Geography
Uruguay
Area
land
175,015 sq km
water
1,200 sq km
total
176,215 sq km
Climate
characterized by a warm temperate climate; instances of freezing temperatures are virtually non-existent
Terrain
predominantly consists of gently rolling plains and low hills; features lush coastal lowlands
Land use
other
7.3% (2023 est.)
forest
11.4% (2023 est.)
agricultural land
81.4% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 12.6% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 0.2% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 68.6% (2023 est.)
Location
located in the southern region of South America, adjacent to the South Atlantic Ocean, situated between Argentina and Brazil
Coastline
660 km
Elevation
lowest point
Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point
Cerro Catedral 514 m
mean elevation
109 m
Irrigated land
2,230 sq km (2018)
Major aquifers
Guarani Aquifer System
Map references
South America
Land boundaries
total
1,591 km
border countries
Argentina 541 km; Brazil 1,050 km
Maritime claims
contiguous zone
24 nm
territorial sea
12 nm
continental shelf
200 nm or the edge of continental margin
exclusive economic zone
200 nm
Natural hazards
experiences seasonally strong winds (notably the pampero, a cold and occasionally severe wind originating from the Argentine pampas), as well as droughts and floods; due to the lack of mountainous barriers, all areas are especially susceptible to swift shifts resulting from weather fronts
Geography - note
the second smallest nation in South America (following Suriname); the majority of the flat terrain (approximately 75% of the nation) consists of grasslands, which are well-suited for raising cattle and sheep
Natural resources
arable land, hydropower resources, minor mineral deposits, fishery resources
Area - comparative
roughly equivalent in size to the combined area of Virginia and West Virginia; slightly smaller than the state of Washington
Geographic coordinates
33 00 S, 56 00 W
Population distribution
the majority of the population is concentrated in the southern part of the country; around 80% of the inhabitants live in urban areas; nearly 50% of the populace resides in and near the capital city, Montevideo
Major lakes (area sq km)
salt water lake(s)
Lagoa Mirim (shared with Brazil) - 2,970 sq km
Major rivers (by length in km)
Rio de la Plata/Parana river mouth (shared with Brazil [s], Argentina, Paraguay) - 4,880 km; Uruguay river mouth (shared with Brazil [s] and Argentina) - 1,610 km
note: [s] indicates river source following the country name; [m] indicates river mouth following the country name