Geography & environment — Uruguay
Location, land area, terrain, climate, and natural resources.
Profile updated 2026-06-02
⚡ Geography & environment at a glance
Location, land area, terrain, climate, and natural resources. Key figure for Uruguay: South America
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Location & size
- Geographic Location
South America
- Geographic Coordinates
33 00 S, 56 00 W
- Total Area
68,037 Square Miles 176,215 Square Kilometers
- Land Area
67,573 Square Miles 175,015 Square Kilometers
- Water Area
463 Square Miles 1,200 Square Kilometers
- Land Boundaries
1,024 Miles 1,648 Kilometers
- Border Countries
Argentina 579 km, Brazil 985 km
- Coastline
410 Miles 660 Kilometers
Physical geography
- Terrain
mostly rolling plains and low hills; fertile coastal lowland
- Highest Point
514 Meters
- Highest Point Location
Cerro Catedral 514 m
- Lowest Point Location
Atlantic Ocean 0 m
- Natural Resources
arable land, hydropower, minor minerals, fisheries
- Irrigated Land
699 Square Miles 1,810 Square Kilometers
Climate & time
- Time Zone
UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Daylight saving time
+1hr, begins first Sunday in October; ends second Sunday in March
Climate
- Climate
- Except for a small subtropical area in the northwest, the climate is even throughout Uruguay. Temperatures are generally mild, but seasons are distinct: summer daytime temperatures average 70 degrees Fahrenheit and rarely exceed the mid-90s
- autumn (March-May) is mild
- and spring (September-November) is often damp, cool and windy. In winter, monthly temperatures range from 44� 60 degrees Fahrenheit with rare frost. However, humidity, averaging 75% year round, intensifies the cold. Average annual rainfall is 39.5 inches.
- Terrain
mostly rolling plains and low hills; fertile coastal lowland
- Location
Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Argentina and Brazil
- Total Area
68,037 Square Miles 176,215 Square Kilometers
- Border Countries
Argentina 579 km, Brazil 985 km
Environment
- Environment - Current Issues
water pollution from meat packing/tannery industry; inadequate solid/hazardous waste disposal
- Environment - International Agreements
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation