n inequality is factored in.[4][9] Uruguay is also noted for its low levels of corruption, being ranked by Transparency International as the second least corrupt country in Latin America (behind Chile).[10] Its political and labor conditions are among the freest on the continent.[1] It was the highest rated country in Latin America on Legatum's 2010 Prosperity Index.[11] Reader's Digest ranked Uruguay as the ninth "most livable and greenest" country in the world, and first in all the Americas.[12] Uruguay is ranked highest in Latin America on the Global Peace Index.[13] Uruguay was the first South American country to legalize same-sex and different-sex civil unions at a national level,[14] and to allow gay adoption.[15] Uruguay and Bolivia were the only countries in the Americas which did not go into recession (2 consecutive quarters of retraction) as a result of the Late-2000s financial crisis.[16] In 2009, Uruguay became the first nation in the world to provide every school child with a free laptop and internet. It was the first nation in the Americas to test hemp cultivation.[17] Uruguay is reimbursed by the UN for the majority of its military spending, because the majority of its military is deployed as UN peacekeepers. Contents 1 Etymology 2 History 2.1 Early history and colonization 2.2 Independence struggle 2.3 Blancos–Colorados conflicts 2.4 Mass immigration and development 2.5 Return to democracy 3 Politics 3.1 Foreign relations 3.2 Military 4 Administrative divisions 5 Geography 5.1 Climate 6 Economy 6.1 Agriculture 6.2 Transportation 6.3 Telecommunications 7 Demographics 7.1 Largest cities 7.2 Health 7.3 Religion 7.4 Language 8 Culture 8.1 Visual arts 8.2 Music 8.3 Literature 8.4 Media 8.5 Cuisine 8.6 Sport 9 Education 10 See also 11 Further reading 12 References 13 External links Etymology Translated into English, República Oriental del Uruguay becomes Oriental Republic of Uruguay; The Eastern Republic of Uruguay; or the Republic East of the Uruguay. The last is actually the only correct literal translation, as it is named after its geographic location to the east of the Uruguay River. Because of the ambiguity in its meaning when translated, the government of Uruguay normally uses simply Uruguay in English. The etymology of the Uruguay River, coming from the Guaraní language, is uncertain, but the official meaning[18] is "river of painted birds". History Main article: History of Uruguay Early history and colonization The only documented inhabitants of Uruguay before European colonization of the area were the Charrúa, a small tribe driven south by the Guaraní of Paraguay.[8] The Spanish arrived in the territory of present-day Uruguay in 1516 but the people's fierce resistance to conquest, combined with the absence of gold and silver, limited their settlement in the region during the 16th and 17th centuries.[8] Uruguay then became a zone of contention between the Spanish and the Portuguese empires. In 1603 the Spanish began to introduce cattle, which became a source of wealth in the region. The first permanent settlement on the territory of present-day Uruguay was founded by the Spanish in 1624 at Soriano on the Río Negro. In 1669–71 the Portuguese built a fort at Colonia del Sacramento. Spanish colonization increased as Spain sought to limit Portugal's expansion of Brazil's frontiers.[citation needed] Montevideo was founded by the Spanish in the early 18th century as a military stronghold. Its natural harbor soon developed into a commercial area competing with Argentina's capital, Buenos Aires.[8] Uruguay's early 19th century history was shaped by ongoing fights between the British, Spanish, Portuguese, and other colonial forces for dominance in the Platine region.[8] In 1806 and 1807, the British army attempted to seize Buenos Aires and Montevideo as part of the Napoleonic Wars. As a result Montevideo was occupied by a British force from February to September 1807. Independence struggle Further information: Banda Oriental, Liga Federal, and Cisplatina The oath of the Thirty-Three Orientals In 1811, José Gervasio Artigas, who became Uruguay's national hero, launched a successful revolution against the Spanish authorities, defeating them on 18 May at the Battle of Las Piedras.[8] In 1813, the new government in Buenos Aires convened a constituent assembly where Artigas emerged as a champion of federalism, demanding political and economic autonomy for each area, and for the Banda Oriental in particular.[19] The assembly refused to seat the delegates from the Banda Oriental however, and Buenos Aires pursued a system based on unitary centralism.[19] Consequently Artigas broke with Buenos Aires and besieged Montevideo, taking the city in early 1815.[19] Once the troops from Buenos Aires had withdrawn, the Banda Oriental appointed its first autonomous government.[19] Artigas organized the Federal League under his protection, consisting of six provinces, four of which are now part of Argentina.