| |  Uruguay Business Guide
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Geography
Location:
Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Argentina and Brazil
Geographic coordinates:
33 00 S, 56 00 W
Map references:
South America
Area:
total: 176,215 sq km country comparison to the world: 90 land: 175,015 sq km water: 1,200 sq km
Land boundaries:
total: 1,648 km border countries: Argentina 580 km, Brazil 1,068 km
Coastline:
660 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or edge of continental margin
Climate:
warm temperate; freezing temperatures almost unknown
Terrain:
mostly rolling plains and low hills; fertile coastal lowland
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Cerro Catedral 514 m
| | Natural resources:
arable land, hydropower, minor minerals, fisheries
Land use:
arable land: 7.77% permanent crops: 0.24% other: 91.99% (2005)
Irrigated land:
2,100 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
139 cu km (2000)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 3.15 cu km/yr (2%/1%/96%) per capita: 910 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
seasonally high winds (the pampero is a chilly and occasional violent wind that blows north from the Argentine pampas), droughts, floods; because of the absence of mountains, which act as weather barriers, all locations are particularly vulnerable to rapid changes from weather fronts
Environment - current issues:
water pollution from meat packing/tannery industry; inadequate solid/hazardous waste disposal
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note:
second-smallest South American country (after Suriname); most of the low-lying landscape (three-quarters of the country) is grassland, ideal for cattle and sheep raising | |
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People
Population:
3,494,382 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 131
Age structure:
0-14 years: 22.4% (male 397,942/female 385,253) 15-64 years: 64.3% (male 1,115,963/female 1,129,478) 65 years and over: 13.3% (male 187,176/female 278,570) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 33.4 years male: 32 years female: 34.8 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.466% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 157
Birth rate:
13.91 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 152
Death rate:
9.09 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 84
Net migration rate:
-0.16 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 96
Urbanization:
urban population: 92% of total population (2008) rate of urbanization: 0.4% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 11.32 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 150 male: 12.73 deaths/1,000 live births female: 9.87 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
| | Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 76.35 years country comparison to the world: 68 male: 73.1 years female: 79.72 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.92 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 141
Nationality:
noun: Uruguayan(s) adjective: Uruguayan
Ethnic groups:
white 88%, mestizo 8%, black 4%, Amerindian (practically nonexistent)
Religions:
Roman Catholic 47.1%, non-Catholic Christians 11.1%, nondenominational 23.2%, Jewish 0.3%, atheist or agnostic 17.2%, other 1.1% (2006)
Languages:
Spanish, Portunol, or Brazilero (Portuguese-Spanish mix on the Brazilian frontier)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 98% male: 97.6% female: 98.4% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 15 years male: 14 years female: 16 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
2.9% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 148 | |
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Economy
Economy - overview:
Uruguay's economy is characterized by an export-oriented agricultural sector, a well-educated work force, and high levels of social spending. After averaging growth of 5% annually during 1996-98, in 1999-2002 the economy suffered a major downturn, stemming largely from the spillover effects of the economic problems of its large neighbors, Argentina and Brazil. In 2001-02, Argentine citizens made massive withdrawals of dollars deposited in Uruguayan banks after bank deposits in Argentina were frozen, which led to a plunge in the Uruguayan peso, a banking crisis, and a sharp economic contraction. Real GDP fell in four years by nearly 20%, with 2002 the worst year. The unemployment rate rose, inflation surged, and the burden of external debt doubled. Financial assistance from the IMF helped stem the damage. Uruguay restructured its external debt in 2003 without asking creditors to accept a reduction on the principal. Economic growth for Uruguay resumed, and averaged 8% annually during the period 2004-08.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$43.27 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 93 $39.73 billion (2007 est.) $36.99 billion (2006 est.) note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$32.19 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
8.9% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 20 7.4% (2007 est.) 7% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$12,400 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 89 $11,500 (2007 est.) $10,700 (2006 est.) note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 9.5% industry: 23.4% services: 67.1% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
1.641 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 124
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 9% industry: 15% services: 76% (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate:
7.6% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 101 9.2% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
27.4% of households (2006)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1.7% highest 10%: 34.8% (2006)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
45.2 (2006) country comparison to the world: 43 44.8 (1999)
Investment (gross fixed):
18.7% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 125
Public debt:
59.8% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 25 64.8% of GDP (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
7.9% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 126 8.1% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
10% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 39 10% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
12.45% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 118 7.25% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$2.247 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 68 $2.145 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$9.409 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 52 $7.919 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$9.096 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 73 $6.396 billion (31 December 2007)
| | Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 108 $159 million (31 December 2007) $125.1 million (31 December 2006)
Agriculture - products:
rice, wheat, soybeans, barley; livestock, beef; fish; forestry
Industries:
food processing, electrical machinery, transportation equipment, petroleum products, textiles, chemicals, beverages
Industrial production growth rate:
8% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 23
Electricity - production:
9.265 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 93
Electricity - consumption:
7.14 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 95
Electricity - exports:
996 million kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
789 million kWh (2007 est.)
