How Many Countries Are in South America Continent?

There are 12 sovereign countries in South America, including Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Chile, Ecuador, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Guyana, and Suriname. The continent also includes three notable territories, namely French Guiana (an overseas department of France), the Falkland Islands (a British Overseas Territory claimed by Argentina), and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (a British Overseas Territory). These territories are not included in the count of 12 sovereign countries.

The continent of South America lies mainly in the Southern and Western Hemispheres, extending from the northern Andes to the continent’s southern tip. Brazil is the largest country in South America by total area, and the continent is known for its diverse landscapes, cultures, and languages.

South America covers approximately 17.8 million square kilometers, making it the fourth-largest continent by area, after Asia, Africa, and North America. It is also the fifth-largest continent by population, after Asia, Africa, Europe, and North America.

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Complete List of South American Countries

Find your desired South American countries and their flags, capitals, populations, total areas, languages, currencies, regions, calling codes, and ISO codes. Search for a country or use the filters to explore the list.

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All Countries Andean Countries (7) Southern Cone (3) Brazil Guianas (2)

Showing 12 countries

No.	Flag	Country	Capital	Region	Total Area (km²)	Population(2026 est.)	Language	Currency	Calling Code	ISO Code
1		Brazil	Brasília	Eastern South America	8,515,767	213.8 million	Portuguese	Brazilian real (BRL)	+55	BR
2		Colombia	Bogotá	Northern South America	1,141,748	54.1 million	Spanish	Colombian peso (COP)	+57	CO
3		Argentina	Buenos Aires	Southern South America	2,780,085	46.0 million	Spanish	Argentine peso (ARS)	+54	AR
4		Peru	Lima	Western South America	1,285,216	35.03 million	Spanish, Quechua, Aymara	Peruvian sol (PEN)	+51	PE
5		Venezuela	Caracas	Northern South America	916,445	28.65 million	Spanish	Venezuelan bolívar (VES)	+58	VE
6		Chile	Santiago	Southern South America	756,102	19.98 million	Spanish	Chilean peso (CLP)	+56	CL
7		Ecuador	Quito	Western South America	283,561	18.48 million	Spanish	US dollar (USD)	+593	EC
8		Bolivia	Sucre (constitutional); La Paz (seat of government)	Western South America	1,098,581	12.79 million	Spanish, Quechua, Aymara, and other Indigenous languages	Bolivian boliviano (BOB)	+591	BO
9		Paraguay	Asunción	Southern South America	406,752	7.1 million	Spanish, Guaraní	Paraguayan guaraní (PYG)	+595	PY
10		Uruguay	Montevideo	Southern South America	176,215	3.55 million	Spanish	Uruguayan peso (UYU)	+598	UY
11		Guyana	Georgetown	Northern South America	214,970	842,208	English	Guyanese dollar (GYD)	+592	GY
12		Suriname	Paramaribo	Northern South America	163,820	658,200	Dutch	Surinamese dollar (SRD)	+597	SR

Note: Regional filters may overlap because some countries belong to more than one geographic region. “Andean Countries” includes the seven countries associated with the Andes mountain range, while “Southern Cone” uses the core definition of Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay. “Guianas” includes Guyana and Suriname in this table of sovereign countries. French Guiana, an overseas department and region of France, is not included in the list of independent South American countries.

Read Also: How many countries are in South America?

South America Countries by Population

Brazil is the most populous country in South America, followed by Colombia and Argentina. Suriname is the least populous of the continent’s 12 sovereign countries. Population sizes vary considerably across the continent, reflecting the differences between its largest countries and smaller nations such as Guyana and Suriname. See the table above to compare the populations of all 12 countries.

World Flags by Continent

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