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Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2008) - Uruguay (2005)

Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2008) z Uruguay (2005)

 British Indian Ocean Territory (2008)Uruguay (2005)
 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: 23.2% (male 403,041/female 389,427)


15-64 years: 63.6% (male 1,076,960/female 1,095,833)


65 years and over: 13.2% (male 183,877/female 266,782) (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products - rice, wheat, corn, barley; livestock; fish
Airports 1 (2007) 64 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 1


over 3,047 m: 1 (2007)
total: 14


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 5


914 to 1,523 m: 6


under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways - total: 50


1,524 to 2,437 m: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 17


under 914 m: 31 (2004 est.)
Area total: 54,400 sq km


land: 60 sq km; Diego Garcia 44 sq km


water: 54,340 sq km


note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago of 55 islands
total: 176,220 sq km


land: 173,620 sq km


water: 2,600 sq km
Area - comparative land area is 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 that 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 became an important commercial center. Annexed by Brazil as a separate province in 1821, Uruguay declared its independence four years later and secured its freedom in 1828 after a three-year struggle. The administrations of President BATLLE in the early 20th century established widespread political, social, and economic reforms. A violent Marxist urban guerrilla movement, the Tupamaros, launched in the late 1960s, led Uruguay's president to agree to military control of his administration in 1973. By yearend, the rebels had been crushed, but the military continued to expand its hold throughout the government. Civilian rule was not restored until 1985. Uruguay's political and labor conditions are among the freest on the continent.
Birth rate - 14.09 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Budget - revenues: $3.332 billion


expenditures: $3.787 billion, including capital expenditures of $193 million (2004 est.)
Capital - Montevideo
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 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 - 9.06 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Debt - external - $12.8 billion (March 2004)
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 Martin J. SILVERSTEIN


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 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, and New York


consulate(s): San Juan (Puerto Rico)
Disputes - international Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago including Diego Garcia; in 2001, the former inhabitants of the Chagos Archipelago, evicted in 1967 and 1973 and now residing chiefly in Mauritius, were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation; in May 2006, the High Court of London reversed U.K. Government's 2004 orders of council that banned habitation on the islands; a small group of Chagossians visited Diego Garcia in April 2006; repatriation is complicated by the exclusive US military lease of Diego Garcia that restricts access to the largest viable island in the chain uncontested dispute with Brazil over certain islands in the Quarai/Cuareim and Invernada streams and the resulting tripoint with Argentina
Economic aid - recipient - NA
Economy - overview All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where a joint UK-US military facility is located. Construction projects and various services needed to support the military installation are performed 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 native Ilois return, they plan to reestablish sugarcane production and fishing. The territory makes money by selling fishing licenses and postage stamps. Uruguay's well-to-do economy is characterized by an export-oriented agricultural sector, a well-educated workforce, 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 massive withdrawals by Argentina of dollars deposited in Uruguayan banks led to a plunge in the Uruguyan 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 serious banking crisis. Unemployment rose to nearly 20% in 2002, inflation surged, and the burden of external debt doubled. Cooperation with the IMF limited the damage. The debt swap with private creditors carried out in 2003, which extended the maturity dates on nearly half of Uruguay's $11.3 billion in public debt, substantially alleviated the country's amortization burden in the coming years and restored public confidence. The economy grew about 10% in 2004 as a result of high commodity prices for Uruguayan exports, the weakness of the dollar against the euro, growth in the region, low international interest rates, and greater export competitiveness.
Electricity - consumption NA kWh 5.878 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports - 954 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports - 434.2 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - production NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military 8.536 billion kWh (2003)
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 - 28.704 (2004), 28.209 (2003), 21.257 (2002), 13.319 (2001), 12.1 (2000)
Executive branch chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)


head of government: Commissioner Leigh TURNER (since July 2006); Administrator Tony HUMPHRIES (since February 2005); note - both reside in the UK and are represented by the officer commanding British Forces on Diego Garcia


cabinet: NA


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


head of government: President Tabare VAZQUEZ (since 1 March 2005) and Vice President Rodolfo NIN NOVA (since 1 March 2005); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