[19] In 1816, a force of 10,000 Portuguese troops invaded the Banda Oriental from Brazil and took Montevideo in January 1817.[19] After nearly four more years of struggle Portuguese Brazil annexed the Banda Oriental as a province under the name of Cisplatina.[19] The Brazilian Empire became independent from Portugal in 1822. In response to the annexation, the Thirty-Three Orientals, led by Juan Antonio Lavalleja, declared independence on 25 August 1825 supported by the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata (present-day Argentina).[8] This led to the 500 day-long Cisplatine War. Neither side gained the upper hand and in 1828 the Treaty of Montevideo, fostered by the United Kingdom, gave birth to Uruguay as an independent state. The nation's first constitution was adopted on 18 July 1830.[8] Blancos–Colorados conflicts Further information: Uruguayan Civil War Manuel Oribe Battle of Caseros At the time of independence, Uruguay had an estimated population of just under 75,000.[20] The political scene in Uruguay became split between two parties: the conservative Blancos (Whites) headed by Manuel Oribe, representing the agricultural interests of the countryside; and the liberal Colorados (Reds) led by Fructuoso Rivera, representing the business interests of Montevideo. The Uruguayan parties became associated with warring political factions in neighbouring Argentina. The Colorados favored the exiled Argentinian liberal Unitarios, many of whom had taken refuge in Montevideo while the Blanco president Manuel Oribe was a close friend of the Argentinian ruler Manuel de Rosas. On 15 June 1838, an army led by the Colorado leader Rivera overthrew the president, who fled to Argentina.[20] Rivera declared war on Rosas in 1839. The conflict would last thirteen years and become known as the Guerra Grande (the Great War).[20] In 1843, an Argentinian army overran Uruguay on Oribe's behalf but failed to take the capital. The siege of Montevideo, which began in February 1843, would last nine years.[21] The besieged Uruguayans called on resident foreigners for help which led to a French and an Italian legion being formed, the latter led by the exiled Giuseppe Garibaldi.[21] (Hitherto unknown, it was Garibaldi's fame in this war which led to his later central role in the Unification of Italy). In 1845, Britain and France intervened against Rosas to restore commerce to normal levels in the region. Their efforts proved ineffective and by 1849, tired of the war, both withdrew after signing a treaty favorable to Rosas.[21] It appeared that Montevideo would finally fall when an uprising against Rosas, led by Justo José de Urquiza governor of Argentina's Entre Ríos Province began. The Brazilian intervention in May 1851 on behalf of the Colorados, combined with the uprising, changed the situation and Oribe was defeated. The siege of Montevideo was lifted and the Guerra Grande finally came to an end.[21] Montevideo rewarded Brazil's support by signing treaties that confirmed Brazil's right to intervene in Uruguay's internal affairs.[21] In accordance with the 1851 treaties, Brazil intervened militarily in Uruguay as often as it deemed necessary.[22] In 1865, the Triple Alliance was formed by the emperor of Brazil, the president of Argentina, and the Colorado general Venancio Flores, the Uruguayan head of government whom they both had helped to gain power. The Triple Alliance declared war on Paraguayan leader Francisco Solano López[22] and the resulting War of the Triple Alliance ended with the invasion of Paraguay and its defeat by the armies of the three countries. Montevideo, which was used as a supply station by the Brazilian navy, experienced a period of prosperity and relative calm during the war.[22] The constitutional government of General Lorenzo Batlle y Grau (1868–72) was forced to suppress an insurrection led by the National Party.[23] After two years of struggle, a peace agreement was signed in 1872 that gave the Blancos a share in the emoluments and functions of government, through control of four of the departments of Uruguay.[23] This establishment of the policy of co-participation represented the search for a new formula of compromise, based on the coexistence of the party in power and the party in opposition.[23] Between 1875 and 1886, the military became the center of power.[24] During this authoritarian period, the government took steps toward the organization of the country as a modern state, encouraging its economic and social transformation. Pressure groups (consisting mainly of businessmen, hacendados, and industrialists) were organized and had a strong influence on government.[24] A transition period (1886–90) followed, during which politicians began recovering lost ground and some civilian participation in government occurred.[24] Mass immigration and development Juan Idiarte Borda After the Guerra Grande, there was a sharp rise in the number of immigrants, primarily from Italy and Spain. By 1879, the total population of the country was over 438,000.