi.
Please click here if want to learn about Uruguay a little bit more...
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