South America Countries and Regions: List With Capitals

If you’ve ever traced your finger across a map of South America and wondered exactly how many countries fit into that sprawling continent, you’re not alone. The answer is 12 sovereign nations, each with its own capital, language, and character.

Sovereign countries: 12 · Dependent territories: 3 · Largest country (area): Brazil · Smallest country (area): Suriname · Most spoken language: Spanish · Total population (approx.): 442 million

Four key metrics give a quick read on the region’s shape:

How many countries are in South America?

Official count of sovereign nations

• South America has 12 sovereign countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela. This count is used by the FAO UN food and agriculture agency and is the standard geographic definition.

Dependent territories and their status

• Three additional territories are not sovereign: French Guiana (an overseas département of France, as noted by Britannica reference publisher), the Falkland Islands (a British Overseas Territory), and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (also British). World Atlas geography reference separates these from the sovereign-country count.

Difference between country and territory

• A sovereign country has full independence and UN recognition. Territories are administered by another state. FAO UN food and agriculture agency counts only the 12 sovereign states for its regional overviews.

The implication: separating sovereign states from dependent territories clarifies which entities have full international standing and which are administrative extensions of other nations.

What are the capitals of all South American countries?

List of countries and their capitals

Capitals of dependent territories

• French Guiana: Cayenne (capital of the overseas département). Falkland Islands: Stanley. These are administrative seats rather than national capitals, as defined by World Atlas geography reference.

What this means: the dual-capital arrangement in Bolivia is rare globally, and travelers should verify which city houses the specific government function they need.

What is the safest country in South America?

Safety rankings based on Global Peace Index

• The 2023 Global Peace Index, compiled by the Vision of Humanity peace research institute, ranks Uruguay 1st in South America for peacefulness.
• Chile and Argentina follow closely, while countries like Venezuela and Colombia rank lower due to conflict and crime.

Uruguay as the safest

• World Population Review demographic database places Uruguay at the top of its safest countries in South America list, citing low homicide rates and political stability.

Comparison with other South American countries

• The pattern is clear: Uruguay, Chile, and Argentina form the safest cluster, while Guyana, Suriname, and Paraguay sit mid-range. The least safe countries are Venezuela, Colombia, and Brazil. The Global Peace Index peace research institute provides the comparative data.

Which language is most widely spoken in South America?

Spanish dominance

• Spanish is the official language in 9 of the 12 sovereign countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela, according to Britannica reference publisher.

Portuguese in Brazil

• Brazil’s sole official language is Portuguese, as documented by Britannica reference publisher. With over 215 million speakers, Portuguese is the second-most spoken language on the continent.

Indigenous languages and Quechua

• Bolivia, Peru, and Paraguay recognize indigenous languages at the national level. Bolivia’s constitution recognizes Spanish plus Quechua, Aymara, and over 30 other indigenous languages (Britannica reference publisher). Paraguay is officially bilingual in Spanish and Guaraní (Britannica reference publisher).

English in Guyana and Falkland Islands

• Guyana’s official language is English, reflecting its British colonial history (Britannica reference publisher). The Falkland Islands also use English.

The pattern: Spanish dominates the continent, but the linguistic map fractures along colonial lines, with Brazil’s Portuguese creating the largest single-language bloc.

What are 5 facts about South America?

Geographic extremes

• South America spans 12 sovereign countries and a population of about 442 million (Britannica reference publisher). Its highest point is Aconcagua in Argentina at 6,961 meters, and it contains the world’s highest waterfall, Angel Falls in Venezuela.

Biodiversity and the Amazon

• Brazil contains the largest portion of the Amazon rainforest (Britannica reference publisher), which houses about 10% of the world’s known species.

Amazon River

• The Amazon River is the world’s largest by discharge volume, flowing through Peru, Colombia, and Brazil.

Andes mountain range

• The Andes is the longest continental mountain range, running over 7,000 km along the western edge of the continent, through seven countries.

Cultural diversity

• South America’s linguistic map includes Spanish, Portuguese, English, Dutch, French, Quechua, Aymara, and Guaraní. This diversity reflects colonial histories and indigenous resilience, as documented by Britannica reference publisher.

For travelers eyeing South America, the takeaway is clear: the continent offers 12 distinct nations, each with its own capital, language, and safety profile. Understanding these differences is the foundation for planning a trip, a business move, or even a cultural study. For anyone mapping out their next move, the choice between Uruguay’s tranquility and Brazil’s vibrancy demands a deliberate trade-off.