América, Uruguay

MY COUNTRY: URUGUAY

MAP

URUGUAY IS IN SOUTH AMERICA, BETWEEN ARGENTINA AND BRAZIL. HERE I'M GOING TO WRITE ABOUT IT'S CLIMATE, IT'S MOUNTAINS AND IT'S RIVERS.

TEMPERATURE

THE TEMPERATURE IS NOT SO HIGH IN SUMMER AS IN SPAIN (30ºC), and WINTERS ARE VERY HUMID AND not so COLD. THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE IS 17’5ºC. THE TEMPERATURE IS TEMPLATE BECAUSE OF THE SCARCE ALTITUDE. THE HIGHEST POINT HAS ONLY 400M. URUGUAY HAS A LOT OF COAST AND IT moderates the temperatures.

PRECIPITATIONS

IN URUGUAY USES TO RAIN ALL THE YEAR, EXCEPT IN SUMMER, THAT DOESN’T RAIN FREQUENTLY. WHEN IT RAINS SOMETIMES PRECIPITATES HAIL AND WATER SNOW.

RIVERS AND LAKES

RIVERS IN URUGUAY ARE NOT VERY LONG, AND THEY’RE REGULAR. THEY ARE REGULAR BECAUSE OF THE ABUNDANT RAIN IN ALL THE YEAR. TYE CARRY A LOT OF WATER.

LIFEFORMS

VEGETATION

In uruguay THERE’S A LOT OF GRASS, BECAUSE OF THE ABUNDANT RAIN AND THE DIRECTLY INCIDENCE OF SUNLIGHT.

FAUNA

COWS, SHEEPS, HORSES... GENERALLY WARMBLOODED ANIMALS. THEY EXIST BECAUSE THEY CAN ADAPT BETTER TO SEASONAL TEMPERATURE CHANGES.

MOUNTAINS

URUGUAYAN MOUNTAINS ARE OLD AND THEY AREN'T TALL. we can stand out three important mountains, they’re:

-     Cuchilla de haedo

-     Cuchilla grande

-     Cuchilla grande del durazno

 RIVERS

THE MOST IMPORTANT RIVERS ARE RÍO NEGRO, río uruguay, río arapey and RÍO SAN JOSÉ. ALL THE RIVERS IN THE COUNTRY ARE REGULAR AND THEY CARRY A LOT OF WATER.

AGRICULTURE AND CATTLE OF MY COUNTRY:

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THE ECONOMY OF URUGUAY

INTRODUCTION

 URUGUAY BELONGS TO THE ECONOMIC PARTO OF SOUTH AMÉRICA, WHICH IS NAMED MERCOSUR. THE ECONOMY OF URUGUAY IS THE RESULT OF THE COMBINATION OF THE NATURAL RESOURCES OF THE COUNTRY. IT’S ECONOMY IS CHARACTERIZED BY AN EXPORT-ORIENTED AGRICULTURAL SECTOR AND A WELL-EDUCTATED WORK FORCE AND A STRONG PRESENCE OF THE STATE. IN URUGUAY YOU PAY WITH URUGUAYAN PESO, BUT IN EXPENSIVE PRODUCTS (HOUSES, CARS, ELECTRONICS…) YOU MUST PAY IN DOLLARS. THE 60% OF THE URUGUAYAN BANKS USE DOLLARS.

CHARACTERISTICS

URUGUAYAN ECONOMY IS BASED ON THE CATTLE AND THE SHEEP. WOOL, MEAT, LEATHER AND OTHER PRODUCTS ARE OBTAINED FROM THERE, AND IT CONSTITUTES THE  PRINCIPAL PART OF EXPORTATION. THE CATTLE IS SITUATED ON THE NORTH OF THE COUNTRY, AND THE SHEEP, IN THE WHOLE COUNTRY.

THE MINERAL RESOURCES ARE NOT VERY EXPLOITED, BUT INDUSTRY HAS IMPORVED THROUGH THE IMPORTATION OF FUEL AND RAW. THE NORTH OF THE COUNTRY IS THE MOST EXPLOITED ZONE OF MINERAL RESOURCES.    

THE FOOD INDUSTRY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT, THE SECOND ONE IS THE WOOD INSUTRY, AND THE THIRD ONE IS THE SOFTWARE, WICH ISN’T TRADICIONAL, AND IT’S GETTING VERY IMPORTANT IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE EXPORTATIONS.

PRINCIPAL RESOURCES

NATURAL RESOURCES: CATTLE RAISIN AND AGRICULTURE.

MINERAL RESOURCES: LOW EXPLOTATION OF SEMIPRECIOUS STONES (ÁGATAS AND AMATISTAS), THAT WE CAN GET IN THE NORTH OF THE COUNTRY, FOR EXAMPLE, IN ARTIGAS.

ECONOMIC RESOURCES: TOURISM AND FINANCIAL SERVICES.

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

URUGUAY IS A REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC WITH A PRESIDENTIAL SYSTEM. THE MEMBERS OF GOVERNMENT ARE ELECTED FOR A FIVE-YEAR TERM BY A UNIVERSAL SUFFRAGE SYSTEM. THERE ARE THREE POWERS THAT GUIDES THE REPUBLIC: 

THE EXECUTIVE POWER: IS EXERCISED BY THE PRESIDENT AND A CABINET OF 13 MINISTERS. THE NAME OF THE PRESIDENT IS JOSÉ MUJICA, AND TRHE VICEPRESIDENT IS DANILO ASTORI.

