History / Present
The process that led to the country’s independence consisted of two main phases: the transformation of the place into a regional sector (the “Banda Oriental” – Eastern Band), followed by its independence, as of the year 1830. The Banda Oriental was a Spanish colony, later taken by the Portuguese. Great Britain also made attempts to colonize the area with the purpose of gaining control over the River Plate. In its first years as an independent nation, Uruguay was the place of destination of numerous immigrants, mainly from Spain, Italy and Brazil; and from other European countries to a lesser extent. This contributed to consolidate the country’s position in the world. At present, Uruguay is a sound democracy where the social structure guarantees an environment of peace and security for everyday living, along with a liberal economy that encourages private initiative.
The country offers its people the best quality of life in the continent. This, together with the local environment and personal security factors, is an aspect increasingly considered by international businesses at the time of defining investments abroad. Magnificent residential areas, select clubs and bilingual schools, accompanied by top-quality health services and an open society of strong European roots enable foreigners to promptly become accustomed to the place. Due to Uruguay’s close cultural relation with the other countries in its region, it was chosen as the seat for international entities like ALADI (Spanish acronym for Latin American Association of Integration), and MERCOSUR (Spanish acronym for Southern Common Market).