[25] The economy saw a steep upswing, above all in livestock raising and exports.[25] Montevideo became a major economic centre of the region and an entrepôt for goods from Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay.[25] The Colorado leader José Batlle y Ordóñez was elected president in 1903.[26] The following year, the Blancos led a rural revolt and eight bloody months of fighting ensued before their leader, Aparicio Saravia, was killed in battle. Government forces emerged victorious, leading to the end of the co-participation politics that had begun in 1872.[26] Batlle had two terms (1903–07 and 1911–15) during which, and taking advantage of the nation's stability and growing economic prosperity, he instituted major reforms such as a welfare program, government participation in many facets of the economy, and a plural executive.[8] Gabriel Terra became president in March 1931. His inauguration coincided with the effects of the Great Depression.[27] when the social climate became tense as a result of the lack of jobs. There were confrontations in which police and leftists died.[27] In 1933, Terra organized a coup d'état, dissolving the General Assembly and governing by decree.[27] A new constitution was promulgated in 1934, transferring powers to the president.[27] In general, the Terra government weakened or neutralized economic nationalism and social reform.[27] In 1938, general elections were held and Terra's brother-in-law, General Alfredo Baldomir, was elected president. Under pressure from organized labor and the National Party Baldomir advocated free elections, freedom of the press, and a new constitution.[28] Although Baldomir declared Uruguay neutral in 1939 British warships and the German ship Admiral Graf Spee fought a battle not far off Uruguay's coast.[28] Admiral Graf Spee took refuge in Montevideo, claiming sanctuary in a neutral port, but was later ordered out.[28] In 1945, Uruguay abandoned its policy of neutrality and joined the Allied cause. In the late 1950s, partly because of a world-wide decrease in demand for agricultural products, Uruguayans suffered from a steep drop in the standard of living which led to student militancy and labor unrest. An urban guerrilla movement known as the Tupamaros emerged, engaging in activities such as robbing banks and distributing the proceeds to the poor in addition to attempting political dialogue. As the government banned their political activities and the police became more oppressive, the Tupamaros took up an overtly armed struggle.[29][verification needed] President Jorge Pacheco declared a state of emergency in 1968, followed by a further suspension of civil liberties in 1972. In 1973, amid increasing economic and political turmoil, the armed forces closed the Congress and established a civilian-military regime.[8] Around 180 Uruguayans are known to have been killed during the 12-year military rule from 1973–1985.[30] Most were killed in Argentina and other neighbouring countries, with only 36 of them having been killed in Uruguay.[31] Return to democracy Former president of Uruguay Jorge Batlle with former American president George H.W. Bush A new constitution, drafted by the military, was rejected in a November 1980 referendum.[8] Following the referendum the armed forces announced a plan for the return to civilian rule, and national elections were held in 1984.[8] Colorado Party leader Julio María Sanguinetti won the presidency and served from 1985 to 1990. The first Sanguinetti administration implemented economic reforms and consolidated democracy following the country's years under military rule.[8] The National Party's Luis Alberto Lacalle won the 1989 presidential election and an amnesty for human rights abusers was endorsed by referendum. Sanguinetti was again elected in 1994.[32] Both carried on with the economic structural reforms initiated after the reinstatement of democracy and other important reforms were aimed at improving the electoral system, social security, education, and public safety. The 1999 national elections were held under a new electoral system established by a 1996 constitutional amendment. Colorado Party candidate Jorge Batlle, aided by the support of the National Party, defeated Broad Front candidate Tabaré Vázquez. The formal coalition ended in November 2002 when the Blancos withdrew their ministers from the cabinet,[8] although the Blancos continued to support the Colorados on most issues. Low commodity prices and economic difficulties in Uruguay's main export markets, first in Brazil with the devaluation of the real then in Argentina in 2002, caused a severe recession—the economy contracted by 11%, unemployment climbed to 21% and the percentage of Uruguayans in poverty rose to over 30%.