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Montevideo

Montevideo (/ˌmɒntɪvɪˈd/,[10] US also /-ˈvɪdi/;[11] Spanish: [monteβiˈðeo]) is the capital and largest city of Uruguay. According to the 2011 census, the city proper has a population of 1,319,108 (about one-third of the country's total population)[12] in an area of 201 square kilometers (78 sq mi). Montevideo is situated on the southern coast of the country, on the northeastern bank of the Río de la Plata.

Montevideo
Ciudad de San Felipe y Santiago de Montevideo
Motto(s): 
Con libertad ni ofendo ni temo
With liberty I offend not, I fear not.
Montevideo
Montevideo
Coordinates: 34°53′1″S 56°10′55″W / 34.88361°S 56.18194°W / -34.88361; -56.18194
Country Uruguay
DepartmentMontevideo
Established1726; 298 years ago (1726)
Founded byBruno Mauricio de Zabala
Government
 • TypeStrong mayor[1]
 • IntendantCarolina Cosse
Area
 • Capital city201 km2 (77.5 sq mi)
 • Metro
1,640 km2 (633 sq mi)
 The department area is 530 square kilometers (200 sq mi) and the conurbated built-up area 350 square kilometers (140 sq mi).[5]
Elevation
43 m (141 ft)
Population
 (2011 Census)[6]
1,319,108
 • Density6,726/km2 (17,421/sq mi)
 • Urban
1,719,453
 • Metro
1,947,604[3][4]
 • Department
1,319,108
Demonymsmontevideano (m)
montevideana (f) Montevidean (English)[7]
GDP (PPP, constant 2015 values)
 • Year2023
 • Total$41.7 billion[8]
 • Per capita$23,500
Time zoneUTC−3 (UYT)
Postal code
11#00 & 12#00
Dial plan(+598) 2XXX XXXX
HDI (2017)0.841[9]very high
Websitemontevideo.gub.uy (in Spanish)

A Portuguese garrison was established in the place where today is the city of Montevideo in November 1723. The Portuguese garrison was expelled in February 1724 by a Spanish soldier, Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst the Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region. There is no official document establishing the foundation of the city, but the "Diario" of Bruno Mauricio de Zabala officially mentions the date of 24th of December 1726 as the foundation, corroborated by presential witnesses. The complete independence from Buenos Aires as a real city was not reached until the 1st of January 1730. It was also under brief British rule in 1807, but eventually the city was retaken by Spanish criollos who defeated the British invasions of the River Plate. Montevideo is the seat of the administrative headquarters of Mercosur and ALADI, Latin America's leading trade blocs, a position that entailed comparisons to the role of Brussels in Europe.[13]

The 2019 Mercer's report on quality of life, rated Montevideo first in Latin America,[14] a rank the city has consistently held since 2005.[15][16][17][18][19] As of 2010, Montevideo was the 19th largest city economy in the continent and 9th highest income earner among major cities.[20] In 2022, it has a projected GDP of $53.9 billion, with a per capita of $30,148.[21]

In 2018, it was classified as a beta global city ranking eighth in Latin America and 84th in the world.[22] Montevideo hosted every match during the first FIFA World Cup, in 1930. Described as a "vibrant, eclectic place with a rich cultural life",[23] and "a thriving tech center and entrepreneurial culture",[18] Montevideo ranked eighth in Latin America on the 2013 MasterCard Global Destination Cities Index.[24]

The city has preserved European architecture,[25] being considered one of the cities with the most art deco influence.[26] It is the hub of commerce and higher education in Uruguay as well as its chief port. The city is also the financial hub of Uruguay and the cultural anchor of a metropolitan area with a population of around 2 million.

Etymology edit

There are several explanations for the word Montevideo. All agree that "Monte" refers to the Cerro de Montevideo, the hill situated across the Bay of Montevideo, but there is disagreement about the etymological origin of the "video" part.[27]

 
Cerro de Montevideo as seen from the city, in 1865.
  • Monte vide eu ("I saw a mount") is the most widespread belief[28][29] but is rejected by the majority of experts, who consider it unlikely because it involves a mix of dialects. The name would come from a Portuguese expression which means "I saw a mount", wrongly pronounced by an anonymous sailor belonging to the expedition of Fernando de Magallanes on catching sight of the Cerro de Montevideo.
  • Monte Vidi: This hypothesis comes from the "Diario de Navegación" (Navigational Calendar) of boatswain Francisco de Albo, member of the expedition of Fernando de Magallanes,[28] who wrote, "Tuesday of the said [month of January 1520] we were on the straits of Cape Santa María [now Punta del Este], from where the coast runs east to west, and the terrain is sandy, and at the right of the cape there is a mountain like a hat to which we gave the name "Montevidi"."[30] This is the oldest Spanish document that mentions the promontory with a name similar to the one that designates the city, but it does not contain any mention of the alleged cry "Monte vide eu."
  • Monte-VI-D-E-O (Monte VI De Este a Oeste, "I saw [a] mount from east to west"): According to Rolando Laguarda Trías, professor of history, the Spaniards annotated the geographic location on a map or Portolan chart, so that the mount/hill is the VI (6th) mount observable on the coast, navigating Río de la Plata from east to west.[31][32][33] With the passing of time, these words were unified to "Montevideo". No conclusive evidence has been found to confirm this academic hypothesis, nor can it be asserted with certainty which the other five mounts observable before the Cerro were.
  • Monte Ovídio (Monte Santo Ovídio), a less widespread hypothesis of a religious origin,[28] stems from an interpolation in the aforementioned Diario de Navegación of Fernando de Albo, where it is asserted "corruptly now called Santo Vidio" when they refer to the hat-like mount which they named Monte Vidi (that is, the Cerro de Montevideo). Auditus of Braga (Spanish: Ovídio) was the third bishop of the Roman city of Braga (now in Portugal) in 95 CE, where he was always revered; a monument to him was erected there in 1505. Given the relationship that the Portuguese had with the discovery and foundation of Montevideo, and despite the fact that this hypothesis, like the previous ones, lacks conclusive documentation, there have been those who linked the name of Santo Ovídio or Vídio (appearing on some maps of the time) with the subsequent derivation of the name "Montevideo" given to the region since the early years of the 16th century.

When the Portuguese invaded the Banda Oriental and annexed it as the province of Cisplatina until 1831, they called the city Montevidéu, and pronounced as European Portuguese: [mõtɨviˈðew].

History edit

Historical Affiliations

 
17th century map of the Río de la Plata basin

Early history edit

Between 1680 and 1683, Portugal founded the city of Colonia do Sacramento in the region across the bay from Buenos Aires. This city met with no resistance from the Spanish until 1723, when they began to place fortifications on the elevations around Montevideo Bay. On 22 November 1723, Field Marshal Manuel de Freitas da Fonseca of Portugal built the Montevieu fort.

A Spanish expedition was sent from Buenos Aires, organized by the Spanish governor of that city, Bruno Mauricio de Zabala. On 22 January 1724, the Spanish forced the Portuguese to abandon the location and started populating the city, initially with six families moving in from Buenos Aires and soon thereafter by families arriving from the Canary Islands who were known as Guanches or Canarians. There was also one significant early Italian resident by the name of Jorge Burgues.[34]

A census of the city's inhabitants was performed in 1724 and then a plan was drawn delineating the city and designating it as San Felipe y Santiago de Montevideo, later shortened to Montevideo. The census counted more than 100 families of Galician and Canary Islands origin, more than 1000 indigenous people, mostly Guaraní, as well as some trafficked slaves of Bantu origin.[33]

A few years after its foundation, Montevideo became the main city of the region north of the Río de la Plata and east of the Uruguay River, competing with Buenos Aires for dominance in maritime commerce.[35] The importance of Montevideo as the main port of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata brought it in confrontations with the city of Buenos Aires in various occasions, including several times when it was taken over to be used as a base to defend the eastern province of the Viceroyalty from Portuguese incursions.

In 1776, Spain made Montevideo its main naval base (Real Apostadero de Marina) for the South Atlantic, with authority over the Argentine coast, Fernando Po, and the Falklands.[36]

Until the end of the 18th century, Montevideo remained a fortified area, today known as Ciudad Vieja.

19th century edit

 
"Monte Video from the Anchorage outside the Harbour" by Emeric Essex Vidal (1820). The earliest securely dated picture of the city.[37]

On 3 February 1807, British troops under the command of General Samuel Auchmuty and Admiral Charles Stirling occupied the city during the Battle of Montevideo (1807), but it was recaptured by the Spanish in the same year on 2 September when John Whitelocke was forced to surrender to troops formed by forces of the Banda Oriental—roughly the same area as modern Uruguay—and of Buenos Aires.[38] After this conflict, the governor of Montevideo Francisco Javier de Elío opposed the new viceroy Santiago de Liniers, and created a government Junta when the Peninsular War started in Spain, in defiance of Liniers. Elío disestablished the Junta when Liniers was replaced by Baltasar Hidalgo de Cisneros.

During the May Revolution of 1810 and the subsequent uprising of the provinces of Rio de la Plata, the Spanish colonial government moved to Montevideo. During that year and the next, Uruguayan revolutionary José Gervasio Artigas united with others from Buenos Aires against Spain.[39] In 1811, the forces deployed by the Junta Grande of Buenos Aires and the gaucho forces led by Artigas started a siege of Montevideo, which had refused to obey the directives of the new authorities of the May Revolution. The siege was lifted at the end of that year, when the military situation started deteriorating in the Upper Peru region.[35]

The Spanish governor was expelled in 1814. In 1816, Portugal invaded the recently liberated territory and in 1821, it was annexed to the Banda Oriental of Brazil. It was named Imperial City by Emperor Pedro I when the city was part of the Empire of Brazil as the capital of the Cisplatina province.[39] Juan Antonio Lavalleja and his band called the Treinta y Tres Orientales ("Thirty-Three Orientals") re-established the independence of the region in 1825. Uruguay was consolidated as an independent state in 1828, with Montevideo as the nation's capital.[29] In 1829, the demolition of the city's fortifications began and plans were made for an extension beyond the Ciudad Vieja, referred to as the "Ciudad Nueva" ("new city"). Urban expansion, however, moved very slowly because of the events that followed.[40]

 
Map of Montevideo during the Guerra Grande (1843–1851).

Uruguay's 1830s were dominated by the confrontation between Manuel Oribe and Fructuoso Rivera, the two revolutionary leaders who had fought against the Empire of Brazil under the command of Lavalleja, each of whom had become the caudillo of their respective faction.[41] Politics were divided between Oribe's Blancos ("whites"), represented by the National Party, and Rivera's Colorados ("reds"), represented by the Colorado Party, with each party's name taken from the color of its emblems. In 1838, Oribe was forced to resign from the presidency; he established a rebel army and began a long civil war, the Guerra Grande, which lasted until 1851.

The city of Montevideo suffered a siege of eight years between 1843 and 1851, during which it was supplied by sea with British and French support.[31] By 1843 Montevedio's population of thirty thousand inhabitants was highly cosmopolitan with Uruguayans making up only a third of it.[42] The remaining were chiefly Italian (4205), Spanish (3406), Argentine (2553), Portuguese (659), English (606) and Brazilians (492).[42] Oribe, with the support of the then conservative Governor of Buenos Aires Province Juan Manuel de Rosas, besieged the Colorados in Montevideo, where the latter were supported by the French Legion, the Italian Legion, the Basque Legion and battalions from Brazil. Finally in 1851, with the additional support of Argentine rebels who opposed Rosas, the Colorados defeated Oribe.[39] The fighting however resumed in 1855, when the Blancos came to power, which they maintained until 1865. Thereafter, the Colorado Party regained power, which they retained until the middle of the 20th century.

After the end of hostilities, a period of growth and expansion started for the city. In 1853 a stagecoach bus line was established joining Montevideo with the newly formed settlement of Unión and the first natural gas street lights were inaugurated.[citation needed] From 1854 to 1861 the first public sanitation facilities were constructed. In 1856 the Teatro Solís was inaugurated, 15 years after the beginning of its construction. By Decree, in December 1861 the areas of Aguada and Cordón were incorporated to the growing Ciudad Nueva (New City).[43] In 1866, an underwater telegraph line connected the city with Buenos Aires. The statue of Peace, La Paz, was erected on a column in Plaza Cagancha and the building of the Postal Service as well as the bridge of Paso Molino were inaugurated in 1867.[44]

In 1868, the horse-drawn tram company Compañía de Tranvías al Paso del Molino y Cerro created the first lines connecting Montevideo with Unión, the beach resort of Capurro and the industrialized and economically independent Villa del Cerro, at the time called Cosmopolis. In the same year, the Mercado del Puerto was inaugurated. In 1869, the first railway line of the company Ferrocarril Central del Uruguay was inaugurated connecting Bella Vista with the town of Las Piedras. During the same year and the next, the neighborhoods Colón, Nuevo París and La Comercial were founded. The Sunday market of Tristán Narvaja Street was established in Cordón in 1870. Public water supply was established in 1871. In 1878, Bulevar Circunvalación was constructed, a boulevard starting from Punta Carretas, going up to the north end of the city and then turning west to end at the beach of Capurro. It was renamed Artigas Boulevard in 1885.[44] By Decree, on 8 January 1881, the area Los Pocitos was incorporated into the Novísima Ciudad (Most New City).[43]

The first telephone lines were installed in 1882 and electric street lights took the place of the gas-operated ones in 1886. The Hipódromo de Maroñas started operating in 1888, and the neighborhoods of Reus del Sur, Reus del Norte and Conciliación were inaugurated in 1889. The new building of the School of Arts and Trades, as well as Zabala Square in Ciudad Vieja were inaugurated in 1890, followed by the Italian Hospital in 1891. In the same year, the village of Peñarol was founded. Other neighborhoods that were founded were Belgrano and Belvedere in 1892, Jacinto Vera in 1895 and Trouville in 1897. In 1894 the new port was constructed, and in 1897, the Central Railway Station of Montevideo was inaugurated.[31][44]

20th century edit

 
Plaza Independencia around 1900.

In the early 20th century, many Europeans (particularly Spaniards and Italians but also thousands from Central Europe) immigrated to the city. In 1908, 30% of the city's population of 300,000 was foreign-born. In that decade the city expanded quickly: new neighborhoods were created and many separate settlements were annexed to the city, among which were the Villa del Cerro, Pocitos, the Prado and Villa Colón. The Rodó Park and the Estadio Gran Parque Central were also established, which served as poles of urban development.[45]

During the early 20th century, Uruguay saw huge social changes with repercussions primarily in urban areas. Among these changes were the right to divorce (1907) and women's right to vote.[46]

The 1910s saw the construction of Montevideo's Rambla; strikes by tram workers, bakers and port workers; the inauguration of electric trams; the creation of the Municipal Intendencias; and the inauguration of the new port.[47]

In 1913, the city limits were extended around the entire gulf. The previously independent localities of the Villa del Cerro and La Teja were annexed to Montevideo, becoming two of its neighborhoods.[48]

During the 1920s, the equestrian statue of Artigas was installed in Plaza Independencia; the Palacio Legislativo was built; the Spanish Plus Ultra flying boat arrived (the first airplane to fly from Spain to Latin America, 1926); prominent politician and former president José Batlle y Ordóñez died (1929); and the ground was broken (1929) for the Estadio Centenario (completed 1930).[47]

World War II edit

During World War II, a famous incident involving the German cruiser Admiral Graf Spee took place in Punta del Este, 200 kilometers (120 mi) from Montevideo. After the Battle of the River Plate with the Royal Navy and Royal New Zealand Navy on 13 December 1939, the Graf Spee retreated to Montevideo's port, which was considered neutral at the time. To avoid risking the crew in what he thought would be a losing battle, Captain Hans Langsdorff scuttled the ship on 17 December. Langsdorff committed suicide two days later. The eagle figurehead of the Graf Spee was salvaged on 10 February 2006;[49] to protect the feelings of those still sensitive to Nazi Germany, the swastika on the figurehead was covered as it was pulled from the water.[50]

Post-war era edit

 
A street in Montevideo's Ciudad Vieja.

Uruguay began to stagnate economically in the mid-1950s; Montevideo began a decline, later exacerbated by widespread social and political violence beginning in 1968 (including the emergence of the guerrilla Movimiento de Liberación Nacional-Tupamaros[47]) and by the Civic-military dictatorship of Uruguay (1973-1985). There were major problems with supply; the immigration cycle was reversed.

From the 1960s to the end of the dictatorship in 1985, around one hundred people died or disappeared because of political violence. In 1974 another hundred Uruguayans also disappeared in Argentina.[51] In 1980, the dictatorship proposed a new constitution. The project was submitted to a referendum and rejected in the first polls since 1971, with 58% of the votes against and 42% in favor. The result weakened the military and triggered its fall, allowing the return of democracy.[52]

In the 1980s, Pope John Paul II visited the city twice. In April 1987, as head of state of Vatican, he signed a mediation agreement for the conflict of the Beagle Channel.[53] He also held a large mass in Tres Cruces, declaring the cross located behind the altar as a monument. In 1988, he returned to the country, visiting Montevideo, Florida, Salto and Melo.[53]

21st century edit

The 2002 Uruguay banking crisis affected several industries of Montevideo. In 2017, the city has maintained 15 years of economic growth, with a GDP of $44 billion, and a GDP per capita of $25,900.[20][21]

Montevideo has consistently been rated as having the highest quality of life of any city in Latin America:[54] by 2015[55][56] it held this rank every year during the decade through 2014.[15][16][17][18][19]

Geography edit

 
Map of Uruguay showing Montevideo on the Atlantic Ocean, between Argentina and Brazil

Montevideo is situated on the north shore of the Río de la Plata, the arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates the south coast of Uruguay from the north coast of Argentina; Buenos Aires lies 230 kilometers (140 mi) west on the Argentine side. The Santa Lucía River forms a natural border between Montevideo and San José Department to its west. To the city's north and east is Canelones Department, with the stream of Carrasco forming the eastern natural border. The coastline forming the city's southern border is interspersed with rocky protrusions and sandy beaches.[57] The Bay of Montevideo forms a natural harbor, the nation's largest and one of the largest in the Southern Cone, and the finest natural port in the region, functioning as a crucial component of the Uruguayan economy and foreign trade. Various streams crisscross the town and empty into the Bay of Montevideo. Its coastline near the emptying rivers are heavily polluted.[58]

The city has an average elevation of 43 meters (141 ft). Its highest elevations are two hills: the Cerro de Montevideo and the Cerro de la Victoria, with the highest point, the peak of Cerro de Montevideo, crowned by a fortress, the Fortaleza del Cerro at a height of 134 m (440 ft).[59] Closest cities by road are Las Piedras to the north and the so-called Ciudad de la Costa (a conglomeration of coastal towns) to the east, both in the range of 20 to 25 km (16 mi) from the city center. The approximate distances to the neighboring department capitals by road are, 90 km (56 mi) to San Jose de Mayo (San Jose Department) and 46 km (29 mi) to Canelones (Canelones Department).

 
Sunset in Montevideo.

Climate edit

Montevideo has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa, according to the Köppen climate classification). Being in a middle latitude, the city experiences the four seasons. It has cool winters (June to August), warm to hot summers (December to February), mild autumns (March to May) and volatile springs (September to November);[60] The climate is characterized by having mild temperatures, without harsh cold or extreme heat. There are numerous thunderstorms but no tropical cyclones. Rainfall is regular and evenly spread throughout the year, reaching around 950 millimeters (37 in).[61]

Winters are generally cool, wet, windy and overcast. The average temperature during this season is just above 10 °C (50 °F). Daytime temperatures are generally between 10 °C (50 °F) and 18 °C (64 °F), and night lows between 3 °C (37 °F) and 10 °C (50 °F). During this season, there are bursts of icy and relatively dry winds of continental polar air masses, giving an unpleasant chilly feeling to the everyday life of the city, with daytime temperatures around or below 8 °C (46 °F) and possible night frosts. These occur few times during winter, with temperatures generally not falling below −2 °C (28 °F) because of the oceanic influence that moderates the temperature; a few kilometres inland, frosts are more common and colder. On the other hand, even in the middle of winter it's not uncommon to have temperatures above 20 °C (68 °F) for a few days. Rainfall and sleet are a frequent winter occurrence, but snowfall is extremely rare: flurries have been recorded only four times but with no accumulation, the last one on 13 July 1930 during the inaugural match of the World Cup,[62] (the other three snowfalls were in 1850, 1853 and 1917); the alleged 1980 Carrasco snowfall was actually a hailstorm.[63]

Summers are warm-hot and humid, with less wind than other seasons. The average temperature in this season is 23 °C (73 °F). Daytime temperatures are usually between 24 °C (75 °F) and 32 °C (90 °F), while night lows between 14 °C (57 °F) and 22 °C (72 °F). During this season, a moderate wind often blows from the sea in the evenings which has a pleasant cooling effect on the city, in contrast to the more severe summer heat of nearby cities like Buenos Aires.[60] Heat waves come with the north winds, which bring humid and hot air masses from the tropical interior of the continent; temperatures can rise above 35 °C (95 °F). These warm periods are usually followed by thunderstorms, generated by cold fronts from the southwest that lowers temperatures considerably. This phenomenon is regional, and can occur several times all year long.

