Use the links above to see more photos.

The República Oriental del Uruguay is just across the Rio de la Plata from Buenos Aires. And even though the river is miles wide and the crossing takes at least an hour, it's a popular weekend retreat for many Porteños.

It's a postage-stamp-sized country caught between neighboring giants, Brazil and Argentina. It was created by treaty in 1828 as a buffer zone between the warring Portuguese and Spanish. Only 3½ million people live here today.