I would say, it’s a mix of Barcelona and North Carolina.

Okay, it could be a bit difficult to imagine what such a mix could be like. But if you have an idea of what Argentina is like, then you have a near picture of Uruguay. People and culture are European Mediterranean, with a little dash of Gaucho in the countryside. Spanish is the official language. The living standard is similiar to Mexico, however, wealth is more evenly distributed amongst the population in Uruguay. Agriculture is - still - the most important part of the economy: beef, wool, dairy products, cereals, fruits, wine, followed by tourism (the Atlantic sea resorts).

Uruguay was a rather wealthy country at least up until the 1950's. A certain slightly old-fashioned European charm still remains from that era, together with quite a lot of turn-of-the-century and Art Deco architecture. That’s what I mean when I say Montevideo feels like “Barcelona”; sitting in a cafe in the old part of Montevideo, definitely feels old world Mediterranean.