Uruguay

Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,is a country in southeastern South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, while bordering the Río de la Plata to the south and the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast. It is part of the Southern Cone region of South America. Uruguay covers an area of approximately 176,215 square kilometers (68,037 sq mi). It has a population of almost 3.5 million people, of whom nearly 2 million live in the metropolitan area of its capital and largest city, Montevideo.

The area that became Uruguay was first inhabited by groups of hunter gatherers 13,000 years ago. The first European explorer to reach the region was Juan Díaz de Solís in 1516, but the area was colonised later than its neighbours. At the time of European arrival, the Charrúa were the predominant tribe, alongside other groups such as the Guaraní and the Chaná. However, none of these peoples were socially or politically organised in large groups, which contributed to their decline. Amid territorial disputes, the Portuguese established Colônia do Sacramento in 1680, and the Spanish founded Montevideo as a military stronghold. Uruguay secured its independence between 1811 and 1828, following a four-way struggle involving Portugal, Spain, and later the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata and the Empire of Brazil. In 1830, the country enacted its constitution and was formally established as an independent state.

Following independence, Uruguay experienced foreign intervention, internal conflicts and political instability. From the second half of the 19th century, successive waves of European migration, particularly from Spain, Italy and France, reshaped the country's demographics and contributed to the development of modern Uruguayan culture. During this period, national politics were dominated by the Colorado Party and the National Party, collectively known as the Traditional Parties, which fought several civil wars. In the early 20th century, a series of economic, labour and social reforms, combined with sustained political stability, established Uruguay as an advanced welfare state and earned it the nickname "Switzerland of the Americas".

Economic crises and escalating political and social tensions amid the Cold War, including the activities of the far-left National Liberation Movement–Tupamaros, an urban guerrilla movement, contributed to the erosion of democratic institutions in the late 1960s and early 1970s. This culminated in the 1973 coup d'état, which ushered in a civic-military dictatorship that lasted until 1985. Since the restoration of democracy, Uruguay has been a constitutional republic, with a president who serves as both head of state and head of government.

Uruguay is highly ranked in international measurements of democracy, government transparency, economic freedom, social progress, income equality, per capita income, innovation, and infrastructure. It is classified as a high-income economy. It is also highly socially liberal, and has fully legalised cannabis—the first country in the world to do so—as well as same-sex marriage, abortion and euthanasia. Uruguay is also a founding member of the United Nations, the OAS, and Mercosur.