Country Overview
Uruguay may be small in size, but it is big in every other way. Sandwiched between Brazil and Argentina, Uruguay takes up only 72,930 square miles. That area is home to renowned beaches, dunes, and headlands, as well as two mountain ranges and fertile grasslands.

Uruguay's 3.2 million residents are very proud of their country. Well-developed, it has the highest percentage of residents living in urban areas of any Latin American country.

Uruguayans enjoy a temperate climate. The winter (June to September) ranges between 50°F and 61°F. The summer (December to March) than averages 70-82°F. The climate and landscape make Uruguay an ideal place for cattle raising and agriculture.

The country is a republic consisting of three branches. The president, who is elected to a five-year term, heads the executive branch. The legislative branch is bicameral and the judicial branch acts as the supreme court of justice.

The major political parties are the Colorado, Blanco, Broad Front Coalition, and New Space parties.

The capital of Montevideo has a population of 1.4 million. The country is divided into 19 departments, each led by a governor.

Uruguay's major industries are wool, beef, sugar, fishing, textiles, and tourism.

The currency is the Uruguayan Peso.

The official language is Spanish. Over half of young people study English, but it is not widely spoken. Uruguayans are big meat-eaters. The parillada (beef platter) and chivito (steak sandwich) are standards. Popular beverages include mate (tea), clerico (a mixture of white wine and fruit juice), and medio y medio (a mixture of sparkling wine and white wine). Uruguayans are blessed with a variety of fruits, vegetables, and grains as a result of their agricultural production.

School
Education is free and secular. Children are required to attend for nine years, between the ages of 6 and 14. The school year runs from March to November.

The educational system seems to be working well. Uruguay enjoys the highest literacy rate (96%) of any Latin American country.

There are public and private schools. Private schools tend to have smaller class sizes.

Students typically spend about three hours on homework.

After completing the nine years of primary education, a student may choose to either go on to secondary school or to vocational training.

If a student elects to go on to secondary school (liceo), he or she will go through two cycles. The first is called the basic high school and takes four years to complete. The second cycle, known as the superior basic cycle, takes two years to complete. During the second cycle students begin to focus their academic interests.

Students must pass a difficult exam to be promoted from the first year of the second cycle to the next and to finally graduate.

University education is free so many students attend.

Teenagers
Most teenagers participate in sports clubs. The most popular sports for boys are soccer and basketball. Girls tend to favor handball, volleyball, and field hockey.

They dress casually, usually wearing jeans, T-shirts, sweatshirts, and sneakers.

Teenagers start to date when they are 14 or 15 years old.

The government is sponsoring sexual education in the schools.

The legal drinking age is 18, but many teenagers begin drinking before then.

Community
Most people have cable television. There are no English-language channels or programs.

Business hours are 8-noon and then 2-7, Monday through Friday.

Buses are the main form of public transportation. Public transportation is far more extensive in large cities like Montevideo. Most people rely on cars.

The Family Both parents work in most families so your student will not be surprised if this is the case in your household. Women continue to carry the greater part of the responsibility for caring for the household. In cities, the family may have maids. A typical family has two children.

Most people continue to live with their parents until they get married. Members of the extended family do not generally live in the same house, but family is very important and visiting is common and encouraged.

Customs
The most common way to greet someone is with a handshake. Friends will kiss or hug.

Uruguay is one of the most secular countries in Latin America. Catholicism is the largest religion, but Uruguayans are not extremely religious. Less than half the adult population attends church regularly.

Soccer is a national obsession. Other popular sports are basketball, volleyball, swimming, and water sports.

Christmas is an important holiday. The family gathers on Christmas Eve for a big dinner. At midnight the children open the gifts Santa Claus delivered.

Another big celebration is Carnaval. Carnaval is a huge party with drummers and costumes held on the Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.

Holy Week (La Semana Criolla) is also a lot of fun. Activities include barbecues (asados), horse-breaking, cowboy stunt riding, and folk music.

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