The capital of Uruguay, the city of Montevideo was established in 1724 by the Spanish eager for a settlement on the eastern bank of the River Plate. Occupied briefly by the British in 1807, it has been the national capital since independence in 1828. Regularly listed as having the highest quality of life of any city in Latin America, Montevideo has long attracted many foreigners keen on the relaxed atmosphere and lifestyle, personal safety, and - except for the brief period of dictatorship - political freedoms, with Uruguay, from 1904, being the first country in the world to establish a welfare state. This book, which contains more than 450 illustrations and photographs, draws on sources in English, Portuguese and Spanish. It is the first English-language book to provide a detailed but succinct history of the people, places and institutions which make up the city.