The name “Uruguay” comes from Guarani, the language of the native people of the region. It means “river of the painted bird” or in Spanish, Uruguay’s official language El nombre “Uruguay” viene de Guarani, la lengua de los indigenas de la región. Significa el “rio del pájaro pintado”.
The Arawak and Taino Indians first inhabited Uruguay. The Arawak were tropical forest people who probably originated in South America. The Arawaks were progressively wiped out by the after effects of the Spanish conquest.
Uruguay’s full name is República Oriental del Uruguay and it is the only Latin American country lying wholly outside of the tropics.
Only 2-3% of Uruguay’s land is forested.
The Embalse del Rio Negro in Uruguay is the longest artificial lake in South America (c. 4,000 sq mi/ 10.360 sq km).
Uruguay’s natural resources are: arable land, hydro-power, minor minerals and fisheries.
The English name for Uruguay’s “River Plate” is a corruption of the Spanish Rio de la Plata, meaning “Silver River”. This is a reference not to the colour of the river, but to the riches of the legendary Sierra de Plata (“mountain range of silver”) thought to lie upstream. This fabled treasure was believed to have been located in South America, though no evidence has ever been found.
QUICK FACTS - Uruguay
