The territory of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, situated within the temperate zone of South America, was discovered in the beginning of the sixteenth century by the famous Spanish cosmographer, Juan Diaz de Solis.
Its geographical situation is comprised between the 30°, 5' and 35° degrees of latitude S. and the 56th 15' and 60th 45' of longitude W., according to the Paris meridian.
North and eastward it confines with the United States of Brazil, and westward with the Argentine Republic.
Its limits are: On the north, the river Cuareim, the _cuchilla_ or ridge of hills of Santa Ana, and the right bank of the river Yaguaron Grande; on the east, the occidental coast of Lake Merin and the river Chuy, which empties into the Atlantic ocean; on the west, the river Uruguay, which separates it from the Argentine Republic; on the south, the river Plate.
Its configuration is somewhat that of a many-sided polygon, surrounded in its greatest part by water, except its northern part, where it is bounded by the terrestrial frontier, which separates it from the Brazilian Republic.
Its perimeter is of 1846 kilom. 850 m., out of which 1073 kilom. 750 m. are sea and river coasts, remaining 773 kilom. 100 m. of terrestrial line.
The prevailing aspect of the country presents itself with continuous undulations, formed by the numerous _cuchillas_ or ridges of hills, which shoot in all directions.
The hills are covered with rich pasture grounds.
Trees of all kinds stand along the banks of the principal rivers and rivulets which flow, winding about, over great extensions of land, and water the fertile meadows, forming, under a quiet and generally clear sky, a charming landscape all over, which invites to employ usefully such manifold natural riches that have just begun, being cultivated and worked in a vast scale and with fruitful results.
Although it is not a mountainous country, its highlands are numerous. The principal heights are the hills of Santa Ana, 490 m.; the hills of Hædo, 400 m.; the Cuchilla Grande (high hills), 458 m. To all these hills join a great many others less high, the declivity of which form the lakes, ponds and rivers that give a great variety to the hydrography of the country.