Portuguese Uruguayans

Portuguese Uruguayans are Uruguayans of full or partial Portuguese ancestry.

The Portuguese arrived in Uruguay around the time of the Spanish colonial period. Many of them were sailors, conquistadors, clergy, and members of the military. Later Portuguese arrivals included pirates in conflict with Spanish leadership; Colonia del Sacramento, which eventually turned into a regional center of smuggling, is a notable example of those ages

Another source of Portuguese immigration into Uruguay were Brazilians of Portuguese descent, who crossed the border into the country ever since it became independent.

During the second half of the 19th century and part of the 20th, several additional Portuguese immigrants arrived; the last wave was during 1930–1965.[1] The most recent figure is from the 2011 Uruguayan census, which revealed 367 people who declared Portugal as their country of birth.[2]