History UsefulNotes / Uruguay

The country became independent in 1813, but this period was brief since it was soon conquered and annexed by the Brazilian Empire, leading to the Cisplatine War between Brazil and Argentina that ended with Uruguay independent again. Soon, a civil war between the two main factions of the country, ''Blancos'' and ''Colorados'' (Whites and Reds) emerged, that eventually put Montevideo under a siege that lasted nine years (Creator/AlexandreDumas called it “a new [[UsefulNotes/TheTrojanWar Trojan War]]”). Giuseppe Garibaldi made a name for himself in the war before championing the UsefulNotes/WarsOfItalianIndependence. Brazil and Argentina took advantage of the war by supporting Reds and Whites, respectively; the war eventually ended with the victory of the Reds. As a gesture of thanks to Brazil, Uruguay made a deal that allowed Brazil to intervene in their internal affairs whenever they considered fitting. In other words, it allowed Brazil to turn Uruguay into a puppet state whenever they wanted, something they certainly took advantage of. The last intervention, in 1864, prompted Paraguay to try to topple the new Brazil-friendly government and the UsefulNotes/WarOfTheTripleAlliance, the aftermath of which not only left Paraguay in ruins, but also freed Uruguay from the deal with Brazil.

The country became independent in 1813, but this period was brief since it was soon conquered and annexed by the Brazilian Empire, leading to the Cisplatine War between Brazil and Argentina that ended with Uruguay independent again. Soon, a civil war between the two main factions of the country, ''Blancos'' and ''Colorados'' (Whites and Reds) emerged, that eventually put Montevideo under a siege that lasted nine years (Creator/AlexandreDumas called it “a new [[UsefulNotes/TheTrojanWar Trojan War]]”). Giuseppe Garibaldi made a name for himself in the war before championing the Italian Wars of Independence. Brazil and Argentina took advantage of the war by supporting Reds and Whites, respectively; the war eventually ended with the victory of the Reds. As a gesture of thanks to Brazil, Uruguay made a deal that allowed Brazil to intervene in their internal affairs whenever they considered fitting. In other words, it allowed Brazil to turn Uruguay into a puppet state whenever they wanted, something they certainly took advantage of. The last intervention, in 1864, prompted Paraguay to try to topple the new Brazil-friendly government and the UsefulNotes/WarOfTheTripleAlliance, the aftermath of which not only left Paraguay in ruins, but also freed Uruguay from the deal with Brazil.

The country became independent in 1813, but this period was brief since it was soon conquered and annexed by the Brazilian Empire, leading to the Cisplatine War between Brazil and Argentina that ended with Uruguay independent again. Soon, a civil war between the two main factions of the country, ''Blancos'' and ''Colorados'' (Whites and Reds) emerged, that eventually put Montevideo under a siege that lasted nine years (Creator/AlexandreDumas called it “a new Trojan war”). Giuseppe Garibaldi made a name for himself in the war before championing the Italian Wars of Independence. Brazil and Argentina took advantage of the war by supporting Reds and Whites, respectively; the war eventually ended with the victory of the Reds. As a gesture of thanks to Brazil, Uruguay made a deal that allowed Brazil to intervene in their internal affairs whenever they considered fitting. In other words, it allowed Brazil to turn Uruguay into a puppet state whenever they wanted, something they certainly took advantage of. The last intervention, in 1864, prompted Paraguay to try to topple the new Brazil-friendly government and the UsefulNotes/WarOfTheTripleAlliance, the aftermath of which not only left Paraguay in ruins, but also freed Uruguay from the deal with Brazil.

One of the smallest nations in South America, Uruguay didn’t attract much attention from the colonists because of its lack of resources and the fierceness of the natives. Only when the independence wave started in the area, people from all places saw the benefits the port city of Montevideo could provide, like the British or, especially, its neighbors: Brazil and Argentina.

The country became independent in 1813, but this period was brief since it was soon conquered and annexed by the Brazilian Empire, leading to the Cisplatine War between Brazil and Argentina that ended with Uruguay independent again. Soon, a civil war between the two main factions of the country, ''Blancos'' and ''Colorados'' (Whites and Reds) emerged, that eventually put Montevideo under a siege that lasted nine years (Creator/AlexandreDumas called it “a new Trojan war”). Giuseppe Garibaldi made a name for himself in the war before championing the Italian Wars of Independence. Brazil and Argentina took advantage of the war by supporting Reds and Whites, respectively; the war eventually ended with the victory of the Reds. As a gesture of thanks to Brazil, Uruguay made a deal that allowed Brazil to intervene in their internal affairs whenever they considered fitting. In other words, it allowed Brazil to turn Uruguay into a puppet state whenever they wanted, something they certainly took advantage of. The last intervention, in 1864, prompted Paraguay to try to topple the new Brazil-friendly government and the WarOfTheTripleAlliance, the aftermath of which not only left Paraguay in ruins, but also freed Uruguay from the deal with Brazil.

