Uruguay has a population of just 3 million people, and 1.7 million of these inhabitants live in Montevideo. Bordering Brazil to the northeast, and the Uruguay River to the west, it is the second smallest independent country in South America.
There are several seaside resorts, including Punta del Este, regarded as a jet set destination in South America. International cruise ships call at Montevideo from October to March every year, and Uruguay acts as host to many international conferences.
Montevideo, and The River Plate (Rio de la Plata) was the scene of the famous scuttling of the German pocket battleship, ‘The Admiral Graf Spee’, on December the 17th 1939 during the second World War.
In 2004 the salvage of Captain Hans Landsdorff’s ill-fated vessel began, with plans to restore the wreck, and place it on display in the National Marine Museum in Montevideo.