THE LEGISLATIVE POWER: IS CONSTITUDED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY COMPOSED OF TWO CHAMBERS, CONSISTING OF 99 MEMBERS REPRESENTING THE 19 DEPARTAMENTS, ELECTED BASED ON PROPORCIONAL REPRESENTATION. THE CHAMBER OF SENATORS CONSISTING OF 31 MEMBERS BEING ONE OF THEM THE VICEPRESIDENT WHO PRESIDES OVER THE CHAMBER.

THE JUDICIAL ARM: EXERCISED BY THE SUPREME COURT WHOSE MEMBERS ARE ELECTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLEY, THE BENCH AND JUDGES.

URUGUAY ADOPTED IT’S CURRENT CONSTITUTION IN 1967.

 TOURISM

URUGUAY HAS DIFFERENT TOURISM DESTINATIONS, LIKE MONTEVIDEO (THE CAPITAL CITY), PUNTA DEL ESTE AND ROCHA. IT HAS A LONG COAST FULL OF BEACHES IN THE EAST AND THE SOUTH THAT ARE LOCATED IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN (IN THE EAST) AND THE RÍO DE LA PLATA (IN THE SOUTH).

MONTEVIDEO: IS THE CAPITAL CITY AND IS SITUATED AT THE SOUTH OF THE COUNTRY. IT ISN’T VERY BIG AND IT HAS 1,5 MILLION PEOPLE. THE BEST NEIGHBOURS ARE CARRASCO, POCITOS AND PUNTA CARRETAS.

PUNTA DEL ESTE: IS SITUATED AT THE EAST OF THE COUNTRY AND IT’S WORLDWIDE KNOWN. VERY FAMOUS SPORTMEN (ROGER FEDERER, NOVAK DJOKOVIC, GERARD PIQUÉ, DIEGO FORLÁN, MARADONA, LIONEL MESSI…) AND SINGERS AND DJ (DAVID GUETTA, SHAKIRA…) SPEND THEIR HOLIDAYS THERE.

ROCHA: IT IS THE EAST OF THE COUNTRY, AND IT’S KNOWN ON THE COUNTRY BECAUSE IT HAS MANY LITTLE TOWNS ON THE OCEAN COAST.

CATTLE

THE PORDUCTION OF MEAT AND WOOL IS ALWAYS ONE OF THE MAIN ITEMS OF ACTIVITY AND EXPORT. THERE ARE MULTIPLE BREEDING ESTABLISHMENTS OF CATTLE AND SHEEP. IT’S ALSO IMPORTANT THE CUTTLE DAIRY CATTLE. THAT’S WHY URUGUAY EXPORTS A LOT OF MILK PRODUCTS TO EUROPE. THE SHEEP IS CONCENTRATED IN THE NORTH OF THE COUNTRY AND BOVINE CATTLE IN THE WHOLE TERRITORY.

AGRICULTURE

IN OUR COUNTRY, THE AGRICULTURE OCCUPY THE 20% OF THE TERRITORY AND THE CATTLE THE 80%. THE PRINCIPAL TYPES OF URUGAYAN AGRICULTURE ARE:

UPLAND: IT’S A TYPE OF AGRICULTURE IN WICH YOU DON’T HAVE TO USE WATER. IN URUGUAY, THIS TYPE OF AGRICULTURE IS USED IN THE DEPARTAMENTS OF SALTO, PAYSANDÚ, RÍO NEGRO, SORIANO AND COLONIA. IN URUGUAY WE GET WHEAT, CORN, SORGHUM AND OLEAGINOUS.

IRRIGATION: IT’S A SYSTEM IN WICH YOU ADD WATER TO THE PLANTATION. IT IS USED IN THE DEPARTAMENTS OF TREINTA Y TRES, THE EAST PART OF RIVERA, CERRO LARGO AND IN ARTIGAS WE PLANT SUGAR CANE.

SUBSISTENCE SYSTEM: IT CONSISTS IN TO PLANT THE NECESSARY FOOD FOR THE FARMER’S FAMILY. IT IS USED IN MONTEVIDEO AND CANELONES.

EXTRA-INFORMATION

PERCENTAGES OF GDP (2012)

-GDP: 54,67000000000

- VARIATION OF GDP: 3,8%

- SECTORAL GDP: AGRICULTURE 8,2%, INDUSTRY 21,6%, SERVICIES 70,2%

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RECIPE OF THE ASADO

INGREDIENTS: MEAT and different types of meat like pork, cow and sausages, FIREWOOD AND A GRILL

PREPARATION: FIRSTABLE, YOU HAVE To BURN UP THE FIREWOOD IN A BASKET. after YOU BURN it, YOU’LL GET EMBERS. TO GET THE EMBERS, YOU HAVE TO MOVE THE FIREWOOD WHILE IT’S BEING BURN IN THE BASKET. THEN YOU HAVE TO MOVE THE EMBERS BELOW THE GRILL. ONCE YOU HAVE DONE THIS YOU HAVE TO PUT THE MEAT ON THE GRILL, AND THE HEAT OF THE EMBERS WILL HEAT THE MEAT AND IT WILL GET COOKED.

TIME OF COOKING: IT DEPENDS ON THE WAY YOU WANT THE MEAT (VERY COOKED OR LOW COOKED). PEOPLE USUALLY LEAVES THE MEAT COOKING ABOUT ONE HOUR

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AGRICULTURE AND CATTLE OF MY COUNTRY: