August 25: Independence Day in Uruguay
Prayer Idea
Pray for the people and government of Uruguay.
Map by Peter Hermes Furian / Shutterstock.com.
History Note
The modern territory of Uruguay appears to have been sparsely populated before the arrival of Europeans. Some members of the Charrúa, Chaná, and Guaraní people groups lived or collected food there.
Uruguay is located between Argentina and Brazil. During the colonial period, the Spanish and Portuguese both competed for control of the area. The Spanish became dominant there in the 18th century, but Brazilian troops occupied it again during the South American wars for independence from Spain.
Leaders in Uruguay declared independence from Brazil on August 25, 1825. British diplomats helped Uruguay negotiate a treaty with Argentina and Brazil that recognized Uruguay as a separate country. The Oriental Republic of Uruguay adopted a constitution in 1830.
Though its first decades were marked by political instability and civil war, Uruguay has become a flourishing country of 3.5 million people. Spanish is the official language. Only about half of Uruguayans profess a religious affiliation, and the majority of those are Roman Catholic.
Uruguay hosted the first World Cup, an international football (soccer) competition, in 1930. This photo shows Estadio Centenario (Centenary Stadium), built to honor the 100th anniversary of Uruguay’s constitution. Uruguay defeated twelve other teams to become the first World Cup champion. Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons.
Learn More
This newsreel shows footage from the 1944 observance of Uruguay's Independence Day during World War II.
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