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: 176,220 sq km
land: 173,620 sq km
water: 2,600 sq km

Area - comparative slightly smaller than the state of Washington

Land boundaries
total: 1,564 km
border countries: Argentina 579 km, Brazil 985 km

Coastline 660 km

Maritime claims
contiguous zone: 24 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM

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%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 93% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land 1,800 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards seasonally high winds (the pampero is a chilly and occasional violent wind which 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, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban

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

NOTE: The information regarding Uruguay on this page is re-published from the 2002 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Uruguay Geography 2002 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Uruguay Geography 2002 should be addressed to the CIA.