Uruguay: Small, wealthy nation between regional giants

Uruguay, which holds presidential elections on 27 October, is among the most well-off and stable countries in Latin America -- and also the smallest.

Here is some background about the country squeezed between Brazil and Argentina.

Rights pioneer 
Home to 3.4 million people, Uruguay is a pioneer of human rights, abolishing the death penalty in 1907 and introducing voting rights for women in 1927.

While majority Christian, it is considered the most secular country on the largely Catholic continent, having separated church and state in the 1919 constitution.

Uruguay's leftist governing coalition was the first in the region and fifth in the world to ban smoking in public places in 2006.

Abortion was legalized in 2012 and gay marriage in 2013.

Also in 2013, Uruguay became the world's first country to legalize the production and sale of marijuana.

Leftists take power 
Uruguay declared independence from Spain in 1825 but was only recognized as a sovereign state three years later.

After coups in 1934 and 1973, it was under military rule from 1973 to 1985.

The dictatorship quickly put an end to the guerrilla activities of the radical leftist Tupamaros movement, which entered politics after an amnesty in 1985.

The right-leaning Colorado Party and National Party dominated until the election victory in 2004 of the left-wing Frente Amplio (Broad Front). In an historic change, Uruguay installed its first leftist president, Tabare Vazquez.

He was succeeded in 2010 by Jose Mujica, an ex-Tupamaro guerrilla leader who gave away 90 per cent of his salary to good causes.

Ineligible for a follow-on term in terms of the constitution, Mujica handed back to Vazquez after 2014 elections.

Former Montevideo mayor, the Broad Front's Daniel Martinez, is favorite in the 27 Octobervote.

Stable economy 
Uruguay has enjoyed strong growth averaging of 4.1 per cent between 2003 and 2018.

Poverty is low compared to other countries in the region, at eight percent in 2018, with more than 60 percent of the population considered middle class.

Unemployment is just over nine percent.

Agriculture is the main resource with major exports of beef, soya, wheat and cellulose, mainly to China, Brazil, the European Union and the United States.

The Atlantic Ocean country has the most cattle per capita in the world at three animals per person; more than 80 percent of land is used for cattle breeding activities.

It is a member of the Mercosur common market along with Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela and Paraguay.

Rising crime 
Long considered a haven of peace in volatile Latin America, Uruguay has seen an increase in crime in recent years.

The murder rate, for example, rose from 5.7 per 100,000 to 8.4 between 2005-2015, according to the InSight Crime monitor.

Official figures show that 60 per cent of murders are related to score-settling between criminals, mainly over drug trafficking.

Poets of protest 
The late writer and journalist Eduardo Galeano was a long-standing leftist icon in the region.

Among other important literary figures are the poets Ida Vitale and Mario Benedetti, and novelist Juan Carlos Onetti.

Singer and composer Daniel Viglietti, who died in 2017, was a symbol of protest against the dictatorship.

Uruguay has twice been crowned football world champion (1930 and 1950) and among its famous soccer stars are Edinson Cavani, Diego Forlan and Luis Suarez.