The autumn in Montevideo is quite pleasant and not so unstable. Daytime temperatures are in general around 20 °C (68 °F) and nights around 10 °C (50 °F). Spring average temperatures are very similar to the autumn, but the weather in that season tends to be more windy and volatile, with more dramatic changes in a short period of time.

Montevideo has an annual average temperature of 16.7 °C (62.1 °F). The lowest recorded temperature is −5.6 °C (21.9 °F) while the highest is 42.8 °C (109.0 °F).[64]

Climate data for Montevideo (Prado) 1991–2020, extremes 1901–2020
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 42.8
(109.0)
40.3
(104.5)
38.4
(101.1)
36.7
(98.1)
32.0
(89.6)
27.8
(82.0)
29.8
(85.6)
32.6
(90.7)
32.2
(90.0)
35.8
(96.4)
38.2
(100.8)
40.8
(105.4)
42.8
(109.0)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 27.8
(82.0)
27.0
(80.6)
25.3
(77.5)
22.0
(71.6)
18.5
(65.3)
15.6
(60.1)
14.7
(58.5)
16.7
(62.1)
17.9
(64.2)
20.7
(69.3)
23.7
(74.7)
26.4
(79.5)
21.4
(70.5)
Daily mean °C (°F) 23.3
(73.9)
22.8
(73.0)
21.2
(70.2)
18.1
(64.6)
14.8
(58.6)
11.9
(53.4)
11.0
(51.8)
12.6
(54.7)
13.9
(57.0)
16.5
(61.7)
19.2
(66.6)
21.8
(71.2)
17.3
(63.1)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 18.8
(65.8)
18.6
(65.5)
17.1
(62.8)
14.1
(57.4)
11.0
(51.8)
8.1
(46.6)
7.3
(45.1)
8.5
(47.3)
9.9
(49.8)
12.4
(54.3)
14.7
(58.5)
17.1
(62.8)
13.1
(55.6)
Record low °C (°F) 6.0
(42.8)
6.8
(44.2)
3.8
(38.8)
1.3
(34.3)
−2.0
(28.4)
−5.6
(21.9)
−5.0
(23.0)
−3.8
(25.2)
−2.4
(27.7)
−1.5
(29.3)
2.5
(36.5)
5.0
(41.0)
−5.6
(21.9)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 94.6
(3.72)
93.8
(3.69)
105.8
(4.17)
111.1
(4.37)
83.4
(3.28)
89.4
(3.52)
93.2
(3.67)
89.9
(3.54)
92.1
(3.63)
102.2
(4.02)
95.9
(3.78)
91.3
(3.59)
1,142.7
(44.99)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 6 6 6 7 6 7 6 7 7 7 7 7 79
Average relative humidity (%) 70 73 76 77 79 81 80 78 76 74 72 70 76
Mean monthly sunshine hours 294.5 234.5 220.1 162.0 161.2 126.0 142.6 164.3 180.0 226.3 249.0 282.1 2,442.6
Mean daily sunshine hours 9.5 8.3 7.1 5.4 5.2 4.2 4.6 5.3 6.0 7.3 8.3 9.1 6.7
Source 1: Instituto Uruguayo de Metereología[65][64]
Source 2: Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria (sun and humidity 1980–2009),[66] NOAA (precipitation 1991–2020)[67]
Climate data for Montevideo
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average sea temperature °C (°F) 24.2
(75.6)
23.4
(74.1)
22.4
(72.3)
19.0
(66.2)
15.9
(60.6)
13.1
(55.6)
11.3
(52.3)
12.1
(53.8)
13.3
(55.9)
17.2
(63.0)
19.8
(67.6)
21.9
(71.4)
17.8
(64.0)
Mean daily daylight hours 14.0 13.0 12.0 11.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 11.0 12.0 13.0 14.0 14.0 12.0
Average ultraviolet index >11 11 9 6 3 2 2 4 6 8 10 >11 6.9
Source: Weather Atlas[68]

Administrative divisions and barrios edit

 
Map of the barrios of Montevideo

As of 2010, the city of Montevideo has been divided into 8 political municipalities (Municipios), referred to with letters from A to G, including CH, each presided over by a mayor elected by the citizens registered in the constituency. This division, according to the Municipality of Montevideo, "aims to advance political and administrative decentralization in the department of Montevideo, with the aim of deepening the democratic participation of citizens in governance."[69] The head of each Municipio is called an alcalde or (if female) alcaldesa.[70]

Of much greater importance is the division of the city into 62 barrios: neighborhoods or wards.[71] Many of the city's barrios—such as Sayago, Ituzaingó and Pocitos—were previously geographically separate settlements, later absorbed by the growth of the city. Others grew up around certain industrial sites, including the salt-curing works of Villa del Cerro and the tanneries in Nuevo París. Each barrio has its own identity, geographic location and socio-cultural activities. A neighborhood of great significance is Ciudad Vieja, that was surrounded by a protective wall until 1829. This area contains most important buildings of the colonial era and early decades of independence.

Landmarks edit

 
Palacio Salvo.
 
Pocitos is the most populous Montevideo neighborhood.

The architecture of Montevideo ranges from Neoclassical buildings such as the Montevideo Metropolitan Cathedral to the late-modern style of the World Trade Center Montevideo or the 158-meter (518 ft) ANTEL Telecommunication Tower, the tallest skyscraper in the country. Along with the Telecommunications Tower, the Palacio Salvo dominates the skyline of the Bay of Montevideo. The building facades in the Old Town reflect the city's extensive European immigration, displaying the influence of old European architecture. Notable government buildings include the Legislative Palace, the City Hall, Estévez Palace and the Executive Tower. The most notable sports stadium is the Estadio Centenario within Parque Batlle. Parque Batlle, Parque Rodó and Parque Prado are Montevideo's three great parks.[72]

The Pocitos district, near the beach of the same name, has many homes built by Bello and Reboratti between 1920 and 1940, with a mixture of styles. Other landmarks in Pocitos are the "Edificio Panamericano" designed by Raul Sichero,[73] and the "Positano" and "El Pilar" designed by Adolfo Sommer Smith and Luis García Pardo in the 1950s and 1960s. However, the construction boom of the 1970s and 1980s transformed the face of this neighborhood, with a cluster of modern apartment buildings for upper and upper middle-class residents.[citation needed]

Palacio Legislativo edit

 
The Legislative Palace.

The Palacio Legislativo in Aguada, north of the city center, is the seat of the Uruguayan Parliament. Construction started in 1904 and was sponsored by the government of President José Batlle y Ordóñez.[74] It was designed by Italian architects Vittorio Meano and Gaetano Moretti, who planned the building's interior. Among the notable contributors to the project was sculptor José Belloni, who contributed numerous reliefs and allegorical sculptures.[74]

World Trade Center Montevideo edit

 
World Trade Center Montevideo.

World Trade Center Montevideo officially opened in 1998, but work was completed in 2009. The complex is composed of three towers, two three-story buildings called World Trade Center Plaza and World Trade Center Avenue and a large central square called Towers Square. World Trade Center 1 was the first building to be inaugurated, in 1998.[citation needed] It has 22 floors and 17,100 square meters of space. That same year the avenue and the auditorium were raised. World Trade Center 2 was inaugurated in 2002, a twin tower of World Trade Center 1. Finally, in 2009, World Trade Center 3 and the World Trade Center Plaza and the Towers Square were inaugurated. It is located between the avenues Luis Alberto de Herrera and 26 de Marzo and has 19 floors and 27,000 square meters (290,000 sq ft) of space. The 6,300-square-meter (68,000 sq ft) [citation needed] World Trade Center Plaza is designed to be a center of gastronomy opposite Towers Square and Bonavita St. Among the establishments on the plaza are Burger King, Walrus, Bamboo, Asia de Cuba, Gardenia Mvd, and La Claraboya Cafe.

The Towers Square, is an area of remarkable aesthetic design, intended to be a platform for the development of business activities, art exhibitions, dance and music performances and social places. This square connects the different buildings and towers which comprise the WTC Complex and it is the main access to the complex. The square contains various works of art, notably a sculpture by renowned Uruguayan sculptor Pablo Atchugarry. World Trade Center 4, with 40 floors and 53,500 square meters (576,000 sq ft) of space is under construction as of 2010.[citation needed]

Telecommunications Tower edit

 
Telecommunications Tower.

Torre de las Telecomunicaciones (Telecommunications Tower) or Torre Antel (Antel Tower) is the 158 meters (518 ft), 37-floor headquarters of Uruguay's government-owned telecommunications company, ANTEL, and is the tallest building in the country. It was designed by architect Carlos Ott. It is situated by the side of the Bay of Montevideo. The tower was completed by American Bridge Company and other design/build consortium team members on 15 March 2000.

When its construction was announced, many politicians complained about its cost (US$40 million, plus US$25 million for the construction of the other 5 buildings of the Telecommunications Complex). Problems during its construction turned the original US$65 million price into US$102 million.

Ciudad Vieja (Old City) edit

 
Headquarters of Alcohólicos Anónimos in Montevideo

Ciudad Vieja was the earliest part of the city to be developed and today it constitutes a prominent barrio of southwest Montevideo. It contains many colonial buildings and national heritage sites, but also many banks, administrative offices, museums, art galleries, cultural institutions, restaurants and nightclubs, making it vibrant with life. Its northern coast is the main port of Uruguay, one of the few deep-draft ports in the Southern Cone of South America.

 
Plaza de la Constitución in winter.

Montevideo's most important plaza is Plaza Independencia, located between Ciudad Vieja and downtown Montevideo. It starts with the Gateway of The Citadel at one end and ends at the beginning of 18 de Julio Avenue. It is the remaining part of the wall that surrounded the oldest part of the city.[75] Several notable buildings are located here.

 
Solís Theatre.

The Solís Theatre is Uruguay's oldest theater. It was built in 1856 and is owned by the government of Montevideo. In 1998, the government of Montevideo started a major reconstruction of the theater, which included two US$110,000 columns designed by Philippe Starck. The reconstruction was completed in 2004, and the theater reopened in August of that year.[76] The plaza is also the site of the offices of the President of Uruguay (both the Estévez Palace and the Executive Tower). The Artigas Mausoleum is located at the center of the plaza. Statues include that of José Gervasio Artigas, a hero of Uruguay's independence movement; an honor guard keeps vigil at the Mausoleum.[77]

Palacio Salvo, at the intersection of 18 de Julio Avenue and Plaza Independencia, was designed by the architect Mario Palanti and completed in 1925. Palanti, an Italian immigrant living in Buenos Aires, used a similar design for his Palacio Barolo in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Palacio Salvo stands 100 meters (330 ft) high, including its antenna. It is built on the former site of the Confitería La Giralda, renowned for being where Gerardo Matos Rodríguez wrote his tango "La Cumparsita" (1917.)[78] Palacio Salvo was originally intended to function as a hotel but is now a mixture of offices and private residences.[79]

Also of major note in Ciudad Vieja is the Plaza de la Constitución (or Plaza Matriz). During the first decades of Uruguayan independence this square was the main hub of city life. On the square are the Cabildo—the seat of colonial government—and the Montevideo Metropolitan Cathedral. The cathedral is the burial place of Fructuoso Rivera, Juan Antonio Lavalleja and Venancio Flores. Another notable square is Plaza Zabala with the equestrian statue of Bruno Mauricio de Zabala. On its south side, Palacio Taranco, once residence of the Ortiz Taranco brothers, is now the Museum of Decorative Arts. A few blocks northwest of Plaza Zabala is the Mercado del Puerto, another major tourist destination.

Parque Batlle edit

 
Monumento La Carreta.

Parque Batlle[80] (formerly: Parque de los Aliados,[81] translation: "Park of the Allies") is a major public central park, located south of Avenida Italia and north of Avenue Rivera. Along with Parque Prado and Parque Rodó it is one of three large parks that dominate Montevideo.[82] The park and surrounding area constitute one of the 62 neighborhoods (barrios) of the city. The barrio of Parque Batlle is one of seven coastal barrios, the others being Buceo, Carrasco, Malvin, Pocitos, Punta Carretas, and Punta Gorda.[83] The barrio of Parque Battle includes four former districts: Belgrano, Italiano, Villa Dolores and Batlle Park itself and borders the neighborhoods of La Blanqueada, Tres Cruces, Pocitos and Buceo. It has a high population density and most of its households are of medium-high- or high-income.[84] Villa Dolores, a sub-district of Parque Batlle, took its name from the original villa of Don Alejo Rossell y Rius and of Doña Dolores Pereira de Rossel. On their grounds, they started a private collection of animals that became a zoological garden and was passed to the city in 1919;[85] in 1955 the Planetarium of Montevideo was built within its premises.[86]

 
Obelisk of Montevideo in the Parque Batlle.

Parque Batlle is named in honor of José Batlle y Ordóñez, President of Uruguay from 1911 to 1915.[87] The park was originally proposed by an Act of March 1907, which also projected wide boulevards and avenues.[88][89] French landscape architect, Carlos Thays, began the plantings in 1911. In 1918, the park was named Parque de los Aliados, following the victory of the Allies of World War I. On 5 May 1930, after significant expansion, it was again renamed as Parque Batlle y Ordóñez, in memory of the prominent politician and president, who had died in 1929.[88] The park was designated a National Historic Monument Park in 1975.[87][88] As of 2010, the park covers an area of 60 hectares (150 acres) and is considered the "lung" of the Montevideo city due to the large variety of trees planted here.[88][better source needed]

The Estadio Centenario, the national football stadium, opened in 1930 for the first World Cup, and later hosted several other sporting grounds of note (see Sports).

In 1934, sculptor José Belloni's "La Carreta", a bronze monument on granite base,[90] was installed on Avenida Lorenzo Merola near Estadio Centenario. One of several statues in the park, it depicts yoked oxen pulling a loaded wagon.[91] It was designated a national monument in 1976.[90] Another statue on the same side of the park is a bronze copy of the Discobolus of Myron.

On the west side of Parque Batlle, on Artigas Boulevard, the 1938 Obelisk of Montevideo is a monument dedicated to those who created the first Constitution. The work of sculptor José Luis Zorrilla de San Martín (1891–1975), it is a three-sided granite obelisk, 40 meters (130 ft) tall, with bronze statues on its three sides, representing "Law", "Liberty", and "Force", respectively. It has been a National Heritage Site since 1976.[92]

Parque Prado edit

 
Bridge over the Miguelete stream in the Prado Park.

Established in 1873, the largest of Montevideo's six main public parks is the 1.06-square-kilometre (260-acre) Parque Prado.[93] Located in the northern part of the city, the Miguelete Creek flows through the park and the neighborhood and of the same name. It is surrounded by the avenues Agraciada, Obes Lucas, Joaquín Suárez, Luis Alberto de Herrera and by the streets Castro and José María Reyes.

The most frequented areas of the park are the Rosedal, a public rose garden with pergolas, the Botanical Garden, the area around the Hotel del Prado, as well as the Rural del Prado, a seasonal cattle and farm animal fairground. The Rosedal contains four pergolas, eight domes, and a fountain; its 12,000 roses were imported from France in 1910.[94] There are several jogging paths along the Miguelete river.

The Presidential Residence is located behind the Botanical Gardens. Established in 1930, Juan Manuel Blanes Museum is situated in the Palladian villa, a National Heritage Site since 1975, and includes a Japanese garden.[95] The Professor Atilio Lombardo Museum and Botanical Gardens were established in 1902. The National Institute of Physical Climatology and its observatory are also in the Prado.[96]

Parque Rodó edit

 
Parque Rodó park.
 
Parque Rodó amusement park.

Parque Rodó is both a barrio (neighborhood) of Montevideo and a park which lies mostly outside the limits of the neighborhood itself and belongs to Punta Carretas. The name "Rodó" commemorates José Enrique Rodó, an important Uruguayan writer whose monument is in the southern side of the main park. The park was conceived as a French-style city park.[97] Apart from the main park area which is delimited by Sarmiento Avenue to the south, Parque Rodó includes an amusement park; the Estadio Luis Franzini, belonging to Defensor Sporting; the front lawn of the Faculty of Engineering and a strip west of the Club de Golf de Punta Carretas that includes the Canteras ("quarry") del Parque Rodó, the Teatro de Verano ("summer theatre") and the Lago ("lake") del Parque Rodó.[98]

 
Faculty of Engineering located in Parque Rodó.

On the east side of the main park area is the National Museum of Visual Arts. On this side, a street market takes place every Sunday. On the north side is an artificial lake with a little castle housing a municipal library for children. An area to its west is used as an open-air exhibition of photography. West of the park, across the coastal avenue Rambla Presidente Wilson, stretches Ramirez Beach. Directly west of the main park area, and belonging to Parque Rodó barrio, there is the former Parque Hotel, now called Edifício Mercosur, the seat of the parliament of the member countries of the Mercosur.[99] During the guerilla war the Tupamaros frequently attacked buildings in this area, including the old hotel.[100]

Forts edit

The first set of subsidiary forts was planned by the Portuguese at Montevideo in 1701 to establish a front-line base to stop frequent insurrections by the Spaniards emanating from Buenos Aires. These fortifications were planned within the River Plate estuary at Colonia del Sacramento. However, this plan came to fruition only in November 1723, when Captain Manuel Henriques de Noronha reached the shores of Montevideo with soldiers, guns and colonists on his warship Nossa Senhora de Oliveara. They built a small square fortification. However, under siege from forces from Buenos Aires, the Portuguese withdrew from Montevideo Bay in January 1724, after signing an agreement with the Spaniards.[101]

Fortaleza del Cerro (Fortress del Cerro) edit
 
Fortaleza del Cerro.

Fortaleza del Cerro overlooks the bay of Montevideo. An observation post at this location was first built by the Spanish in the late 18th century. In 1802, a beacon replaced the observation post; construction of the fortress began in 1809 and was completed in 1839.[59] It has been involved in many historical developments and has been repeatedly taken over by various sides. In 1907, the old beacon was replaced with a stronger electric one. It has been a National Monument since 1931[102] and has housed a military museum since 1916.[59] Today it is one of the tourist attractions of Montevideo.

Punta Brava Lighthouse edit

 
Punta Brava lighthouse.

Punta Brava Lighthouse (Faro Punta Brava), also known as Punta Carretas Lighthouse, was erected in 1876. The lighthouse is 21 meters (69 ft) high and its light reaches 24 km (15 mi) away, with a flash every ten seconds.[103] In 1962, the lighthouse became electric. The lighthouse is important for guiding boats into the Banco Inglés Buceo Port or the entrance of the Santa Lucía River.

Rambla of Montevideo edit

The Rambla is an avenue that goes along the entire coastline of Montevideo. The literal meaning of the Spanish word rambla is "avenue" or "watercourse", but in the Americas it is mostly used as "coastal avenue", and since all the southern departments of Uruguay border either the Río de la Plata or the Atlantic Ocean, they all have ramblas as well. As an integral part of Montevidean identity, the Rambla has been included by Uruguay in the Indicative List of World Heritage sites,[104] though it has not received this status. Previously, the entire Rambla was called Rambla Naciones Unidas ("United Nations"), but in recent times different names have been given to specific parts of it.

The Rambla is a very important site for recreation and leisure in Montevideo. Every day, a large number of people go there to take long strolls, jog, bicycle, roller skate, fish and even—in a special area—skateboard. Its 27-kilometer (17 mi) length makes it one of the longest esplanades in the world.[105]

Montevideo is noted for its beaches, which are particularly important because 60% of the population spends the summer in the city.[105] Its best-known beaches are Ramírez, Pocitos, Carrasco, Buceo and Malvín. Further east and west are other beaches including the Colorada, Punta Espinillo, Punta Yeguas, Zabala and Santa Catarina.

Cemeteries edit

 
Central Cemetery.

There are five large cemeteries in Montevideo, all administered by the "Fúnebre y Necrópolis" annex of the Intendencia of Montevideo.[106]

The largest cemetery is the Cementerio del Norte, located in the northern-central part of the city. The Central Cemetery (Spanish: Cementerio central), located in Barrio Sur in the southern area of the city, is one of Uruguay's main cemeteries. It was one of the first cemeteries (in contrast to church graveyards) in the country, founded in 1835 at a time when burials were still carried out by the Catholic Church. It is the burial place of many of the most famous Uruguayans, such as Eduardo Acevedo, Delmira Agustini, Luis Batlle Berres, José Batlle y Ordóñez, Juan Manuel Blanes, François Ducasse, father of Comte de Lautréamont (Isidore Ducasse),[107] Luis Alberto de Herrera, Benito Nardone, José Enrique Rodó, and Juan Zorrilla de San Martín.

