Urugauy

Tre Tipton

Colonial de Sacremento: 1680

Portugal

Capital City: Montevideo

Spain 18th Century

Colonization

• Tensions arose as the three powers Spain, Portugal and the British fought for control over the surrounding territory of Brazil

• In 1807, in an attempt by the British army to seize Montevideo, it was occupied for six months by Britain

Struggle for Independence

• 1811 Jose Gervasio Artigas launched a revolt against the Spanish

• The revolution was successful as they defeated them on May 18th at the Battle of Las Pierdras

Struggle for Independence

• 1816 about 10,000 Portuguese troops invaded and took Montevideo in January of 1817.

• After about 4 more years of colonization, Brazil gained independence from Portugal and founded a province called Cisplatina.

• After the 500 day long Cisplatine War, Uruguay was granted its independence in the 1828 Treaty of Montevideo

Conflicts after Independence

• Following independence, tensions rose in Uruguay between the two political parties: the Blancos and the Colorados

• Blancos represented the agricultural interests of the country while the Colorados focused more on the business interests of Montevideo

Guerra Grande

• As the conflict continued between the two, Rivera the leader of the Colorados, declared war on Oribe the Blancos leader

• The war lasted thirteen years and took the name Guerra Grande, for the Great War

Post Guerra Grande

• After the war, there was a huge rise in the number of immigrants primarily from Italy and Spain

• By 1879 the total population of the country was over 438,000

Uruguay’s Motto

•“Libertad o Muerte”

Montevideo

• Became a major economic center of the area

Uruguay Today

• Is a representative democratic republic with a presidential system.

• Members of government are elected for a five year term by a universal suffrage.

• Is a unitary state: justice, education, health, security, foreign policy and defense are all administered nationwide

Uruguay Today Cont’d

• Adopted its current constitution in 1967, where many of its provisions were suspended in 1973 and re-established in 1985

• The Uruguayan Constitution also allows citizens to repeal laws or to change the constitution by popular initiative which culminates into a nation wide referendum

Economically

• Today Uruguay is one of the most economically developed countries in South America with a high GDP per capita and the 48th highest Human Development Index in the world