Vital statistics: Uruguay, which covers 176,220 square kilometers (about the size of Washington state or Oklahoma in the U.S.), making it the smallest Spanish-speaking South American country. It had an estimated population of 3,386,575 as of July 2002. Its per capital gross domestic product of around $6,500 U.S. makes it one of the wealthiest countries in Latin America.

History: Before the arrival of Spanish colonists, the main occupants of what is now Uruguay were the Charrúa, whose economy was based mainly on hunting and fishing. Little evidence of their existence remains today.

The first Spaniard to arrive in the region was Juan Díaz de Solís, who entered the Río de la Plata by mistake in 1516. He and most of his party were killed shortly upon his arrival, although it is unknown whether he was skilled by Charrúa or the Guaraní, who were prominent in the area farther north.

The rocky start for colonization attempts didn't prevent further attempts at colonization and trade with the Spanish, Portuguese and English. The Spanish were the most successful at conquest, partly because of the wealth they gained by introducing cattle. Spanish colonists founded Montevideo (the present-day capital) in the early 1700s, designed as a rival to the Portuguese colonial capital of Buenos Aires.

Various colonial powers vied for dominance in the region in the following decades. After years of fighting in the 1820s, Uruguay gained independence with the 1828 Treaty of Montevideo.

Independence didn't bring an end to conflict, however. It can be said that the modern Uruguayan society wasn't born until a visionary president, José Batlle y Ordóñez, used his two terms of office (1903-07 and 1911-15) to develop a much-admired welfare system and bring an end to chaotic strong-arm rule. In time, Uruguay become one of the most prosperous countries of Latin America.

The good times lasted until roughly the middle of the 20th century. By the 1960s, however, corruption, inflation, unemployment and other social ills were taking their toll. Adoption of a new constitution in 1967 failed to solve the problems, and in 1973 the military shut down the congress and established a regime with promises to later restore the country to civilian rule. Julio María Sanguinetti was elected as president in 1985, ousted in 1990 and restored to office in 1994. The current president, Jorge Batlle, is aiming to strengthen the country's economy and increase trade. Because its economy is largely dependent on agricultural products, Uruguay tends to be affected considerably by the economies of nations such as Brazil and Argentina.

Linguistic highlights: Spanish is the official language. Indigenous languages are no longer used, although Uruguay has welcomed immigrants, a significant number of which speak Portuguese, Italian, Catalan, Russian or Yiddish.

Studying Spanish in Uruguay: The country's relatively high standard of living makes Uruguay a comfortable place to study. A few schools are located in Montevideo.

Tourist attractions: Partly because of its location and lack of major archaeological sites, Uruguay doesn't have a large influx of visitors from North America or Europe, although its beaches and spas are popular with South American visitors. Among its distinctive tourist attractions are tours and stays at various ranches that typify rural Uruguay's gaucho way of life.

Trivia: Uruguay was the first country in the world to have a minimum wage for farmworkers and the first to enforce an eight-hour workday.

Public-domain map provided by the CIA Factbook