Culture

The culture of Uruguay is rich, reflecting the amalgam between people of European, African and Indigenous origins dating back to the 16th century.

Art

Juan Manuel Blanes (1830-1901), Uruguay's most famous 19th century artist, painted large canvases depicting the life of the gaucho, the South American cattle herder, and events from Uruguay's history. Pedro Figari (1861-1938) painted detailed scenes of daily life in Montevideo and the countryside. Joaquín Torres García (1874-1949) developed what is known as constructive universalism and influenced a generation of Uruguayan painters. The realistic sculptures of José Belloni (1880-1965) can be seen in public parks and plazas in Montevideo. They depict scenes from Uruguayan life, such as a stagecoach drawn by horses, or a wagon pulled by oxen.

Literature

One of Uruguay's most famous works of literature is Ariel by José Enrique Rodó (1871-1917). Written in 1900, the book deals with the need to maintain spiritual values while pursuing material and technical progress. Florencio Sánchez (1875-1910) wrote plays about social problems that are still performed today. Juan Zorrilla de San Martín (1855-1931) wrote epic poems about Uruguayan history. Juana de Ibarbourou (1895-1979) and Delmira Agustini (1866-1914) were also notable poets. Modern Uruguayan writers include Juan Carlos Onetti (author of No Man's Land and The Shipyard), novelist Mario Benedetti, social critic Eduardo Galeano, Mario Levrero and Jorge Majfud.

Music

Uruguayans enjoy music such as tango, folk and waltz, as well as local forms such as murga, candombe and milonga. Uruguay's annual Carnival is an annual major event with many unique features distinguishing it from those of its neighbours. Rock, jazz, pop and other Euro-American styles also enjoy great popularity in Uruguay.

Religion

Uruguay is South America's most secular country. It has no official religion and church and state are separate. Religious freedom is guaranteed. 66% of Uruguayans are Roman Catholics. Most Uruguayans baptise their children and marry in churches but less than half attend church on a regular basis. There is a small Jewish community in Montevideo (about 1% of the population) as well as several evangelical Protestant groups (about 2%). Macumba and Umbanda, religions of Afro-Brazilian origin, are the currently fastest-growing religions in Uruguay.

Food

Uruguayans are known to eat a lot of meat. The parrillada (beef platter), chivito (a substantial steak sandwich), and pasta are the national dishes. The latter is due to Uruguay's many Italian immigrants in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Other Uruguayan dishes include morcilla dulce, a type of blood sausage cooked with ground orange peel and walnuts, and milanesa, a breaded veal cutlet. Snacks include olímpicos (club sandwiches), húngaras (spicy sausage in a hot dog roll), and masas surtidas (bite-sized pastries). Typical drinks include mate, tea, clericó (a mixture of white wine and fruit juice), and medio y medio (part sparkling wine and part white wine). (Find out more in Food and Drink ?)

Sports

Uruguay has an enormous tradition in sports with important achievements in football, basketball, cycling and rugby, among others. The first football world cup was hosted in the country.

Football

The most popular sport in Uruguay, by far, is association football (fútbol), in which the country, represented by the famous Uruguayan national football team of the Asociación Uruguaya de Fútbol has earned many honours, including two Gold medals in the Olympic Games: 1924, 1928 and the two World Cups. The two main football clubs (Nacional and Peñarol) are both three times World Champions.

Basketball

Basketball is also a very important sport in Uruguay. The Uruguayan national basketball team, representing the Uruguayan Basketball Federation, has won 12 South American championships, 2 Olympic bronze medals (one in 1952 and the other in 1956), and participated in many Pan-American and world championships. Currently, Uruguayan Esteban Batista plays in the NBA (National Basketball Association) for the Atlanta Hawks in the United States.

Rugby

Rugby union is also a popular sport in Uruguay, with the national team having qualified for both the 1999 Rugby World Cup and the subsequent 2003 world cup.