In this post, we’ll talk about Uruguay. We’ll learn about Uruguay people, Uruguay language, Uruguay religion, Uruguay map, and we’ll be checking if Uruguay is a country or a city, if Uruguay is safe to visit, what to do in Uruguay while you are there, sightseeing places to visit in Uruguay!

Introduction to Uruguay

South America is a beautiful continent with gorgeous countries that each has something unique that makes it stand out from the rest of the South American countries, such as Suriname, where Indians’ mother language became Dutch, or Chile, the narrowest country in the world!

In this post, we’ll talk about Uruguay, the most democratic country in South America where its former president, José Mujica drives a 1950 Volkswagen, making him the poorest president in the world.

Let’s see how Uruguay gained its current position by learning the recent history of Uruguay, first!

Recent history of Uruguay

Uruguay colonization by Spain

like many other South American countries, Uruguay was colonized by Spain.

Uruguay independence from Spain

Uruguay gained independence from Spain on August 25, 1825 when the country was founded with the help of Uruguay’s national hero,  José Gervasio Artigas.

Uruguay after independence

Uruguay had some drama with Brazil and even became a part of the empire of Brazil at one point. \After independence from Spain, the country has always been struggling until 1984.

Uruguay after 1984

After 1984, Uruguay went under a real transformation, from a dictatorship to a true democracy, as we know today. Just for better insight, Uruguay is ranked 15th in Democracy index while the United States is ranked 25th on the very same Democracy index list!

People in Uruguay

Ethnic groups in Uruguay

Uruguay has a population of 3.5 million people calling themselves Uruguayan. In terms of Ethnicity in Uruguay, more than 92% of Uruguayans are White, while 5% are Mestizo and 3% black.

Official language in Uruguay

Uruguay’s national language is Spanish, however, because of the country’s history with Brazil, there’s a local Uruguayan Portuguese dialect called Uruguayan Portuguese which a lot of people are fluent in.

Religion in Uruguay

Even though the religion and politics are completely separated, Uruguay is predominantly Christian, with 40% Roman Catholics and 12% Protestants while more than 40% are either only a God believer or Atheist.

There’s a minority of Jews and Armenians living in Uruguay as well. A very small population of Afro-Brazilian religion exists in Uruguay too.

What to do in Uruguay

Visit Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay

Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay, is a very unique and beautiful city with anything you’d desire, from skyscrapers to local markets, modern and old architecture, and an outstanding continuous beach along the city’s coastline.

La Mano de Punta del Este in Montevideo, Uruguay

This sculpture is made by the Chilean artist Mario Irarrázabal, showing 5 fingers of a hand, partially out of the sand.

Beach resorts and hotels in Uruguay

Uruguay has world-class white beaches with blue water and a lot of beach resorts and hotels in Uruguay are waiting to make your experience even better!