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Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2002) - Uruguay (2008)

Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2002) z Uruguay (2008)

 British Indian Ocean Territory (2002)Uruguay (2008)
 British Indian Ocean TerritoryUruguay
Administrative divisions - 19 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Artigas, Canelones, Cerro Largo, Colonia, Durazno, Flores, Florida, Lavalleja, Maldonado, Montevideo, Paysandu, Rio Negro, Rivera, Rocha, Salto, San Jose, Soriano, Tacuarembo, Treinta y Tres
Age structure - 0-14 years: 23% (male 403,745/female 390,623)


15-64 years: 63.8% (male 1,096,225/female 1,112,568)


65 years and over: 13.2% (male 184,303/female 273,143) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products - rice, wheat, soybeans, barley; livestock, beef; fish; forestry
Airports 1 (2001) 60 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways total: 1


over 3,047 m: 1 (2002)
total: 9


over 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 4


914 to 1,523 m: 2


under 914 m: 2 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways - total: 51


1,524 to 2,437 m: 3


914 to 1,523 m: 19


under 914 m: 29 (2007)
Area total: 60 sq km


land: 60 sq km


water: 0 sq km


note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago
total: 176,220 sq km


land: 173,620 sq km


water: 2,600 sq km
Area - comparative about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC slightly smaller than the state of Washington
Background Established as a territory of the UK in 1965, a number of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) islands were transferred to the Seychelles when it attained independence in 1976. Subsequently, BIOT has consisted only of the six main island groups comprising the Chagos Archipelago. The largest and most southerly of the islands, Diego Garcia, contains a joint UK-US naval support facility. All of the remaining islands are uninhabited. Former agricultural workers, earlier residents in the islands, were relocated primarily to Mauritius but also to the Seychelles, between 1967 and 1973. In 2000, a British High Court ruling invalidated the local immigration order which had excluded them from the archipelago, but upheld the special military status of Diego Garcia. Montevideo, founded by the Spanish in 1726 as a military stronghold, soon took advantage of its natural harbor to become an important commercial center. Claimed by Argentina but annexed by Brazil in 1821, Uruguay declared its independence four years later and secured its freedom in 1828 after a three-year struggle. The administrations of President Jose BATLLE in the early 20th century established widespread political, social, and economic reforms that established a statist tradition. A violent Marxist urban guerrilla movement named the Tupamaros, launched in the late 1960s, led Uruguay's president to cede control of the government to the military in 1973. By yearend, the rebels had been crushed, but the military continued to expand its hold over the government. Civilian rule was not restored until 1985. In 2004, the left-of-center Frente Amplio Coalition won national elections that effectively ended 170 years of political control previously held by the Colorado and Blanco parties. Uruguay's political and labor conditions are among the freest on the continent.
Birth rate - 14.41 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget - revenues: $6.6 billion


expenditures: $6.3 billion (2007 est.)
Capital - name: Montevideo


geographic coordinates: 34 53 S, 56 11 W


time difference: UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)


daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in October; ends second Sunday in March
Climate tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds warm temperate; freezing temperatures almost unknown
Coastline 698 km 660 km
Constitution - 27 November 1966, effective 15 February 1967; suspended 27 June 1973, new constitution rejected by referendum 30 November 1980; two constitutional reforms approved by plebiscite 26 November 1989 and 7 January 1997
Country name conventional long form: British Indian Ocean Territory


conventional short form: none


abbreviation: BIOT
conventional long form: Oriental Republic of Uruguay


conventional short form: Uruguay


local long form: Republica Oriental del Uruguay


local short form: Uruguay


former: Banda Oriental, Cisplatine Province
Death rate - 9.16 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external - $12 billion (30 September 2007)
Dependency status overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London -
Diplomatic representation from the US none (overseas territory of the UK) chief of mission: Ambassador Frank BAXTER


embassy: Lauro Muller 1776, Montevideo 11200


mailing address: APO AA 34035


telephone: [598] (2) 418-7777


FAX: [598] (2) 418-8611
Diplomatic representation in the US none (overseas territory of the UK) chief of mission: Ambassador Carlos Alberto GIANELLI Derois