Despite its small place, it's still a hub for UsefulNotes/AssociationFootball. The Uruguayan national team won two straight UsefulNotes/OlympicGames football tournaments in the 20's (leading to the nickname 'Celeste Olimpica', the former part referring to the sky blue uniforms), plus two of the earliest editions of TheWorldCup (the inaugural edition in 1930, which they hosted; and 1950, upsetting Brazil at home in what became a ShockingDefeatLegacy for the neighbors) and are the biggest winners of the continental Copa América, with 15 titles.

* ''Submerged'' despite being filmed in Sofia, Bulgaria, the action occurs in Uruguay. (in)Famous for [[CriticalResearchFaliure the horribly inaccurate depictions of the country]].

As a last curious note, the full name of the country is the Oriental Republic of Uruguay. That may have you thinking “So where’s the Occidental one?”, when the fact is that there isn’t. The name of the country is actually an attempt to state that it’s in the east of the Uruguay River, something that doesn’t seem quite clear in the name itself (same deal in Spanish, by the way).

One of the smallest nations in South America, Uruguay didn’t attract much attention from the colonists because of its lack of resources and the fierceness of the natives. Only when the independence wave started in the area, people from all places saw the benefits the port city of Montevideo could provide, like the British or, specially, its neighbors: Brazil and Argentina.

The country got independent in 1813, but it was brief since it was soon conquered and annexed by the Brazilian Empire, leading to the Cisplatine War between Brazil and Argentina that ended with Uruguay independent again. Soon, a civil war between the two main factions of the country, ''Blancos'' and ''Colorados'' (Whites and Reds) emerged, that eventually put Montevideo in a siege that lasted nine years (Creator/AlexandreDumas called it “a new Trojan war”). Giuseppe Garibaldi made a name for himself in the war before championing the Italian Wars of Independence. Brazil and Argentina took advantage of the war by supporting Reds and Whites, respectively; the war eventually ended with the victory of the Reds. As a gesture of thanks to Brazil, Uruguay made a deal that allowed Brazil to intervene in their internal affairs whenever they considered fitting. In other words, it allowed Brazil to turn Uruguay into a puppet state whenever they wanted, something they certainly took advantage of. The last intervention, in 1864, prompted Paraguay to try to topple the new Brazil-friendly government and the WarOfTheTripleAlliance, which aftermath not only left Paraguay in ruins, but also freed Uruguay from the deal with Brazil.

The country kept growing and developing after that, though slower than other countries in the region, since its main source of income was the agriculture, something that gave fewer incomes with time. In 1973, a civic-military government took place until 1985 as a response of the growing influence of the Tupamaros, a Marxist urban guerrilla movement. During said time, more than a hundred people died or disappeared because of the actions of the junta (as a part of ‘Operation Condor’ with neighboring dictatorships).

The local music is tango, like in Argentina, but not the same kind of tango. The most famous Uruguayan tango is "''La cumparsita''" (world’s second-most famous after "''Por una cabeza''"; it appears on ''Film/SunsetBoulevard''). It has a [[SeriousBusiness fierce]] competition with Argentina about two things: their main ports’ attractive (Montevideo vs Buenos Aires) and the birthplace of Carlos Gardel, legend of the tango ([[{{Anticlimax}} ... turns out he was French]]). They’re [[BerserkButton most emphatically]] '''non Argentinians''', no matter how similar their accents sound.

On July 31 2013, Uruguay become the first nation in the world to legalize the sale, cultivation, and distribution of cannabis. As then-President Jose Mujica said, "Uruguay wants to make a 'contribution to humanity' by legalising marijuana but will backtrack if the 'experiment' goes awry." In order to keep the country from becoming an [[FreestateAmsterdam Amsterdam]] in the southern hemisphere, Uruguay requires users 18 and older to be registered in a national database, and has prohibited both the sale of marijuana to foreigners and the transport of marijuana over international borders.

As a last curious note, the full name of the country is Oriental Republic of Uruguay. That may have you thinking “So where’s the Occidental one?”, when the fact is that there isn’t. The name of the country actually tries to tell that it’s at the east of the Uruguay River, something that doesn’t seem quite clear in the name itself (same deal in Spanish, by the way).

Despite its small place, it's still a hub for TheBeautifulGame. The Uruguayan national team won two straight UsefulNotes/OlympicGames football tournaments in the 20's (leading to the nickname 'Celeste Olimpica', the former part referring to the sky blue uniforms), plus two of the earliest editions of TheWorldCup (the inaugural edition in 1930, which they hosted; and 1950, upsetting Brazil at home in what became a ShockingDefeatLegacy for the neighbors) and are the biggest winners of the continental Copa América, with 15 titles.

* ''{{XXY}}'', though filmed in Argentina, is set mainly in Uruguay.

* In TheSimpsons' episode "Bart Vs. Australia", Homer finds Uruguay on the globe. Of course, being Homer, he misreads it as "you are gay".

Despite its small place, it's still a hub for TheBeautifulGame. The Uruguayan national team won two straight OlympicGames football tournaments in the 20's (leading to the nickname 'Celeste Olimpica', the former part referring to the sky blue uniforms), plus two of the earliest editions of TheWorldCup (the inaugural edition in 1930, which they hosted; and 1950, upsetting Brazil at home in what became a ShockingDefeatLegacy for the neighbors) and are the biggest winners of the continental Copa América, with 15 titles.