The other large cemeteries are the Cementerio del Buceo, Cementerio del Cerro, and Cementerio Paso Molino. The British Cemetery Montevideo (Cementerio Británico) is another of the oldest cemeteries in Uruguay, located in the Buceo neighborhood. Many noblemen and eminent persons are buried there. The cemetery originated when the Englishman Thomas Samuel Hood purchased a plot of land in the name of the English residents in 1828. However, in 1884 the government compensated the British by moving the cemetery to Buceo to accommodate city growth. A section of the cemetery, known as British Cemetery Montevideo Soldiers and Sailors, contains the graves of quite a number of sailors of different nationalities, although the majority are of British descent. One United States Marine, Henry de Costa, is buried here.[108]

Demographics edit

In 1860, Montevideo had 57,913 inhabitants including a number of people of African origin who had been brought as slaves and had gained their freedom around the middle of the century. By 1880, the population had quadrupled, mainly because of the great European immigration. In 1908, its population had grown massively to 309,331 inhabitants.[109] In the course of the 20th century the city continued to receive large numbers of European immigrants, especially Spanish and Italian, followed by Portuguese Brazilians, French, Germans, English, Irish, Swiss, Austrians, Poles, Dutch, Greek, Hungarians, Russians, Croats, Lebanese, Armenians, and Jews of various origins.[110] The last wave of immigrants occurred between 1945 and 1955.[31]

According to the census survey carried out between 15 June and 31 July 2004, Montevideo had a population of 1,325,968 persons, compared to Uruguay's total population of 3,241,003. The female population was 707,697 (53.4%) while the male population accounted for 618,271 (46.6%). The population had declined since the previous census carried out in 1996, with an average annual growth rate of −1.5 per thousand. The continual decline has been documented since the census period of 1975–1985, which showed a rate of −5.6 per thousand. The decrease is due in large part to lowered fertility, partly offset by mortality, and to a smaller degree in migration. The birth rate declined by 19% from 1996 (17 per thousand) to 2004 (13.8 per thousand). Similarly, the total fertility rate (TFR) declined from 2.24 in 1996 to 1.79 in 2004. However, mortality continued to fall with life expectancy at birth for both sexes increasing by 1.73 years.[111]

In the census of 2011, Montevideo had a population of 1,319,108.[12]

1860 1884 1908 1963 1975 1985 1996 2004 2011
   58,000     164,028     309,331[109]   1,202,890 1,176,049 1,251,511 1,303,182 1,269,552 1,319,108

Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística de Uruguay[43]

Government and politics edit

Intendancy of Montevideo edit

 
The Palacio Municipal is the City Hall of Montevideo.

The Intendancy of Montevideo was first created by a legal act of 18 December 1908.[112] The municipality's first mayor (1909–1911) was Daniel Muñoz. Municipalities were abolished by the Uruguayan Constitution of 1918, effectively restored during the 1933 military coup of Gabriel Terra, and formally restored by the 1934 Constitution. The 1952 Constitution again decided to abolish the municipalities; it came into effect in February 1955. Municipalities were replaced by departmental councils, which consisted of a collegiate executive board with 7 members from Montevideo and 5 from the interior region. However, municipalities were revived under the 1967 Constitution and have operated continuously since that time.

Since 1990, Montevideo has been partially decentralized into 18 areas; administration and services for each area is provided by its Zonal Community Center (Centro Comunal Zonal, CCZ), which is subordinate to the Intendancy of Montevideo.[113][114] The boundaries of the municipal districts of Montevideo were created on 12 July 1993, and successively amended on 19 October 1993, 6 June 1994 and 10 November 1994. In 2010, the city CCZ were abolished and eight municipalities were created instead.

The city government of Montevideo performs several functions, including maintaining communications with the public, promoting culture, organizing society, caring for the environment and regulating traffic. The city hall is the Palacio Municipal on 18 de Julio Avenue in the Centro area of Montevideo.[115]

The legislative branch of government, the Junta Departamental, or the Congress of Montevideo, governs the Department of Montevideo. The Junta, composed of 31 unsalaried elected members, is responsible for such things as the freedom of the citizens, the regulation of cultural activities, the naming of streets and public places, and the placement of monuments; it also responds to proposals of the Intendant in various circumstances.[116] Its seat is the architecturally remarkable Casa de Francisco Gómez in Ciudad Vieja.[116]

A 2016 private ranking named Subnational Legislative Online Opening Index measured the data availability in official websites, scoring Montevideo as the second most open district nationally at 17.50 points.[117]

Intendants of Montevideo edit

  1. Daniel Muñoz (1909–1911)
  2. Ramón V. Benzano (1911–1914)
  3. Juan M. Aubriot (1914–1914)
  4. Santiago Rivas (1914–1915)
  5. Francisco Accinelli (1915–1919)
  6. Alberto Dagnino (1933–1937)
  7. Luis Alberto Zanzi (1937–1938)
  8. Horacio Acosta y Lara (1938–1942)
  9. Benigno Paiva (1942–1942)
  10. Pedro Onetti (1942–1943)
  11. Juan Pedro Fabini (1943–1947)
  12. Andrés Martínez Trueba (1947–1948)
  13. Álvaro Correa Moreno (1950–1951)
  14. Germán Barbato (1951–1954)
  15. Armando Malet (1954–1955)
  16. Board members of the Concejo Departamental (1955–1967)
  17. Glauco Segovia (1967–1967)
  18. Carlos Bartolomé Herrera (1967–1969)
  19. Oscar Víctor Rachetti (1969–1971)
  20. E. Mario Peyrot (1971–1972)
  21. Oscar Víctor Rachetti (1972–1983)
  22. Juan Carlos Payssé (1983–1985)
  23. Aquiles R. Lanza (1985–1985)
  24. Julio Iglesias Álvarez (1985–1986)
  25. Eduardo Fabini Jiménez (1989–1990)
  26. Tabaré Vázquez (1990–1994)
  27. Tabaré González (1994–1995)
  28. Mariano Arana (1995–2000 / 2000–2005)
  29. Adolfo Pérez Piera (2005)
  30. Ricardo Ehrlich (2005–2010)
  31. Hyara Rodríguez (2010)
  32. Ana Olivera (2010–2015)
  33. Daniel Martínez (2015–2019)
  34. Christian di Candia (2019–2020)
  35. Carolina Cosse (2020-incumbent)

Culture edit

 
Solis Theatre in Montevideo

In recent years Montevideo nightlife has moved to Parque Rodó, where a large concentration of buildings cater for the recreational interests of young people during the night time. Under a presidential decree which went into effect on 1 March 2006, smoking is prohibited in any public place with roofing,[118] and there is a prohibition on the sale of alcohol in certain businesses from 21.00 to 9.00.[failed verification]

Montevideo has been part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in the area of Literature since December 2015.[119][120]

The arts edit

Montevideo has a very rich architectural heritage and an impressive number of writers, artists, and musicians. Uruguayan tango is a unique form of dance that originated in the neighborhoods of Montevideo towards the end of the 1800s. Tango, candombe and murga are the three main styles of music in this city. The city is also the center of the cinema of Uruguay, which includes commercial, documentary and experimental films. There are two movie theater companies running seven cinemas,[121][122] around ten independent ones[123] and four art film cinemas in the city.[124] The theater of Uruguay is admired inside and outside Uruguayan borders. The Solís Theatre is the most prominent theater in Uruguay and the oldest in South America.[125] There are several notable theatrical companies and thousands of professional actors and amateurs. Montevideo playwrights produce dozens of works each year; of major note are Mauricio Rosencof, Ana Magnabosco and Ricardo Prieto.

Visual arts edit

 
Painter shop in Montevideo

The daily newspaper El País sponsors the Virtual Museum of Contemporary Uruguayan Art. The director and curator of the Museum presents exhibitions in "virtual spaces, supplemented by information, biographies, texts in English and Spanish".[126]

In the early 1970s (1973, to be particular) when the military junta took over power in Uruguay, art suffered in Montevideo. The art studios went into protest mode, with Rimer Cardillo, one of the country's leading artists, making the National Institute of Fine Arts, Montevideo a "hotbed of resistance". This resulted in the military junta coming down heavily on artists by closing the Fine Art Institute and carting away all the presses and other studio equipment. Consequently, the learning of fine arts was only in private studios run by people who had been let out of jail, in works of printing and on paper and also painting and sculpture. It resumed much later.[127]

Literature edit

The first public library in Montevideo was formed by the initial donation of the private library of Father José Manuel Pérez Castellano, who died in 1815. Its promoter, director and organizer was Father Dámaso Antonio Larrañaga, who also made a considerable donation along with donations from José Raimundo Guerra, as well as others from the Convent of San Francisco in Salta.[128] In 1816 its stock was 5,000 volumes.[129] The building of the National Library of Uruguay (Biblioteca Pública de Uruguay) was designed by Luis Crespi in the Neoclassical style and occupies an area of 4,000 square meters (43,000 sq ft). Construction began in 1926 and it was inaugurated in 1964. Its collection amounts to 900,000 volumes.[130][131]

Authors edit

 
The poet Delmira Agustini.

The city has a long and rich literary tradition. Although Uruguayan literature is not limited to the authors of the capital (Horacio Quiroga was born in Salto and Mario Benedetti in Paso de los Toros, for instance), Montevideo has been and is the center of the editorial and creative activity of literature.

In 1900, the city had a remarkable group of writers, including José Enrique Rodó, Carlos Vaz Ferreira, Julio Herrera y Reissig, Delmira Agustini and Felisberto Hernández. Montevideo was then called the "Atenas del Plata" or the "Athens of the Rio de la Plata".[132]

 
The writer Eduardo Galeano.

Among the outstanding authors of Montevideo of the second half of the 20th century are Juan Carlos Onetti, Antonio Larreta, Eduardo Galeano, Marosa di Giorgio and Cristina Peri Rossi.[133]

A new generation of writers has become known internationally in recent years. These include Eduardo Espina (essayist and poet), Fernando Butazzoni (novelist), Rafael Courtoisie (poet) and Hugo Burel (short story writer and novelist).

Music edit

In Montevideo, as throughout the Rio de Plata region, the most popular forms of music are tango, milonga and vals criollo. Many notable songs originated in Montevideo including "El Tango supremo", "La Cumparsita", "La Milonga", "La Puñalada" and "Desde el Alma", composed by notable Montevideo musicians such as Gerardo Matos Rodríguez, Pintín Castellanos and Rosita Melo.[134] Tango is deeply ingrained in the cultural life of the city and is the theme for many of the bars and restaurants in the city. 20th. century composers like three-time Grammy nominated Miguel del Aguila have taken Uruguayan tango to international classical music audiences. Fun Fun' Bar, established in 1935, is one of the most important places for tango in Uruguay as is El Farolito, located in the old part of the city and Joventango, Café Las Musas, Garufa and Vieja Viola.[134] The city is also home to the Montevideo Jazz Festival and has the Bancaria Jazz Club bar catering for jazz enthusiasts.

Cuisine edit

The center of traditional Uruguayan food and beverage in Montevideo is the Mercado del Puerto ("Port Market"). Beef is very important in Uruguayan cuisine and an essential part of many dishes. A torta frita is a pan-fried cake consumed in Montevideo and throughout Uruguay. It is generally circular, with a small cut in the center for cooking, and is made from wheat flour, yeast, water and sugar or salt.[135] Montevideo has a variety of restaurants, from traditional Uruguayan cuisine to Japanese cuisine.

Notable people edit

Recreation edit

Museums edit

 
Fountain in the entry of the Cabildo

The Centro Cultural de España, as well as Asturian and cultural centers, testify to Montevideo's considerable Spanish heritage. Montevideo also has important museums including Museo Torres García,[136] Museo José Gurvich, Museo Nacional de Artes Visuales and Museo Juan Manuel Blanes etc.

The Montevideo Cabildo was the seat of government during the colonial times of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata. It is located in front of Constitution Square, in Ciudad Vieja.[74] Built between 1804 and 1869 in Neoclassical style, with a series of Doric and Ionic columns, it became a National Heritage Site in 1975. In 1958, the Municipal Historic Museum and Archive was inaugurated here. It features three permanent city museum exhibitions, as well as temporary art exhibitions, cultural events, seminars, symposiums and forums.[137]

 
Uruguayan officials conversing at a meeting at the Palacio Taranco, 6 November 2010

The Palacio Taranco is located in front of the Plaza Zabala, in the heart of Ciudad Vieja. It was erected in the early 20th century as the residence of the Ortiz Taranco brothers on the ruins of Montevideo's first theater (of 1793), during a period in which the architectural style was influenced by French architecture. The palace was designed by French architects Charles Louis Girault and Jules-Léon Chifflot who also designed the Petit Palais and the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. It passed to the city from the heirs of the Tarancos in 1943, along with its precious collection of Uruguayan furniture and draperies and was deemed by the city as an ideal place for a museum; in 1972 it became the Museum of Decorative Arts of Montevideo and in 1975 it became a National Heritage Site.[138][139] The Decorative Arts Museum has an important collection of European paintings and decorative arts, ancient Greek and Roman art and Islamic ceramics of the 10th–18th century from the area of present-day Iran.[126] The palace is often used as a meeting place by the Uruguayan government.

 
Museo Historico Nacional de Montevideo

The National History Museum of Montevideo is located in the historical residence of General Fructuoso Rivera. It exhibits artifacts related to the history of Uruguay.[74] In a process begun in 1998, the National Museum of Natural History (1837) and the National Museum of Anthropology (1981), merged in 2001, becoming the National Museum of Natural History and Anthropology. In July 2009, the two institutions again became independent.[140] The Historical Museum has annexed eight historical houses in the city, five of which are located in the Ciudad Vieja. One of them, on the same block with the main building, is the historic residence of Antonio Montero, which houses the Museo Romantico.[141] Also nearby is the Museo Casa de José Garibaldi where Giuseppe Garibaldi lived in the 1840s while participating in the Uruguayan Civil War.[142]

 
Museo Torres García

The Museo Torres García is located in the Old Town, and exhibits Joaquín Torres García's unusual portraits of historical icons and cubist paintings akin to those of Picasso and Braque.[143] The museum was established by Manolita Piña Torres, the widow of Torres Garcia, after his death in 1949. She also set up the García Torres Foundation, a private non-profit organization that organizes the paintings, drawings, original writings, archives, objects and furniture designed by the painter as well as the photographs, magazines and publications related to him.[144]

 
Museo Naval de Montevideo

There are several other important art museums in Montevideo. The Centro de Fotografía de Montevideo (CdF) is a museum, archive, and gallery for historic and contemporary photography with twelve outdoor exhibition spaces in various Montevideo neighborhoods as well as four galleries in its downtown headquarters. The National Museum of Visual Arts in Parque Rodó has Uruguay's largest collection of paintings.[77][126] The Juan Manuel Blanes Museum was founded in 1930, the 100th anniversary of the first Constitution of Uruguay, significant with regard to the fact that Juan Manuel Blanes painted Uruguayan patriotic themes. In the back of the museum is a Japanese Garden with a pond where there are over a hundred carp.[145] The Museo de Historia del Arte, located in the Palacio Municipal, features replicas of ancient monuments and exhibits a varied collection of artifacts from Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia, Greece, Rome and Native American cultures including local finds of the pre-Columbian period.[146] The Museo Municipal Precolombino y Colonial, in the Ciudad Vieja, has preserved collections of the archeological finds from excavations carried out by Uruguayan archeologist Antonio Taddei. These antiquaries are exhibits of pre-Columbian art of Latin America, painting and sculpture from the 17th and 18th century mostly from Mexico, Peru and Brazil.[126] The Museo de Arte Contempo has small but impressive exhibits of modern Uruguayan painting and sculpture.[77]

There are also other types of museums in the city. The Museo del Gaucho y de la Moneda, located in the Centro, has distinctive displays of the historical culture of Uruguay's gauchos, their horse gear, silver work and mate (tea), gourds, and bombillas (drinking straws) in odd designs.[77] The Museo Naval, is located on the eastern waterfront in Buceo and offers exhibits depicting the maritime history of Uruguay.[77] The Museo del Automóvil, belonging to the Automobile Club of Uruguay, has a rich collection of vintage cars which includes a 1910 Hupmobile.[147] The Museo y Parque Fernando García in Carrasco, a transport and automobile museum, includes old horse carriages and some early automobiles.[148] The Castillo Pittamiglio, with an unusual façade, highlights the eccentric legacy of Humberto Pittamiglio, local alchemist and architect.[77]

Festivals edit

 
Carnival drummers.
 
Carnival dancer and drummers.

As the capital of Uruguay, Montevideo is home to a number of festivals and carnivals including a Gaucho festival when people ride through the streets on horseback in traditional gaucho gear. The major annual festival is the annual Montevideo Carnival which is part of the national festival of Carnival Week, celebrated throughout Uruguay, with central activities in the capital, Montevideo. Officially, the public holiday lasts for two days on Carnival Monday and Shrove Tuesday preceding Ash Wednesday, but due to the prominence of the festival, most shops and businesses close for the entire week.[149] During carnival there are many open-air stage performances and competitions and the streets and houses are vibrantly decorated. "Tablados" or popular scenes, both fixed and movable, are erected in the whole city.[149] Notable displays include "Desfile de las Llamadas" ("Parade of the Calls"), which is a grand united parade held on the south part of downtown, where it used to be a common ritual back in the early 20th century.[149] Due to the scale of the festival, preparation begins as early as December with an election of the "zonal beauty queens" to appear in the carnival.[149]

Sports edit

 
Estadio Centenario

Estadio Centenario, the national football stadium in Parque Batlle, was opened in 1930 for the first World Cup, as well as to commemorate the centennial of Uruguay's first constitution. In this World Cup, Uruguay won the title game against Argentina by 4 goals to 2.[150] The stadium has 70,000 seats.[91] It is listed by FIFA as one of the football world's classic stadiums, along with Maracanã, Wembley Stadium, San Siro, Estadio Azteca, and Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.[151] A museum located within the football stadium has exhibits of memorabilia from Uruguay's 1930 and 1950 World Cup championships. Museum tickets give access to the stadium, stands, locker rooms and playing field.[77]

Between 1935 and 1938, the athletics track and the municipal velodrome were completed within Parque Batlle. The Tabaré Athletic Club is occasionally made over as a carnival theater using impermanent materials.[152][153]

 
Rugby in Montevideo

Today the vast majority of teams in the Primera División and Segunda División come from Montevideo, including Nacional, Peñarol, Central Español, Cerrito, Cerro, Danubio, Defensor Sporting, Atlético Fénix, Liverpool, Wanderers, Racing, River Plate, Club Atlético Torque, Boston River and Rampla Juniors.

Besides Estadio Centenario, other stadiums include Gran Parque Central, Estadio Campeón del Siglo, Belvedere, Complejo Rentistas, Jardines del Hipódromo, José Pedro Damiani, "La Bombonera", Luis Franzini, Luis Tróccoli and the park stadiums of Abraham Paladino, Alfredo Víctor Viera, Omar Saroldi, José Nasazzi, Osvaldo Roberto, Maracaná and Palermo.

The city has a tradition as host of major international basketball tournaments including the official 1967 FIBA World Cup and the 1988 1997 and 2017 editions of the official Americas Basketball Championship.

The Uruguayan Basketball League is headquartered in Montevideo and most of its teams are from the city, including Defensor Sporting, Biguá, Aguada, Goes, Malvín, Unión Atlética, and Trouville. Montevideo is also a center of rugby; equestrianism, which regained importance in Montevideo after the Maroñas Racecourse reopened; golf, with the Club de Punta Carretas; and yachting, with the Puerto del Buceo, an ideal place to moor yachts. The Golf Club of Punta Carretas was founded in 1894 covers all the area encircled by the west side of Bulevar Artigas, the Rambla (Montevideo's promenade) and the Parque Rodó (Fun Fair).[103]

Religion edit

The religion with most followers in Montevideo is Roman Catholicism and has been so since the foundation of the city. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Montevideo was created as the Apostolic Vicariate of Montevideo in 1830. The vicariate was promoted to the Diocese of Montevideo on 13 July 1878.[154] Pope Leo XIII elevated it to the rank of a metropolitan archdiocese on 14 April 1897. The new archdiocese became the Metropolitan of the suffragan sees of Canelones, Florida, Maldonado–Punta del Este, Melo, Mercedes, Minas, Salto, San José de Mayo, Tacuarembó.

Montevideo is the only archdiocese in Uruguay and, as its Ordinary, the archbishop is also Primate of the Catholic Church in Uruguay. The archdiocese's mother church and thus seat of its archbishop is Catedral de la Inmaculada Concepción y San Felipe y Santiago. Church and state are officially separated since 1916 in Uruguay. As of 2010, the Archbishop of Montevideo is Daniel Fernando Sturla Berhouet, SDB, since his appointment on 11 February 2014.[155]

Other religious faiths in Montevideo are Protestantism, Umbanda, Judaism, and there are many people who define themselves as Atheists and Agnostics, while others profess "believing in God but without religion".[156]

Montevideo Metropolitan Cathedral edit

 
Cathedral Interior

The Montevideo Metropolitan Cathedral is the main Roman Catholic church of Montevideo. It is located in Ciudad Vieja, immediately across Constitution Square from the Cabildo. In 1740 a brick church was built on the site. In 1790, the foundation was laid for the current neoclassical structure. The church was consecrated in 1804.[74] Bicentennial celebrations were held in 2004.

