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The
República Oriental del Uruguay is
situated on South America’s Southern Cone, its eastern shore lies next to
the Atlantic Ocean between the 30th and 35th southern latitude parallels
and between the 53rd and 58th western longitude meridians. It is the
warmest zone within the southern region. Uruguay borders Brazil on the
north and northeast; Argentina on the west and south, the River Plate to
the south and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. The climate is mild and
mostly uniform in the whole country with distinct seasons. The absence of
mountains exposes the region to a wide spectrum of cold and humid
southeasterly winds. As its name indicates the wind comes from the
southeast, and the southerner or "pamperos" which blows from the Patagonia
Andes.
A number of rivers run through the country,
most of them tributaries of the river Uruguay,
natural border with Argentina. The river Uruguay is 1600 kilometers in
length, it starts in Brazil and is navigable even by vessels with deep
drafts. Among its most important tributaries are the rivers Cuareim,
Arapey, Daymán, Queguay and the River Negro 600 kilometers in length which
also begins in Brazil and divides the country in half.
Uruguay is a
cosmopolitan society as a result of many
successive European migrations. As such it is an open society, promoting
tolerance, non discrimination towards foreigners be them of different
race, religion or political ideologies. The country is divided into 19
Departments, Montevideo being its capital
and having a land surface of about 530 Km2. Montevideo is a modern and
safe metropolis erected next to the Rio de la Plata bay. It has an
exceptional natural port which operates freely opposite the Atlantic
coast.
Spanish is the official language. English, Portuguese, French
and Italian is spoken in the main tourist centers. The teaching of
languages is obligatory in public secondary schools. As of 1996 after the
education reform was implemented, English must be taught in public
schools.
Uruguay has given the world many writers,
poets, thinkers, painters, sculptors and musicians who achieved world-wide
fame. Among painters, Juan Manuel Blanes stands out for his canvases
depicting great national historic events. His contemporaries include Jose
Cuneo, Pedro Figari and Joaquín Torres García. Figari painted
national themes; the dynamism of his figures lies in an internal rhythm
and not in outward appearance, his art achieved a level of excellence
attained by few painters. Joaquín Torres García served as a catalyst for
many present-day artists, his paintings pose problems and propose
solutions and today are still a source of inspiration. Sculpture was
influenced by many foreign artists who worked in Uruguay in the early
years of the Republic. Juan Manuel Ferrari may be considered as the
leading Uruguayan sculptor. José Belloni, the best-known, was a realistic,
non-allegorical sculptor who brought to the public an appreciation of the
day-to-day life of the nation, its history and its folklore. Juan Zorrilla
de San Martin sought to transcend matter in the name of emotion or
thought, almost always monumental, as though the stone was imbued with
spirituality.
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