List of sovereign states and dependent territories in South America explained

There are 12 sovereign states and 3 non-sovereign dependent territories in South America. The continent 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 Earth's surface. As of 2018, its population is more than 430 million, according to estimates of population in 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).

The border between North and South America is at some point in the Isthmus of Panama. The most common demarcation in atlases and other sources follows the Darién Mountains watershed that divides along the Colombia–Panama border where the isthmus meets the South American continent (see Darién Gap). Virtually all atlases list Panama as a state falling entirely within North America and/or Central America.[1]

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 current or former members of the Union of South American Nations.[5]

FlagMapEnglish short, formal names, and ISO
[6] [7] [8] [9] 		Domestic short and formal name(s)
Capital
[10] [11] 		Population
data-sort-type="number" Area
[12] 		Currency
Argentina 


Argentine Republic

ARG 
es|Argentina — República ArgentinaBuenos Aires

es|Ciudad de Buenos Aires		27804000NaN0Argentine peso
Bolivia 


Plurinational State of Bolivia

BOL 
es|Bolivia — Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia

qu|Buliwya — Puliwya Achka Aylluska Mamallaqta

ay|Wuliwya — Wuliwya Walja Suyunakana Marka		Sucre (official)
and La Paz (seat of government)

es|Sucre[13] 		10985810NaN0Bolivian boliviano
Brazil 


Federative Republic of Brazil

BRA 
pt|Brasil — República Federativa do BrasilBrasília

pt|Brasília		85148770NaN0Brazilian real
Chile 
[14]

Republic of Chile

CHL 
es|Chile — República de ChileSantiago[15]

es|Santiago		7561020NaN0Chilean peso
Colombia 


Republic of Colombia

COL 
es|Colombia — República de ColombiaBogotá / Santa Fe de Bogotá

es|Bogotá		11389100NaN0Colombian peso
Ecuador 


Republic of Ecuador

ECU 
es|Ecuador — República del Ecuador

qu|Ikwadur — Ikwadur Ripuwlika		Quito

es|Quito		2835610NaN0United States dollar
Guyana 


Co-operative Republic of Guyana

GUY 
en|Guyana — Co-operative Republic of GuyanaGeorgetown

en|Georgetown		2149690NaN0Guyanese dollar
Paraguay 


Republic of Paraguay

PRY 
es|Paraguay — República del Paraguay

gn|Paraguai — Tetã Paraguai		Asunción

es|Asunción		4067520NaN0Paraguayan guaraní
Peru 


Republic of Peru

PER 
es|Perú — República del Perú

qu|Piruw — Piruw Ripuwlika

ay|Piruw — Piruwxa Ripuwlika		Lima

es|Lima		12852160NaN0Peruvian sol
Suriname 


Republic of Suriname

SUR 
nl|Suriname — Republiek SurinameParamaribo

nl|Paramaribo		1638200NaN0Surinamese dollar
Uruguay 


Eastern Republic of Uruguay[16]

URY 
es|Uruguay — República Oriental del Uruguay

pt|Uruguai — República Oriental do Uruguai		Montevideo

es|Montevideo

pt|Montevidéu		1762150NaN0Uruguayan peso
Venezuela 


Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela

VEN 
es|Venezuela — República Bolivariana de VenezuelaCaracas

es|Caracas		9120500NaN0Venezuelan bolívar

Non-sovereign territories

External territories

FlagMapEnglish nameLegal statusDomestic nameCapitalPopulation[17] Area
Falkland Islands 


FLK 
British overseas territoryen|Falkland Islands
es|Islas Malvinas		Stanley

en|Stanley		align=right 3,398[18]
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands 
[19]

SGS 
British overseas territoryen|South Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsKing Edward Point

en|King Edward Point		No permanent population[20]

Internal territory

Economic statistics

Country/TerritoryCurrencyGDP (PPP) per capita[23]
(2008 est. in U.S. dollars)		class=unsortableNotes
align=left align=left Argentine pesoalign=left align=center [24]
align=left align=left Bolivianoalign=left align=center [25]
align=left align=left Brazilian realalign=left align=center [26]
align=left align=left Chilean pesoalign=left align=center [27]
align=left align=left Colombian pesoalign=left align=center [28]
align=left align=left United States dollaralign=left align=center [29]
align=left (United Kingdom)align=left Falkland Islands poundalign=left (2002 est.)align=center [30]
align=left (France)align=left Euroalign=left (2001 est.)align=center [31] [32]
align=left align=left Guyanese dollaralign=left align=center [33]
align=left align=left Paraguayan guaraníalign=left align=center [34]
align=left align=left Peruvian solalign=left align=center [35]
align=left † (United Kingdom)align=left Falkland Islands Poundalign=left 0align=center
align=left align=left Surinamese dollaralign=left align=center [36]
align=left align=left Uruguayan pesoalign=left align=center [37]
align=left align=left Venezuelan bolívaralign=left align=center [38]

