Intro
Located South of Brazil and East of Argentina is Uruguay. It has a rich history that dates back to 2000 BC when the Charrua natives first inhabited Uruguay. Uruguay now has a large agricultural industry. The geography mainly consists of low plains and hills. Uruguay is a country with vast expanses of farmland, a rich history, and a strong and growing economy.
History
Uruguay has an extremely rich history that starts about 4,000 years ago when the Charrua were first inhabited Uruguay. The Charrua were completely eliminated by the 1830’s. That left Uruguay as the only Latin American country with no pure indigenous people. Now the only native Uruguayans are descendents of the Charrua. These people are not fully Charrua they are mestizo, South American and European. They make up 8% of Uruguay’s total population of 3,332,000. The Spanish were primarily responsible for the death of the Charrua. Natives were murdered and enslaved. Cattle were introduced to Uruguay by the Spanish in the 1530’s, they are a main source of income and a way of life for many of the citizens. Cattle and livestock are part of the lives of many Uruguayans which includes rodeos and horse racing. Montevideo, the capital, was founded in 1726 as a Spanish military base. The primary language is Spanish. Spanish and other European descendents make up 88% of the population. In 1750 the first African slaves were brought to Uruguay for labor by the Spanish in Montevideo. Slaves also impacted Uruguay’s culture by bringing a music style known as candombe. This music is similar to the tango. Black people make up 4% of the population. Uruguay's motto, Live Free or Die, fully describes this amazing country.