In 1897, Pope Leo XIII elevated the church to Metropolitan Cathedral status. Important ceremonies are conducted under the direction of the Archbishop of Montevideo. Weddings and choral concerts are held here and the parish priest conducts the routine functions of the cathedral. In the 19th century, its precincts were also used as a burial place of famous people who died in the city. For decades, the prison and the nearby Punta Carretas parish church were the only major buildings in the neighborhood.

Nuestra Señora del Sagrado Corazón edit

 
Punta Carretas Church

Nuestra Señora del Sagrado Corazón ("Our Lady of the Sacred Heart"), also known as Iglesia Punta Carretas ("Punta Carretas Church"), was built between 1917 and 1927 in the Romanesque Revival style. The church was originally part of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, but is presently in the parish of the Ecclesiastic Curia. Its location is at the corner of Solano García and José Ellauri. It has a nave and aisles. The roof has many vaults. During the construction of the Punta Carretas Shopping complex, major cracks developed in the structure of the church as a result of differential foundation settlement.[103][157]

Economy edit

Main Article: Economy of Uruguay

As the capital of Uruguay, Montevideo is the economic and political center of the country. Most of the largest and wealthiest businesses in Uruguay have their headquarters in the city. Since the 1990s the city has undergone rapid economic development and modernization, including two of Uruguay's most important buildings—the World Trade Center Montevideo (1998),[158] and Telecommunications Tower (2000), the headquarters of Uruguay's government-owned telecommunications company ANTEL, increasing the city's integration into the global marketplace.[159]

The Port of Montevideo, in the northern part of Ciudad Vieja, is one of the major ports of South America and plays a very important role in the city's economy.[160][161] The port has been growing rapidly and consistently at an average annual rate of 14 percent due to an increase in foreign trade. The city has received a US$20 million loan from the Inter-American Development Bank to modernize the port, increase its size and efficiency, and enable lower maritime and river transportation costs.[162]

The most important state-owned companies headquartered in Montevideo are: AFE (railways),[163] ANCAP (Energy),[164] Administracion Nacional de Puertos (Ports), ANTEL (telecommunications),[165] BHU (savings and loan),[166] BROU (bank),[167] BSE (insurance),[168] OSE (water & sewage),[169] UTE (electricity).[170] These companies operate under public law, using a legal entity defined in the Uruguayan Constitution called Ente Autonomo ("autonomous entity"). The government also owns part of other companies operating under private law, such as those owned wholly or partially by the CND (National Development Corporation).

Banking has traditionally been one of the strongest service export sectors in Uruguay: the country was once dubbed "the Switzerland of America",[171] mainly for its banking sector and stability, although that stability has been threatened in the 21st century by the recent global economic climate.[172] The largest bank in Uruguay is Banco Republica (BROU), based in Montevideo.[173] 9 private banks, most of them branches of international banks, operate in the country (Banco Santander, BBVA, ABN AMRO, Citibank, among others). There are also a myriad of brokers and financial-services bureaus, among them Ficus Capital, Galfin Sociedad de Bolsa, Europa Sociedad de Bolsa, Darío Cukier, GBU, Hordeñana & Asociados Sociedad de Bolsa, etc.

Tourism edit

 
Montevideo's beach on the River Plate.
 
Hotel Casino Carrasco

Tourism accounts for much of Uruguay's economy. Tourism in Montevideo is centered in the Ciudad Vieja area, which includes the city's oldest buildings, several museums, art galleries, and nightclubs, with Sarandí Street and the Mercado del Puerto being the most frequented venues of the old city.[174] On the edge of Ciudad Vieja, Plaza Independencia is surrounded by many sights, including the Solís Theatre and the Palacio Salvo; the plaza also constitutes one end of 18 de Julio Avenue, the city's most important tourist destination outside of Ciudad Vieja. Apart from being a shopping street, the avenue is noted for its Art Deco buildings,[175] three important public squares, the Gaucho Museum, the Palacio Municipal and many other sights. The avenue leads to the Obelisk of Montevideo; beyond that is Parque Batlle, which along with the Parque Prado is another important tourist destination.[176] Along the coast, the Fortaleza del Cerro, the Rambla (the coastal avenue), 13 kilometers (8.1 mi) of sandy beaches,[177] and Punta Gorda attract many tourists, as do the Barrio Sur and Palermo barrios.[178]

 
18 de Julio Avenue

The Ministry of Tourism offers a two-and-a-half-hour city tour[179] and the Montevideo Tourist Guide Association offers guided tours in English, Italian, Portuguese and German.[180] Apart from these, many private companies offer organized city tours.

Most tourists to the city come from Argentina, Brazil and Europe, with the number of visitors from elsewhere in Latin America and from the United States growing every year, thanks to an increasing number of international airline arrivals at Carrasco International Airport as well as cruises and ferries that arrive into the port of Montevideo.

Retail edit

Montevideo is the heartland of retailing in Uruguay. The city has become the principal center of business and real estate, including many expensive buildings and modern towers for residences and offices, surrounded by extensive green spaces. In 1985, the first shopping center in Rio de la Plata, Montevideo Shopping was built.[181] In 1994, with the building of three more shopping complexes such as the Shopping Tres Cruces, Portones Shopping, and Punta Carretas Shopping, the business map of the city changed dramatically. The creation of shopping complexes brought a major change in the habits of the people of Montevideo. Global firms such as McDonald's and Burger King etc. are firmly established in Montevideo. In 2013 Nuevocentro Shopping, a shopping mall located in the Jacinto Vera neighborhood, was inaugurated.[182]

 
Portones shopping center.

Apart from the big shopping complexes, the main retailing venues of the city are: most of 18 de Julio Avenue in the Centro and Cordón barrios, a length of Agraciada Avenue in the Paso de Molino area of Belvedere, a length of Arenal Grande St. and the

Media edit

Out of the 100 radio stations found in Uruguay, 40 of them are in Montevideo. The city has a vibrant artistic and literary community. The press enjoyed full freedom until the advent of the Civic-military dictatorship (1973–1985); this freedom returned on 1 March 1985, as part of the restoration of democracy.

Some of the important newspapers published in the city are: Brecha, La Republica, El Observador,[183] El País, Gaceta Comercial and La Diaria.[184] El Día was the most prestigious paper in Uruguay, founded in 1886 by José Batlle, who would later go on to become President of Uruguay. The paper ceased production in the early 1990s.[185] All television stations have their headquarters in Montevideo, for example: Saeta Channel 10, Teledoce, Channel 4 and National Television (Channel 5)

Transport edit

Public transport edit

 
Bus of CUTCSA, the largest bus company in Montevideo.

The city and its metropolitan area have a bus transportation network, the Sistema Mets acronym. It covers urban and interurban services within the Metropolitan Area and is administered by the municipal government together with the Ministry of Transport and Public Works. The Baltasar Brum Terminal located in Ciudad Vieja, is the main urban bus station.[186] However, there are numerous interchanges and terminals distributed in both the city and the metropolitan area.

Taxis edit

 
Taxis of Montevideo.

The livery of most Montevideo taxis features white on the sides, along with a yellow band, as well as yellow on the top of the car. To determine the rate they use a taximeter, which will determine the price depending on the distance traveled. All taxis accept cash, although it is also common that a passenger can pay with a credit card.[187]

Rail edit

The State Railways Administration of Uruguay (AFE) operates three commuter rail lines, namely the Empalme Olmos, San Jose and Florida. These lines operate to major suburban areas of Canelones, San José and Florida. Within the Montevideo city limits, local trains stop at Lorenzo Carnelli, Yatai (Step Mill), Sayago, Colón (line to San Jose and Florida), Peñarol and Manga (line Empalme Olmos) stations. The historic 19th century General Artigas Central Station located in the barrio Aguada, six blocks from the central business district, was abandoned 1 March 2003 and remains closed.[188][189] A new station, 500 meters (1,600 ft) north of the old one and part of the Telecommunications Tower modern complex, has taken over the rail traffic.[190]

The train service is currently suspended for works related to the modernization of the railway system until mid-2023 when the work will end.[13][23]

Intercity buses edit

The Tres Cruces bus station is the main bus terminal in Uruguay, serving long-distance buses that travel into Montevideo, from other parts of the country and abroad. Inaugurated in 1994, it serves more than 12 million passengers per year.[191][192]

 
Carrasco International Airport

Companies operating at Tres Cruces bus station: Agencia central, Bruno, Copsa, Cromin, Cynsa, Copay, Cot, Cut, Corporacion, Cita, Cauvi, Colonia Express, El Condor, El Norteño, Ega, Expreso Chago, Expreso Minuano, Intertur, Nossar, Nuñez, Rutas del sol, TTL, Turil, Turismar, etc.

Aviation edit

Montevideo is served by the Carrasco International Airport (IATA: MVD, ICAO: SUMU), which is located in the north of Ciudad de la Costa, in Canelones Department, 19 km (12 mi) from the city center. It handles over 1,5 million passengers per year,[193][194] and has been cited as one of the most efficient and traveler-friendly airports in Latin America.[195]

Ángel S. Adami Airport is a private airport operated by minor charter companies and in which there is also a flight school.[196]

Port edit

 
Buquebus high-speed ferries connect Montevideo to Argentina

Montevideo is also served by a ferry system operated by the company Buquebus that connects the port with Buenos Aires. More than 2.2 million people per year travel between Argentina and Uruguay with Buquebus. One of these ships is a catamaran, which can reach a top speed of about 80 km/h (50 mph).[197]

 
Port of Montevideo

The port on Montevideo Bay is one of the reasons the city was founded. It gives natural protection to ships, although two jetties now further protect the harbor entrance from waves. This natural port is competitive with the other great port of Río de la Plata, Buenos Aires.[198]

The main engineering work on the port occurred between the years 1870 and 1930. These six decades saw the construction of the port's first wooden pier, several warehouses in La Aguada, the north and south Rambla, a river port, a new pier, the dredged river basin and the La Teja Refinery. A major storm in 1923 necessitated repairs to many of the city's engineering works.[48] Since the second half of the 20th century, until the 21st century, physical changes had ceased, and since that time the area had degraded due to national economic stagnation.[48]

The port's proximity has contributed to the installation of various industries in the area surrounding the bay, particularly import/export businesses and other business related to port and naval activity. The density of industrial development in the area surrounding the port has kept its popularity as a residential area relatively low despite its centrality. The main environmental problems are subaquatic sedimentation and air and water contamination.[48]

Every year more than one hundred cruises arrive, bringing tourists to Montevideo by public or private tours.[199]

Cycling edit

The city has bicycle circuits in Ciudad Vieja, Artigas Boulevard and Centro as well as with good facilities for cyclists such as bike paths and bike racks throughout the city.[200] In 2013 the "South Bicicircuito" was also inaugurated, which connects several of the dependent faculties of the University of the Republic.[201] There are more than 100 bike stations in the city.[202] In 2014, a bicycle sharing system called Movete was launched.[203]

Education edit

Public education edit

 
University of the Republic law school.

The University of the Republic is the country's largest and most important university, with a student body of 81,774, according to the census of 2007.[204] It was founded on 18 July 1849 in Montevideo, where most of its buildings and facilities are still located. Its Rector is Dr. Rodrigo Arocena. The university houses 14 faculties (departments) and various institutes and schools. Many eminent Uruguayans have graduated from this university, including Carlos Vaz Ferreira, José Luis Massera, Gabriel Paternain, Mario Wschebor, Roman Fresnedo Siri, Carlos Ott and Eladio Dieste

The process of founding the country's public university began on 11 June 1833 with the passage of a law proposed by Senator Dámaso Antonio Larrañaga. It called for the creation of nine academic departments; the President of the Republic would pass a decree formally creating the departments once the majority of them were in operation. In 1836, the House of General Studies was formed, housing the departments of Latin, philosophy, mathematics, theology and jurisprudence. On 27 May 1838, Manuel Oribe passed a decree establishing the Greater University of the Republic.[205] That decree had few practical effects, given the institutional instability of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay at that time.

 
Kindergarten kids at a public school in Montevideo

Private education edit

The largest private university in Uruguay,[206] is also located in Montevideo. ORT Uruguay was first established as a non-profit organization in 1942, and was officially certified as a private university in September 1996, becoming the second private educational institution in the country to achieve that status.[citation needed] It is a member of World ORT, an international educational network founded in 1880 by the Jewish community in Saint Petersburg, Russia.[207] The university has about 8,000 students, distributed among 5 faculties and institutes, mainly geared towards the sciences and technology/engineering. Its rector as of 2010 is Dr. Jorge A. Grünberg.

The Montevideo Crandon Institute is an American School of missionary origin and the main Methodist educational institution in Uruguay. Founded in 1879 and supported by the Women's Society of the Methodist Church of the United States, it is one of the most traditional and emblematic institutions in the city inculcating John Wesley's values. Its alumni include presidents, senators, ambassadors and Nobel Prize winners, along with musicians, scientists, and others. The Montevideo Crandon Institute boasts of being the first academic institution in South America where a home economics course was taught.[208][209]

 
A laundress girl in a school play in Montevideo

The Christian Brothers of Ireland Stella Maris College is a private, co-educational, not-for-profit Catholic school located in the wealthy residential southeastern neighborhood of Carrasco. Established in 1955, it is regarded as one of the best high schools in the country, blending a rigorous curriculum with strong extracurricular activities.[210] The school's headmaster, history professor Juan Pedro Toni, is a member of the Stella Maris Board of Governors and the school is a member of the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO). Its long list of distinguished former pupils includes economists, engineers, architects, lawyers, politicians and even F1 champions. The school has also played an important part in the development of rugby union in Uruguay, with the creation of Old Christians Club, the school's alumni club.

Also in Carrasco is The British Schools of Montevideo, one of the oldest educational institutions in the country, founded in 1908 with "the object of giving children a complete education, both intellectual and moral, based upon the ideas and principles of the best schools in The British Isles".[211] The School is governed by the Board of Governors, elected by the British Schools Society in Uruguay, whose honorary president is the British Ambassador to Uruguay. Prominent alumni include former government ministers Pedro Bordaberry Herrán and Gabriel Gurméndez Armand-Ugon.

Located in Cordon, St.Brendan's school, previously named St.Catherine's is a non-profit civil association, which has a solid institutional culture with a clear vision of the future. It is known for being one of the best schools in the country, joining students from the wealthiest parts of Montevideo, such as, Punta Carretas, Pocitos, Malvin and Carrasco. St. Brendan's School is a bilingual, non-denominational school that promotes a pedagogical constructivist approach focused on the child as a whole. In this approach, understanding is built from the connections children make between their own prior knowledge and the learning experiences, thus developing critical thinking skills. It is also the only school in the country implementing the three International Baccalaureate Programmes. These are:

  • Diploma Program – Pre-University course for students aged 16 to 19. The Diploma Program is a two-year curriculum.
  • MYP -Middle Years Program. For students aged 12 to 16.
  • PYP – Primary Years Program. For students aged 3 to 12.

Other educational institutions of note include Colegio Ingles, John XXIII Institute, Lycée Français de Montevideo, Ivy Thomas, German School of Montevideo and Colegio Preuniversitario Ciudad de San Felipe.[212]

Healthcare edit

 
 
Left: Hospital Italiano de Montevideo. Right: Dr. Manuel Quintela Clinics Hospital

In Montevideo, as elsewhere in the country, there are both public and private health services. In both sectors, medical services are provided by polyclinics and hospitals or sanatorios. The term hospital is used here for both outpatient and inpatient facilities, while sanatorio is used for private short- and long-term facilities for the treatment of illnesses.

Public hospitals edit

Hospital de Clínicas "Dr. Manuel Quintela" is a University Hospital attached to the University of the Republic, and is located on Avenida Italia. It functions as an adult general polyclinic and hospital. The building was designed by architect Carlos Surraco in 1928–1929 and has a surface area of 110,000 square meters (1,200,000 sq ft) on 23 floors. The hospital was inaugurated 21 September 1953. For many years it was led by Dr. Hugo Villar, who was a considerable influence on the institution.

Hospital Maciel is one of the oldest hospitals in Uruguay and stands on the block bounded by the streets Maciel, 25 de Mayo, Guaraní and Washington, with the main entrance at 25 de Mayo, 172. The land was originally donated in Spanish colonial times by philanthropist Francisco Antonio Maciel, who teamed up with Mateo Vidal to establish a hospital and charity. The first building was constructed between 1781 and 1788 and later expanded upon. The present building stems from the 1825 plans of José Toribio (son of Tomás Toribio) and later Bernardo Poncini (wing on the Guaraní street, 1859), Eduardo Canstatt (corner of Guaraní and 25 de Mayo) and Julián Masquelez (1889).[213] The hospital has a chapel built in Greek style by Miguel Estévez in 1798.[214]

Hospital Pereira Rossell was founded in 1908 and was built on land donated in late 1900 by Alexis Rossell y Rius and Dolores Pereira de Rossell.[215] It was the city's first pediatric hospital, and shortly afterwards the addition of an obstetric and gynecological clinic in 1915 made it the first maternity hospital as well. Later, the hospital received a donation from Dr. Enrique Pouey for a radiotherapy unit.

Hospital Vilardebó is the only psychiatric hospital in Montevideo. Named after the physician and naturalist Teodoro Vilardebó Matuliche, it opened 21 May 1880.[216] The hospital was originally one of the best of Latin America and in 1915 grew to 1,500 inpatients. Today the hospital is very deteriorated, with broken walls and floors, lack of medicines, beds, and rooms for the personnel.[217] It has an emergency service, outpatient, clinic and inpatient rooms and employs approximately 610 staff, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, administrators, guards, among others.[218] The average patient age is 30 years; more than half of the patients arrive by court order; 42% suffer from schizophrenia, 18% from depression and mania,[219] and there are also a high percentage of drug addicted patients.

Other public polyclinics and hospitals of note include the Hospital Saint Bois, founded 18 November 1928, which consists of a General Hospital and Eye Hospital; the Pasteur Hospital in La Unión neighborhood; the Hospital Español, which was founded in 1886, passed to the private sector in the 20th century, closed in 2004 and was restored and re-inaugurated in 2007 as the municipal Juan Jose Crottogini Polyclinic;[220][221] the National Cancer Institute; and the National Institute of Trauma and Orthopedics.

Private healthcare edit

Private healthcare is offered by many private health insurance companies, each of which has one or more polyclinics and owns or is associated with one or more hospitals. Private medical facilities of note include the Hospital Británico, the Italian Hospital of Montevideo, Mutualista CASMU's Sanatoria I, II, III and IV, the Evangelical Hospital, Médica Uruguaya, Sanatorio de la Asociación Española, Sanatorios del Círculo Católico, Sanatorio Casa de Galicia and Sanatorio GREMCA.

International relations edit

Twin towns and sister relations edit

Montevideo is twinned with:

Montevideo is part of the Union of Ibero-American Capital Cities[243] since 12 October 1982.

