Did You Know

Interesting Facts about Uruguay

Trivia, oddities, and curious tidbits about Uruguay.

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Did You Know?

18 curious facts about Uruguay.

The official name of Uruguay is La República Oriental del Uruguay, which means “the Eastern Republic of Uruguay.” This name refers to the country's location on the east bank of the Río de la Plata. The word “Uruguay” is thought to have come from an indigenous word meaning “the river of shellfish.”
The ombú is a huge evergreen tree that grows in the prairies of Uruguay. It can reach great heights and provides a point of reference as well as shelter for travellers.
The gauchos, or Uruguayan cowboys, chase rheas on horseback and throw boleadoras at them to tangle their feet. Boleadoras are leather thongs tipped with leather-covered stones. Inuit hunters in Canada use a similar weapon to snare small birds.
In 1939, the Graf Spee, a small German battleship, after sinking several British ships in the Battle of the Atlantic, was cornered near Montevideo harbour by the British navy. The Uruguayans were not sympathetic to the Germans and insisted that the battleship leave the harbour. Rather than surrender to the British, Captain Hans Langsdorf sent his crew ashore and scuttled his ship in the Río de la Plata. This event is remembered as an important confrontation early in the Second World War.

Uruguayan women obtained the right to open separate bank accounts in 1918.
Uruguay is a member of MERCOSUR, an economic alliance uniting Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.
By law, children under fifteen cannot work unless they have a special permit. In practice, however, many children younger than fifteen work in restaurants and family businesses. The prevalence of children begging in the streets of the cities increased during the 1990s.
Uruguay's soccer team won gold medals at the Olympic Games in 1924 and 1928. The Uruguayans were also the first to host, and to win, the World Cup, in 1930. They won again in 1950.
In the west, along the River Uruguay, there are several well-known hot springs, such as Termas de Daymán and Termas del Arapey, where the waters are rich in minerals. People go there to relax in the warm waters and relieve ailments such as arthritis.
Students have to make their own way to school, since there is no school bus system. In the countryside, getting to school is more difficult, since schools in rural zones are widely dispersed. Some students have to find lodgings near their school or university.