Uruguay, officially the Eastern Republic of Uruguay, is a nation located in the southeastern part of South America. It is bordered by Brazil to the north, the Uruguay River to the west, the estuary of the Río de la Plata (literally "River of the Silver", but commonly known in English as "River Plate") to the southwest, with Argentina on the other bank of both, and the South Atlantic Ocean to the southeast. The nation is the second smallest independent country in South America. Montevideo is the capital.