* ''{{Alive}}''. The team trapped in the Andes was from Uruguay.

http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/map-of-uruguay_4565.gif

* In ''DCOneMillion'', Montevideo is devastated (with more than a million casualties) when one of the nuke-powered Rocket Reds obtained by Vandal Savage explodes over it.

* ''OpenVeinsOfLatinAmerica'', by Uruguayan writer Eduardo Galeano.

The local music is tango, like in Argentina, but not the same kind of tango. The most famous Uruguayan tango is “La cumparsita” (world’s second-most famous after “Por una cabeza”; it appears on ''SunsetBoulevard''). It has a [[SeriousBusiness fierce]] competition with Argentina about two things: their main ports’ attractive (Montevideo vs Buenos Aires) and the birthplace of Carlos Gardel, legend of the tango ([[{{Anticlimax}} ... turns out he was French]]). They’re [[BerserkButton most emphatically]] '''non Argentinians''', no matter how similar their accents sound.

The local music is tango, like in Argentina, but not the same kind of tango. The most famous Uruguayan tango is “La cumparsita” (world’s second-most famous after “Por una cabeza”; it appears on ''SunsetBoulevard''). It has a [[SeriousBusiness fierce]] competition with Argentina about two things: their main ports’ attractive (Montevideo vs Buenos Aires) and the birthplace of Carlos Gardel, legend of the tango. They’re [[BerserkButton most emphatically]] '''non Argentinians''', no matter how similar their accents sound.

The country got independent in 1813, but it was brief since it was soon conquered and annexed by the Brazilian Empire, leading to the Cisplatine War between Brazil and Argentina that ended with Uruguay independent again. Soon, a civil war between the two main factions of the country, ''Blancos'' and ''Colorados'' (Whites and Reds emerged), that eventually put Montevideo in a siege that lasted nine years (Creator/AlexandreDumas called it “a new Trojan war”). Giuseppe Garibaldi made a name for himself in the war before championing the Italian Wars of Independence. Brazil and Argentina took advantage of the war by supporting Reds and Whites, respectively; the war eventually ended with the victory of the Reds. As a gesture of thanks to Brazil, Uruguay made a deal that allowed Brazil to intervene in their internal affairs whenever they considered fitting. In other words, it allowed Brazil to turn Uruguay into a puppet state whenever they wanted, something they certainly took advantage of. The last intervention, in 1864, prompted Paraguay to try to topple the new Brazil-friendly government and the WarOfTheTripleAlliance, which aftermath not only left Paraguay in ruins, but also freed Uruguay from the deal with Brazil.

The country kept growing and developing after that, though slower than other countries in the region, since its main source of income was the agriculture, something that gave fewer incomes with time. In 1973, a civic-military government took place until 1985 as a response of the growing influence of the Tupamaros, a Marxist urban guerrilla movement. During said time, more than a hundred people died or dissapeared because of the actions of the junta (as a part of ‘Operation Condor’ with neighboring dictatorships).

http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/125px-Flag_of_Uruguay_svg_9669.png
[[caption-width:125:They're not fifty stars, but rather [[TheFaceOfTheSun THE]] star]]

The country got independent in 1813, but it was brief since it was soon conquered and annexed by the Brazilian Empire, leading to the Cisplatine War between Brazil and Argentina that ended with Uruguay independent again. Soon, a civil war between the two main factions of the country, ''Blancos'' and ''Colorados'' (Whites and Reds emerged), that eventually put Montevideo in a siege that lasted nine years (AlexandreDumas called it “a new Trojan war”). Giuseppe Garibaldi made a name for himself in the war before championing the Italian Wars of Independence. Brazil and Argentina took advantage of the war by supporting Reds and Whites, respectively; the war eventually ended with the victory of the Reds. As a gesture of thanks to Brazil, Uruguay made a deal that allowed Brazil to intervene in their internal affairs whenever they considered fitting. In other words, it allowed Brazil to turn Uruguay into a puppet state whenever they wanted, something they certainly took advantage of. The last intervention, in 1864, prompted Paraguay to try to topple the new Brazil-friendly government and the WarOfTheTripleAlliance, which aftermath not only left Paraguay in ruins, but also freed Uruguay from the deal with Brazil.

* ''Montevideo, or the new Troy'', by AlexandreDumas, deals with the civil war of the mid-1800s. It’s not the best source though, since Dumas was based on the recount of a man who twisted the facts to put an overtly negative view on Argentina and its president, Juan Manuel de Rosas.

Today, Uruguay is one of the most developed countries in South America. As a curiosity, or maybe not, its main economic partners are Brazil and Argentina. It was also the first country in the region to legalize same-sex marriages and to allow gay adoption. It's divided in two easy-to-identify regions: the north is countryside and the south/coast, beaches.

[[caption-width:125:They're not fifty start, but rather [[TheFaceOfTheSun THE]] star]]