Montevideo is the capital of Uruguay and it is located on the north shore of the Río de la Plata, the arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates the south coast of Uruguay from the north coast of Argentina.

Recently, the city has been divided into 8 political municipalities called “Municipios”, referred to with the letters from A to G.

Another very important division is the division of Montevideo into 59 neighbourhoods or “barrios”. A neighbourhood of great significance is the Ciudad Vieja, the old city that was surrounded by a protective wall until 1829. This area contains most important buildings of the colonial era and early decades of independence.

Tourism figures importantly Uruguay's economy. Tourism in Montevideo it is centered in the Ciudad Vieja area, which includes the city's oldest buildings, several museums, art galleries, and nightclubs.

Most tourists to the city come from Europe and from the United States. Montevideo has over 50 hotels, mostly located within the downtown area or along the beachfront of the Rambla de Montevideo. Many of the hotels are in the modern, western style, such as the “Radisson Montevideo” and the “Sheraton Montevideo”.

Montevideo has a very rich architectural heritage and an impressive number of writers, artists, and musicians.Infact, the Solis Theater is the most important in Uruguay and is the oldest theatre in South America.

As the capital of Uruguay, Montevideo is home to a lot of festivals and carnavals. The major festival of note however is the annual Montevideo Carnaval. Finally, concernig the gastronomy, the speciality of Montevideo is a “torta frita”, a notable pan-fried cake consumed in this city. It is circular, with a small cut in the centre and it is made from wheat flour, yeast, water and sugar or salt.