See also edit

References edit

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montevideo, other, uses, disambiguation, also, spanish, monteβiˈðeo, capital, largest, city, uruguay, according, 2011, census, city, proper, population, about, third, country, total, population, area, square, kilometers, situated, southern, coast, country, nor. For other uses see Montevideo disambiguation Montevideo ˌ m ɒ n t ɪ v ɪ ˈ d eɪ oʊ 10 US also ˈ v ɪ d i oʊ 11 Spanish montebiˈdeo is the capital and largest city of Uruguay According to the 2011 census the city proper has a population of 1 319 108 about one third of the country s total population 12 in an area of 201 square kilometers 78 sq mi Montevideo is situated on the southern coast of the country on the northeastern bank of the Rio de la Plata Montevideo Ciudad de San Felipe y Santiago de MontevideoCapital cityAerial view of Centro Rambla and Barrio SurLegislative Palace of UruguaySolis TheatreObelisk of MontevideoPalacio SalvoAntel TowerFortaleza del CerroGeneral Artigas railway stationCoat of armsMotto s Con libertad ni ofendo ni temoWith liberty I offend not I fear not MontevideoShow map of UruguayMontevideoShow map of South AmericaCoordinates 34 53 1 S 56 10 55 W 34 88361 S 56 18194 W 34 88361 56 18194Country UruguayDepartmentMontevideoEstablished1726 298 years ago 1726 Founded byBruno Mauricio de ZabalaGovernment TypeStrong mayor 1 IntendantCarolina CosseArea 2 Capital city201 km2 77 5 sq mi Metro1 640 km2 633 sq mi The department area is 530 square kilometers 200 sq mi and the conurbated built up area 350 square kilometers 140 sq mi 5 Elevation43 m 141 ft Population 2011 Census 6 1 319 108 Density6 726 km2 17 421 sq mi Urban1 719 453 Metro1 947 604 3 4 Department1 319 108Demonymsmontevideano m montevideana f Montevidean English 7 GDP PPP constant 2015 values Year2023 Total 41 7 billion 8 Per capita 23 500Time zoneUTC 3 UYT Postal code11 00 amp 12 00Dial plan 598 2XXX XXXXHDI 2017 0 841 9 very highWebsitemontevideo wbr gub wbr uy in Spanish A Portuguese garrison was established in the place where today is the city of Montevideo in November 1723 The Portuguese garrison was expelled in February 1724 by a Spanish soldier Bruno Mauricio de Zabala as a strategic move amidst the Spanish Portuguese dispute over the platine region There is no official document establishing the foundation of the city but the Diario of Bruno Mauricio de Zabala officially mentions the date of 24th of December 1726 as the foundation corroborated by presential witnesses The complete independence from Buenos Aires as a real city was not reached until the 1st of January 1730 It was also under brief British rule in 1807 but eventually the city was retaken by Spanish criollos who defeated the British invasions of the River Plate Montevideo is the seat of the administrative headquarters of Mercosur and ALADI Latin America s leading trade blocs a position that entailed comparisons to the role of Brussels in Europe 13 The 2019 Mercer s report on quality of life rated Montevideo first in Latin America 14 a rank the city has consistently held since 2005 15 16 17 18 19 As of 2010 update Montevideo was the 19th largest city economy in the continent and 9th highest income earner among major cities 20 In 2022 it has a projected GDP of 53 9 billion with a per capita of 30 148 21 In 2018 it was classified as a beta global city ranking eighth in Latin America and 84th in the world 22 Montevideo hosted every match during the first FIFA World Cup in 1930 Described as a vibrant eclectic place with a rich cultural life 23 and a thriving tech center and entrepreneurial culture 18 Montevideo ranked eighth in Latin America on the 2013 MasterCard Global Destination Cities Index 24 The city has preserved European architecture 25 being considered one of the cities with the most art deco influence 26 It is the hub of commerce and higher education in Uruguay as well as its chief port The city is also the financial hub of Uruguay and the cultural anchor of a metropolitan area with a population of around 2 million Contents 1 Etymology 2 History 2 1 Early history 2 2 19th century 2 3 20th century 2 4 World War II 2 5 Post war era 2 6 21st century 3 Geography 3 1 Climate 3 2 Administrative divisions and barrios 3 3 Landmarks 3 3 1 Palacio Legislativo 3 3 2 World Trade Center Montevideo 3 3 3 Telecommunications Tower 3 3 4 Ciudad Vieja Old City 3 3 5 Parque Batlle 3 3 6 Parque Prado 3 3 7 Parque Rodo 3 3 8 Forts 3 3 8 1 Fortaleza del Cerro Fortress del Cerro 3 3 9 Punta Brava Lighthouse 3 3 10 Rambla of Montevideo 3 3 11 Cemeteries 3 4 Demographics 4 Government and politics 4 1 Intendancy of Montevideo 4 2 Intendants of Montevideo 5 Culture 5 1 The arts 5 1 1 Visual arts 5 1 2 Literature 5 1 3 Authors 5 1 4 Music 5 2 Cuisine 5 3 Notable people 5 4 Recreation 5 4 1 Museums 5 4 2 Festivals 5 4 3 Sports 5 5 Religion 5 5 1 Montevideo Metropolitan Cathedral 5 5 2 Nuestra Senora del Sagrado Corazon 6 Economy 6 1 Tourism 6 2 Retail 6 3 Media 7 Transport 7 1 Public transport 7 2 Taxis 7 3 Rail 7 4 Intercity buses 7 5 Aviation 7 6 Port 7 7 Cycling 8 Education 8 1 Public education 8 2 Private education 9 Healthcare 9 1 Public hospitals 9 2 Private healthcare 10 International relations 10 1 Twin towns and sister relations 11 See also 12 References 13 Bibliography 14 External linksEtymology editThere are several explanations for the word Montevideo All agree that Monte refers to the Cerro de Montevideo the hill situated across the Bay of Montevideo but there is disagreement about the etymological origin of the video part 27 nbsp Cerro de Montevideo as seen from the city in 1865 Monte vide eu I saw a mount is the most widespread belief 28 29 but is rejected by the majority of experts who consider it unlikely because it involves a mix of dialects The name would come from a Portuguese expression which means I saw a mount wrongly pronounced by an anonymous sailor belonging to the expedition of Fernando de Magallanes on catching sight of the Cerro de Montevideo Monte Vidi This hypothesis comes from the Diario de Navegacion Navigational Calendar of boatswain Francisco de Albo member of the expedition of Fernando de Magallanes 28 who wrote Tuesday of the said month of January 1520 we were on the straits of Cape Santa Maria now Punta del Este from where the coast runs east to west and the terrain is sandy and at the right of the cape there is a mountain like a hat to which we gave the name Montevidi 30 This is the oldest Spanish document that mentions the promontory with a name similar to the one that designates the city but it does not contain any mention of the alleged cry Monte vide eu Monte VI D E O Monte VI De Este a Oeste I saw a mount from east to west According to Rolando Laguarda Trias professor of history the Spaniards annotated the geographic location on a map or Portolan chart so that the mount hill is the VI 6th mount observable on the coast navigating Rio de la Plata from east to west 31 32 33 With the passing of time these words were unified to Montevideo No conclusive evidence has been found to confirm this academic hypothesis nor can it be asserted with certainty which the other five mounts observable before the Cerro were Monte Ovidio Monte Santo Ovidio a less widespread hypothesis of a religious origin 28 stems from an interpolation in the aforementioned Diario de Navegacion of Fernando de Albo where it is asserted corruptly now called Santo Vidio when they refer to the hat like mount which they named Monte Vidi that is the Cerro de Montevideo Auditus of Braga Spanish Ovidio was the third bishop of the Roman city of Braga now in Portugal in 95 CE where he was always revered a monument to him was erected there in 1505 Given the relationship that the Portuguese had with the discovery and foundation of Montevideo and despite the fact that this hypothesis like the previous ones lacks conclusive documentation there have been those who linked the name of Santo Ovidio or Vidio appearing on some maps of the time with the subsequent derivation of the name Montevideo given to the region since the early years of the 16th century When the Portuguese invaded the Banda Oriental and annexed it as the province of Cisplatina until 1831 they called the city Montevideu and pronounced as European Portuguese motɨviˈdew History editHistorical Affiliations nbsp Spanish Empire 1724 1807 nbsp British Empire 1807 nbsp Spanish Empire 1807 1814 nbsp Rio de la Plata 1814 1815 nbsp Federal League 1815 1817 nbsp U K of Portugal Brazil and the Algarves 1817 1822 nbsp Empire of Brazil 1822 1828 nbsp Uruguay 1828 present nbsp 17th century map of the Rio de la Plata basinSee also Timeline of Montevideo Early history edit Between 1680 and 1683 Portugal founded the city of Colonia do Sacramento in the region across the bay from Buenos Aires This city met with no resistance from the Spanish until 1723 when they began to place fortifications on the elevations around Montevideo Bay On 22 November 1723 Field Marshal Manuel de Freitas da Fonseca of Portugal built the Montevieu fort A Spanish expedition was sent from Buenos Aires organized by the Spanish governor of that city Bruno Mauricio de Zabala On 22 January 1724 the Spanish forced the Portuguese to abandon the location and started populating the city initially with six families moving in from Buenos Aires and soon thereafter by families arriving from the Canary Islands who were known as Guanches or Canarians There was also one significant early Italian resident by the name of Jorge Burgues 34 A census of the city s inhabitants was performed in 1724 and then a plan was drawn delineating the city and designating it as San Felipe y Santiago de Montevideo later shortened to Montevideo The census counted more than 100 families of Galician and Canary Islands origin more than 1000 indigenous people mostly Guarani as well as some trafficked slaves of Bantu origin 33 A few years after its foundation Montevideo became the main city of the region north of the Rio de la Plata and east of the Uruguay River competing with Buenos Aires for dominance in maritime commerce 35 The importance of Montevideo as the main port of the Viceroyalty of the Rio de la Plata brought it in confrontations with the city of Buenos Aires in various occasions including several times when it was taken over to be used as a base to defend the eastern province of the Viceroyalty from Portuguese incursions In 1776 Spain made Montevideo its main naval base Real Apostadero de Marina for the South Atlantic with authority over the Argentine coast Fernando Po and the Falklands 36 Until the end of the 18th century Montevideo remained a fortified area today known as Ciudad Vieja 19th century edit nbsp Monte Video from the Anchorage outside the Harbour by Emeric Essex Vidal 1820 The earliest securely dated picture of the city 37 On 3 February 1807 British troops under the command of General Samuel Auchmuty and Admiral Charles Stirling occupied the city during the Battle of Montevideo 1807 but it was recaptured by the Spanish in the same year on 2 September when John Whitelocke was forced to surrender to troops formed by forces of the Banda Oriental roughly the same area as modern Uruguay and of Buenos Aires 38 After this conflict the governor of Montevideo Francisco Javier de Elio opposed the new viceroy Santiago de Liniers and created a government Junta when the Peninsular War started in Spain in defiance of Liniers Elio disestablished the Junta when Liniers was replaced by Baltasar Hidalgo de Cisneros During the May Revolution of 1810 and the subsequent uprising of the provinces of Rio de la Plata the Spanish colonial government moved to Montevideo During that year and the next Uruguayan revolutionary Jose Gervasio Artigas united with others from Buenos Aires against Spain 39 In 1811 the forces deployed by the Junta Grande of Buenos Aires and the gaucho forces led by Artigas started a siege of Montevideo which had refused to obey the directives of the new authorities of the May Revolution The siege was lifted at the end of that year when the military situation started deteriorating in the Upper Peru region 35 The Spanish governor was expelled in 1814 In 1816 Portugal invaded the recently liberated territory and in 1821 it was annexed to the Banda Oriental of Brazil It was named Imperial City by Emperor Pedro I when the city was part of the Empire of Brazil as the capital of the Cisplatina province 39 Juan Antonio Lavalleja and his band called the Treinta y Tres Orientales Thirty Three Orientals re established the independence of the region in 1825 Uruguay was consolidated as an independent state in 1828 with Montevideo as the nation s capital 29 In 1829 the demolition of the city s fortifications began and plans were made for an extension beyond the Ciudad Vieja referred to as the Ciudad Nueva new city Urban expansion however moved very slowly because of the events that followed 40 nbsp Map of Montevideo during the Guerra Grande 1843 1851 Uruguay s 1830s were dominated by the confrontation between Manuel Oribe and Fructuoso Rivera the two revolutionary leaders who had fought against the Empire of Brazil under the command of Lavalleja each of whom had become the caudillo of their respective faction 41 Politics were divided between Oribe s Blancos whites represented by the National Party and Rivera s Colorados reds represented by the Colorado Party with each party s name taken from the color of its emblems In 1838 Oribe was forced to resign from the presidency he established a rebel army and began a long civil war the Guerra Grande which lasted until 1851 The city of Montevideo suffered a siege of eight years between 1843 and 1851 during which it was supplied by sea with British and French support 31 By 1843 Montevedio s population of thirty thousand inhabitants was highly cosmopolitan with Uruguayans making up only a third of it 42 The remaining were chiefly Italian 4205 Spanish 3406 Argentine 2553 Portuguese 659 English 606 and Brazilians 492 42 Oribe with the support of the then conservative Governor of Buenos Aires Province Juan Manuel de Rosas besieged the Colorados in Montevideo where the latter were supported by the French Legion the Italian Legion the Basque Legion and battalions from Brazil Finally in 1851 with the additional support of Argentine rebels who opposed Rosas the Colorados defeated Oribe 39 The fighting however resumed in 1855 when the Blancos came to power which they maintained until 1865 Thereafter the Colorado Party regained power which they retained until the middle of the 20th century After the end of hostilities a period of growth and expansion started for the city In 1853 a stagecoach bus line was established joining Montevideo with the newly formed settlement of Union and the first natural gas street lights were inaugurated citation needed From 1854 to 1861 the first public sanitation facilities were constructed In 1856 the Teatro Solis was inaugurated 15 years after the beginning of its construction By Decree in December 1861 the areas of Aguada and Cordon were incorporated to the growing Ciudad Nueva New City 43 In 1866 an underwater telegraph line connected the city with Buenos Aires The statue of Peace La Paz was erected on a column in Plaza Cagancha and the building of the Postal Service as well as the bridge of Paso Molino were inaugurated in 1867 44 In 1868 the horse drawn tram company Compania de Tranvias al Paso del Molino y Cerro created the first lines connecting Montevideo with Union the beach resort of Capurro and the industrialized and economically independent Villa del Cerro at the time called Cosmopolis In the same year the Mercado del Puerto was inaugurated In 1869 the first railway line of the company Ferrocarril Central del Uruguay was inaugurated connecting Bella Vista with the town of Las Piedras During the same year and the next the neighborhoods Colon Nuevo Paris and La Comercial were founded The Sunday market of Tristan Narvaja Street was established in Cordon in 1870 Public water supply was established in 1871 In 1878 Bulevar Circunvalacion was constructed a boulevard starting from Punta Carretas going up to the north end of the city and then turning west to end at the beach of Capurro It was renamed Artigas Boulevard in 1885 44 By Decree on 8 January 1881 the area Los Pocitos was incorporated into the Novisima Ciudad Most New City 43 The first telephone lines were installed in 1882 and electric street lights took the place of the gas operated ones in 1886 The Hipodromo de Maronas started operating in 1888 and the neighborhoods of Reus del Sur Reus del Norte and Conciliacion were inaugurated in 1889 The new building of the School of Arts and Trades as well as Zabala Square in Ciudad Vieja were inaugurated in 1890 followed by the Italian Hospital in 1891 In the same year the village of Penarol was founded Other neighborhoods that were founded were Belgrano and Belvedere in 1892 Jacinto Vera in 1895 and Trouville in 1897 In 1894 the new port was constructed and in 1897 the Central Railway Station of Montevideo was inaugurated 31 44 20th century edit nbsp Plaza Independencia around 1900 In the early 20th century many Europeans particularly Spaniards and Italians but also thousands from Central Europe immigrated to the city In 1908 30 of the city s population of 300 000 was foreign born In that decade the city expanded quickly new neighborhoods were created and many separate settlements were annexed to the city among which were the Villa del Cerro Pocitos the Prado and Villa Colon The Rodo Park and the Estadio Gran Parque Central were also established which served as poles of urban development 45 During the early 20th century Uruguay saw huge social changes with repercussions primarily in urban areas Among these changes were the right to divorce 1907 and women s right to vote 46 The 1910s saw the construction of Montevideo s Rambla strikes by tram workers bakers and port workers the inauguration of electric trams the creation of the Municipal Intendencias and the inauguration of the new port 47 In 1913 the city limits were extended around the entire gulf The previously independent localities of the Villa del Cerro and La Teja were annexed to Montevideo becoming two of its neighborhoods 48 During the 1920s the equestrian statue of Artigas was installed in Plaza Independencia the Palacio Legislativo was built the Spanish Plus Ultra flying boat arrived the first airplane to fly from Spain to Latin America 1926 prominent politician and former president Jose Batlle y Ordonez died 1929 and the ground was broken 1929 for the Estadio Centenario completed 1930 47 World War II edit During World War II a famous incident involving the German cruiser Admiral Graf Spee took place in Punta del Este 200 kilometers 120 mi from Montevideo After the Battle of the River Plate with the Royal Navy and Royal New Zealand Navy on 13 December 1939 the Graf Spee retreated to Montevideo s port which was considered neutral at the time To avoid risking the crew in what he thought would be a losing battle Captain Hans Langsdorff scuttled the ship on 17 December Langsdorff committed suicide two days later The eagle figurehead of the Graf Spee was salvaged on 10 February 2006 49 to protect the feelings of those still sensitive to Nazi Germany the swastika on the figurehead was covered as it was pulled from the water 50 Post war era edit nbsp A street in Montevideo s Ciudad Vieja Uruguay began to stagnate economically in the mid 1950s Montevideo began a decline later exacerbated by widespread social and political violence beginning in 1968 including the emergence of the guerrilla Movimiento de Liberacion Nacional Tupamaros 47 and by the Civic military dictatorship of Uruguay 1973 1985 There were major problems with supply the immigration cycle was reversed From the 1960s to the end of the dictatorship in 1985 around one hundred people died or disappeared because of political violence In 1974 another hundred Uruguayans also disappeared in Argentina 51 In 1980 the dictatorship proposed a new constitution The project was submitted to a referendum and rejected in the first polls since 1971 with 58 of the votes against and 42 in favor The result weakened the military and triggered its fall allowing the return of democracy 52 In the 1980s Pope John Paul II visited the city twice In April 1987 as head of state of Vatican he signed a mediation agreement for the conflict of the Beagle Channel 53 He also held a large mass in Tres Cruces declaring the cross located behind the altar as a monument In 1988 he returned to the country visiting Montevideo Florida Salto and Melo 53 21st century edit The 2002 Uruguay banking crisis affected several industries of Montevideo In 2017 the city has maintained 15 years of economic growth with a GDP of 44 billion and a GDP per capita of 25 900 20 21 Montevideo has consistently been rated as having the highest quality of life of any city in Latin America 54 by 2015 55 56 it held this rank every year during the decade through 2014 15 16 17 18 19 Geography edit nbsp Map of Uruguay showing Montevideo on the Atlantic Ocean between Argentina and BrazilMontevideo is situated on the north shore of the Rio de la Plata the arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates the south coast of Uruguay from the north coast of Argentina Buenos Aires lies 230 kilometers 140 mi west on the Argentine side The Santa Lucia River forms a natural border between Montevideo and San Jose Department to its west To the city s north and east is Canelones Department with the stream of Carrasco forming the eastern natural border The coastline forming the city s southern border is interspersed with rocky protrusions and sandy beaches 57 The Bay of Montevideo forms a natural harbor the nation s largest and one of the largest in the Southern Cone and the finest natural port in the region functioning as a crucial component of the Uruguayan economy and foreign trade Various streams crisscross the town and empty into the Bay of Montevideo Its coastline near the emptying rivers are heavily polluted 58 The city has an average elevation of 43 meters 141 ft Its highest elevations are two hills the Cerro de Montevideo and the Cerro de la Victoria with the highest point the peak of Cerro de Montevideo crowned by a fortress the Fortaleza del Cerro at a height of 134 m 440 ft 59 Closest cities by road are Las Piedras to the north and the so called Ciudad de la Costa a conglomeration of coastal towns to the east both in the range of 20 to 25 km 16 mi from the city center The approximate distances to the neighboring department capitals by road are 90 km 56 mi to San Jose de Mayo San Jose Department and 46 km 29 mi to Canelones Canelones Department nbsp Sunset in Montevideo Climate edit Montevideo has a humid subtropical climate Cfa according to the Koppen climate classification Being in a middle latitude the city experiences the four seasons It has cool winters June to August warm to hot summers December to February mild autumns March to May and volatile springs September to November 60 The climate is characterized by having mild temperatures without harsh cold or extreme heat There are numerous thunderstorms but no tropical cyclones Rainfall is regular and evenly spread throughout the year reaching around 950 millimeters 37 in 61 Winters are generally cool wet windy and overcast The average temperature during this season is just above 10 C 50 F Daytime temperatures are generally between 10 C 50 F and 18 C 64 F and night lows between 3 C 37 F and 10 C 50 F During this season there are bursts of icy and relatively dry winds of continental polar air masses giving an unpleasant chilly feeling to the everyday life of the city with daytime temperatures around or below 8 C 46 F and possible night frosts These occur few times during winter with temperatures generally not falling below 2 C 28 F because of the oceanic influence that moderates the temperature a few kilometres inland frosts are more common and colder On the other hand even in the middle of winter it s not uncommon to have temperatures above 20 C 68 F for a few days Rainfall and sleet are a frequent winter occurrence but snowfall is extremely rare flurries