[33] In 2004, Uruguayans elected Tabaré Vázquez as president, while giving the Broad Front a majority in both houses of Parliament. Vázquez stuck to economic orthodoxy. As commodity prices soared and the economy recoiled from recession, he tripled foreign investment, cut poverty and unemployment, cut public debt from 79% of GDP to 60% and kept inflation steady.[34] In 2009, José Mujica, a former left-wing militant who spent almost 15 years in prison during the country's military rule, emerged as the new President as the Broad Front won the election for a second time.[35] Politics Main article: Politics of Uruguay Palacio Legislativo, Montevideo Uruguay is a representative democratic republic with a presidential system.[36] The members of government are elected for a five-year term by a universal suffrage system.[36] Uruguay is a unitary state: justice, education, health, security, foreign policy and defence are all administered nationwide.[36] The Executive Power is exercised by the president and a cabinet of 13 ministers.[36] The legislative power is constituted by the General Assembly, composed of two chambers: the Chamber of Deputies of 99 members representing the 19 departments, elected based on proportional representation; and the Chamber of Senators consisting of 31 members, 30 of whom are elected for a five year term by proportional representation and the Vice-president, who presides over the chamber.[36] The judicial arm is exercised by the Supreme Court, the Bench and Judges nationwide. The members of the Supreme Court are elected by the General Assembly; the members of the Bench by the Supreme Court with the consent of the Senate; and the judges are directly assigned by the Supreme Court.[36] Uruguay adopted its current constitution in 1967.[citation needed] Many of its provisions were suspended in 1973, but re-established in 1985. Drawing upon Switzerland and its use of the initiative, the Uruguayan Constitution also allows citizens to repeal laws or to change the constitution by popular initiative which culminates into a nation-wide referendum. During the last 15 years this method has been used several times: to confirm a law renouncing prosecution of members of the military who violated human rights during the military regime (1973–1985); to stop privatization of public utilities companies; to defend pensioners' incomes; and to protect water resources.[37] For most of Uruguay's history, the Partido Colorado has been in government.[citation needed] However, in the Uruguayan general election, 2009, the Broad Front won an absolute majority in Parliamentary elections, and José Mujica of the Broad Front defeated Luis Alberto Lacalle of the Blancos to win the presidency. A 2010 Latinobarómetro poll found that, within Latin America, Uruguayans are among the most supportive of democracy and by far the most satisfied with the way democracy works in their country.[38] Uruguay ranked 27th in the Freedom House "Freedom in the World" index. According to the Economist Intelligence Unit in 2008, Uruguay scored an 8.08 in the Democracy Index and ranked 23rd amongst the 30 countries considered to be Full Democracies in the world.[39] Uruguay ranks 24th in the World Corruption Perceptions Index composed by Transparency International.[40] Foreign relations Main article: Foreign relations of Uruguay Uruguay's president José Mujica with the former President of Brazil Lula da Silva In November 2010, Uruguay ratified the Unasur Constitutive Treaty, becoming the ninth nation out of 12 to do so. The treaty was written in 2008 and was to come into force 30 days after the date of receipt of the ninth instrument of ratification.[41] Argentina and Brazil are Uruguay's most important trading partners: imports from Argentina accounted for 20% of the total in 2009.[1] Since bilateral relations with Argentina are considered a priority, Uruguay denies clearance to Falkland Islands bound British naval vessels and prevents them from calling in at Uruguayan territories and ports for supplies and fuel.[42] A rivalry between the port of Montevideo and the port of Buenos Aires, dating back to the times of the Spanish Empire, has been described as a "port war". Officials of both countries emphasized the need to end this rivalry in the name of regional integration in 2010.[43] The construction of a controversial pulp paper mill in 2007, on the Uruguayan side of the Uruguay River, caused protests in Argentina over fears that it would pollute the environment and lead to diplomatic tensions between the two countries.[44] The ensuing dispute remained a subject of controversy into 2010, particularly after ongoing reports of growing water contamination in the area were later proved to be from sewage discharge of Gualeguaychú town.[45][46] In November 2010, Uruguay and Argentina announced they had reached a final agreement for the joint environmental monitoring of the pulp mill.[47] Brazil and Uruguay have signed cooperation agreements on defence, science, technology, energy, river transportation and fishing, with the hope of accelerating political and economi