chancery: 1913 I Street NW, Washington, DC 20006


telephone: [1] (202) 331-1313 through 1316


FAX: [1] (202) 331-8142


consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York


consulate(s): San Juan (Puerto Rico)
Disputes - international Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago and its former inhabitants, who reside chiefly in Mauritius, but in 2001 were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation since eviction in 1965; repatriation is complicated by the US military lease of Diego Garcia, the largest island in the chain in Jan 2007, ICJ provisionally ruled Uruguay may begin construction of two paper mills on the Uruguay River, which forms the border with Argentina, while the court examines further whether Argentina has the legal right to stop such construction with potential environmental implications to both countries; uncontested dispute with Brazil over certain islands in the Quarai/Cuareim and Invernada streams and the resulting tripoint with Argentina
Economic aid - recipient - $14.62 million (2005)
Economy - overview All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where joint UK-US defense facilities are located. Construction projects and various services needed to support the military installations are done by military and contract employees from the UK, Mauritius, the Philippines, and the US. There are no industrial or agricultural activities on the islands. When the Ilois return, they plan to reestablish sugarcane production and fishing. Uruguay's economy is characterized by an export-oriented agricultural sector, a well-educated work force, and high levels of social spending. After averaging growth of 5% annually during 1996-98, in 1999-2002 the economy suffered a major downturn, stemming largely from the spillover effects of the economic problems of its large neighbors, Argentina and Brazil. For instance, in 2001-02 Argentina made massive withdrawals of dollars deposited in Uruguayan banks, which led to a plunge in the Uruguayan peso and a massive rise in unemployment. Total GDP in these four years dropped by nearly 20%, with 2002 the worst year due to the banking crisis. The unemployment rate rose to nearly 20% in 2002, inflation surged, and the burden of external debt doubled. Cooperation with the IMF helped stem the damage. Uruguay in 2007 improved its debt profile by paying off $1.1 billion in IMF debt, and continues to follow the orthodox economic plan set by the Fund in 2005. The construction of a pulp mill in Fray Bentos, which represents the largest foreign direct investment in Uruguay's history at $1.2 billion, came online in November 2007 and is expected to add 1.6% to GDP and boost already rising exports. The economy has grown strongly since 2004 as a result of high commodity prices for Uruguayan exports, a strong peso, growth in the region, and low international interest rates.
Electricity - consumption NA kWh 7.03 billion kWh (2007)
Electricity - exports - 1 billion kWh (2007)
Electricity - imports - 780 million kWh (2007)
Electricity - production NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military 9.2 billion kWh (2007)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m


highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m


highest point: Cerro Catedral 514 m
Environment - current issues NA water pollution from meat packing/tannery industry; inadequate solid/hazardous waste disposal
Environment - international agreements - party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation
Ethnic groups - white 88%, mestizo 8%, black 4%, Amerindian (practically nonexistent)
Exchange rates - Uruguayan pesos per US dollar - 23.947 (2007), 24.048 (2006), 24.479 (2005), 28.704 (2004), 28.209 (2003)
Executive branch chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)


head of government: Commissioner Alan HUCKLE (since 2001); Administrator Louise SAVILL (since NA); note - both reside in the UK


cabinet: NA


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and administrator appointed by the monarch
chief of state: President Tabare VAZQUEZ Rosas (since 1 March 2005); Vice President Rodolfo NIN NOVOA (since 1 March 2005); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


head of government: President Tabare VAZQUEZ Rosas (since 1 March 2005); Vice President Rodolfo NIN NOVOA (since 1 March 2005)


cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president with parliamentary approval


elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for five-year terms (may not serve consecutive terms); election last held 31 October 2004 (next to be held in October 2009)


election results: Tabare VAZQUEZ elected president; percent of vote - Tabare VAZQUEZ 50.5%, Jorge LARRANAGA 35.1%, Guillermo STIRLING 10.3%; other 4.1%
Exports - 4,410 bbl/day (2007)
Exports - commodities - meat, rice, leather products, wool, fish, dairy products
Exports - partners - Brazil 15.1%, US 12.1%, Argentina 6.8%, Mexico 6.4%, China 6%, Germany 5%, Russia 4.9% (2006)
Fiscal year - calendar year
Flag description white with six blue wavy horizontal stripes; the flag of the UK is in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the striped section bears a palm tree and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the flag nine equal horizontal stripes of white (top and bottom) alternating with blue; there is a white square in the upper hoist-side corner with a yellow sun bearing a human face known as the Sun of May with 16 rays that alternate between triangular and wavy
GDP - composition by sector - agriculture: 9.2%


industry: 33%


services: 57.8% (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate - 7.2% (2007 est.)
Geographic coordinates 6 00 S, 71 30 E 33 00 S, 56 00 W
Geography - note archipelago of 2,300 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility second-smallest South American country (after Suriname); most of the low-lying landscape (three-quarters of the country) is grassland, ideal for cattle and sheep raising
Highways total: NA km


paved: short stretch of paved road of NA km between port and airfield on Diego Garcia


unpaved: NA km
-
Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10%: 1.9%


highest 10%: 34% (2003)
Imports - 43,670 bbl/day (2007)
Imports - commodities - crude petroleum and petroleum products, machinery, chemicals, road vehicles, paper, plastics
Imports - partners - Argentina 20.4%, Brazil 17.1%, US 8.2%, Paraguay 7.2%, China 6.9%, Venezuela 4.8%, Nigeria 4.4% (2006)
Independence - 25 August 1825 (from Brazil)
Industrial production growth rate - 6% (2007 est.)
Industries - food processing, electrical machinery, transportation equipment, petroleum products, textiles, chemicals, beverages
Infant mortality rate - total: 12.02 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 13.49 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 10.49 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) - 8.5% (2007)
International organization participation - CAN (associate), CSN, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMEE, UNMOGIP, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 1 (2000) -
Irrigated land 0 sq km (1998 est.) 2,100 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch - Supreme Court (judges are nominated by the president and elected for 10-year terms by the General Assembly)
Labor force - 1.5 million (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation - agriculture: 9%


