orientales

Orientales is a historical demonym used to refer to the citizens of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, the country located on the eastern bank of the Uruguay River. The term derives from Oriente, meaning east, reflecting Uruguay’s designation as the east or Oriente in relation to the river and regional geography. In Uruguay’s early 19th-century independence struggles, the term gained prominence as a marker of national identity, associated with the ideas and forces led by José Gervasio Artigas, a central figure in Uruguay’s founding.

The phrase “Orientales, la patria os llama” from the Uruguayan national anthem is one of the most well-known uses of the term and has been invoked to symbolize national unity and the republican project of the period. In later centuries, however, orientales became more of a historical and literary reference rather than a daily demonym. Today, the common demonym for residents of Uruguay is uruguayos; orientales appears mainly in historical or patriotic contexts, or in cultural works that address the country’s founding era.

Usage of the term should be distinguished from the broader and sometimes outdated implications of Oriental or Orientalist terms in other languages, which can carry different connotations. In Uruguay, orientales remains primarily a historical identifier tied to the country’s eastern geography and its early republican history.

See also: Artigas, the Uruguayan national anthem, and the Oriental Republic of Uruguay.