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 438 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.
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.
Free printables: Download a list of South American countries and capitals, including a blank worksheet for practice (PDF).
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South America map
Explore our interactive map of South America to discover the precise location of the continent’s countries, capital cities, rivers and mountain ranges. You can also download our printable South America maps for worksheets and practice.
View their country flags here.
How many countries are in South America?
There are 12 countries in South America according to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) World Factbook. For comparison, the number of countries recognised worldwide varies depending on the criteria used to count countries around the world.
Think you know South America? Test yourself with our South America map quiz.
Trinidad and Tobago is sometimes considered geographically part of South America due to its proximity to Venezuela, but is typically grouped with the Caribbean and North America in most regional classifications.
Other sources may include the Falkland Islands and French Guiana, but these are considered overseas territories rather than countries.
Recommended reading: Latin American countries
United Nations members in South America
All 12 independent countries in South America are members of the United Nations (UN).
For statistical purposes, the UN classifies South America as a subregion of the Americas. Its geographical classification also includes territories such as French Guiana and the Falkland Islands, but these are not counted as independent countries.
The 12 countries also belong to the Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC), one of five regional groups used for representation in UN bodies.
This group has 33 member states in total, including countries in Central America, the Caribbean and Mexico.
Caitriona Maria is an education writer and owner of The Facts Institute. With seven years of teaching experience and a background in educational content, she specialises in creating clear reference resources about countries, geography and global topics.
Naa-Atswei Mawufemor Lomo is a content writer who contributes educational articles to The Facts Institute. With a background in communication and digital publishing, she specialises in presenting complex information in an accessible and reader-friendly way.