Uruguay is primarily a grass-producing country, a true continuation eastward, in this respect also, of the Argentine pampa. There are more trees, however, both native and introduced, than on the pampas, but these are found chiefly in narrow ribbons along the bottom lands of the water-courses. The principal species are the omba, alder, aloe, poplar, acacia, willow and eucalyptus. The montes, by which are understood plantations as well as native thickets, produce, among other useful wood, the algarrobo, the guayabo, the quebracho and the urunday. Indigenous palms grow in the valleys of the Sierra de San Jose Ignacio, as also to some extent in the departments of Minas, Maldonado and Paysandu. The myrtle, rosemary, mimosa and the scarlet-flowered ceibo are common. The valleys within the hills are fragrant with aromatic shrubs. The prairies are gay with the scarlet and white verbenas and other brilliant wild flowers.
As in most of the inhabited parts of the world, the wild animals have largely disappeared. Even the rhea (the Ameri can ostrich) is now seldom seen, except in a semi-domesticated state. Pumas and jaguars are found on the wooded islets and banks of the larger rivers and along the northern frontier. The fox, deer, wild cat, the carpincho or water hog, and a few small rodents nearly complete the list of native quadrupeds. A little armadillo, the mulita, is the living representative of the extinct giants, mylodon and megatherium, whose fossils are found over the pampa. There are a few specimens of the vulture, a native crow (lean, tall and ruffed) and many partridges and quails. Parakeets are plentiful in the montes and the lagoons swarm with water-fowl. The most esteemed is the pato real, a large duck. A characteristic sight on the prairies is that of the tiny burrowing owl, sitting on top of every little eminence. Large flocks of the lapwing, teru-teru, are common, with their habit of warning other game of the approach of danger. Of birds of bright plumage the humming bird and cardinal—the scarlet, the yellow and the white—are the most attractive, while white herons are frequently seen in swampy lands. The scorpion is rare, but large and venom ous spiders are common. The principal reptiles are a lizard, a tor toise, the vivora de la crux (a dangerous viper, so called from marks like a cross on its head) and the rattle-snake in Maldonado and the stony lands of Minas. Along the upper waters of the Uruguay river the caiman (alligator) is not uncommon. Seals are found on small islands off the south-east coast, particularly Lobos island, which so gets its name.
The area of the republic is estimated at 72,153 sq.m. and it has a population of 1,042,668 according to the census of 1908, the estimate of 1934 giving 1,993,234. The country is divided into 19 departments, the area and population of which, according to the census of 1908, were as follows : The average density of population on the above figures was 12.9 per square mile, ranging (exclusive of Montevideo) from 47.9 in Canelones to 5.8 in Tacuaremb6 and 6 in Artigas. In 1934 this average density had increased to 27.6 per square mile, showing Uruguay to be the most densely populated of the South American countries. There is a large number of foreign born inhabitants, the majority of these being Italians or Spaniards, with lesser numbers, in descending scale, of Brazilian, Argentine and French birth. British, Swiss and Germans are comparatively few. The number of immigrants varies greatly from year to year. In 1907 there were 26,105 Italians arriving, 21,927 Spaniards, 2,355 British, 2,315 French and 1,823 Germans. In 1924 the principal groups arriving at Montevideo were distributed as follows : Argentina,
Spain, 9,978; Italy, 7,514; Germany, 3,671; Brazil, 2,648; England, 1,902 ; France, 1,564. In the north there is a strong Brazilian element. The average annual birth-rate is about 35 per thousand, and the death-rate about 15.5. About 26% of the births are illegitimate. The principal towns are Montevideo, the capital, with an estimated population (Dec. 31, 1933) of 667,212; Pay sandU, at the head of deep water navigation on the Uruguay river, with some 26,000 people; Salto, farther up the same river, with about 30,00o inhabitants, and Mercedes, an agricultural and live stock centre on the lower Rio Negro, with a population of 23,00o.
In 1885 Uruguay imported most of her bread stuffs ; now not only is wheat grown in sufficient quantities to meet the local demand, but a small surplus is annually available for export. However, only 5% of the land is under cultivation. Land for farming purposes is expensive, and wages are high, leav ing small profit, unless it happens that a man, with his family to assist him, works his own land. The farmers are chiefly Italians, Canary islanders and Frenchmen. The principal crops in addition to wheat are oats. barley, maize, linseed and bird seed. Since 1890 the cultivation of the grape and the manufacture of wine have considerably extended, especially in the departments of Salto, Montevideo, Canelones and Colonia.