Urals Republic a region of Russia in the Ural Mountains that declared itself independent following the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991 : pop. (1989) 4,731,000 ; capital, Yekaterinburg. Formerly known as Sverdlovsk, it was the first region to claim a status equivalent to the 21 etnno-territorial republics of the Russian Federation, although it is not officially recognized.
Urawa the capital of Saitama prefecture and a commercial and cultural centre, Honshu Island, Japan : pop. (1990) 418,270.
Urbino a historic wotn in the Marches region of central Italy ; pop. (1990) 15,410. Ruled by the Montefeltro family from 1213, its ducal palace is a landmark of Renaissance architecture and houses a collection of fine Italian paintings. Urbino was the birthplace of the painters Raphael (1483 – 1520) and Bramante (1444 – 1514).
Urban an Indic language allied to Hindi, which it resembles in grammar and structure, but with a large admixture of Arabic and Persian words, having been built up from the language of the early Muslim invaders, and usually written in Persian script. It is the language of the Muslim population, spoken as a first language by over 5 million people in Pakistan (where it is an official language), as a second language by another 40 million there, and by about 30 million in India.
Urfa (also Sanliurfa) 1. A rich agriculture province of south-east Turkey, on frontier with Syria : area 18,584 sq. km (7,178 sq. miles) ; pop. (1990) 1,001,055. 2. Its capital, a market town to the east of the Euphrates and south of the Ataturk Barrage ; pop. (1990) 276,530. It was known as Edessa before 1637.
Urga the former name (until 1924) of ULAN BATOR.
Urganch (formerly Urgench) a city in Uzbekistan, Central Asia, on the Amu Darya near the Turkmenistan frontier; pop. (1990) 128,900. Cotton and food processing are its chief industries. The ancient city of Urgench, which was a major trading centre and capital of te khanate of Khorezm, was destroyed by the Mongols in the 13th c.
Uruapan a city in the mountainous state of Michoacan, western Mexico, on the Cupatitzio River ; pop. (1990) 217,140. It was laid out in the 1530s by the Spanish monk Juan de San Miguel. The surrounding area produces coffee, fruit and vegetables and is noted for the cedar lacquerware handpainted by Tarascan Indians.
Uruguay official name The Oriental Republic of Uruguay a country in South America lying south of Brazil and north of the River Plate, with a coastline on the Atlantic Ocean ; area 176,215 sw. km. (68,063 sq. miles) ; pop. (est. 1991) 3,110,000 ; official language, Spanish : capital, Montevideo.
Uruapan a city in the mountatinous state of Michoacan, western Mexico, on the Cupatitzio River ; pop. (1990) 217,140. It was laid out in the 1530s by the Spanish monk Juan de San Miguel. The surrounding area produces coffee, fruit and vegetables and is noted for the cedar laquerware handpainted by Tarascan Indians.
Uruguay official name The Oriental Republic of Uruguay a country in South America lying south of Brazil and north of the River Plate, with a coastiline on the Atlantic Ocean ; area 176,215 sq.km. (68,063 sq.miles) ; pop. (est. 1991) 3,110,000 ; official language, Spanish ; capital, Montevideo. Bounded to the west by the Uruguay River, Uruguay comprises an extensive range of well-watered rolling grassy plains and low hills which, combined with a temperate climate, support stock-raising over much of the country. Uruguay’s chief exports are meat, hides, wool, and fish. Not permanently settled by Europeans until the 17th c.,
Uruguay became an area of longstanding Spanish-Portuguese rivalry. Liberated in 1825, it remained relatively backward and disunited through the 19th c., but in the 20th c., despite its small size (it is one of the smallest of the South American republics) it has emerged as one of the most prosperous and literate nations in the continent, boasting a high rate of economic growth and an extensive social-welfare system. Uruguay is governed by an executive president and a bicameral legislative National Congress comprising a Chamber of Deputies and a Senate.
Uruguayan adi. & n.
Uruguay is divided into 19 administrative departments:

Uruguay a river of South America that rises in southern Brazil and flows c. 1,610 km. (1,000 miles) west and south along to Brazil-Argentian and Argentina-Uruguay frontiers to join the River Plate opposite Buenos Aires.
Url : (Arabic Warka) an ancient city in southern Mesopotamia, to the north-west of Ur (known also by its biblical name Erech). One of the greatest cities of Sumeria, it was built in the 5th millennium BC and was the seat of the legendary hero Gilgamesh. Excavations began in 1928 and revealed ziggurats and temples dedicated to the sky god Anu.

Urbino was the hometown of………., a famous Italian painter.