Geography of Uruguay

Location:\nSouthern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Argentina and Brazil\n

Geographic coordinates:\n33 00 S, 56 00 W\n

Map references:\nSouth America\n

Area:\n
total:\n176,220 sq km\n
land:\n173,620 sq km\n
water:\n2,600 sq km\n

Area - comparative:\nslightly smaller than the state of Washington\n

Land boundaries:\n
total:\n1,564 km\n
border countries:\nArgentina 579 km, Brazil 985 km\n

Coastline:\n660 km\n

Maritime claims:\n
continental shelf:\n200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation\n
territorial sea:\n200 nm; overflight and navigation guaranteed beyond 12 nm\n

Climate:\nwarm temperate; freezing temperatures almost unknown\n

Terrain:\nmostly rolling plains and low hills; fertile coastal lowland\n

Elevation extremes:\n
lowest point:\nAtlantic Ocean 0 m\n
highest point:\nCerro Catedral 514 m\n

Natural resources:\narable land, hydropower, minor minerals, fisheries\n

Land use:\n
arable land:\n7%\n
permanent crops:\n0%\n
permanent pastures:\n77%\n
forests and woodland:\n6%\n
other:\n10% (1997 est.)\n

Irrigated land:\n7,700 sq km (1997 est.)\n

Natural hazards:\nseasonally 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 in weather fronts\n

Environment - current issues:\nwater pollution from meat packing/tannery industry; inadequate solid/hazardous waste disposal\n

Environment - international agreements:\n
party to:\nAntarctic Treaty, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling\n
signed, but not ratified:\nClimate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation

See also : Uruguay

\nCategory:Uruguay