Geography of Uruguay
| Location: | Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Argentina and Brazil |
| Geographic coordinates: | 33 00 S, 56 00 W |
| Map references: | South America |
| Area: | total: 176,220 sq km land: 173,620 sq km water: 2,600 sq km |
| Area - comparative: | slightly smaller than the state of Washington |
| Land boundaries: | total: 1,648 km border countries: Argentina 580 km, Brazil 1,068 km |
| Coastline: | 660 km |
| Maritime claims: | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or edge of continental margin |
| Climate: | warm temperate; freezing temperatures almost unknown |
| Terrain: | mostly rolling plains and low hills; fertile coastal lowland |
| Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Cerro Catedral 514 m |
| Natural resources: | arable land, hydropower, minor minerals, fisheries |
| Land use: | arable land: 7.77% permanent crops: 0.24% other: 91.99% (2005) |
| Irrigated land: | 2,100 sq km (2003) |
| Natural hazards: | seasonally high winds (the pampero is a chilly and occasional violent wind that blows north from the Argentine pampas), droughts, floods; because of the absence of mountains, which act as weather barriers, all locations are particularly vulnerable to rapid changes from weather fronts |
| Environment - current issues: | water pollution from meat packing/tannery industry; inadequate solid/hazardous waste disposal |
| Environment - international agreements: | party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation |
| Geography - note: | second-smallest South American country (after Suriname); most of the low-lying landscape (three-quarters of the country) is grassland, ideal for cattle and sheep raising |