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.