have been recorded only four times but with no accumulation the last one on 13 July 1930 during the inaugural match of the World Cup 62 the other three snowfalls were in 1850 1853 and 1917 the alleged 1980 Carrasco snowfall was actually a hailstorm 63 Summers are warm hot and humid with less wind than other seasons The average temperature in this season is 23 C 73 F Daytime temperatures are usually between 24 C 75 F and 32 C 90 F while night lows between 14 C 57 F and 22 C 72 F During this season a moderate wind often blows from the sea in the evenings which has a pleasant cooling effect on the city in contrast to the more severe summer heat of nearby cities like Buenos Aires 60 Heat waves come with the north winds which bring humid and hot air masses from the tropical interior of the continent temperatures can rise above 35 C 95 F These warm periods are usually followed by thunderstorms generated by cold fronts from the southwest that lowers temperatures considerably This phenomenon is regional and can occur several times all year long The autumn in Montevideo is quite pleasant and not so unstable Daytime temperatures are in general around 20 C 68 F and nights around 10 C 50 F Spring average temperatures are very similar to the autumn but the weather in that season tends to be more windy and volatile with more dramatic changes in a short period of time Montevideo has an annual average temperature of 16 7 C 62 1 F The lowest recorded temperature is 5 6 C 21 9 F while the highest is 42 8 C 109 0 F 64 Climate data for Montevideo Prado 1991 2020 extremes 1901 2020Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec YearRecord high C F 42 8 109 0 40 3 104 5 38 4 101 1 36 7 98 1 32 0 89 6 27 8 82 0 29 8 85 6 32 6 90 7 32 2 90 0 35 8 96 4 38 2 100 8 40 8 105 4 42 8 109 0 Mean daily maximum C F 27 8 82 0 27 0 80 6 25 3 77 5 22 0 71 6 18 5 65 3 15 6 60 1 14 7 58 5 16 7 62 1 17 9 64 2 20 7 69 3 23 7 74 7 26 4 79 5 21 4 70 5 Daily mean C F 23 3 73 9 22 8 73 0 21 2 70 2 18 1 64 6 14 8 58 6 11 9 53 4 11 0 51 8 12 6 54 7 13 9 57 0 16 5 61 7 19 2 66 6 21 8 71 2 17 3 63 1 Mean daily minimum C F 18 8 65 8 18 6 65 5 17 1 62 8 14 1 57 4 11 0 51 8 8 1 46 6 7 3 45 1 8 5 47 3 9 9 49 8 12 4 54 3 14 7 58 5 17 1 62 8 13 1 55 6 Record low C F 6 0 42 8 6 8 44 2 3 8 38 8 1 3 34 3 2 0 28 4 5 6 21 9 5 0 23 0 3 8 25 2 2 4 27 7 1 5 29 3 2 5 36 5 5 0 41 0 5 6 21 9 Average precipitation mm inches 94 6 3 72 93 8 3 69 105 8 4 17 111 1 4 37 83 4 3 28 89 4 3 52 93 2 3 67 89 9 3 54 92 1 3 63 102 2 4 02 95 9 3 78 91 3 3 59 1 142 7 44 99 Average precipitation days 1 0 mm 6 6 6 7 6 7 6 7 7 7 7 7 79Average relative humidity 70 73 76 77 79 81 80 78 76 74 72 70 76Mean monthly sunshine hours 294 5 234 5 220 1 162 0 161 2 126 0 142 6 164 3 180 0 226 3 249 0 282 1 2 442 6Mean daily sunshine hours 9 5 8 3 7 1 5 4 5 2 4 2 4 6 5 3 6 0 7 3 8 3 9 1 6 7Source 1 Instituto Uruguayo de Metereologia 65 64 Source 2 Instituto Nacional de Investigacion Agropecuaria sun and humidity 1980 2009 66 NOAA precipitation 1991 2020 67 Climate data for MontevideoMonth Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec YearAverage sea temperature C F 24 2 75 6 23 4 74 1 22 4 72 3 19 0 66 2 15 9 60 6 13 1 55 6 11 3 52 3 12 1 53 8 13 3 55 9 17 2 63 0 19 8 67 6 21 9 71 4 17 8 64 0 Mean daily daylight hours 14 0 13 0 12 0 11 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 11 0 12 0 13 0 14 0 14 0 12 0Average ultraviolet index gt 11 11 9 6 3 2 2 4 6 8 10 gt 11 6 9Source Weather Atlas 68 Administrative divisions and barrios edit nbsp Map of the barrios of MontevideoAs of 2010 update the city of Montevideo has been divided into 8 political municipalities Municipios referred to with letters from A to G including CH each presided over by a mayor elected by the citizens registered in the constituency This division according to the Municipality of Montevideo aims to advance political and administrative decentralization in the department of Montevideo with the aim of deepening the democratic participation of citizens in governance 69 The head of each Municipio is called an alcalde or if female alcaldesa 70 Of much greater importance is the division of the city into 62 barrios neighborhoods or wards 71 Many of the city s barrios such as Sayago Ituzaingo and Pocitos were previously geographically separate settlements later absorbed by the growth of the city Others grew up around certain industrial sites including the salt curing works of Villa del Cerro and the tanneries in Nuevo Paris Each barrio has its own identity geographic location and socio cultural activities A neighborhood of great significance is Ciudad Vieja that was surrounded by a protective wall until 1829 This area contains most important buildings of the colonial era and early decades of independence Ciudad Vieja Centro Barrio Sur Aguada Villa Munoz Goes Retiro Cordon Palermo Parque Rodo Tres Cruces La Comercial Larranaga La Blanqueada Parque Batlle Villa Dolores Pocitos Punta Carretas Union Buceo Malvin Malvin Norte Las Canteras Punta Gorda Carrasco Carrasco Norte Banados de Carrasco Flor de Maronas Maronas Parque Guarani Villa Espanola Ituzaingo Castro Perez Castellanos Mercado Modelo Bolivar Brazo Oriental Jacinto Vera La Figurita Reducto Capurro Bella Vista Arroyo Seco Prado Nueva Savona Atahualpa Aires Puros Paso de las Duranas Belvedere La Teja Tres Ombues Pueblo Victoria Villa del Cerro Casabo Pajas Blancas Rincon del Cerro La Paloma Tomkinson Paso de la Arena Los Bulevares Santiago Vazquez Nuevo Paris Conciliacion Sayago Penarol Lavalleja Colon Centro y Noroeste Lezica Melilla Colon Sudeste Abayuba Manga Toledo Chico Casavalle Barrio Borro Cerrito de la Victoria Las Acacias Jardines del Hipodromo Piedras Blancas Manga Punta de Rieles Bella Italia Villa Garcia Manga Rural Landmarks edit nbsp Palacio Salvo nbsp Pocitos is the most populous Montevideo neighborhood The architecture of Montevideo ranges from Neoclassical buildings such as the Montevideo Metropolitan Cathedral to the late modern style of the World Trade Center Montevideo or the 158 meter 518 ft ANTEL Telecommunication Tower the tallest skyscraper in the country Along with the Telecommunications Tower the Palacio Salvo dominates the skyline of the Bay of Montevideo The building facades in the Old Town reflect the city s extensive European immigration displaying the influence of old European architecture Notable government buildings include the Legislative Palace the City Hall Estevez Palace and the Executive Tower The most notable sports stadium is the Estadio Centenario within Parque Batlle Parque Batlle Parque Rodo and Parque Prado are Montevideo s three great parks 72 The Pocitos district near the beach of the same name has many homes built by Bello and Reboratti between 1920 and 1940 with a mixture of styles Other landmarks in Pocitos are the Edificio Panamericano designed by Raul Sichero 73 and the Positano and El Pilar designed by Adolfo Sommer Smith and Luis Garcia Pardo in the 1950s and 1960s However the construction boom of the 1970s and 1980s transformed the face of this neighborhood with a cluster of modern apartment buildings for upper and upper middle class residents citation needed Palacio Legislativo edit nbsp The Legislative Palace The Palacio Legislativo in Aguada north of the city center is the seat of the Uruguayan Parliament Construction started in 1904 and was sponsored by the government of President Jose Batlle y Ordonez 74 It was designed by Italian architects Vittorio Meano and Gaetano Moretti who planned the building s interior Among the notable contributors to the project was sculptor Jose Belloni who contributed numerous reliefs and allegorical sculptures 74 World Trade Center Montevideo edit nbsp World Trade Center Montevideo Main article World Trade Center Montevideo World Trade Center Montevideo officially opened in 1998 but work was completed in 2009 The complex is composed of three towers two three story buildings called World Trade Center Plaza and World Trade Center Avenue and a large central square called Towers Square World Trade Center 1 was the first building to be inaugurated in 1998 citation needed It has 22 floors and 17 100 square meters of space That same year the avenue and the auditorium were raised World Trade Center 2 was inaugurated in 2002 a twin tower of World Trade Center 1 Finally in 2009 World Trade Center 3 and the World Trade Center Plaza and the Towers Square were inaugurated It is located between the avenues Luis Alberto de Herrera and 26 de Marzo and has 19 floors and 27 000 square meters 290 000 sq ft of space The 6 300 square meter 68 000 sq ft citation needed World Trade Center Plaza is designed to be a center of gastronomy opposite Towers Square and Bonavita St Among the establishments on the plaza are Burger King Walrus Bamboo Asia de Cuba Gardenia Mvd and La Claraboya Cafe The Towers Square is an area of remarkable aesthetic design intended to be a platform for the development of business activities art exhibitions dance and music performances and social places This square connects the different buildings and towers which comprise the WTC Complex and it is the main access to the complex The square contains various works of art notably a sculpture by renowned Uruguayan sculptor Pablo Atchugarry World Trade Center 4 with 40 floors and 53 500 square meters 576 000 sq ft of space is under construction as of 2010 update citation needed Telecommunications Tower edit nbsp Telecommunications Tower Main article Telecommunications Tower Montevideo Torre de las Telecomunicaciones Telecommunications Tower or Torre Antel Antel Tower is the 158 meters 518 ft 37 floor headquarters of Uruguay s government owned telecommunications company ANTEL and is the tallest building in the country It was designed by architect Carlos Ott It is situated by the side of the Bay of Montevideo The tower was completed by American Bridge Company and other design build consortium team members on 15 March 2000 When its construction was announced many politicians complained about its cost US 40 million plus US 25 million for the construction of the other 5 buildings of the Telecommunications Complex Problems during its construction turned the original US 65 million price into US 102 million Ciudad Vieja Old City edit Main article Ciudad Vieja Montevideo nbsp Headquarters of Alcoholicos Anonimos in MontevideoCiudad Vieja was the earliest part of the city to be developed and today it constitutes a prominent barrio of southwest Montevideo It contains many colonial buildings and national heritage sites but also many banks administrative offices museums art galleries cultural institutions restaurants and nightclubs making it vibrant with life Its northern coast is the main port of Uruguay one of the few deep draft ports in the Southern Cone of South America nbsp Plaza de la Constitucion in winter Montevideo s most important plaza is Plaza Independencia located between Ciudad Vieja and downtown Montevideo It starts with the Gateway of The Citadel at one end and ends at the beginning of 18 de Julio Avenue It is the remaining part of the wall that surrounded the oldest part of the city 75 Several notable buildings are located here nbsp Solis Theatre The Solis Theatre is Uruguay s oldest theater It was built in 1856 and is owned by the government of Montevideo In 1998 the government of Montevideo started a major reconstruction of the theater which included two US 110 000 columns designed by Philippe Starck The reconstruction was completed in 2004 and the theater reopened in August of that year 76 The plaza is also the site of the offices of the President of Uruguay both the Estevez Palace and the Executive Tower The Artigas Mausoleum is located at the center of the plaza Statues include that of Jose Gervasio Artigas a hero of Uruguay s independence movement an honor guard keeps vigil at the Mausoleum 77 Palacio Salvo at the intersection of 18 de Julio Avenue and Plaza Independencia was designed by the architect Mario Palanti and completed in 1925 Palanti an Italian immigrant living in Buenos Aires used a similar design for his Palacio Barolo in Buenos Aires Argentina Palacio Salvo stands 100 meters 330 ft high including its antenna It is built on the former site of the Confiteria La Giralda renowned for being where Gerardo Matos Rodriguez wrote his tango La Cumparsita 1917 78 Palacio Salvo was originally intended to function as a hotel but is now a mixture of offices and private residences 79 Also of major note in Ciudad Vieja is the Plaza de la Constitucion or Plaza Matriz During the first decades of Uruguayan independence this square was the main hub of city life On the square are the Cabildo the seat of colonial government and the Montevideo Metropolitan Cathedral The cathedral is the burial place of Fructuoso Rivera Juan Antonio Lavalleja and Venancio Flores Another notable square is Plaza Zabala with the equestrian statue of Bruno Mauricio de Zabala On its south side Palacio Taranco once residence of the Ortiz Taranco brothers is now the Museum of Decorative Arts A few blocks northwest of Plaza Zabala is the Mercado del Puerto another major tourist destination Parque Batlle edit Main article Parque Batlle nbsp Monumento La Carreta Parque Batlle 80 formerly Parque de los Aliados 81 translation Park of the Allies is a major public central park located south of Avenida Italia and north of Avenue Rivera Along with Parque Prado and Parque Rodo it is one of three large parks that dominate Montevideo 82 The park and surrounding area constitute one of the 62 neighborhoods barrios of the city The barrio of Parque Batlle is one of seven coastal barrios the others being Buceo Carrasco Malvin Pocitos Punta Carretas and Punta Gorda 83 The barrio of Parque Battle includes four former districts Belgrano Italiano Villa Dolores and Batlle Park itself and borders the neighborhoods of La Blanqueada Tres Cruces Pocitos and Buceo It has a high population density and most of its households are of medium high or high income 84 Villa Dolores a sub district of Parque Batlle took its name from the original villa of Don Alejo Rossell y Rius and of Dona Dolores Pereira de Rossel On their grounds they started a private collection of animals that became a zoological garden and was passed to the city in 1919 85 in 1955 the Planetarium of Montevideo was built within its premises 86 nbsp Obelisk of Montevideo in the Parque Batlle Parque Batlle is named in honor of Jose Batlle y Ordonez President of Uruguay from 1911 to 1915 87 The park was originally proposed by an Act of March 1907 which also projected wide boulevards and avenues 88 89 French landscape architect Carlos Thays began the plantings in 1911 In 1918 the park was named Parque de los Aliados following the victory of the Allies of World War I On 5 May 1930 after significant expansion it was again renamed as Parque Batlle y Ordonez in memory of the prominent politician and president who had died in 1929 88 The park was designated a National Historic Monument Park in 1975 87 88 As of 2010 update the park covers an area of 60 hectares 150 acres and is considered the lung of the Montevideo city due to the large variety of trees planted here 88 better source needed The Estadio Centenario the national football stadium opened in 1930 for the first World Cup and later hosted several other sporting grounds of note see Sports In 1934 sculptor Jose Belloni s La Carreta a bronze monument on granite base 90 was installed on Avenida Lorenzo Merola near Estadio Centenario One of several statues in the park it depicts yoked oxen pulling a loaded wagon 91 It was designated a national monument in 1976 90 Another statue on the same side of the park is a bronze copy of the Discobolus of Myron On the west side of Parque Batlle on Artigas Boulevard the 1938 Obelisk of Montevideo is a monument dedicated to those who created the first Constitution The work of sculptor Jose Luis Zorrilla de San Martin 1891 1975 it is a three sided granite obelisk 40 meters 130 ft tall with bronze statues on its three sides representing Law Liberty and Force respectively It has been a National Heritage Site since 1976 92 Parque Prado edit Main article Parque Prado nbsp Bridge over the Miguelete stream in the Prado Park Established in 1873 the largest of Montevideo s six main public parks is the 1 06 square kilometre 260 acre Parque Prado 93 Located in the northern part of the city the Miguelete Creek flows through the park and the neighborhood and of the same name It is surrounded by the avenues Agraciada Obes Lucas Joaquin Suarez Luis Alberto de Herrera and by the streets Castro and Jose Maria Reyes The most frequented areas of the park are the Rosedal a public rose garden with pergolas the Botanical Garden the area around the Hotel del Prado as well as the Rural del Prado a seasonal cattle and farm animal fairground The Rosedal contains four pergolas eight domes and a fountain its 12 000 roses were imported from France in 1910 94 There are several jogging paths along the Miguelete river The Presidential Residence is located behind the Botanical Gardens Established in 1930 Juan Manuel Blanes Museum is situated in the Palladian villa a National Heritage Site since 1975 and includes a Japanese garden 95 The Professor Atilio Lombardo Museum and Botanical Gardens were established in 1902 The National Institute of Physical Climatology and its observatory are also in the Prado 96 Parque Rodo edit Main article Parque Rodo nbsp Parque Rodo park nbsp Parque Rodo amusement park Parque Rodo is both a barrio neighborhood of Montevideo and a park which lies mostly outside the limits of the neighborhood itself and belongs to Punta Carretas The name Rodo commemorates Jose Enrique Rodo an important Uruguayan writer whose monument is in the southern side of the main park The park was conceived as a French style city park 97 Apart from the main park area which is delimited by Sarmiento Avenue to the south Parque Rodo includes an amusement park the Estadio Luis Franzini belonging to Defensor Sporting the front lawn of the Faculty of Engineering and a strip west of the Club de Golf de Punta Carretas that includes the Canteras quarry del Parque Rodo the Teatro de Verano summer theatre and the Lago lake del Parque Rodo 98 nbsp Faculty of Engineering located in Parque Rodo On the east side of the main park area is the National Museum of Visual Arts On this side a street market takes place every Sunday On the north side is an artificial lake with a little castle housing a municipal library for children An area to its west is used as an open air exhibition of photography West of the park across the coastal avenue Rambla Presidente Wilson stretches Ramirez Beach Directly west of the main park area and belonging to Parque Rodo barrio there is the former Parque Hotel now called Edificio Mercosur the seat of the parliament of the member countries of the Mercosur 99 During the guerilla war the Tupamaros frequently attacked buildings in this area including the old hotel 100 Forts edit The first set of subsidiary forts was planned by the Portuguese at Montevideo in 1701 to establish a front line base to stop frequent insurrections by the Spaniards emanating from Buenos Aires These fortifications were planned within the River Plate estuary at Colonia del Sacramento However this plan came to fruition only in November 1723 when Captain Manuel Henriques de Noronha reached the shores of Montevideo with soldiers guns and colonists on his warship Nossa Senhora de Oliveara They built a small square fortification However under siege from forces from Buenos Aires the Portuguese withdrew from Montevideo Bay in January 1724 after signing an agreement with the Spaniards 101 Fortaleza del Cerro Fortress del Cerro edit nbsp Fortaleza del Cerro Main article Fortaleza del Cerro Fortaleza del Cerro overlooks the bay of Montevideo An observation post at this location was first built by the Spanish in the late 18th century In 1802 a beacon replaced the observation post construction of the fortress began in 1809 and was completed in 1839 59 It has been involved in many historical developments and has been repeatedly taken over by various sides In 1907 the old beacon was replaced with a stronger electric one It has been a National Monument since 1931 102 and has housed a military museum since 1916 59 Today it is one of the tourist attractions of Montevideo Punta Brava Lighthouse edit nbsp Punta Brava lighthouse Punta Brava Lighthouse Faro Punta Brava also known as Punta Carretas Lighthouse was erected in 1876 The lighthouse is 21 meters 69 ft high and its light reaches 24 km 15 mi away with a flash every ten seconds 103 In 1962 the lighthouse became electric The lighthouse is important for guiding boats into the Banco Ingles Buceo Port or the entrance of the Santa Lucia River Rambla of Montevideo edit Main article Rambla of Montevideo The Rambla is an avenue that goes along the entire coastline of Montevideo The literal meaning of the Spanish word rambla is avenue or watercourse but in the Americas it is mostly used as coastal avenue and since all the southern departments of Uruguay border either the Rio de la Plata or the Atlantic Ocean they all have ramblas as well As an integral part of Montevidean identity the Rambla has been included by Uruguay in the Indicative List of World Heritage sites 104 though it has not received this status Previously the entire Rambla was called Rambla Naciones Unidas United Nations but in recent times different names have been given to specific parts of it The Rambla is a very important site for recreation and leisure in Montevideo Every day a large number of people go there to take long strolls jog bicycle roller skate fish and even in a special area skateboard Its 27 kilometer 17 mi length makes it one of the longest esplanades in the world 105 Montevideo is noted for its beaches which are particularly important because 60 of the population spends the summer in the city 105 Its best known beaches are Ramirez Pocitos Carrasco Buceo and Malvin Further east and west are other beaches including the Colorada Punta Espinillo Punta Yeguas Zabala and Santa Catarina Cemeteries edit nbsp Central Cemetery There are five large cemeteries in Montevideo all administered by the Funebre y Necropolis annex of the Intendencia of Montevideo 106 The largest cemetery is the Cementerio del Norte located in the northern central part of the city The Central Cemetery Spanish Cementerio central located in Barrio Sur in the southern area of the city is one of Uruguay s main cemeteries It was one of the first cemeteries in contrast to church graveyards in the country founded in 1835 at a time when burials were still carried out by the Catholic Church It is the burial place of many of the most famous Uruguayans such as Eduardo Acevedo Delmira Agustini Luis Batlle Berres Jose Batlle y Ordonez Juan Manuel Blanes Francois Ducasse father of Comte de Lautreamont Isidore Ducasse 107 Luis Alberto de Herrera Benito Nardone Jose Enrique Rodo and Juan Zorrilla de San Martin The other large cemeteries are the Cementerio del Buceo Cementerio del Cerro and Cementerio Paso Molino The British Cemetery Montevideo Cementerio Britanico is another of the oldest cemeteries in Uruguay located in the Buceo neighborhood Many noblemen and eminent persons are buried there The cemetery originated when the Englishman Thomas Samuel Hood purchased a plot of land in the name of the English residents in 1828 However in 1884 the government compensated the British by moving the cemetery to Buceo to accommodate city growth A section of the cemetery known as British Cemetery Montevideo Soldiers and Sailors contains the graves of quite a number of sailors of different nationalities although the majority are of British descent One United States Marine Henry de Costa is buried here 108 Demographics edit In 1860 Montevideo had 57 913 inhabitants including a number of people of African origin who had been brought as slaves and had gained their freedom around the middle of the century By 1880 the population had quadrupled mainly because of the great European immigration In 1908 its population had grown massively to 309 331 inhabitants 109 In the course of the 20th century the city