Uruguay
History
Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, while bordering the RĂo de la Plata to the south and the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast. It is part of the Southern Cone region of South America. Uruguay covers an area of approximately 176,215 square kilometers (68,037 sq mi). It has a population of almost 3.5 million people, of whom nearly 2 million live in the metropolitan area of its capital and largest city, Montevideo. The area that became Uruguay was first inhabited by groups of hunter gatherers 13,000 years ago. The first European explorer to reach the region was Juan DĂaz de SolĂs in 1516, but the area was colonized later than its neighbors. At the time of European arrival, the CharrĂşa were the predominant tribe, alongside other groups such as the GuaranĂ and the Chaná. However, none of these peoples were socially or politically organized in large groups, which contributed to their decline. Amid territorial disputes, the Portuguese established ColĂ´nia do Sacramento in 1680, and the Spanish founded Montevideo as a military stronghold. Uruguay secured... Summary adapted from the English Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). The live article includes citations, maps, and updates.