Montevideo, the capital and largest city of Uruguay, stands on a bay on the north bank of the Rio de la Plata. The area was contested between Spain and Portugal in the early eighteenth century. A Portuguese expedition began to build a fort on the site, but the governor of Buenos Aires, Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, drove the Portuguese out and founded the Spanish city, which was settled by families from Buenos Aires and the Canary Islands. Its natural harbour and defensive position made it a naval and trading base. After independence in the 1820s it became the capital of Uruguay, and in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries it grew as a port and as a centre of immigration from Spain and Italy. It is known for its Old City and promenade along the coast.
Before and after
- from c. 1720s to 1740sCampaigns of Nader Shah
- 30 August 1721Treaty of Nystad
- from 22 October 1721 to 1 September 1917Russian Empire
- 1722Construction of Élysée Palace
- 1723Founding of Montevideo
- June 1723Birth of Adam Smith
- 22 January 1724Founding of Saint Petersburg State University
- 22 April 1724Birth of Immanuel Kant
- 24 September 1724Founding of Euronext Paris
More in Civilizations & archaeology
- from 15th century to 18th centuryAge of Discovery
- from 1525 to 1947Prussia
- from c. 1583 to 1997British Empire
- from 16th century to 18th centuryBaroque
- from 1616 to 1912Qing dynasty
- 1623Founding of Barbados
The era
This moment belongs to the Early modern world (1500 CE to 1760 CE), voyages, printing and new ideas. You can also browse everything in the 18th century.