República Oriental del Uruguay

Political Status: Independent state proclaimed in 1825; republic established in 1830; presidential-congressional system reinstated on March 1, 1985, supplanting military-controlled civilian government in power since February 1973.

Area: 68,037 sq. mi. (176,215 sq. km).

Population: 3,518,729 (2012E—UN); 3,316,328 (2012E—U.S. Census).

Major Urban Center (2005E): MONTEVIDEO (1,265,000).

Official Language: Spanish.

Monetary Unit: Uruguayan Peso (market rate November 5, 2012: 19.80 pesos = $1US).

President: José Alberto MUJICA Cordano (Progressive Encounter—Broad Front); elected on November 29, 2009, and inaugurated on March 1, 2010, for a five-year term, succeeding Tabaré Ramón VÁZQUEZ Rosas (Progressive Encounter—Broad Front); named a new government on March 2, 2010.

Vice President: Danilo ASTORI (Progressive Encounter–Broad Front); elected on November 29, 2009, and inaugurated on March 1, 2010, for a term concurrent with that of ...