Montevideo

Montevideo is the capital and largest city of Uruguay. According to the 2011 census, the city
proper has a population of 1,319,108 (about one-third of the country's total population)[9] in
an area of 201 square kilometres (78 sq mi). The southernmost capital city in the Americas,
Montevideo is situated in the southern coast of the country, on the northeastern bank of the
Ro de la Plata.

The city was established in 1724 by a Spanish soldier, Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic
move amidst the Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region. It was also under brief
British rule in 1807. Montevideo hosted all the matches during the first FIFA World Cup.
Montevideo is the seat of the administrative headquarters of Mercosur and ALADI, Latin
Americas leading trade blocs, position that entailed comparisons to the role of Brussels in
Europe.[10]

Montevideo has consistently been rated as having the highest quality of life of any city in Latin
America:[11] by 2015[8][12] it has held this rank every year during the last
decade.[13][14][15][16][17] As of 2010, Montevideo was the 19th largest city economy in the
continent and 9th highest income earner among major cities.[18] In 2017, it has a GDP of $
44.0 billion, and a per capita of $25,900.[19]

In 2016, it was classified as a beta global city ranking eighth in Latin America and 78th in the
world.[20] Described as a "vibrant, eclectic place with a rich cultural life",[21] and "a thriving
tech center and entrepreneurial culture",[16] Montevideo ranks 8th in Latin America on the
2013 MasterCard Global Destination Cities Index.[22] In 2014, it was also regarded as the 5th
most gay-friendly metropolis in the world, first in Latin America.[23][24] It is the hub of
commerce and higher education in Uruguay as well as its chief port. The city is also the
financial and cultural hub of a larger metropolitan area, with a population of around 2 million.