ABSTRACT
Uruguay is one of the oldest democracies in the world. Since its independence, in 1830, it has been a democracy for 138 years. Situated between Argentina and Brazil, the country has a total land area of 180,000 km2 and a population of 3.4 million inhabitants, of which 15 percent is older than 65 years old. The Uruguayan GDP per capita is approximately US$5,200 (US$9,050 at parity of purchasing power). The domestic economic structure is based on its agriculture (12 percent of the GDP and more than 50 percent of exports); manufacturing – basically agricultural related (18 percent of the GDP); tourism services (6 percent of the GDP); and the rest is composed of public and private services.