continued to receive large numbers of European immigrants especially Spanish and Italian followed by Portuguese Brazilians French Germans English Irish Swiss Austrians Poles Dutch Greek Hungarians Russians Croats Lebanese Armenians and Jews of various origins 110 The last wave of immigrants occurred between 1945 and 1955 31 According to the census survey carried out between 15 June and 31 July 2004 Montevideo had a population of 1 325 968 persons compared to Uruguay s total population of 3 241 003 The female population was 707 697 53 4 while the male population accounted for 618 271 46 6 The population had declined since the previous census carried out in 1996 with an average annual growth rate of 1 5 per thousand The continual decline has been documented since the census period of 1975 1985 which showed a rate of 5 6 per thousand The decrease is due in large part to lowered fertility partly offset by mortality and to a smaller degree in migration The birth rate declined by 19 from 1996 17 per thousand to 2004 13 8 per thousand Similarly the total fertility rate TFR declined from 2 24 in 1996 to 1 79 in 2004 However mortality continued to fall with life expectancy at birth for both sexes increasing by 1 73 years 111 In the census of 2011 Montevideo had a population of 1 319 108 12 1860 1884 1908 1963 1975 1985 1996 2004 2011 58 000 164 028 309 331 109 1 202 890 1 176 049 1 251 511 1 303 182 1 269 552 1 319 108Source Instituto Nacional de Estadistica de Uruguay 43 Government and politics editIntendancy of Montevideo edit Main article Intendancy of Montevideo nbsp The Palacio Municipal is the City Hall of Montevideo The Intendancy of Montevideo was first created by a legal act of 18 December 1908 112 The municipality s first mayor 1909 1911 was Daniel Munoz Municipalities were abolished by the Uruguayan Constitution of 1918 effectively restored during the 1933 military coup of Gabriel Terra and formally restored by the 1934 Constitution The 1952 Constitution again decided to abolish the municipalities it came into effect in February 1955 Municipalities were replaced by departmental councils which consisted of a collegiate executive board with 7 members from Montevideo and 5 from the interior region However municipalities were revived under the 1967 Constitution and have operated continuously since that time Since 1990 Montevideo has been partially decentralized into 18 areas administration and services for each area is provided by its Zonal Community Center Centro Comunal Zonal CCZ which is subordinate to the Intendancy of Montevideo 113 114 The boundaries of the municipal districts of Montevideo were created on 12 July 1993 and successively amended on 19 October 1993 6 June 1994 and 10 November 1994 In 2010 the city CCZ were abolished and eight municipalities were created instead The city government of Montevideo performs several functions including maintaining communications with the public promoting culture organizing society caring for the environment and regulating traffic The city hall is the Palacio Municipal on 18 de Julio Avenue in the Centro area of Montevideo 115 The legislative branch of government the Junta Departamental or the Congress of Montevideo governs the Department of Montevideo The Junta composed of 31 unsalaried elected members is responsible for such things as the freedom of the citizens the regulation of cultural activities the naming of streets and public places and the placement of monuments it also responds to proposals of the Intendant in various circumstances 116 Its seat is the architecturally remarkable Casa de Francisco Gomez in Ciudad Vieja 116 A 2016 private ranking named Subnational Legislative Online Opening Index measured the data availability in official websites scoring Montevideo as the second most open district nationally at 17 50 points 117 Intendants of Montevideo edit Main article Intendant of Montevideo Daniel Munoz 1909 1911 Ramon V Benzano 1911 1914 Juan M Aubriot 1914 1914 Santiago Rivas 1914 1915 Francisco Accinelli 1915 1919 Alberto Dagnino 1933 1937 Luis Alberto Zanzi 1937 1938 Horacio Acosta y Lara 1938 1942 Benigno Paiva 1942 1942 Pedro Onetti 1942 1943 Juan Pedro Fabini 1943 1947 Andres Martinez Trueba 1947 1948 Alvaro Correa Moreno 1950 1951 German Barbato 1951 1954 Armando Malet 1954 1955 Board members of the Concejo Departamental 1955 1967 Glauco Segovia 1967 1967 Carlos Bartolome Herrera 1967 1969 Oscar Victor Rachetti 1969 1971 E Mario Peyrot 1971 1972 Oscar Victor Rachetti 1972 1983 Juan Carlos Paysse 1983 1985 Aquiles R Lanza 1985 1985 Julio Iglesias Alvarez 1985 1986 Eduardo Fabini Jimenez 1989 1990 Tabare Vazquez 1990 1994 Tabare Gonzalez 1994 1995 Mariano Arana 1995 2000 2000 2005 Adolfo Perez Piera 2005 Ricardo Ehrlich 2005 2010 Hyara Rodriguez 2010 Ana Olivera 2010 2015 Daniel Martinez 2015 2019 Christian di Candia 2019 2020 Carolina Cosse 2020 incumbent Culture edit nbsp Solis Theatre in MontevideoIn recent years Montevideo nightlife has moved to Parque Rodo where a large concentration of buildings cater for the recreational interests of young people during the night time Under a presidential decree which went into effect on 1 March 2006 smoking is prohibited in any public place with roofing 118 and there is a prohibition on the sale of alcohol in certain businesses from 21 00 to 9 00 failed verification Montevideo has been part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in the area of Literature since December 2015 119 120 The arts edit Montevideo has a very rich architectural heritage and an impressive number of writers artists and musicians Uruguayan tango is a unique form of dance that originated in the neighborhoods of Montevideo towards the end of the 1800s Tango candombe and murga are the three main styles of music in this city The city is also the center of the cinema of Uruguay which includes commercial documentary and experimental films There are two movie theater companies running seven cinemas 121 122 around ten independent ones 123 and four art film cinemas in the city 124 The theater of Uruguay is admired inside and outside Uruguayan borders The Solis Theatre is the most prominent theater in Uruguay and the oldest in South America 125 There are several notable theatrical companies and thousands of professional actors and amateurs Montevideo playwrights produce dozens of works each year of major note are Mauricio Rosencof Ana Magnabosco and Ricardo Prieto Visual arts edit nbsp Painter shop in MontevideoThe daily newspaper El Pais sponsors the Virtual Museum of Contemporary Uruguayan Art The director and curator of the Museum presents exhibitions in virtual spaces supplemented by information biographies texts in English and Spanish 126 In the early 1970s 1973 to be particular when the military junta took over power in Uruguay art suffered in Montevideo The art studios went into protest mode with Rimer Cardillo one of the country s leading artists making the National Institute of Fine Arts Montevideo a hotbed of resistance This resulted in the military junta coming down heavily on artists by closing the Fine Art Institute and carting away all the presses and other studio equipment Consequently the learning of fine arts was only in private studios run by people who had been let out of jail in works of printing and on paper and also painting and sculpture It resumed much later 127 Literature edit The first public library in Montevideo was formed by the initial donation of the private library of Father Jose Manuel Perez Castellano who died in 1815 Its promoter director and organizer was Father Damaso Antonio Larranaga who also made a considerable donation along with donations from Jose Raimundo Guerra as well as others from the Convent of San Francisco in Salta 128 In 1816 its stock was 5 000 volumes 129 The building of the National Library of Uruguay Biblioteca Publica de Uruguay was designed by Luis Crespi in the Neoclassical style and occupies an area of 4 000 square meters 43 000 sq ft Construction began in 1926 and it was inaugurated in 1964 Its collection amounts to 900 000 volumes 130 131 Authors edit nbsp The poet Delmira Agustini The city has a long and rich literary tradition Although Uruguayan literature is not limited to the authors of the capital Horacio Quiroga was born in Salto and Mario Benedetti in Paso de los Toros for instance Montevideo has been and is the center of the editorial and creative activity of literature In 1900 the city had a remarkable group of writers including Jose Enrique Rodo Carlos Vaz Ferreira Julio Herrera y Reissig Delmira Agustini and Felisberto Hernandez Montevideo was then called the Atenas del Plata or the Athens of the Rio de la Plata 132 nbsp The writer Eduardo Galeano Among the outstanding authors of Montevideo of the second half of the 20th century are Juan Carlos Onetti Antonio Larreta Eduardo Galeano Marosa di Giorgio and Cristina Peri Rossi 133 A new generation of writers has become known internationally in recent years These include Eduardo Espina essayist and poet Fernando Butazzoni novelist Rafael Courtoisie poet and Hugo Burel short story writer and novelist Music edit In Montevideo as throughout the Rio de Plata region the most popular forms of music are tango milonga and vals criollo Many notable songs originated in Montevideo including El Tango supremo La Cumparsita La Milonga La Punalada and Desde el Alma composed by notable Montevideo musicians such as Gerardo Matos Rodriguez Pintin Castellanos and Rosita Melo 134 Tango is deeply ingrained in the cultural life of the city and is the theme for many of the bars and restaurants in the city 20th century composers like three time Grammy nominated Miguel del Aguila have taken Uruguayan tango to international classical music audiences Fun Fun Bar established in 1935 is one of the most important places for tango in Uruguay as is El Farolito located in the old part of the city and Joventango Cafe Las Musas Garufa and Vieja Viola 134 The city is also home to the Montevideo Jazz Festival and has the Bancaria Jazz Club bar catering for jazz enthusiasts Cuisine edit Main article Cuisine of Montevideo The center of traditional Uruguayan food and beverage in Montevideo is the Mercado del Puerto Port Market Beef is very important in Uruguayan cuisine and an essential part of many dishes A torta frita is a pan fried cake consumed in Montevideo and throughout Uruguay It is generally circular with a small cut in the center for cooking and is made from wheat flour yeast water and sugar or salt 135 Montevideo has a variety of restaurants from traditional Uruguayan cuisine to Japanese cuisine Notable people edit Further information Category People from Montevideo Delmira Agustini writer Miguel del Aguila composer Julio Albino footballer Marcelina Almeida writer Victoria Alonsoperez engineer Odile Baron Supervielle writer journalist Luis Batlle Berres president of Uruguay Jose Batlle y Ordonez president of Uruguay Mario Benedetti writer Roy Berocay journalist and author Juan Manuel Blanes artist Baltasar Brum Uruguayan statesman Raul Javiel Cabrera painter Graciela Canepa actress and television presenter Rodrigo Casagrande former footballer Manuel Ceferino Oribe Uruguayan politician Gonzalo Curbelo footballer Eladio Dieste civil engineer Jorge Drexler musician and actor Esteban Echeverria Argentine writer Claudio Elias footballer Marcel Felder tennis player Julio Ferron footballer Diego Forlan footballer Enzo Francescoli footballer Jose Gervasio Artigas Uruguayan revolutionary Andrea Ghidone Vedette model dancer actress Felisberto Hernandez writer Julio Herrera y Reissig poet Juana de Ibarbourou poet Pedro Ipuche Riva classical composer Jules Laforgue French poet Rolando Laguarda Trias historian Felipe Laurino footballer Lautreamont Comte de Isidore Ducasse French poet Rosita Melo composer poet writer Martin Mendez bass player for Swedish metal outfit Opeth Ricardo Moller footballer Paolo Montero footballer Amado Nervo Mexican author Juan Carlos Onetti writer Natalia Oreiro actress singer Alvaro Recoba footballer Nando Parrado writer Maxi Pereira footballer Cristina Peri Rossi writer Pedro Piedrabuena billiard player Olga Piria painter and goldsmith Jorge Plachot former footballer Arturo C Porzecanski Wall Street economist Ruben Rada Musician Andy Ram Israeli tennis player Jose Enrique Rodo philosopher Ruben Rodriguez footballer Mariano Rubbo Uruguayan footballer Gabe Saporta musician and entrepreneur Carlos Savio footballer Erwin Schrott operatic bass baritone Jorge Speranza soccer coach and former soccer player Jules Supervielle French author Joaquin Torres Garcia painter Obdulio Varela footballer Tabare Vazquez president of Uruguay Santiago Vecino illustrator and artist Helen Velando author Margarita Xirgu Spanish actress China Zorrilla actress Jose Luis Zorrilla de San Martin sculptor Juan Zorrilla de San Martin poet Elena Zuasti stage actress Recreation edit Museums edit Main article List of museums in Montevideo nbsp Fountain in the entry of the CabildoThe Centro Cultural de Espana as well as Asturian and cultural centers testify to Montevideo s considerable Spanish heritage Montevideo also has important museums including Museo Torres Garcia 136 Museo Jose Gurvich Museo Nacional de Artes Visuales and Museo Juan Manuel Blanes etc The Montevideo Cabildo was the seat of government during the colonial times of the Viceroyalty of the Rio de la Plata It is located in front of Constitution Square in Ciudad Vieja 74 Built between 1804 and 1869 in Neoclassical style with a series of Doric and Ionic columns it became a National Heritage Site in 1975 In 1958 the Municipal Historic Museum and Archive was inaugurated here It features three permanent city museum exhibitions as well as temporary art exhibitions cultural events seminars symposiums and forums 137 nbsp Uruguayan officials conversing at a meeting at the Palacio Taranco 6 November 2010The Palacio Taranco is located in front of the Plaza Zabala in the heart of Ciudad Vieja It was erected in the early 20th century as the residence of the Ortiz Taranco brothers on the ruins of Montevideo s first theater of 1793 during a period in which the architectural style was influenced by French architecture The palace was designed by French architects Charles Louis Girault and Jules Leon Chifflot who also designed the Petit Palais and the Arc de Triomphe in Paris It passed to the city from the heirs of the Tarancos in 1943 along with its precious collection of Uruguayan furniture and draperies and was deemed by the city as an ideal place for a museum in 1972 it became the Museum of Decorative Arts of Montevideo and in 1975 it became a National Heritage Site 138 139 The Decorative Arts Museum has an important collection of European paintings and decorative arts ancient Greek and Roman art and Islamic ceramics of the 10th 18th century from the area of present day Iran 126 The palace is often used as a meeting place by the Uruguayan government nbsp Museo Historico Nacional de MontevideoThe National History Museum of Montevideo is located in the historical residence of General Fructuoso Rivera It exhibits artifacts related to the history of Uruguay 74 In a process begun in 1998 the National Museum of Natural History 1837 and the National Museum of Anthropology 1981 merged in 2001 becoming the National Museum of Natural History and Anthropology In July 2009 the two institutions again became independent 140 The Historical Museum has annexed eight historical houses in the city five of which are located in the Ciudad Vieja One of them on the same block with the main building is the historic residence of Antonio Montero which houses the Museo Romantico 141 Also nearby is the Museo Casa de Jose Garibaldi where Giuseppe Garibaldi lived in the 1840s while participating in the Uruguayan Civil War 142 nbsp Museo Torres GarciaThe Museo Torres Garcia is located in the Old Town and exhibits Joaquin Torres Garcia s unusual portraits of historical icons and cubist paintings akin to those of Picasso and Braque 143 The museum was established by Manolita Pina Torres the widow of Torres Garcia after his death in 1949 She also set up the Garcia Torres Foundation a private non profit organization that organizes the paintings drawings original writings archives objects and furniture designed by the painter as well as the photographs magazines and publications related to him 144 nbsp Museo Naval de MontevideoThere are several other important art museums in Montevideo The Centro de Fotografia de Montevideo CdF is a museum archive and gallery for historic and contemporary photography with twelve outdoor exhibition spaces in various Montevideo neighborhoods as well as four galleries in its downtown headquarters The National Museum of Visual Arts in Parque Rodo has Uruguay s largest collection of paintings 77 126 The Juan Manuel Blanes Museum was founded in 1930 the 100th anniversary of the first Constitution of Uruguay significant with regard to the fact that Juan Manuel Blanes painted Uruguayan patriotic themes In the back of the museum is a Japanese Garden with a pond where there are over a hundred carp 145 The Museo de Historia del Arte located in the Palacio Municipal features replicas of ancient monuments and exhibits a varied collection of artifacts from Egypt Mesopotamia Persia Greece Rome and Native American cultures including local finds of the pre Columbian period 146 The Museo Municipal Precolombino y Colonial in the Ciudad Vieja has preserved collections of the archeological finds from excavations carried out by Uruguayan archeologist Antonio Taddei These antiquaries are exhibits of pre Columbian art of Latin America painting and sculpture from the 17th and 18th century mostly from Mexico Peru and Brazil 126 The Museo de Arte Contempo has small but impressive exhibits of modern Uruguayan painting and sculpture 77 There are also other types of museums in the city The Museo del Gaucho y de la Moneda located in the Centro has distinctive displays of the historical culture of Uruguay s gauchos their horse gear silver work and mate tea gourds and bombillas drinking straws in odd designs 77 The Museo Naval is located on the eastern waterfront in Buceo and offers exhibits depicting the maritime history of Uruguay 77 The Museo del Automovil belonging to the Automobile Club of Uruguay has a rich collection of vintage cars which includes a 1910 Hupmobile 147 The Museo y Parque Fernando Garcia in Carrasco a transport and automobile museum includes old horse carriages and some early automobiles 148 The Castillo Pittamiglio with an unusual facade highlights the eccentric legacy of Humberto Pittamiglio local alchemist and architect 77 Festivals edit nbsp Carnival drummers nbsp Carnival dancer and drummers See also Uruguayan Carnival As the capital of Uruguay Montevideo is home to a number of festivals and carnivals including a Gaucho festival when people ride through the streets on horseback in traditional gaucho gear The major annual festival is the annual Montevideo Carnival which is part of the national festival of Carnival Week celebrated throughout Uruguay with central activities in the capital Montevideo Officially the public holiday lasts for two days on Carnival Monday and Shrove Tuesday preceding Ash Wednesday but due to the prominence of the festival most shops and businesses close for the entire week 149 During carnival there are many open air stage performances and competitions and the streets and houses are vibrantly decorated Tablados or popular scenes both fixed and movable are erected in the whole city 149 Notable displays include Desfile de las Llamadas Parade of the Calls which is a grand united parade held on the south part of downtown where it used to be a common ritual back in the early 20th century 149 Due to the scale of the festival preparation begins as early as December with an election of the zonal beauty queens to appear in the carnival 149 Sports edit nbsp Estadio CentenarioEstadio Centenario the national football stadium in Parque Batlle was opened in 1930 for the first World Cup as well as to commemorate the centennial of Uruguay s first constitution In this World Cup Uruguay won the title game against Argentina by 4 goals to 2 150 The stadium has 70 000 seats 91 It is listed by FIFA as one of the football world s classic stadiums along with Maracana Wembley Stadium San Siro Estadio Azteca and Santiago Bernabeu Stadium 151 A museum located within the football stadium has exhibits of memorabilia from Uruguay s 1930 and 1950 World Cup championships Museum tickets give access to the stadium stands locker rooms and playing field 77 Between 1935 and 1938 the athletics track and the municipal velodrome were completed within Parque Batlle The Tabare Athletic Club is occasionally made over as a carnival theater using impermanent materials 152 153 nbsp Rugby in MontevideoToday the vast majority of teams in the Primera Division and Segunda Division come from Montevideo including Nacional Penarol Central Espanol Cerrito Cerro Danubio Defensor Sporting Atletico Fenix Liverpool Wanderers Racing River Plate Club Atletico Torque Boston River and Rampla Juniors Besides Estadio Centenario other stadiums include Gran Parque Central Estadio Campeon del Siglo Belvedere Complejo Rentistas Jardines del Hipodromo Jose Pedro Damiani La Bombonera Luis Franzini Luis Troccoli and the park stadiums of Abraham Paladino Alfredo Victor Viera Omar Saroldi Jose Nasazzi Osvaldo Roberto Maracana and Palermo The city has a tradition as host of major international basketball tournaments including the official 1967 FIBA World Cup and the 1988 1997 and 2017 editions of the official Americas Basketball Championship The Uruguayan Basketball League is headquartered in Montevideo and most of its teams are from the city including Defensor Sporting Bigua Aguada Goes Malvin Union Atletica and Trouville Montevideo is also a center of rugby equestrianism which regained importance in Montevideo after the Maronas Racecourse reopened golf with the Club de Punta Carretas and yachting with the Puerto del Buceo an ideal place to moor yachts The Golf Club of Punta Carretas was founded in 1894 covers all the area encircled by the west side of Bulevar Artigas the Rambla Montevideo s promenade and the Parque Rodo Fun Fair 103 Religion edit The religion with most followers in Montevideo is Roman Catholicism and has been so since the foundation of the city The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Montevideo was created as the Apostolic Vicariate of Montevideo in 1830 The vicariate was promoted to the Diocese of Montevideo on 13 July 1878 154 Pope Leo XIII elevated it to the rank of a metropolitan archdiocese on 14 April 1897 The new archdiocese became the Metropolitan of the suffragan sees of Canelones Florida Maldonado Punta del Este Melo Mercedes Minas Salto San Jose de Mayo Tacuarembo Montevideo is the only archdiocese in Uruguay and as its Ordinary the archbishop is also Primate of the Catholic Church in Uruguay The archdiocese s mother church and thus seat of its archbishop is Catedral de la Inmaculada Concepcion y San Felipe y Santiago Church and state are officially separated since 1916 in Uruguay As of 2010 update the Archbishop of Montevideo is Daniel Fernando Sturla Berhouet SDB since his appointment on 11 February 2014 155 Other religious faiths in Montevideo are Protestantism Umbanda Judaism and there are many people who define themselves as Atheists and Agnostics while others profess believing in God but without religion 156 Montevideo Metropolitan Cathedral edit nbsp Cathedral InteriorMain article Montevideo Metropolitan Cathedral The Montevideo Metropolitan Cathedral is the main Roman Catholic church of Montevideo It is located in Ciudad Vieja immediately across Constitution Square from the Cabildo In 1740 a brick church was built on the site In 1790 the foundation was laid for the current neoclassical structure The church was consecrated in 1804 74 Bicentennial celebrations were held in 2004 In 1897 Pope Leo XIII elevated the church to Metropolitan Cathedral status Important ceremonies are conducted under the direction of the Archbishop of Montevideo Weddings and choral concerts are