Nine equal horizontal stripes of white (top and bottom) alternating with blue represents the nine provinces of Uruguay at the time of the inauguration of the flag; a white square in the upper hoist-side corner with a yellow sun bearing a human face known as the Sun of May with 16 rays that alternate between triangular and wavy signifies independence and freedom.
Capital: Montevideo
Langauges: Spanish (official), Portunol, or Brazilero (Portuguese-Spanish mix on the Brazilian frontier).
Currency: Uruguayan peso
Did You Know?
- Uruguay was claimed by Argentina but annexed by Brazil in 1821, then declared its independence four years later and secured its freedom in 1828 after a three-year struggle.
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Uruguay is the 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.
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The town of Fray Bentos wa supposedly named after a monk called fraille (Brother) Bento who lived in a cave in that area. Fray Bentos was well known for the meat processing plant that operated there for more than a century. Although the plant closed down in 1979, the name Fray Bentos is still seen on meat products world-wide.
