Utopia of South America
Uruguay is in the southeastern part of the South American continent. This country is made up of gentle slopes, plains and rivers.
It is bordered by Argentina in the west and Brazil in the north as well as northeast. The Atlantic Ocean can be found in the southeast. Many rivers flow through this country. Rivers flowing in the eastern direction to the Atlantic are not deep enough.
The coastal Atlantic is thin and made up of sandy swampy beaches. On the other hand the coastline of Rio de le Plata and River Uruguay are wider and not that damp.
Since Uruguay falls in the southern hemisphere, summer falls between December and March. Winters are from June to September. Uruguay enjoys a moderate climate because of the presence of mild slopes and the absence of mountains.
Cuisine
There is a strong Mediterranean influence from France, Spain, Portugal as well as Italy on the Uruguayan cuisine. Certain fish preparations in Uruguay have a Spanish tinge to it. Desserts such as churros (fried pastry), andensaimadas (sweet bread) were brought to this land by the Spanish. Pastas, pizzas, ravioli, lasagne and gnocchi are Italian influences. Amongst some of the dishes that the Germans introduced, chucrut (sauerkraut in German) made with cabbage and a croissant known as medialunas feature in the Uruguayan cuisine. As a result of the proximity to Argentina, Uruguay does have similar dishes as part of its cuisine. Beef is consumed by Argentina as well as Uruguay. When this beef is grilled above coal it is known as ‘asado’, a cooking technique of both the countries. In addition, empanadas (pie pastries filled with meat and cheese) are also a part of both the cuisines.
Culture
Spanish is the official language in Uruguay whereas English, French and Italian are spoken by a smaller section of people. When one talks of Uruguay’s culture Gauchos hold a special mention. Gauchos were trained horsemen. Present in the 18th and 19th century, their job was to simply flock the cattle. Once they accomplished their task, these nomadic gauchos migrated to another land. They can be compared to the cowboys of America. The music form ‘tango’ is adopted from Argentina. Besides, ‘candombe’ music and dance by the African slaves is now part of the Uruguayan culture. Apart from this, literature plays an important part. In 1900, Jose Enrique Rodo penned down the book “Ariel”. He wrote about upholding the spiritual values despite materialism. Football is the lifeline of the South Americans and Uruguay’s most popular sport, followed by basketball and rugby union.