This major city along the Montevideo Bay and Capital of Uruguay, revolves around the Plaza de la Independencia which was once home to a Spanish fortress. This vibrant and diverse place has a rich cultural life. The city also has many parks, plazas, tree-lined streets, sandy beaches and wide avenues. The unique neighborhood shops, restaurants and cafes are found throughout the city. The people of Montevideo are generally calm, laid-back and friendly people which adds to the relaxed feeling of the city also making it feel like you are in a much smaller city than what you really are. There is something to do throughout the day whether it be laying on the beautiful beaches during the day, visiting museums or dining at a local restaurant. In the evening you can join tango classes, enjoy a theatre production or experience the energetic nightlife. Montevideo is located south of the Equator and is in the subtropics causing temperatures in the summer to rise 30 degrees or more. The winter can be misleadingly icy because of the wind and humidity combined making it feel colder than it is. Spanish is the official spoken language throughout Uruguay. It also gets influenced by the Portuguese of Brazil but not as strongly as it is by the Italian language. The currency used in Montevideo is the Uruguayan Peso. The currency code is UYU and the currency symbol is $U.