Uruguay Facts

Interesting Facts for Kids

Here are some interesting Uruguay Facts which were chosen and researched by kids especially for kids.

Impressions of Uruguay: Los Dedos and Palacio Salvo

What you will find on our Uruguay Facts for Kids page:

Snapshot
Basic Facts
Where is Uruguay
Uruguay Geography
Geosuperlatives
Landmarks & Attractions

People
Language
Economy
Animals
Food
Resources

First let's have a quick glance at the most important basic facts about Uruguay:

Uruguay Facts - Snapshot

Name: Oriental Republic of Uruguay
Second smallest country in South America
Border countries: Argentina and Brazil
Area: 176,215 km²/ 68,037 sq mi
Population: 3.5 million
Capital City: Montevideo
Official Language: Spanish
Currency: Uruguayan peso
Highest peak: Cerro Cathedral
Longest river: Rio Negro
Coastline: South Atlantic Ocean
Cultural Traditions: yerba mate, asado, candombe, soccer-loving

Last updated: 22.01.2026

Basic Facts about Uruguay

Uruguay Coat of Arms, Flag, National Animal

Continent: South America
Population: 3.5 million people live in Uruguay (2026)
Capital: Montevideo with 1.7 million people
Name: República Oriental del Uruguay (Oriental Republic of Uruguay), short: Uruguay
Government: Presidential Republic
Language: Spanish
Literacy: almost 99% of the people over 15 years of age can read and write.
Religion: mainly Christians (Roman Catholics 47%)
Currency: Uruguayan peso
National symbols: Sun of May (sun with a face), national colours: blue, white and yellow
National anthem: "Himno Nacional" - the national anthem of Uruguay is the world's longest anthem with 105 musical bars and is about four to six minutes long

Anthem

History: Uruguay gained independence from Brazil on 25 August 1825.
National Holiday: 25 August (Independence Day)
President: Luis Lacalle Pou, since 2020

Uruguay Facts | Geography
Where is Uruguay?

Uruguay is located on the South American continent. The Latin American country has a coastline on the South Atlantic Ocean.

Below see a map of Uruguay with the neighbouring countries Brazil and Argentina. On the map you can also see Uruguay's capital city Montevideo at the southern coastline.

Map of Uruguay

Uruguay is the second smallest country on the South American continent.

The country on the Atlantic Ocean shares borders with two South American countries: Argentina and Brazil. The longer border is shared with Brazil and is 1,068 km/ 664 miles long and almost twice as long as the border with Argentina which is about 577 km/ 359 miles long.

Uruguay is slightly smaller than the state of Washington/ USA. It is also about half the size of Germany.

A flight to Montevideo, the capital city of Uruguay, takes roughly 11.5 hours from London/ UK and about 9.5 hours from New York/ USA.

Uruguay for Kids | Geography

The capital city Montevideo is located at the Rio de lo Plata; this river that separates Uruguay from Argentina.

The Rambla is a waterfront promenade that leads over 22 km/ 14 miles along the river. There are also 18 Atlantic beaches nearby with life guards that also host activities such as fútbol (soccer) or volleyball matches.

Rambla in Montevideo

The country has about 660 km/ 4,660 miles of coastline and is known for its many great beaches such as Playa Brava in the resort city of Punta del Este.

Playa Brava

The country is mainly flat with rolling hills. The south has fertile coastlands and the north is dominated by some low mountains in the Sierra de las Ánimas.

Sierra de las Animas

The Uruguay River is the second longest river in Uruguay, forming the border to Argentina, while the Rio Negro flows though Uruguay dividing the country in a northern part and southern part.

Maldonado stream in southern Uruguay

The climate in Uruguay is mild and humid with warm summers and rainfall throughout the year. There are four distinct seasons and differences between the warmer north east and the fresher and milder Atlantic coast.

Uruguay Geo Superlatives

The capital city of Uruguay, Montevideo, is the southernmost capital city in South America. Montevideo lies on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean and has a long seaside promenade called the Rambla.

Montevideo

Uruguay's highest point is the Cerro Cathedral which is 514 m/ 1,686 ft high and is located in the Sierra de las Ánimas mountain range.
The Rio Negro is the country's longest river and flows through the central parts of the country; the river originates in Brazil and flows into the Uruguay River. It is about 750 km/ 466 miles long.

