Uruguay Country Profile

Climate and Terrain

Uruguay is located in the temperate zone of the Southern Hemisphere and has four seasons. Temperatures average 70° F to 80° F (21° C to 27° C) in summer and 50° F to 60° F (10° C and 16° C) in winter.

Most of Uruguay is rolling grassy plains, ideal for raising cattle and sheep. The soil and climate are also suitable for raising many types of crops including grains, citrus, wine grapes, and trees for pulp and lumber.

The eastern coast has 200 miles of wide sandy beaches, dunes, and large lagoons which are dotted with summer resort communities, including the continent’s premier resort, Punta del Este.

Natural Hazards

There are no earthquakes or hurricanes in Uruguay. On occasion, there are strong southwest winds that come from the Argentine pampas. There are also occasional droughts.

Population statistics

Uruguay has the highest literacy rate in Latin America. Uruguay has a developing middle class and the lowest poverty level in Latin America.

Attitudes toward foreigners

Many vacationers and expatriates testify that Uruguay (especially Punta del Este) is one of the most tolerant places on earth. In Uruguay, people and relationships are generally more important than a schedule.

Crime

Safety is the number one reason people from other South American countries relocate their families to Uruguay. Uruguay is known for having the lowest rate of crime in Latin America.

Uruguay does have robberies, but armed robberies and rates of assault are low. Petty thefts such as purse snatching and camera grabbing are not uncommon in Uruguay’s capital, Montevideo.

Punta del Este is often described as being crime free. It is most certainly one of the safest places in Latin America, and possibly one of the safest communities in the world, but it not crime free. Home and car burglaries have been on the rise and many people with single family homes use a home security service to guard against break-ins while they are away.

Levels of government transparency

One of the distinctions between Uruguay and its neighbors, Brazil and Argentina, is its significantly higher level of government transparency. Transparency International is a Berlin-based organization that ranks and scores countries by their levels of perceived corruption (the abuse of public office for private gain). The scores range from 10 (squeaky clean) to 0 (very corrupt). A score of 5.0 is the number Transparency International considers the borderline figure distinguishing countries that do and do not have a serious corruption problem.

For 2008, Uruguay was ranked the 23rd least corrupt country out of 180 countries, with a score of 6.9. It is tied with Chile as the least corrupt country in Latin America. For comparison, here is the ranking of Southern Cone countries:

Uruguay ranked 23th (tied with Chile) with a score of 6.9
Brazil ranked 80th with a score of 3.5
Argentina ranked 109th with a score of 2.9

Uruguay’s Real Estate Markets

Uruguay’s agricultural land has been especially popular with international investors, with approximately 25% of Uruguay’s land mass being purchased by foreign interests in the last eight years. The coastal communities listed below are popular with foreign buyers looking for second homes, full-time residences, and investment properties:

To learn more about Uruguay and Uruguay’s real estate opportunities, order your copy of Buying Real Estate in Uruguay, available for immediate download from EscapeArtist.com




	© Robert Cattan

© Robert Cattan