List of Countries in South America

How many countries in South America?

As of 2020, there are 12 countries in South America: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela. French Guiana is an overseas territory of France and not an independent country. In this American subcontinent where the predominant language is Spanish, Portuguese is only spoken in Brazil. This country is the most populous with approximately 210 million residents. Brazil is followed by Argentina, with population of approximate 41 million.

With 12 nations, the South America has a population of 422.5 million in total, accounting for 5.8% of the world’s population. The residents in South America are made up of Indians, Whites and people of mixed race. The continent has a land area of 17,850,000 square kilometers, accounting for about 12% of the world’s land area. As mentioned above, Spanish is the most spoken language and residents are primarily Christian.

South America tourism becomes more and more populous. Top destinations include Amazonia (Ecuador), Machu Picchu (Peru), Angel Falls (Venezuela), Torres del Paine (Chile), and Salar de Uyuni (Bolivia).

Alphabetical List of South American Countries

As of 2020, there are a total of twelve countries in South America. See the following table for full list of Southern American countries in alphabetical order:

#	Flag	Country	Official Name	Independence Date	Population
1		Argentina	Argentine Republic	July 9, 1816	45,195,785
2		Bolivia	Plurinational State of Bolivia	August 6, 1825	11,673,032
3		Brazil	Federative Republic of Brazil	September 7, 1822	212,559,428
4		Chile	Republic of Chile	February 12, 1818	19,116,212
5		Colombia	Republic of Colombia	July 20, 1810	50,882,902
6		Ecuador	Republic of Ecuador	May 24, 1822	17,643,065
7		Guyana	Republic of Guyana	May 26, 1966	786,563
8		Paraguay	Republic of Paraguay	May 15, 1811	7,132,549
9		Peru	Republic of Peru	July 28, 1821	32,971,865
10		Suriname	Republic of Suriname	November 25, 1975	586,643
11		Uruguay	Eastern Republic of Uruguay	August 25, 1825	3,473,741
12		Venezuela	Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela	July 5, 1811	28,435,951

Location Map of South America

Countries bordering Atlantic and Pacific Ocean

South America is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. The countries bordering the Atlantic Ocean are: Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. And, the countries bordering the Pacific Ocean are: Chile, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia. Bolivia and Paraguay are the only countries that are not bathed by any ocean.

Country Facts and State Flags

Here are brief data and national flags of all South American countries:

1. Argentina

Capital: Buenos Aires Area: 2,791,810 km² Language: Spanish Currency: Argentine Peso

2. Bolivia

Capital: La Paz – Sucre Area: 1,098,580 km² Languages: Spanish, Quechua and Aymara Currency: Bolivian

3. Brazil

Capital: Brasilia Area: 8,515,767,049 km² Language: Portuguese Currency: Real

4. Chile

Capital: Santiago Area: 756,096 km² Language: Spanish Currency: Weight

5. Colombia

Capital: Bogota Area: 1,141,750 km² Language: Spanish Currency: Colombian Peso

6. Ecuador

Capital: Quito Area: 256,370 km² Language: Spanish Currency: US Dollar

7. Guiana

Capital: Georgetown Area: 214,970 km² Language: English Currency: Guyana Dollar

8. Paraguay

Capital: Asuncion Area: 406,750 km² Language: Spanish and Guarani Currency: Guarani

9. Peru

Capital: Lima Area: 1,285,220 km² Languages: Spanish, Quínchua and Aymara Currency: New Sun

10. Suriname

Capital: Paramaribo Area: 163,820 km² Language: Dutch Currency: Suriname Dollar

11. Uruguay

Capital: Montevideo Area: 176,220 km² Language: Spanish Currency: Uruguayan Peso

12. Venezuela

Capital: Caracas Area: 912,050 km² Language: Spanish Currency: Venezuelan Bolivar

Note: French Guiana is a French overseas department in northeastern South America, on the Atlantic Ocean. The area borders Suriname to the west and Brazil to the south and east, and also includes the Îles du Salut archipelago with Île du Diable, Île Royale and Île Saint-Joseph, all close to the country’s coast.