The Eastern Republic of Uruguay (República Oriental del Uruguay) is located in the southeast of South America, on the east bank of the Uruguay and La Plata rivers, bordering Brazil to the north, Argentina to the west, and the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast. It covers an area of 176,215 square kilometers. About 90% of the residents are white, and the remaining 8% are Indo-European. Most of them believe in Catholicism. The official language is Spanish. The capital is Montevideo. It became independent from the Spanish on August 25, 1825. Most of the territory is flat and developed agriculture and animal husbandry. It is now a member of the Union of South American Nations.

Uruguay has a temperate climate and is known as "Switzerland in South America" for its beautiful natural scenery and stable social environment. It is also known as the "Diamond Country" because it looks like a gem and is rich in amethyst.

The name Uruguay is derived from a local indigenous term, Guaraní, which means "river of brightly colored birds". The early east bank of the Uruguay River was inhabited by the Chalua Indians.

It was discovered in early 1516 by the Spanish explorer Juan Díaz de Solis. It has been contested by Spain and Portugal since 1680. It was finally won by the Spaniards in 1726 and became a Spanish colony, establishing the military port of Montevideo. In 1776, Spain incorporated this area into the Governorate of La Plata, and was then called the "Banda Oriental".

In the early 19th century, wars of independence broke out throughout Spanish-ruled Latin America. In 1811, the national hero José Gebassio Artigas launched a war and took control of the entire territory in 1815. Portugal invaded again in 1816 and in July 1821 annexed the entire Uruguayan territory to Brazil, renaming it the Province of Provincia Cisplatina. On August 25, 1825, 33 people from the East Coast, led by Juan Antonio Lavaleja, returned from Argentina, recaptured the city of Montevideo, declared Uruguay's independence, and designated August 25 as a National Day. The Treaty of Montevideo of 1828 established Uruguay's sovereignty.

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national emblem

A symbol of national independence for Uruguay