Uruguay, a small country of about 3.3 million people, is located between Brazil and Argentina along South America’s southeastern coast. Today, it is considered one of South America’s most stable and prosperous countries. With its mild climate and vast pasturelands, Uruguay has sustained a strong agricultural economy based mostly on raising sheep and cattle. Most of Uruguay’s citizens live in urban areas that have risen on the countrys narrow coastal plains, to the west along the Uruguay River, in the south bordering the Rio de la Plata, and in the east along the Atlantic seaboard. The country is considered one of the most liberal in South America, as in 2013 it became one of the few nations in the world that have legalized both same-sex marriage and use of the drug marijuana. There’s a lot to discover about Uruguay! Each title in this series contains color photos, maps, a chronology of events related to the country, recipes, list of festivals, ideas for projects and reports, and back matter including: an index, further reading lists for books and internet resources, and a series glossary. Mason Crests editorial team has placed Key Icons to Look for throughout the books in this series in an effort to encourage library readers to build knowledge, gain awareness, explore possibilities and expand their viewpoints through our content rich non-fiction books. Key Icons are as follows: Words to Understand are shown at the front of each chapter with definitions. These words are then used in the prose throughout that chapter, and are emboldened, so that the reader is able to reference back to the definitions- building their vocabulary and enhancing their reading comprehension. Sidebars are highlighted graphics with content rich material within that allows readers to bu