industry: 15%


services: 76% (2007 est.)
Land boundaries 0 km total: 1,648 km


border countries: Argentina 580 km, Brazil 1,068 km
Land use arable land: NEGL


permanent crops: 0%


other: 100% (1998 est.)
arable land: 7.77%


permanent crops: 0.24%


other: 91.99% (2005)
Languages - Spanish, Portunol, or Brazilero (Portuguese-Spanish mix on the Brazilian frontier)
Legal system the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply based on Spanish civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch - bicameral General Assembly or Asamblea General consists of Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores (30 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms; vice president has one vote in the Senate) and Chamber of Representatives or Camara de Representantes (99 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)


elections: Chamber of Senators - last held 31 October 2004 (next to be held October 2009); Chamber of Representatives - last held 31 October 2004 (next to be held October 2009)


election results: Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - EP-FA 16, Blanco 11, Colorado Party 3; Chamber of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - EP-FA 52, Blanco 36, Colorado Party 10, Independent Party 1
Life expectancy at birth - total population: 75.93 years


male: 72.68 years


female: 79.3 years (2007 est.)
Literacy - definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 98%


male: 97.6%


female: 98.4% (2003 est.)
Location Southern Asia, archipelago in the Indian Ocean, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Argentina and Brazil
Map references Political Map of the World South America
Maritime claims exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 3 NM
territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 24 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm


continental shelf: 200 nm or edge of continental margin
Merchant marine - total: 14 ships (1000 GRT or over) 36,041 GRT/22,274 DWT


by type: cargo 2, chemical tanker 2, passenger/cargo 7, petroleum tanker 2, roll on/roll off 1


foreign-owned: 4 (Argentina 3, Greece 1)


registered in other countries: 7 (Argentina 1, Bahamas 1, Liberia 3, Spain 2) (2007)
Military - note defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016 -
Military branches - Army, Navy (includes naval air arm, Marines, Maritime Prefecture in wartime), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Uruguaya, FAU) (2006)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - 1.6% (2006)
National holiday - Independence Day, 25 August (1825)
Nationality - noun: Uruguayan(s)


adjective: Uruguayan
Natural hazards NA seasonally high winds (the pampero is a chilly and occasional violent wind that blows north from the Argentine pampas), droughts, floods; because of the absence of mountains, which act as weather barriers, all locations are particularly vulnerable to rapid changes from weather fronts
Natural resources coconuts, fish, sugarcane arable land, hydropower, minor minerals, fisheries
Net migration rate - -0.21 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Pipelines - gas 257 km; oil 160 km (2007)
Political parties and leaders - Broad Front Coalition (Frente Amplio) (formerly known as the Progressive Encounter/Broad Front Coalition or EP-FA); Colorado Party [Julio Maria SANGUINETTI]; Independent Party (Partido Independiente) [Pablo MIERES]; Movement of Popular Participation or MPP [Jose MUJICA]; National Party or Blanco [Jorge LARRANAGA]; New Sector/Space Coalition (Nuevo Espacio) [Rafael MICHELINI]; Uruguayan Assembly or Asamblea Uruguay [Danilo ASTORI]
Political pressure groups and leaders - Architect's Society of Uruguay (professional organization); Catholic Church; Chamber of Uruguayan Industries (manufacturer's association); Chemist and Pharmaceutical Association (professional organization); PIT-CNT (powerful federation of Uruguayan unions); Rural Association of Uruguay (rancher's association); students; Uruguayan Construction League
Population no indigenous inhabitants


note: approximately 1,200 former agricultural workers resident in the Chagos Archipelago, often referred to as Chagossians or Ilois, were relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles around the time of the construction of UK-US military facilities; in 2001, there were approximately 1,500 UK and US military personnel and 2,000 civilian contractors living on the island of Diego Garcia (July 2002 est.)
3,460,607 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line - 27.37% of households (2006)
Population growth rate - 0.504% (2007 est.)
Ports and harbors Diego Garcia -
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 93, FM 191, shortwave 7 (2005)
Radios NA -
Railways - total: 2,073 km


standard gauge: 2,073 km 1.435-m gauge


note: 461 km have been taken out of service and 460 km are in partial use (2006)
Religions - Roman Catholic 66% (less than half of the adult population attends church regularly), Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, nonprofessing or other 31%
Sex ratio - at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.034 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.985 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.675 male(s)/female


total population: 0.948 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Suffrage - 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Telephone system general assessment: separate facilities for military and public needs are available


domestic: all commercial telephone services are available, including connection to the Internet


international: international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000)
general assessment: fully digitalized


domestic: most modern facilities concentrated in Montevideo; new nationwide microwave radio relay network; overall fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity is approaching 100 telephones per 100 persons


international: country code - 598; the UNISOR submarine cable system provides direct connectivity to Brazil and Argentina; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2002)
Telephones - main lines in use NA 987,000 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular - 2.333 million (2006)
Television broadcast stations 1 (1997) 62 (2005)
Terrain flat and low (most areas do not exceed four meters in elevation) mostly rolling plains and low hills; fertile coastal lowland
Total fertility rate - 1.97 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate - 9.2% (2007 est.)
Waterways none 1,600 km (2005)
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