Rio Negro - image by Carolina Jaramillo

The Rincón de Bonete lake, also referred to as Rio Negro Reservoir, is the largest freshwater reservoir in Uruguay. This is an artificial lake in the centre of the country.
Uruguay is the only country in the world located entirely south of the Tropic of Capricorn, which means it is completely in the Southern Hemisphere and has a temperate climate.

Uruguay Landmarks for Kids

Montevideo's old town (ciudad vieja in Spanish) has many colonial buildings around the Plaza Independencia which was once home to the Spanish citadel. Here are many famous landmarks such as the monument of General Jose Artigas and the Artigas Mausoleum, the tomb of Artigas, who is revered as the "father of Uruguayan nationhood". Palacio Salvo is one of the main building on Plaza Independencia.

Palacio Salvo

When the building was finished in 1928 it was the tallest building in South America with a height of 95 m/ 213 ft. Today, Torre Antel is the highest building in Montevideo and Uruguay.

Uruguay's tallest building is Torre Antel in Montevideo - image by Galina Savina/shutterstock

Torre Antel - image by Galina Savina

Los Dedos Sculpture: The sculpture named 'Los Dedos' which mean 'The Fingers' in English, is one of the main landmarks and attraction in Punta del Este. The port city is also known for the mix of colonial and modern buildings.

Los Dedos in Punta del Este

Fortaleza Santa Teresa, the fortress of Santa Teresa, is a historic landmark about 300 km/ 180 miles to the northeast of Montevideo. The hilltop fortress from the 17th century is located in Santa Teresa National Park, one of ten national parks in the country.

Santa Teresa Fortress

Colonia del Sacramento, or short: Colonia, is the second oldest city in Uruguay. The city centre is a UNESCO world heritage site due to the many colonial buildings. Wander through cobblestone streets and admire the colonial buildings including the city gate with its wooden drawbridge.

Colonia's city gate and drawbridge

Lunarejo Valley in northern Uruguay is known for its narrow valleys, beautiful waterfalls and gorges. The national park is near Rivera at the border to Brazil.

Waterfalls in Lunarejo Valley

Uruguay Facts | People in Uruguay

Uruguay is a rather small country with a population of only 3.5 million people. Most of the Uruguayans live in urban centres in the southern part of the country. The Charrúa people were the original people in the area that is now Uruguay but only a very small number of people in Uruguay nowadays identify as Indigenous. Most people who have Indigenous ancestry live in the northern parts of the country.

About half of the population lives in and around the capital city Montevideo and around the southern city of Punta del Este. The famous seaside resort with stunning Atlantic Ocean beaches attract not only local people but also many visitors from around the world.

Punta del Este - image by Ksenia Ragozina

The biggest cities in Uruguay are Montevideo and Salto in northern Uruguay. Salto is the second largest city with about 105,000 inhabitants.

Uruguay is considered the wealthiest and safest South American country. The Uruguayan average salary is the highest in South America.

Most people work in the services sector, while about 14% work in the agricultural sector and less than 10% of the population are unemployed. Especially in the northern region the gaucho lifestyle is still very present.

Gaucho

Uruguayan people are known as friendly and welcoming. Most Uruguayans have family roots in Europe, most of them in Italy and Spain. Smaller numbers arrived from Portugal, France or Germany. Around 95% of the European immigrants arrived in the country during the 19th and early 20th centuries. While many Uruguayans may have some Indigenous ancestry, very few people belong to Indigenous communities, as their populations were greatly reduced during colonial times.

The Indigenous people once hunted, fished and moved across the land following the seasons. However, when European settlers arrived, many Indigenous people were forced off their land or died from diseases brought from Europe. Some were also treated badly. Because of this, the number of Indigenous communities in Uruguay became very small.

Uruguay today, also has a population of people of African descent with about 300,000 people, which is around 8% of the population. Many Afro-Uruguayans live in Montevideo and other cities, and they have made important contributions to Uruguay’s culture, music and traditions, such as candombe.

Candombe drumming event

Carnival is celebrated over forty days and celebrations start with a huge street parade in Montevideo.

Drumming features greatly in the celebrations and at one special event, during the Desfile de Llamadas which means the ‘Call of the Drums’ over 2,000 participating drums can be heard playing at once!

Uruguay Facts | Language in Uruguay

The official language in Uruguay is Spanish.

Uruguay is the smallest Spanish-speaking country on the South American continent.

However, the smallest independent country on the South American continent is Suriname, but there, the official language is Dutch. Many people in Suriname also speak English and other languages

Portuñol is a mix of Spanish and Portuguese that is spoken in areas of northern Uruguay near the Brazilian border. People use Portuñol in everyday conversations, especially in the towns along the border.

