34°55S 56°10W, pop (2000e) 1 374 500. Federal and provincial capital of Uruguay, on the R Plate; founded, 1726; capital, 1830; airport; railway; university (1849); meat packing, food processing, tanning, footwear, soap, matches, trade in meat, skins, wool; cathedral (17901804), Cabildo (1808), several museums and parks, sports stadium (Estadio Centenario), fort on Cerro hill; the German battleship Graf Spee was scuttled offshore during the Battle of the River Plate (1939), and an operation to raise it from the mouth of the River Plate began in early 2004.
| Montevideo | |||
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| Department | Montevideo | ||
| Altitude | 43 m | ||
| Coordinates | 34° 53′ 01″ S 56° 10′ 55″ W. | ||
| Founded | 1726 | ||
| Founder | Bruno Mauricio de Zabala | ||
| Population | 1.325.968 (2004) (1st) | ||
| Demonym | Montevidean | ||
| Phone Code | 02 | ||
| Postal Code | 10000 | ||
Montevideo -pron IPA: [monteβi'ðeo] is the capital, largest city, and chief port of Uruguay. Given that it is more than twice as large as any other city in the country, it is considered a primate city.
Population
The current population estimates for Montevideo are 1,349,000 in the city proper and 1,814,400 in the greater metropolitian region.
Ethnically, the city is approximately half people of Italian descent, and a large percentage of the remainder is of European origin (mostly Spanish), totaling some 88% of the demographic.
Location/climate
Montevideo is situated in the south of the country, at the northern mouth of the very wide River Plate (Río de la Plata) estuary.
18 de Julio, the city's main avenue and one of the finest of South America, extends from the Plaza Independencia, which is the junction between the Ciudad Vieja (the historical quarter) and the rest of the city, to the neighbourhood of Cordón
History
Origin of Name
There are at least two explanations for the name Montevideo: The first states that it comes from the Portuguese "Monte vide eu" which means "I see a mountain".
The city fell under heavy British influence from the early 19th century until the early 20th century as a way to circumvent Argentine and Brazilian commercial control.
20th Century
During World War II, a famous incident involving the German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee took place in Montevideo, which was a neutral port during the war.
Growth/economy
Montevideo began as a minor settlement.
As of 2004, the city has a population of 1.35 million out of a total of 3.43 million in the country as a whole.
As of April 2006, Montevideo is ranked by Mercer Human Resource Consulting as the city in Latin America with the highest quality of life.
World City Formation
The city shows some evidence of world city formation.
Neighborhoods
| Ciudad Vieja Centro Barrio Sur Aguada Villa Muñoz Cordón Palermo Parque Rodó Tres Cruces La Comercial Larrañaga La Blanqueada Parque Batlle, Villa Dolores Pocitos Punta Carretas Unión Buceo Malvín Malvín Norte Parque Guaraní, Las Canteras | Punta Gorda Carrasco Carrasco Norte Bañados de Carrasco Flor de Maroñas Maroñas Villa Española Ituzaingó Castro Castellanos Mercado Modelo, Bolivar Brazo Oriental Jacinto Vera, La Figurita Reducto Capurro, Bella Vista Prado Atahualpa Peñarol Belvedere La Teja Tres Ombúes, Pueblo Victoria | Cerro, La Paloma Casabó, Pajas Blancas Paso de la Arena Nuevo París Conciliación Sayago Piedras Blancas Colón Centro y Noroeste Lezica, Melilla Colón Sudeste, Abayubá Manga, Toledo Chico Casavalle Cerrito Las Acacias Jardines del Hipódromo Lavalleja (40 Semanas) Manga Punta de Rieles, Bella Italia Villa García, Manga Rural |
Education
Stella Maris College (Montevideo) The British Schools of MontevideoSports
Montevideo hosted all the matches of the 1930 FIFA World Cup.
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