Brief history of Montevideo the Capital of Uruguay

The city was founded by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala in December 1726 as a military base and became the chief fortified bastion of the Spanish Empire in the River Plate. Montevideo was the scene of many wars and disputes in which the Spanish, the Portuguese, the English and the native Criollo participated. In 1830, the city with a population of 14 000 inhabitants gained its independence.