Uruguay

Uruguay is the smallest "Spanish" country in South America, but has lovely beaches, some exciting colonial cities and one of South America's most charming capitals, Montevideo. The long coastline on the Atlantic Ocean is home to internationally famous beach resorts. Its seaside location means the climate is quite windy, so it can feel colder than the temperature suggests. Uruguay prides itself on being the world's first social welfare state and having the lowest illiteracy rate in South America. The main social events are the annual Carnival and Easter Week, where you can experience horseback riding, cowboy stunt riding and folk music. The majority of the Uruguayan population is descended from European immigrants - mainly from Spain and Italy. However, recent historical and genetic studies have revealed that a significant portion of the population also has Indo-American ancestry. About eight percent are descendants of African slaves. With an area of only 186,000 square kilometres, Uruguay has been described as a city that includes a large ranch. The population growth rate is the lowest in Latin America. This is partly due to massive emigration as a result of the economic crisis and political repression of the 1970s and 1980s. About half of the country's population lives in the capital Montevideo.