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Uruguay is the smallest Spanish-speaking country in South America
Suriname is the smallest country in South America, but since it was part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands for a long time, the official language is still Dutch. So since Uruguay is the second smallest country in South America, it is the smallest where Spanish is the main language.
Where does your name come from?
The name Uruguay comes from the Uruguay River which means “river of the painted birds” in the Guarani language. The river originates in Brazil and flows into the Río de la Plata basin, which forms the aquatic border between Uruguay and Argentina.
Uruguay has the longest national anthem in the world
The country’s national anthem called “Himno Nacional de Uruguay” is the longest national anthem in the world in terms of duration. The entire song is about 6 minutes long. However, there is also a shortened version.
Candombe is the national dance of Uruguay
Candombe is an Uruguayan folk dance that originated from the descendants of Africans liberated in the country during the 19th century. It is now a prominent part of the country’s carnival parade that takes place in the streets of Montevideo every February.
Tango was born in Uruguay
Actually, this is not completely true. Uruguay cannot claim only tango and neither can Argentina. In fact, this dance was invented by the urban lower classes both in Buenos Aires and in Montevideo in the Río de la Plata basin. Tango was born from a fusion of African musical traditions with European and Creole instruments and rhythms.
Uruguay hosted the first World Cup in history
Like many South American countries, soccer is the most popular sport in Uruguay. The first international soccer match was held in Uruguay in 1902, as was the first World Cup tournament in 1930. This tournament was held after soccer was removed from the Olympic Games program when Uruguay won medals from consecutive gold in Paris in 1924 and Amsterdam in 1928!
A small country… with a small population
In Uruguay, cows outnumber people four to one. It is a nation of 12 million head of cattle but only three million people.
100% of Uruguay’s electricity comes from renewable sources
One of the most amazing things about Uruguay is how ecological it is, especially when it comes to energy production. In 2020 it was estimated that between 98-100% of Uruguay’s electricity is generated through renewable sources.
