History of Uruguay!
The first Europeans that set foot in Uruguay were Spaniards five hundred years ago. In 1680, the first permanent settlement was founded by the Portuguese in 1516. Montevideo was founded by the Spanish in the early 18th century. It was used as a military stronghold, but its natural harbor soon turned into a commercial center. Uruguay defeated Brazil after a 3 year war and became an independent state in 1828. The first president of Uruguay, Jose Batlle y Ordonez adopted the modern political system. In 1967, Uruguay established a new constitution. In 1985, Julio Maria Sanguinetti became president. The economy grew steadily until economic difficulities arose which caused a recession in 1999. The recession continued until 2003. The current president of Uruguay is Mujica(Uruguay). |