Uruguay is one of the smallest countries in South America; it lies on the Atlantic coast between Brazil in the northeast and Argentina in the west. The Republic of Uruguay lies in the Western Hemisphere between longitudes 53 and 58, and in the subtropical zone between latitudes 30 and 35 South.

    Geographically, Uruguay lies in the Southern sub-tropical zone of the South American continent; its territory extends over the Western part of the Atlantic Coast.

    Topographically, it is located in the area of transition between the Brazilian plateaux and the plains of the Pampas.

    The Northern and North-Eastern frontiers separating Uruguay from Brazil follow natural mountain topography. Uruguay is separated from Argentina by the Rio de la Plata in the South and by the Rio Uruguay in the West. The Eastern frontier is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean.

    Uruguay covers 176,215 square kilometers, which may not seem a large area compared with the size of its two big neighbors. Nevertheless, Uruguay is larger than Cuba, Guatemala, Nicaragua or Costa Rica, among American countries, and larger than Greece, Portugal, Austria or Ireland, among the countries of Europe. It could contain within its frontiers Holland, Belgium, Switzerland, and Denmark combined, and there would still be plenty of space left.

    The Uruguayan territory is divided into 19 Departments, with Montevideo as its capital. In addition to this land area, there are 125,057 square kilometers of jurisdictional waters represented by the great rivers and frontier lakes.

    The territory of Uruguay features gently sloping hills and elevations of modest altitude, separated by rivers which flow down to the sea or into other and larger rivers. There are no high mountains or vast plains, no impenetrable forests or desert regions. Earthquakes are unknown. The highest point is the Cerro Catedral, altitude 513 meters. The coastal plain boasts many beaches along the Atlantic coast and on the shores of the Rio de la Plata. 

    The major cities are Montevideo, the capital and most important port, Paysandú and Salto on the River Uruguay; and Las Piedras near Montevideo. Punta del Este, on the Atlantic coast, 140 kilometers east of Montevideo, is one of the best-known seaside resorts in South America, but is active only during the summer season.*

      The climate is temperate throughout the country; there are no regional variations. Average temperatures are 17 degrees C in spring, 25 degrees C in summer, 18 degrees C in autumn, and 12 degrees C in winter Maximum temperatures may exceptionally attain 40 degrees C in summer, and minimum temperatures -2 degrees C or -3 degrees C in winter. Snowstorms and hurricanes are unknown.*

*Source: Permanent Mission of Uruguay to the OAS. Copyright 2003 Embassy of Uruguay in Washington, DC, Ministry Of Foreign Affairs. All Rights Reserved.

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Updated: 27 February 2008