South America is located in the Western Hemisphere, with the narrow Isthmus of Panama dividing it from its neighbors in the north. It has a population of approximately 439 million people, with almost half of the population located in Brazil, the largest country in South America.
Occupying much of the continent is the Amazon River Basin, the largest drainage basin and home to the world’s largest rainforest.
It also boasts the Andes Mountains, the longest mountain range above water, stretching some 5,500 miles (8,900 kilometers) across seven South American countries.
South America extends just north of the Equator to subantarctic latitudes. It is the closest continent to Antarctica, which gives rise to its glaciated coastal archipelagoes in Argentina and Chile.
The continent is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. The Caribbean Sea creates the boundary in the north.
Related: Countries in the Caribbean
Countries in South America in alphabetical order
Here is the alphabetical list of South American countries and their capitals. We have also included the countries’ regions, the international standard for country codes (ISO 3166), and the continent. View their country flags here.
Country | Country Capital | Country Abbreviation | Region | Continent |
---|---|---|---|---|
Argentina | Buenos Aires | AR | Southern South America | South America |
Bolivia | Sucre (Constitutional), La Paz (Administrative) | BO | Central South America | South America |
Brazil | Brasilia | BR | Eastern South America | South America |
Chile | Santiago | CL | Southern South America | South America |
Colombia | Bogota | CO | Northernwestern South America | South America |
Ecuador | Quito | EC | Western South America | South America |
Guyana | Georgetown | GY | Northern South America | South America |
Paraguay | Asunción | PY | Central South America | South America |
Peru | Lima | PE | Western South America | South America |
Suriname | Paramaribo | SR | Northern South America | South America |
Uruguay | Montevideo | UY | Southeastern South America | South America |
Venezuela | Caracas | VE | Northern South America | South America |
How many countries are in South America?
There are 12 countries in South America according to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) World Factbook: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
Other sources may include the Falkland Islands and French Guiana, but these are considered overseas territories rather than countries.
Recommended reading: Which of these countries belong to Latin America?
United Nations members in South America
The United Nations (UN) recognizes all 12 as Latin American and Caribbean regional states:
- Argentina
- Bolivia (Plurinational State of)
- Brazil
- Chile
- Colombia
- Ecuador
- Guyana
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Suriname
- Uruguay
- Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)
The UN acknowledges 33 members of the Latin American and Caribbean regional group, with the other states located on the North American continent.