Uruguayans

Uruguayans (Spanish: uruguayos) are people identified with the country of Uruguay, through citizenship or descent. Uruguay is home to people of different ethnic origins. As a result, many Uruguayans do not equate their nationality with ethnicity, but with citizenship and their allegiance to Uruguay. Colloquially, primarily among other Spanish-speaking Latin American nations, Uruguayans are also referred to as "orientals [as in Easterners]" (Spanish: orientales).

Uruguay is, along with much of the Americas, a melting pot of different peoples, with the difference that it has traditionally maintained a model that promotes cultural assimilation, hence the different cultures have been absorbed by the mainstream. Uruguay has one of the most homogeneous populations in South America; the most common ethnic backgrounds by far being those from Spain, Italy, Germany and France i.e. Spanish Uruguayans, Italian Uruguayans, German Uruguayans, French Uruguayans and Polish Uruguayans.

Most Uruguayans descend from colonial-era settlers and immigrants from Europe with almost 86% of the population being of European descent. The majority of these are Spaniards and Italians, followed by the French, Portuguese, Germans, Romanians, Greeks, British (English or Scots), Irish, Poles, Swiss, Russians, Bulgarians, Arab (mainly Lebanese and Syrians), Sephardi and Ashkenazi Jews and Armenians.

There are also smaller numbers of Japanese, as well as Amerindians, mainly Charrúa, Minuán, Chaná, Güenoa and Guaraní. Montevideo, like Buenos Aires in Argentina and Santos in Brazil, was a major seaport to dock ships coming from Europe and elsewhere and European settlement greatly affected Uruguay to have a more western oriented culture.

Many colonies such as Nueva Helvecia-Colonia Suiza, a Swiss settlement, and Colonia Valdense, a Piedmontese Waldensian colony, are located in the department of Colonia. Also, there are towns founded by British settlers, like Conchillas and Barker. Two Russian colonies called San Javier and Colonia Ofir, are found in the department of Río Negro. Also there are Mennonite colonies in the department of Río Negro like Gartental and El Ombú, in Canelones Department called Colonia Nicolich, and in San José Department called Colonia Delta. El Ombú, is famous for its well-known Dulce de Leche "Claldy", and is located near the city of Young.

European immigration in the 19th and 20th centuries heavily influenced Uruguayan culture and lifestyle. The large cities, including its capital Montevideo, have preserved European architecture, the latter being considered one of the greatest exponents of the art deco style.

The majority of Uruguayans or their ancestors immigrated within the past five centuries, with the exception of the Native American population.

According to the 2023 Uruguay census, 85.2% of the Uruguayan population chose "white" as their main ancestry, with 88.0% of the population identified as having some white racial origins. Early Uruguayans descend from Spanish and Portuguese colonists during the colonial period prior to 1810. Following independence, from the mid-19th to the mid-20th century, significant immigration from across Europe—particularly Italy and Spain—shaped the demographic composition, resulting in a population with richly diverse European ancestry.