Oil - production:
946.1 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 107
Oil - consumption:
41,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 102
Oil - exports:
7,100 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 101
Oil - imports:
52,730 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 86
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl country comparison to the world: 120
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 118
Natural gas - consumption:
70 million cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 106
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 95
Natural gas - imports:
70 million cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 67
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 125
Current account balance:
-$1.484 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 132 -$82.7 million (2007 est.)
Exports:
$7.084 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 98 $5.043 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
meat, rice, leather products, wool, fish, dairy products
Exports - partners:
Brazil 18.7%, China 8.5%, Argentina 7.3%, Germany 6.5%, Mexico 4.9%, Netherlands 4.5%, Russia 4.3% (2008)
Imports:
$8.799 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 98 $5.598 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
crude petroleum and petroleum products, machinery, chemicals, road vehicles, paper, plastics
Imports - partners:
Argentina 19.9%, Brazil 16.5%, China 11.2%, US 9.9%, Paraguay 6.6%, Nigeria 4.6% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$6.36 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 79 $4.121 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$4.19 billion (2007) country comparison to the world: 90
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$156 million (2007) country comparison to the world: 78 |
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Communications
Telephones - main lines in use:
959,300 (2008) country comparison to the world: 83
Telephones - mobile cellular:
3.508 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 98
Telephone system:
general assessment: fully digitalized domestic: most modern facilities concentrated in Montevideo; new nationwide microwave radio relay network; overall fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity is 130 telephones per 100 persons international: country code - 598; the UNISOR submarine cable system provides direct connectivity to Brazil and Argentina; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2002)
| | Radio broadcast stations:
AM 93, FM 191, shortwave 7 (2005)
Television broadcast stations:
62 (2005)
Internet country code:
.uy
Internet hosts:
498,232 (2009) country comparison to the world: 48
Internet users:
1.34 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 79 | |
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Transportation
Airports:
57 (2009) country comparison to the world: 82
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 9 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 2 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 48 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 20 under 914 m: 25 (2009)
Pipelines:
gas 226 km; oil 155 km (2008)
Railways:
total: 1,641 km country comparison to the world: 79 standard gauge: 1,641 km 1.435-m gauge (2008)
| | Roadways:
total: 77,732 km country comparison to the world: 63 paved: 7,743 km unpaved: 69,989 km (2004)
Waterways:
1,600 km (2008) country comparison to the world: 52
Merchant marine:
total: 17 country comparison to the world: 102 by type: cargo 3, chemical tanker 2, passenger/cargo 9, petroleum tanker 2, roll on/roll off 1 foreign-owned: 10 (Argentina 3, Greece 1, Spain 6) registered in other countries: 3 (Liberia 3) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Montevideo | |
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Doing Business in Uruguay 2010
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Ease of doing business (rank)
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114
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Starting a business (rank)
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Protecting investors (rank)
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93
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Extent of disclosure index (0-10)
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3
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Extent of director liability index (0-10)
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4
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Cost (% of income per capita)
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Ease of shareholder suits index (0-10)
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8
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Minimum capital (% of income per capita)
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Strength of investor protection index (0-10)
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5.0
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Dealing with Construction permits (rank)
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159
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Payments (number per year)
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53
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336
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Cost (% of income per capita)
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28.3
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Labor tax and contributions (%)
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15.6
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2.9
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Difficulty of hiring index (0-100)
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Total tax rate (% of profit)
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46.7
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Rigidity of hours index (0-100)
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Difficulty of redundancy index (0-100)
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Trading across borders (rank)
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131
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Rigidity of employment index (0-100)
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Documents to export (number)
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10
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Redundancy cost (weeks of salary)
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19
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Cost to export (US$ per container)
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1,100
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Registering property (rank)
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Documents to import (number)
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10
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22
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Cost to import (US$ per container)
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1,330
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Cost (% of property value)
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Enforcing contracts (rank)
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96
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40
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Strength of legal rights index (0-10)
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720
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Depth of credit information index (0-6)
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19.0
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Public registry coverage (% of adults)
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Private bureau coverage (% of adults)
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Closing a business (rank)
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46
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Recovery rate (cents on the dollar)
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43.0
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2.1
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7
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Information provided by The World Bank Group
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LATEST NEWS IN
URUGUAY
Brunei News, Brunei Headlines from Brunei fm Tue, 09 Feb 2010
Reuters Wed, 03 Feb 2010
Malaysia Star Sat, 06 Feb 2010
Los Angeles Times Tue, 26 Jan 2010
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Daily Football Blog (blog) Mon, 08 Feb 2010
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