Uruguay

Montevideo - view.  The capital of Uruguay and only large city, founded by the Spanish as a fortress against the Portuguese in 1726.  Current population is approximately 2m.

Montevideo - Plaza Independencia, commemorating General José Artigas, protagonist of Uruguayan independence, who defeated Spanish forces in the battle of Las Piedras in 1811.

Montevideo - another view of the Artigas statue in Plaza Independencia.

Montevideo - the Solís Thater, built in the late 19C when the city was at its commercial zenith.

Montevideo - view of Bulevar Artigas, the main thoroughfare through the center of the city.

Montevideo - view of "La Carreta", a sculpture by the Uruguayan artist José Belloni just off Bulevar Artigas.

Montevideo - buildings in the Ciudad Viejo, or old town.  The city still maintains a faintly colonial, if somewhat rundown air.

Montevideo - another street scene in the Ciudad Viejo section.

Montevideo - Palacio Legislative (Congress building), built 1908-25.  Apart from a turbulent period of military rule from 1973-80, Uruguay has been a stable and peaceful democracy.

Pocitos - this beach area is basically a suburb of Montevideo, and can get crowded on hot summer days (I was there on a cool misty day in early spring).

Colonia (del Sacramento) - this charming small town at the mouth of the Río de la Plata across from Buenos Aires, Argentina was founded by the Portuguese in 1680, and is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Colonia - one of the many old cars still on the road in Uruguay, apparently the result of restrictive tariffs which were only reduced relatively recently.

Colonia - a street scene.  Colonia is a perfect day trip away from Montevideo.

Colonia - another street scene.

Colonia - in the modern part of town there are fine parks and gardens.

Map courtesy of The World Factbook.