Long-form name: Oriental Republic of Uruguay

Type: republic

Capital: Montevideo

Administrative divisions: 19 departments (departamentos, singular--departamento); Artigas, Canelones, Cerro Largo, Colonia, Durazno, Flores, Florida, Lavalleja, Maldonado, Montevideo, Paysandu, Rio Negro, Rivera, Rocha, Salto, San Jose, Soriano, Tacuarembo, Treinta y Tres

Independence: 25 August 1828 (from Brazil)

Constitution: 27 November 1966, effective February 1967, suspended 27 June 1973, new constitution rejected by referendum 30 November 1980

Legal system: based on Spanish civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

National holiday: Independence Day, 25 August (1828)

Branches: executive, headed by president; bicameral National Congress (Senate and House of Deputies); national judiciary headed by Court of Justice

Leaders: Julio M. SANGUINETTI, President (since March 1985); Enrique E. TARIGO, Vice President (since March 1985)

Suffrage: universal over age 18

Elections: held every five years; last held November 1984; next scheduled for November 1989

Political parties and leaders: National (Blanco) Party, Roberto Rubio; Colorado Party, Enrique Tarigo; Broad Front Coalition, Liber Seregni; Communist Party, Jaime Perez; Civic Union, Humberto Ciganda; Government of the People (List 99), Hugo Batalla; National Liberation Movement (MLN) or Tupamaros, Raul Sendic Antonaccio

Voting strength: (1984 Chamber of Deputies election) 41% Colorado, 35% Blanco, 22% Broad Front, 2% Civic Union

Communists: 50,000

Member of: CCC, FAO, G-77, GATT, Group of Eight, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IRC, ITU, LAIA, OAS, PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG

Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Hector LUISI; Chancery at 1918 F Street NW, Washington DC 20006; telephone (202) 331-1313 through 1316; there are Uruguayan Consulates General in Los Angeles, Miami, and New York, and a Consulate in New Orleans; US--Ambassador Malcolm R. WILKEY; Embassy at Lauro Muller 1776, Montevideo (mailing address is APO Miami 34035); telephone �598� (2) 40-90-51

Flag: nine equal horizontal stripes of white (top and bottom) alternating with blue; there is a white square in the upper hoist-side corner with a yellow sun bearing a human face known as the Sun of May and 16 rays alternately triangular and wavy

NOTE: The information regarding Uruguay on this page is re-published from the 1989 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Uruguay Government 1989 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Uruguay Government 1989 should be addressed to the CIA.