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; election last held 31 October 2004 (next to be held October 2009)


election results: Tabare VAZQUEZ elected president; percent of vote - Tabare VAZQUEZ 50.5%, Jorge LARRANAGA 35.1%, Guillermo STIRLING 10.3%
Exports - NA
Exports - commodities - meat, rice, leather products, wool, fish, dairy products
Exports - partners - US 17.3%, Brazil 16%, Germany 6.3%, Argentina 6.2%, Mexico 4.2% (2004)
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 and 16 rays alternately triangular and wavy
GDP - composition by sector - agriculture: 7.9%


industry: 27.4%


services: 64.8% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $14,500 (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate - 10.2% (2004 est.)
Geographic coordinates 6 00 S, 71 30 E; note - Diego Garcia 7 20 S, 72 25 E 33 00 S, 56 00 W
Geography - note archipelago of 55 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: 8,983 km


paved: 8,081 km


unpaved: 902 km (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10%: 3.7%


highest 10%: 25.8% (1997)
Imports - NA
Imports - commodities - machinery, chemicals, road vehicles, crude petroleum
Imports - partners - Argentina 19.5%, Brazil 19%, Paraguay 12.9%, US 9.2%, China 6% (2004)
Independence - 25 August 1825 (from Brazil)
Industrial production growth rate - 22% (2004 est.)
Industries - food processing, electrical machinery, transportation equipment, petroleum products, textiles, chemicals, beverages
Infant mortality rate - total: 11.95 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 13.27 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 10.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) - 7.6% (2004 est.)
International organization participation - CSN, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM (observer), OAS, ONUB, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMOGIP, UNMOT, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Irrigated land 0 sq km 1,800 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch - Supreme Court (judges are nominated by the president and elected for 10-year terms by the General Assembly)
Labor force - 1.56 million (2004 est.)
Labor force - by occupation - agriculture 14%, industry 16%, services 70%
Land boundaries 0 km total: 1,564 km


border countries: Argentina 579 km, Brazil 985 km
Land use arable land: 0%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 100% (2005)
arable land: 7.43%


permanent crops: 0.23%


other: 92.34% (2001)
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) 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: 76.13 years


male: 72.92 years


female: 79.45 years (2005 est.)
Literacy - definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 98%


male: 97.6%


female: 98.4% (2003 est.)
Location archipelago in the Indian Ocean, south of India, 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 territorial sea: 3 nm


exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 24 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm


continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Merchant marine - total: 11 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 10,918 GRT/10,342 DWT


by type: cargo 1, chemical tanker 1, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker 2, roll on/roll off 1


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


registered in other countries: 8 (2005)
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
Military expenditures - dollar figure - $257.5 million (2004)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - 2% (2004)
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 which 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 - -0.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Pipelines - gas 192 km (2004)
Political parties and leaders - Colorado Party [Jorge BATLLE Ibanez]; National Party or Blanco [Luis Alberto LACALLE Herrera]; New Sector/Space Coalition (Nuevo Espacio) [Rafael MICHELINI]; Progressive Encounter/Broad Front Coalition (Encuentro Progresista/Frente Amplio) or EP-FA [Tabare VAZQUEZ]; Independent Party (Partido Independiente) [leader NA]
Political pressure groups and leaders - Agrupacion UTE (powerful state worker's union), Rural Association of Uruguay (rancher's association), Uruguayan Construction League, Chamber of Uruguayan Industries (manufacturer's association), Chemist and Pharmaceutical Association (professional organization), Architect's Society of Uruguay (professional organization), the Catholic Church, students
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 in the 1960s and 1970s; in November 2000 they were granted the right of return by a British High Court ruling, though no timetable has been set; in November 2004, there were approximately 4,000 UK and US military personnel and civilian contractors living on the island of Diego Garcia
3,415,920 (July 2005 est.)
Population below poverty line - 21% of households (2003)
Population growth rate - 0.47% (2005 est.)
Ports and harbors - Montevideo
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 91, FM 149, shortwave 7 (2001)
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 (2004)
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: 1.04 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female


total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2005 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: country code (Diego Garcia) - 246; 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


international: country code - 598; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2002)
Telephones - main lines in use NA 946,500 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular - 652,000 (2002)
Television broadcast stations 1 (1997) 23 (2002)
Terrain flat and low (most areas do not exceed two meters in elevation) mostly rolling plains and low hills; fertile coastal lowland
Total fertility rate - 1.91 children born/woman (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate - 13% (2004 est.)
Waterways - 1,600 km (2002)
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