English
Español
中文
हिन्दी
FrançaisGeography and Environment
Geography and Environment of Uruguay
Terrain, climate, natural resources, hazards, and environmental conditions of Uruguay.
Overview
The República Oriental del Uruguay (the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, or roughly translated, the Republic East of the River Uruguay) covers an area of 72,200 square miles, about as large as Greece or the state of Montana. Uruguay’s topography is divided into three parts: the southern area, a belt of gently undulating plains; the western part, an extension of Argentina’s flat pampas; and the northern area, an extension of southern Brazil’s low regions and broad valleys. Maximum elevation above sea level is about 2,000 feet; the average being about 490 feet. Few natural forests exist, but extensive forestation with pine and eucalyptus trees has been undertaken.
Detailed geography
Physical Features
- Terrain
- mostly rolling plains and low hills; fertile coastal lowland
- Climate
- Except for a small subtropical area in the northwest, the climate is even throughout Uruguay. Temperatures are generally mild, but seasons are distinct: summer daytime temperatures average 70 degrees Fahrenheit and rarely exceed the mid-90s; autumn (March–May) is mild; and spring (September–November) is often damp, cool and windy. In winter, monthly temperatures range from 44– 60 degrees Fahrenheit with rare frost. However, humidity, averaging 75% year round, intensifies the cold. Average annual rainfall is 39.5 inches.
- Weather Patterns
- http://voap.weather.com/weather/oap/UYXX0006?template=TRVLH&par=1003114983&unit=0&key=5b85ae1d85877a1b34827fba743e2133
- Highest Point
- 514 — Cerro Catedral 514 m
- Lowest Point
- Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Borders and Area
- Area (Comparative)
- slightly smaller than the state of Washington
- Border Countries
- Argentina 579 km, Brazil 985 km
Natural Resources and Hazards
- Natural Resources
- arable land, hydropower, minor minerals, fisheries
- Natural Hazards
- seasonally high winds (the pampero is a chilly and occasional violent wind which blows north from the Argentine pampas), droughts, floods; because of the absence of mountains, which act as weather barriers, all locations are particularly vulnerable to rapid changes from weather fronts
Environment and Land Use
- Current Environmental Issues
- water pollution from meat packing/tannery industry; inadequate solid/hazardous waste disposal
- International Agreements
- party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation