South America

South America is the fourth-largest continent on Earth. It covers about 17,840,000 km² (6.89 million square miles), roughly 12% of the world’s land area, and is home to around 430 million people across 12 sovereign nations. It is connected to North America by the narrow Isthmus of Panama.

Where is South America?

South America lies almost entirely in the southern hemisphere. It is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and the Southern Ocean at its tip near Cape Horn. The equator crosses the northern part of the continent.

South American geography

The continent is dominated by the Andes, the longest mountain range on Earth, running 7,000 km down the entire western side. The highest peak in the Andes (and in all of South America) is Aconcagua in Argentina at 6,962 m. East of the Andes lies the immense Amazon Basin, drained by the Amazon River (the world’s largest river by discharge volume, and the second-longest after the Nile). The Amazon Rainforest covers approx. 5.5 million km² and is home to more species than anywhere else on Earth. To the south are the Pampas (grasslands) and the Patagonian steppe. The Atacama Desert in Chile is the driest non-polar place on Earth, while Angel Falls in Venezuela is the world’s highest waterfall (979 m).

Countries of South America

South America has 12 sovereign countries: Brazil (the largest by area and population, and the only Portuguese-speaking country), Argentina, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Chile, Ecuador, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Guyana, and Suriname. French Guiana is a department of France rather than a sovereign nation. The continent shares its history with the great pre-Columbian civilisations: the Inca Empire in the Andes is the most famous, and was colonised mostly by Spain and Portugal in the 16th century.

People, languages, and religions

The two main languages are Spanish (in every country except Brazil and the Guianas) and Portuguese (Brazil). English is spoken in Guyana, Dutch in Suriname, and French in French Guiana. Many indigenous languages survive, especially Quechua and Aymara in the Andes. Roman Catholic Christianity is the dominant religion, often blended with indigenous spiritual traditions.

Wildlife and famous landmarks

South America’s rainforests teem with jaguars, anacondas, capybaras, sloths, toucans, macaws, and poison dart frogs. The Andes are home to llamas, alpacas, vicuñas, and the Andean condor: one of the world’s largest flying birds. Famous landmarks include Machu Picchu, the lost Inca city in Peru; Christ the Redeemer overlooking Rio de Janeiro; Iguazu Falls on the Argentina, Brazil border; the Salar de Uyuni salt flats in Bolivia; the Nazca Lines in the Peruvian desert; and the Galapagos Islands, where Darwin developed his theory of evolution.