† Geographically associated with Antarctica, but due to geopolitical reasons, the United Nations geoscheme has included South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands in South America instead.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: National Geographic Education . https://web.archive.org/web/20110728060745/http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/mapping/outline-map/?map=Panama . dead . July 28, 2011 . . 2011-05-12 .
    Book: National Geographic Atlas (list). National Geographic Society. 2010. 4.
    Book: Webster's New Geographical Dictionary (list and map). Merriam-Webster Inc.. 1984. 856, 859.
    "Americas" Standard Country and Area Codes Classifications (M49), United Nations Statistics Division
    "North America" Atlas of Canada
    North America Atlas National Geographic
  2. Ashley . Richard K . Untying the Sovereign State: A Double Reading of the Anarchy Problematique . Millennium - Journal of International Studies . 4 . 2 . 227–262 . Sage Journals Online . 1 June 1988 . 10.1177/03058298880170020901 . 145130222 . 15 February 2012.
  3. Web site: Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of States . Council on Foreign Relations . 26 December 1933 . 15 February 2012.
  4. Web site: United Nations Member States . United Nations . 15 February 2012.
  5. Web site: Estados Miembros . Secretaria General de UNASUR . es . 15 February 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120627123555/http://www.unasursg.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=397&Itemid=343 . 27 June 2012 . dead .
  6. Web site: Field Listing :: Names . https://web.archive.org/web/20070613002925/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2142.html . dead . June 13, 2007 . Central Intelligence Agency . 7 February 2012.
  7. Web site: UNGEGN List of Country Names . United Nations Statistics Division . 2007 . 2011-02-24.
  8. Web site: List of countries, territories and currencies . Europa . 7 February 2012 . 7 February 2012.
  9. Web site: 1974 . ISO 3166 . 2022-07-24 . International Organization for Standardization.
  10. Web site: Field Listing :: Capital . https://web.archive.org/web/20070613003402/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2057.html . dead . June 13, 2007 . Central Intelligence Agency . 7 February 2012.
  11. Web site: UNGEGN World Geographical Names . United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names . 9 December 2011 . 7 February 2012.
  12. Web site: Field Listing :: Area . https://web.archive.org/web/20070613003039/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2147.html . dead . June 13, 2007 . Central Intelligence Agency . 7 February 2012.
  13. While Sucre is the constitutional capital, La Paz is the seat of the government.
  14. Includes Easter Island in the Pacific Ocean, a Chilean territory frequently reckoned in Oceania.
  15. While Santiago is the constitutional capital of Chile, Valparaíso is the site of legislative meetings.
  16. Also translated as "Oriental Republic of Uruguay".
  17. Web site: Country Comparison :: Population . https://web.archive.org/web/20070613004507/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2119rank.html . dead . June 13, 2007 . Central Intelligence Agency . 7 February 2012.
  18. Web site: 2016 Census Report. 2017. Policy and Economic Development Unit, Falkland Islands Government. PDF. https://web.archive.org/web/20180124232820/http://www.fig.gov.fk/policy/index.php/component/jdownloads/finish/5-statistics/4788-falkland-islands-census-2016-report/0?Itemid=0. 24 January 2018.
  19. Sometimes grouped with Antarctica rather than South America.
  20. Present inhabitants are the British Government officer, deputy postmaster, scientists, and support staff from the British Antarctic Survey who maintain scientific bases on Bird Island and in the capital, King Edward Point, as well as museum staff at Grytviken.
  21. The territory has been fully integrated into the French central state.
  22. Web site: Estimation de population par région, sexe et grande classe d'âge – Années 1975 à 2021. INSEE. 2021-01-21. fr.
  23. The CIA's estimate for GDP per capita (PPP) is used in the article. For the World Bank and International Monetary Fund's estimates, see List of countries by GDP (PPP) per capita.
  24. Web site: The World Factbook: Argentina . CIA Directorate of Intelligence . 2008-06-12 . 2008-05-15 .
  25. Web site: The World Factbook: Bolivia . CIA Directorate of Intelligence . 2008-06-12 . 2008-05-15 .
  26. Web site: The World Factbook: Brazil . CIA Directorate of Intelligence . 2008-06-12 . 2008-05-15 .
  27. Web site: The World Factbook: Chile . CIA Directorate of Intelligence . 2008-06-12 . 2008-05-15 .
  28. Web site: The World Factbook: Colombia . CIA Directorate of Intelligence . 2008-06-12 . 2008-05-15 .
  29. Web site: The World Factbook: Ecuador . CIA Directorate of Intelligence . 2008-06-12 . 2008-05-15 .
  30. Web site: The World Factbook: Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) . CIA Directorate of Intelligence . 2008-06-12 . 2008-05-15 .
  31. Book: Americas Review 2003/2004: Economic and Business Report. Kogan Page. London. 21st. 2003. 79. 0-7494-4064-3. 1351-4571.
  32. Web site: Résultats régionaux des enquêtes de recensement de 2004 à 2007. INSEE. 2008-06-12. fr.
  33. Web site: The World Factbook: Guyana . CIA Directorate of Intelligence . 2008-06-12 . 2008-05-15 .
  34. Web site: The World Factbook: Paraguay . CIA Directorate of Intelligence . 2008-06-12 . 2008-05-15 .
  35. Web site: The World Factbook: Peru . CIA Directorate of Intelligence . 2008-06-12 . 2008-05-15 .
  36. Web site: The World Factbook: Suriname . CIA Directorate of Intelligence . 2008-06-12 . 2008-05-15 .
  37. Web site: The World Factbook: Uruguay . CIA Directorate of Intelligence . 2008-06-12 . 2008-05-15 .
  38. Web site: The World Factbook: Venezuela . CIA Directorate of Intelligence . 2008-06-12 . 2008-05-15 .

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