Our school is proud to be twinned to Uruguay National Olympic Council (NOC) which is participating in the inaugural Asian Youth Games (AYG) 2009 and the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) 2010.

Introduction

Uruguay, is a country located in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to 3.46 million people,of whom 1.7 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area.Its is the second smallest country in South America, larger only than Suriname. It is a constitutional democracy, where the president fulfills the roles of both head of state and head of government.

An estimated 94.6% of the population are of mostly European descent. Uruguay is one of the richest countries in the Americas, with a high GDP and the 45th quality of life in the world.

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Ethnicity

Uruguayans share a Spanish linguistic and cultural background with its neighbour country Argentina. Most Uruguayans are descended from colonial-era settlers and immigrants from Europe with almost 88% of the population being of European descent, The majority of these European immigrants were mainly Spaniards, followed closely by Italians, including numbers of French, Germans, Portuguese, British (English or Scots), Irish, Swiss, Russians, Poles, Bulgarians, Hungarians, Ukrainians, Lithuanians, Estonians, Latvians, Swedish, Danish, Dutch, Belgians, Austrians, Croats, Greeks and Scandinavians. There are also smaller numbers of Turkish, Armenian, Georgian and Lebanese people.

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Culture

Uruguay has an impressive legacy of artistic and literary traditions, especially for its small size. The contribution of its alternating conquerors and diverse immigrants has resulted in native traditions that integrate this diversity. Uruguay has centuries old remains, fortresses of the colonial era. Its cities have a rich architectural heritage and an impressive number of writers, artists, and musicians. Uruguayan tango is the form of dance that originated in the neighborhoods of Montevideo. Tango, candombe, and murga are the three main styles of music.



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Food

Uruguayans are known to eat a lot of meat and the parrillada (beef platter) and chivito, a tasty and substantial steak sandwich with all the trimmings are examples of their national dishes. Typical drinks include tea, clericó (a mixture of white wine and fruit juice), and medio y medio (sparkling wine and white wine). They also drink red wine. Uruguay and Argentina share a national drink known as maté (yerba mate), a tea that is usually sipped from a gourd using a metal straw.The cuisine of Uruguay is traditionally based on its European roots, like Mediterranean foods from Italy, Spain and France, and Germany. Many foods from those countries such as pasta, sausages, and desserts are common in the nation's diet.

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Sports

Football (soccer) is a national obsession in Uruguay, and the country holds one of the most storied histories in the game. Uruguay first competed at the Olympic Games in 1924 in Paris, where it won the gold medal in football. In 1930 Montevideo’s Centenario stadium hosted the inaugural World Cup, which was won by Uruguay. In 1950 the country defeated Brazil in Rio de Janeiro to become one of the few teams to win more than one Cup. Uruguay has captured more world titles than any other nation, and its players are recruited around the world. Other popular spectator sports include basketball, rugby football, boxing, and horse racing, the latter notably at Las Piedras. Tennis, bicycling, and fishing are also widely enjoyed. Carnival, the most important festival, is held during the week preceding Lent.
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