Filed under the Americas and more precisely South America, Uruguay is a sovereign state. Its full official name is Oriental Republic of Uruguay. Government sits in Montevideo.
It covers 181,034 km², which ranks it 92nd of the 250 countries and territories in this dataset — just behind Cambodia and just ahead of Suriname. For scale, it is a fraction smaller than Belarus.
The population is about 3.4 million, placing it 134th of 250 by population — between Mongolia above it and Puerto Rico below. Measured only against its own subregion, it is 11th of 14 in size and 10th in population.
Geography and neighbours of Uruguay
Its reference point sits at 33.0° south and 56.0° west, which puts it in the southern hemisphere, roughly 3,674 km from the equator, in what geographers would call subtropical latitudes.
2 countries share a land border with it: Argentina and Brazil. The largest of them by area is Brazil, which is also the most populous. Together those neighbours hold about 257.7 million people.
Unlike its landlocked neighbours it reaches the sea directly, while also sharing land frontiers.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
How crowded Uruguay is, and what is spoken there
Spread across 181,034 km², that works out at about 19 people per square kilometre, which makes it less crowded than the typical entry on this list. The median across all 250 entries here is about 90 per square kilometre.
The demonym is Uruguayan, so residents are Uruguayans.
The one official language is Spanish. Another 23 entries list Spanish too — among them Argentina, Belize, Bolivia and Chile.
Against the Americas as a whole it is the 22nd most populous of 56 entries, and it accounts for under 1% of everyone living in South America.
Money, codes and practical details
The currency is the Uruguayan peso ($, UYU). It is issued for Uruguay alone.
Montevideo is the seat of government and the answer most quizzes are looking for.
Its internet country code is .uy. To phone it from abroad you dial +598. In ISO terms it is uy in two letters and URY in three.
As a sovereign state it is among the 193 UN members listed here. The other 57 entries are territories, dependencies or observers, which is why totals on this site run to 250 rather than the familiar 195.
Neighbouring countries
Uruguay shares borders with 2 countries:
Fun facts about Uruguay
- Websites based there use the .uy domain.
- Population density works out at roughly 19 people per square kilometre.
- Spanish is official here and in 23 other entries worldwide.
- Its capital city is Montevideo.
- People from Uruguay are known as Uruguayans.
- The Uruguayan peso is used here and nowhere else on this list.
- It lies about 3,674 km from the equator, in subtropical latitudes.
- In land area it is a fraction smaller than Belarus.
Uruguay — frequently asked questions
- What is the capital of Uruguay?
- The capital of Uruguay is Montevideo.
- Where is Uruguay located?
- Uruguay is in South America, part of the Americas. Its reference coordinates are 33.0° south and 56.0° west, roughly 3,674 km from the equator in subtropical latitudes.
- What language is spoken in Uruguay?
- The official language of Uruguay is Spanish. It is also official in 23 other entries on this list.
- Is Uruguay a country?
- Yes. Uruguay is a sovereign state and one of the 193 UN members listed on this site.
- Which countries border Uruguay?
- Uruguay borders 2 countries: Argentina and Brazil. Brazil is the largest of them by area.
- What currency does Uruguay use?
- Uruguay uses the Uruguayan peso, written $ (currency code UYU). No other entry in this dataset uses it.
- What is the population of Uruguay?
- Uruguay has a population of about 3.4 million, which makes it the 134th most populous of the 250 countries and territories listed on this site. Mongolia sits just above it and Puerto Rico just below.
- How big is Uruguay?
- Uruguay covers 181,034 km², ranking 92nd of 250 by land area. That makes it a fraction smaller than Belarus.
