List of sovereign states and dependent territories in South America

This is a list of sovereign states and dependent territories in South America. It includes both fully recognized states and dependent territories of both South American and non-South American states. It lists 12 sovereign states and 3 non-sovereign territories.

South America is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east by the Atlantic Ocean. North America and the Caribbean Sea lie to the northwest. South America has an area of approximately 17,840,000 square kilometres (6,890,000 sq mi), or almost 3.5% of the Earth's surface. As of 2008, its population is more than 380 million, according to estimates of population in the The World Factbook. South America ranks fourth among all continents in area (after Asia, Africa, and North America) and fifth in population (after Asia, Africa, Europe, and North America).^[1]

The division between North and South America is unclear, lying somewhere in the Isthmus of Panama. However, Panama is not considered transcontinental, and is generally considered to be wholly a part of North America.

Sovereign states

A sovereign state is a political association with effective sovereignty over a population for whom it makes decisions in the national interest.^[2] According to the Montevideo convention, a state must have a permanent population, a defined territory, a government, and the capacity to enter into relations with other states.^[3] The following states are all members of the United Nations^[4] and members of the Union of South American Nations.^[5]

Flag	Map	English short and formal names [6][7][8]	Domestic short and formal names [6][7]	Capital [8][9][10]	Population [11]	Area [12]
		Argentina Argentine Republic	Spanish: Argentina — República Argentina	Buenos Aires Spanish: Ciudad de Buenos Aires	41,769,726	02780400 !2,780,400 km2 (1,073,518 sq mi)
		Bolivia Plurinational State of Bolivia	Spanish: Bolivia — Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia	Sucre Spanish: Sucre[n 1]	10,118,683	01098581 !1,098,581 km2 (424,164 sq mi)
		Brazil Federative Republic of Brazil	Portuguese: Brasil — República Federativa do Brasil	Brasília Portuguese: Brasília	203,429,773	08514877 !8,514,877 km2 (3,287,612 sq mi)
		Chile[n 2] Republic of Chile	Spanish: Chile — República de Chile	Santiago[n 3] Spanish: Santiago	16,888,760	00756102 !756,102 km2 (291,933 sq mi)
		Colombia Republic of Colombia	Spanish: Colombia — República de Colombia	Bogotá / Santa Fe de Bogotá Spanish: Bogotá	46,366,364	01138910 !1,138,910 km2 (439,736 sq mi)
		Ecuador Republic of Ecuador	Spanish: Ecuador — República del Ecuador	Quito Spanish: Quito	15,007,343	00283561 !283,561 km2 (109,484 sq mi)
		Guyana Co-operative Republic of Guyana	English: Guyana — Co-operative Republic of Guyana	Georgetown Spanish: Georgetown	744,768	00214969 !214,969 km2 (83,000 sq mi)
		Paraguay Republic of Paraguay	Spanish: Paraguay — República del Paraguay Guarani: Paraguai — Tetã Paraguai	Asunción Spanish: Asunción	6,459,058	00406752 !406,752 km2 (157,048 sq mi)
		Peru Republic of Peru	Aymara: Perú Quechua: Perú Spanish: Perú — República del Perú	Lima Spanish: Lima	29,248,943	01285216 !1,285,216 km2 (496,225 sq mi)
		Suriname Republic of Suriname	Dutch: Suriname — Republiek Suriname	Paramaribo Dutch: Paramaribo	491,989	00163820 !163,820 km2 (63,251 sq mi)
		Uruguay Eastern Republic of Uruguay[n 4]	Spanish: Uruguay — República Oriental del Uruguay	Montevideo Spanish: Montevideo	3,308,535	00176215 !176,215 km2 (68,037 sq mi)
		Venezuela Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela	Spanish: Venezuela — República Bolivariana de Venezuela	Caracas Spanish: Caracas	27,635,743	00912050 !912,050 km2 (352,144 sq mi)

Non-sovereign territories

Dependent territories

Flag	Map	English name[6][8]	Legal status	Domestic name	Capital[9]	Population[11]	Area[12]
		Falkland Islands	British overseas territory	English: Falkland Islands	Stanley English: Stanley	3,140	00012173 !12,173 km2 (4,700 sq mi)
		South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands[n 5]	British overseas territory	English: South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands	King Edward Point English: King Edward Point	0	00003903 !3,903 km2 (1,507 sq mi)

Other areas

Flag	Map	English name[6][8]	Legal status	Domestic name	Capital[9]	Population[11]	Area[12]
		French Guiana	French overseas region	French: Guyane	Cayenne French: Cayenne	7005250109000000000♠250,109[13]	00083534 !83,534 km2 (32,253 sq mi)

Economic statistics

See also

• List of South American countries by population
• List of South American countries by population density
• List of South American countries by GDP per capita
• List of South American countries by GDP (PPP)
• List of predecessors of sovereign states in South America

Notes

References