52  SELLING  LATIN  AMERICA

geographical  position,  salubrious  climate  and
vast  areas  of  tillable  land  will  attract  more  and
more  desirable  settlers  to  its  boundary.  Immigration ­
  is  encouraged  along  the  most  modern ­
  and  progressive  lines.
Uruguay  is  fortunate  in  having  many  navigable ­
  rivers,  the  chief  of  which  are  the  Rio
de  la  Plate  and  the  Uruguay,  giving  a  total  of
over  700  miles  of  water  deep  enough  for  oceangoing ­
  vessels.  One  river  alone—the  Uruguay
—has  ten  ports  open  for  interoceanic  trade,
the  cities  on  this  river  being  Carmelo,  Neuva
Palmira,  Soriano,  Fray  Bentos,  Neuva  Berlin,
Casa  Blanca,  Pysandu,  Neuva  Pysandu,
Salto  and  Santa  Rosa.  Mercedes  is  a  large
city,  on  the  Rio  Negro,  and  is  used  as  a  port
of  call  for  ocean-going  vessels.  There  is  also
Lake  Merim  on  the  borders  of  Brazil  on
which  run  small  launches.
Uruguay  has  comparatively  few  railroad
systems  and  only  1600  miles  of  railways.
There  are  many  projects  for  railway  development ­
  however  and  the  completion  of  the