Let Me Tell You Something About Uruguay

As many of you know, my husband, Leo (in the photo, left), is originally from Uruguay. One thing we've discovered after Leo living in America for a year and a half is that most people don't know anything about Uruguay, and most people don't know how to even say "Uruguay." So today, in honor of Leo and to celebrate Uruguay's brilliant showing at the World Cup, I'm starting a series in my blog, called About Uruguay, that will appear regularly on Saturdays (starting this coming Saturday). In this series, I'll teach you how to properly say the name of my hubby's homeland and, tell you a little more about the Uruguayan people, their cuisine, customs, and culture.

First, what's the proper way to say "Uruguay?"

Most Americans say "ER-oo-gway" or "YER-uh-gway." The proper pronunciation is "OO-roo-gwhy" so that the last syllable rhymes with "pie." And if you happen to be able to roll your R's, you'll sound even more authentic. 

Okay, now that I can say it right, where the heck is Uruguay?  

As you can see from the map below (again, special thanks to WorldAtlas.com always having the most rockin' maps), Uruguay is in South America, on the southeast side of the continent. It shares borders with Brazil and Argentina. Being on the other side of the Equator, their seasons are opposite those in the States and Europe, so when it's summer here, it's winter there, and vice versa, which means that Christmas is a very different kind of celebration - no snow and lots of fireworks.

 Who lives in Uruguay?

The people of Uruguay are descendants from many different (mostly European) nations. The dominant cultures are Spanish and Italian (Spanish is the dominant language), but you'll also find French, Dutch, German, Portuguese, and others. What you won't find, though, are native people. It turns out that Spanish conquerors wiped out all the natives, which is why Uruguay, and in particular, its capital city, Montevideo, has such a European feel to it. Like Argentina, almost 88% of the population is descended from European settlers. That "melting pot" vibe also means the food in Uruguay rocks.

And that's what I'll be talking about next time: the Uruguayan food. And let me tell you, it's delicious. :) Stay tuned!