held here and the parish priest conducts the routine functions of the cathedral In the 19th century its precincts were also used as a burial place of famous people who died in the city For decades the prison and the nearby Punta Carretas parish church were the only major buildings in the neighborhood Nuestra Senora del Sagrado Corazon edit nbsp Punta Carretas ChurchNuestra Senora del Sagrado Corazon Our Lady of the Sacred Heart also known as Iglesia Punta Carretas Punta Carretas Church was built between 1917 and 1927 in the Romanesque Revival style The church was originally part of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin but is presently in the parish of the Ecclesiastic Curia Its location is at the corner of Solano Garcia and Jose Ellauri It has a nave and aisles The roof has many vaults During the construction of the Punta Carretas Shopping complex major cracks developed in the structure of the church as a result of differential foundation settlement 103 157 Economy editMain Article Economy of UruguayAs the capital of Uruguay Montevideo is the economic and political center of the country Most of the largest and wealthiest businesses in Uruguay have their headquarters in the city Since the 1990s the city has undergone rapid economic development and modernization including two of Uruguay s most important buildings the World Trade Center Montevideo 1998 158 and Telecommunications Tower 2000 the headquarters of Uruguay s government owned telecommunications company ANTEL increasing the city s integration into the global marketplace 159 The Port of Montevideo in the northern part of Ciudad Vieja is one of the major ports of South America and plays a very important role in the city s economy 160 161 The port has been growing rapidly and consistently at an average annual rate of 14 percent due to an increase in foreign trade The city has received a US 20 million loan from the Inter American Development Bank to modernize the port increase its size and efficiency and enable lower maritime and river transportation costs 162 The most important state owned companies headquartered in Montevideo are AFE railways 163 ANCAP Energy 164 Administracion Nacional de Puertos Ports ANTEL telecommunications 165 BHU savings and loan 166 BROU bank 167 BSE insurance 168 OSE water amp sewage 169 UTE electricity 170 These companies operate under public law using a legal entity defined in the Uruguayan Constitution called Ente Autonomo autonomous entity The government also owns part of other companies operating under private law such as those owned wholly or partially by the CND National Development Corporation Banking has traditionally been one of the strongest service export sectors in Uruguay the country was once dubbed the Switzerland of America 171 mainly for its banking sector and stability although that stability has been threatened in the 21st century by the recent global economic climate 172 The largest bank in Uruguay is Banco Republica BROU based in Montevideo 173 9 private banks most of them branches of international banks operate in the country Banco Santander BBVA ABN AMRO Citibank among others There are also a myriad of brokers and financial services bureaus among them Ficus Capital Galfin Sociedad de Bolsa Europa Sociedad de Bolsa Dario Cukier GBU Hordenana amp Asociados Sociedad de Bolsa etc Tourism edit nbsp Montevideo s beach on the River Plate nbsp Hotel Casino CarrascoTourism accounts for much of Uruguay s economy Tourism in Montevideo is centered in the Ciudad Vieja area which includes the city s oldest buildings several museums art galleries and nightclubs with Sarandi Street and the Mercado del Puerto being the most frequented venues of the old city 174 On the edge of Ciudad Vieja Plaza Independencia is surrounded by many sights including the Solis Theatre and the Palacio Salvo the plaza also constitutes one end of 18 de Julio Avenue the city s most important tourist destination outside of Ciudad Vieja Apart from being a shopping street the avenue is noted for its Art Deco buildings 175 three important public squares the Gaucho Museum the Palacio Municipal and many other sights The avenue leads to the Obelisk of Montevideo beyond that is Parque Batlle which along with the Parque Prado is another important tourist destination 176 Along the coast the Fortaleza del Cerro the Rambla the coastal avenue 13 kilometers 8 1 mi of sandy beaches 177 and Punta Gorda attract many tourists as do the Barrio Sur and Palermo barrios 178 nbsp 18 de Julio AvenueThe Ministry of Tourism offers a two and a half hour city tour 179 and the Montevideo Tourist Guide Association offers guided tours in English Italian Portuguese and German 180 Apart from these many private companies offer organized city tours Most tourists to the city come from Argentina Brazil and Europe with the number of visitors from elsewhere in Latin America and from the United States growing every year thanks to an increasing number of international airline arrivals at Carrasco International Airport as well as cruises and ferries that arrive into the port of Montevideo Retail edit Montevideo is the heartland of retailing in Uruguay The city has become the principal center of business and real estate including many expensive buildings and modern towers for residences and offices surrounded by extensive green spaces In 1985 the first shopping center in Rio de la Plata Montevideo Shopping was built 181 In 1994 with the building of three more shopping complexes such as the Shopping Tres Cruces Portones Shopping and Punta Carretas Shopping the business map of the city changed dramatically The creation of shopping complexes brought a major change in the habits of the people of Montevideo Global firms such as McDonald s and Burger King etc are firmly established in Montevideo In 2013 Nuevocentro Shopping a shopping mall located in the Jacinto Vera neighborhood was inaugurated 182 nbsp Portones shopping center Apart from the big shopping complexes the main retailing venues of the city are most of 18 de Julio Avenue in the Centro and Cordon barrios a length of Agraciada Avenue in the Paso de Molino area of Belvedere a length of Arenal Grande St and the Media edit Out of the 100 radio stations found in Uruguay 40 of them are in Montevideo The city has a vibrant artistic and literary community The press enjoyed full freedom until the advent of the Civic military dictatorship 1973 1985 this freedom returned on 1 March 1985 as part of the restoration of democracy Some of the important newspapers published in the city are Brecha La Republica El Observador 183 El Pais Gaceta Comercial and La Diaria 184 El Dia was the most prestigious paper in Uruguay founded in 1886 by Jose Batlle who would later go on to become President of Uruguay The paper ceased production in the early 1990s 185 All television stations have their headquarters in Montevideo for example Saeta Channel 10 Teledoce Channel 4 and National Television Channel 5 Transport editPublic transport edit nbsp Bus of CUTCSA the largest bus company in Montevideo The city and its metropolitan area have a bus transportation network the Sistema Mets acronym It covers urban and interurban services within the Metropolitan Area and is administered by the municipal government together with the Ministry of Transport and Public Works The Baltasar Brum Terminal located in Ciudad Vieja is the main urban bus station 186 However there are numerous interchanges and terminals distributed in both the city and the metropolitan area Taxis edit nbsp Taxis of Montevideo The livery of most Montevideo taxis features white on the sides along with a yellow band as well as yellow on the top of the car To determine the rate they use a taximeter which will determine the price depending on the distance traveled All taxis accept cash although it is also common that a passenger can pay with a credit card 187 Rail edit The State Railways Administration of Uruguay AFE operates three commuter rail lines namely the Empalme Olmos San Jose and Florida These lines operate to major suburban areas of Canelones San Jose and Florida Within the Montevideo city limits local trains stop at Lorenzo Carnelli Yatai Step Mill Sayago Colon line to San Jose and Florida Penarol and Manga line Empalme Olmos stations The historic 19th century General Artigas Central Station located in the barrio Aguada six blocks from the central business district was abandoned 1 March 2003 and remains closed 188 189 A new station 500 meters 1 600 ft north of the old one and part of the Telecommunications Tower modern complex has taken over the rail traffic 190 The train service is currently suspended for works related to the modernization of the railway system until mid 2023 when the work will end 13 23 Intercity buses edit The Tres Cruces bus station is the main bus terminal in Uruguay serving long distance buses that travel into Montevideo from other parts of the country and abroad Inaugurated in 1994 it serves more than 12 million passengers per year 191 192 nbsp Carrasco International AirportCompanies operating at Tres Cruces bus station Agencia central Bruno Copsa Cromin Cynsa Copay Cot Cut Corporacion Cita Cauvi Colonia Express El Condor El Norteno Ega Expreso Chago Expreso Minuano Intertur Nossar Nunez Rutas del sol TTL Turil Turismar etc Aviation edit Montevideo is served by the Carrasco International Airport IATA MVD ICAO SUMU which is located in the north of Ciudad de la Costa in Canelones Department 19 km 12 mi from the city center It handles over 1 5 million passengers per year 193 194 and has been cited as one of the most efficient and traveler friendly airports in Latin America 195 Angel S Adami Airport is a private airport operated by minor charter companies and in which there is also a flight school 196 Port edit Main article Port of Montevideo nbsp Buquebus high speed ferries connect Montevideo to ArgentinaMontevideo is also served by a ferry system operated by the company Buquebus that connects the port with Buenos Aires More than 2 2 million people per year travel between Argentina and Uruguay with Buquebus One of these ships is a catamaran which can reach a top speed of about 80 km h 50 mph 197 nbsp Port of MontevideoThe port on Montevideo Bay is one of the reasons the city was founded It gives natural protection to ships although two jetties now further protect the harbor entrance from waves This natural port is competitive with the other great port of Rio de la Plata Buenos Aires 198 The main engineering work on the port occurred between the years 1870 and 1930 These six decades saw the construction of the port s first wooden pier several warehouses in La Aguada the north and south Rambla a river port a new pier the dredged river basin and the La Teja Refinery A major storm in 1923 necessitated repairs to many of the city s engineering works 48 Since the second half of the 20th century until the 21st century physical changes had ceased and since that time the area had degraded due to national economic stagnation 48 The port s proximity has contributed to the installation of various industries in the area surrounding the bay particularly import export businesses and other business related to port and naval activity The density of industrial development in the area surrounding the port has kept its popularity as a residential area relatively low despite its centrality The main environmental problems are subaquatic sedimentation and air and water contamination 48 Every year more than one hundred cruises arrive bringing tourists to Montevideo by public or private tours 199 Cycling edit The city has bicycle circuits in Ciudad Vieja Artigas Boulevard and Centro as well as with good facilities for cyclists such as bike paths and bike racks throughout the city 200 In 2013 the South Bicicircuito was also inaugurated which connects several of the dependent faculties of the University of the Republic 201 There are more than 100 bike stations in the city 202 In 2014 a bicycle sharing system called Movete was launched 203 Education editPublic education edit nbsp University of the Republic law school The University of the Republic is the country s largest and most important university with a student body of 81 774 according to the census of 2007 204 It was founded on 18 July 1849 in Montevideo where most of its buildings and facilities are still located Its Rector is Dr Rodrigo Arocena The university houses 14 faculties departments and various institutes and schools Many eminent Uruguayans have graduated from this university including Carlos Vaz Ferreira Jose Luis Massera Gabriel Paternain Mario Wschebor Roman Fresnedo Siri Carlos Ott and Eladio DiesteThe process of founding the country s public university began on 11 June 1833 with the passage of a law proposed by Senator Damaso Antonio Larranaga It called for the creation of nine academic departments the President of the Republic would pass a decree formally creating the departments once the majority of them were in operation In 1836 the House of General Studies was formed housing the departments of Latin philosophy mathematics theology and jurisprudence On 27 May 1838 Manuel Oribe passed a decree establishing the Greater University of the Republic 205 That decree had few practical effects given the institutional instability of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay at that time nbsp Kindergarten kids at a public school in MontevideoPrivate education edit The largest private university in Uruguay 206 is also located in Montevideo ORT Uruguay was first established as a non profit organization in 1942 and was officially certified as a private university in September 1996 becoming the second private educational institution in the country to achieve that status citation needed It is a member of World ORT an international educational network founded in 1880 by the Jewish community in Saint Petersburg Russia 207 The university has about 8 000 students distributed among 5 faculties and institutes mainly geared towards the sciences and technology engineering Its rector as of 2010 update is Dr Jorge A Grunberg The Montevideo Crandon Institute is an American School of missionary origin and the main Methodist educational institution in Uruguay Founded in 1879 and supported by the Women s Society of the Methodist Church of the United States it is one of the most traditional and emblematic institutions in the city inculcating John Wesley s values Its alumni include presidents senators ambassadors and Nobel Prize winners along with musicians scientists and others The Montevideo Crandon Institute boasts of being the first academic institution in South America where a home economics course was taught 208 209 nbsp A laundress girl in a school play in MontevideoThe Christian Brothers of Ireland Stella Maris College is a private co educational not for profit Catholic school located in the wealthy residential southeastern neighborhood of Carrasco Established in 1955 it is regarded as one of the best high schools in the country blending a rigorous curriculum with strong extracurricular activities 210 The school s headmaster history professor Juan Pedro Toni is a member of the Stella Maris Board of Governors and the school is a member of the International Baccalaureate Organization IBO Its long list of distinguished former pupils includes economists engineers architects lawyers politicians and even F1 champions The school has also played an important part in the development of rugby union in Uruguay with the creation of Old Christians Club the school s alumni club Also in Carrasco is The British Schools of Montevideo one of the oldest educational institutions in the country founded in 1908 with the object of giving children a complete education both intellectual and moral based upon the ideas and principles of the best schools in The British Isles 211 The School is governed by the Board of Governors elected by the British Schools Society in Uruguay whose honorary president is the British Ambassador to Uruguay Prominent alumni include former government ministers Pedro Bordaberry Herran and Gabriel Gurmendez Armand Ugon Located in Cordon St Brendan s school previously named St Catherine s is a non profit civil association which has a solid institutional culture with a clear vision of the future It is known for being one of the best schools in the country joining students from the wealthiest parts of Montevideo such as Punta Carretas Pocitos Malvin and Carrasco St Brendan s School is a bilingual non denominational school that promotes a pedagogical constructivist approach focused on the child as a whole In this approach understanding is built from the connections children make between their own prior knowledge and the learning experiences thus developing critical thinking skills It is also the only school in the country implementing the three International Baccalaureate Programmes These are Diploma Program Pre University course for students aged 16 to 19 The Diploma Program is a two year curriculum MYP Middle Years Program For students aged 12 to 16 PYP Primary Years Program For students aged 3 to 12 Other educational institutions of note include Colegio Ingles John XXIII Institute Lycee Francais de Montevideo Ivy Thomas German School of Montevideo and Colegio Preuniversitario Ciudad de San Felipe 212 Healthcare edit nbsp nbsp Left Hospital Italiano de Montevideo Right Dr Manuel Quintela Clinics Hospital In Montevideo as elsewhere in the country there are both public and private health services In both sectors medical services are provided by polyclinics and hospitals or sanatorios The term hospital is used here for both outpatient and inpatient facilities while sanatorio is used for private short and long term facilities for the treatment of illnesses Public hospitals edit Hospital de Clinicas Dr Manuel Quintela is a University Hospital attached to the University of the Republic and is located on Avenida Italia It functions as an adult general polyclinic and hospital The building was designed by architect Carlos Surraco in 1928 1929 and has a surface area of 110 000 square meters 1 200 000 sq ft on 23 floors The hospital was inaugurated 21 September 1953 For many years it was led by Dr Hugo Villar who was a considerable influence on the institution Hospital Maciel is one of the oldest hospitals in Uruguay and stands on the block bounded by the streets Maciel 25 de Mayo Guarani and Washington with the main entrance at 25 de Mayo 172 The land was originally donated in Spanish colonial times by philanthropist Francisco Antonio Maciel who teamed up with Mateo Vidal to establish a hospital and charity The first building was constructed between 1781 and 1788 and later expanded upon The present building stems from the 1825 plans of Jose Toribio son of Tomas Toribio and later Bernardo Poncini wing on the Guarani street 1859 Eduardo Canstatt corner of Guarani and 25 de Mayo and Julian Masquelez 1889 213 The hospital has a chapel built in Greek style by Miguel Estevez in 1798 214 Hospital Pereira Rossell was founded in 1908 and was built on land donated in late 1900 by Alexis Rossell y Rius and Dolores Pereira de Rossell 215 It was the city s first pediatric hospital and shortly afterwards the addition of an obstetric and gynecological clinic in 1915 made it the first maternity hospital as well Later the hospital received a donation from Dr Enrique Pouey for a radiotherapy unit Hospital Vilardebo is the only psychiatric hospital in Montevideo Named after the physician and naturalist Teodoro Vilardebo Matuliche it opened 21 May 1880 216 The hospital was originally one of the best of Latin America and in 1915 grew to 1 500 inpatients Today the hospital is very deteriorated with broken walls and floors lack of medicines beds and rooms for the personnel 217 It has an emergency service outpatient clinic and inpatient rooms and employs approximately 610 staff psychologists psychiatrists social workers administrators guards among others 218 The average patient age is 30 years more than half of the patients arrive by court order 42 suffer from schizophrenia 18 from depression and mania 219 and there are also a high percentage of drug addicted patients Other public polyclinics and hospitals of note include the Hospital Saint Bois founded 18 November 1928 which consists of a General Hospital and Eye Hospital the Pasteur Hospital in La Union neighborhood the Hospital Espanol which was founded in 1886 passed to the private sector in the 20th century closed in 2004 and was restored and re inaugurated in 2007 as the municipal Juan Jose Crottogini Polyclinic 220 221 the National Cancer Institute and the National Institute of Trauma and Orthopedics Private healthcare edit Private healthcare is offered by many private health insurance companies each of which has one or more polyclinics and owns or is associated with one or more hospitals Private medical facilities of note include the Hospital Britanico the Italian Hospital of Montevideo Mutualista CASMU s Sanatoria I II III and IV the Evangelical Hospital Medica Uruguaya Sanatorio de la Asociacion Espanola Sanatorios del Circulo Catolico Sanatorio Casa de Galicia and Sanatorio GREMCA International relations editSee also List of twin towns and sister cities in South America Twin towns and sister relations edit Montevideo is twinned with nbsp Arica Chile 222 nbsp Asuncion Paraguay 223 nbsp Barcelona Spain 224 nbsp Berisso Argentina 225 nbsp Bluefields Nicaragua 225 nbsp Brasilia Brazil 225 nbsp Cadiz Spain 225 nbsp Cali Colombia 225 nbsp Ceuta Spain 225 nbsp Cochabamba Bolivia 225 nbsp Cordoba Argentina 225 nbsp Coroico Bolivia 225 nbsp Cumana Venezuela 225 nbsp Curitiba Brazil 226 nbsp El Aaiun Western Sahara 225 nbsp Esmeraldas Ecuador 225 nbsp Hurlingham Argentina 225 nbsp La Plata Argentina 225 nbsp Libertador Venezuela 225 nbsp Lisbon Portugal 227 nbsp Mar del Plata Argentina 225 nbsp Marsico Nuovo Basilicata Italy 225 nbsp Melilla Spain 228 nbsp Mississauga Ontario Canada 225 nbsp Montevideo Minnesota United States lt relationship began in 1905 229 230 nbsp Paris France 231 nbsp Port au Prince Haiti 225 nbsp Qingdao Shandong China 232 nbsp Quebec City Canada citation needed nbsp Rosario Argentina 225 233 nbsp Saint Petersburg Russia 234 nbsp Santa Cruz Bolivia 225 nbsp Sao Paulo Brazil 235 236 nbsp Satriano di Lucania Basilicata Italy 237 nbsp Shenzhen Guangdong China 238 239 240 nbsp Talamanca Costa Rica 225 nbsp Tambo de Mora Peru 225 nbsp Tianjin China 241 nbsp Tito Basilicata Italy 225 nbsp Tumaco Colombia 225 nbsp Ulsan South Korea 242 nbsp Wroclaw Poland 225 nbsp Wuhu Anhui China 225 Montevideo is part of the Union of Ibero American Capital Cities 243 since 12 October 1982 See also editPortal nbsp UruguayReferences edit Tzfadia Erez 2005 Local autonomy and immigration Mayoral policy making in peripheral towns in Israel Space and Polity 9 2 167 184 doi 10 1080 13562570500305052 ISSN 1356 2576 S2CID 143638751 ACME Planimeter Archived from the original on 1 October 2005 Retrieved 27 February 2014 el Area Metropolitana de Uruguay nuclea a los departamentos de San Jose Canelones y Montevideo Archived 11 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 10 November 2014 Info censal de departamentos Data 2011 census Archived 12 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 10 November 2014 Alike measurement applied to the conurbated area plus the 193 4 square kilometers 74 7 sq mi of the city proper Censos 1852 2011 Poblacion en el Pais segun departamento INE Archived from the original on 11 July 2020 Retrieved 5 July 2020 Montevideo Travel Guide Fodor sTravel Archived from the original on 1 March 2014 Retrieved 16 February 2014 TelluBase Uruguay Fact Sheet PDF Tellusant Retrieved 11 January 2024 Sub national HDI Subnational HDI Global Data Lab globaldatalab org Archived from the original on 14 March 2019 Retrieved 13 September 2021 Montevideo definition and meaning Collins English Dictionary Archived from the original on 10 August 2019 Retrieved 28 May 2023 Definition of MONTEVIDEO Archived from the original on 28 May 2023 Retrieved 28 May 2023 a b Censos 2011 Montevideo INE 2012 Archived from the 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