Uruguay Facts | Uruguay Economy

Uruguay has one of the more stable economies in South America. The country is known for its strong democratic system and social welfare. Uruguay was often called "Switzerland of South America" in the 20th century due to its political stability, financial system and social benefits for its citizen.

The main agricultural products of Uruguay include beef, soybeans, rice and dairy products. Uruguay is one of the leading nations regarding renewable electricity production and is widely seen as one of the global leaders in renewable energy use, similar to Luxembourg, Denmark and Germany.

Hydroelectric Power Plant at Salto

Over the last ten to fifteen years, Uruguay has cut down massively on the country's carbon footprint by shifting to renewable energy sources such as wind, solar and water power/ hydroelectric power. Over 90% of the country's installed capacity comes from renewable energy sources.

About 87% of Uruguay's land is agricultural land. Most of the land is permanent pastures and natural grassland which are used for grazing cattle and sheep. In Uruguay there are three times more cattle than people!

The largest trading partners of Uruguay are China, Brazil, Argentina, the European Union and the USA.

Uruguay Facts | Animals in Uruguay

The national animal of Uruguay is the pampas cat or colocolo. This is a small wild cat that lives in grassland and dry shrubs and forests. This cat is a bit larger than a house cat and has a more bushy tail.

Uruguayan Pampas Cat

Uruguay is home to many different animal species. You can find armadillos, capybaras, flamingos, jaguars and greater rheas in different parts of the country. Coatis are mainly found in northern Uruguay, where there is more woodland and forest.

Coati

Coatis are mammals that grow up to 69 cm/ 27 inches long, not including their long tails. They have strong limbs and can walk flat on their feet as humans do but they have racoon-like paws. The long snout is very flexible and so can rotate when they need to push objects or look for food. Coatis are omnivores, which means they eat both plants and small animals.

Uruguay Facts | Food in Uruguay

Uruguayan cuisine is a mix of foods from many different cultures. People from many countries settled in Uruguay over time. Like in other Latin and Southern European cultures, days often start and end later, so meal times are different from those in many European countries or the USA. Dinner is usually eaten around 9 pm, and a light afternoon meal called merienda is eaten between 5 and 7 pm.

The parrilla, or grill, is an important dining tradition in Uruguay. Different types of meat are cooked slowly on an iron grill over hot coals and shared with family and friends. The national dish is called Asado, which means grilled meat.

Another very popular and very typical Uruguayan dish is the chivito sandwich.

Uruguayan Chivito sandwich

Uruguay Facts: Typical Uruguayan food and drinks:

chivito sandwich: huge sandwich stack with steak, ham, bacon, mozzarella cheese, lettuce, onion, tomato, fried or hard boiled sliced egg and fries
asado: barbecue or grilled meats
garrapiñadas: sweet roasted peanuts
alfajores: cookie sandwich filled with dulce de leche, a caramel-like sweet cream made with sweetened milk
chaiá: layered sponge cake with dulce de leche, peaches, cream and meringue

Chaiá peach cream sponge cake

mate tea: herbal infusion of shredded and dried yerba mate leaves. Traditionally Uruguayans use a thermos instead of a kettle to prepare the typical Uruguayan drink and keep it warm all day.
tereré: cold mate infusion mixed with fruit juice

If you want to learn more about food in Uruguay, check out our special page here:

Resources for Uruguay Facts

Central Intelligence Agency. "Uruguay" CIA World Factbook. Updated 19 January 2026. Last Accessed 22 January 2026
Bridget Gleeson. "20 Things to Know before you go to Montevideo." Roads and Kingdoms. Last accessed 22 January 2026
Uruguay Ministerio de Turismo. "Valle del Lunarejo." Uruguay Natural. Last accessed 22 January 2026

Images for Uruguay Facts: Punta del Este by Ksenia Ragozina; Gaucho by Ksenia Ragozina; Antel Tower by Galina Savina; Rio Negro by Carolina Jaramilo; Cadombe by Kobby Dagan; Playa Brava by DFLC Prints; Hydroelectric Power Plant by Reisegraf.ch/all shutterstock.com

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Argentina Gaucho - image by Sunsinger/shutterstock.com

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Please let us know if you also have Uruguay facts to share, we gladly will expand this section. Just contact us for taking part in our schools project. Looking forward to hearing from you.

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