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 4 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 Earth's surface. As of 2008, its population is more than 380 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).[1]

The division between North and South America is unclear, lying somewhere in the Isthmus of Panama.

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, and ISO code[6][7][8]	Domestic short and formal names [6][7]	Capital [8][9][10]	Population [11]	Area [12]
		Argentina  Argentine Republic ARG	Spanish: Argentina — República Argentina	Buenos Aires Spanish: Ciudad de Buenos Aires	45,460,188	2,780,400 km^2 (1,073,518 sq mi)
		Bolivia  Plurinational State of Bolivia BOL	Spanish: Bolivia — Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia Quechua: Buliwya Aymara: Wuliwya	Sucre (official) and La Paz (seat of government) Spanish: Sucre[n 1]	11,773,734	1,098,581 km^2 (424,164 sq mi)
		Brazil  Federative Republic of Brazil BRA	Portuguese: Brasil — República Federativa do Brasil	Brasília Portuguese: Brasília	213,602,686	8,514,877 km^2 (3,287,612 sq mi)
		Chile [n 2] Republic of Chile CHL	Spanish: Chile — República de Chile	Santiago[n 3] Spanish: Santiago	19,314,173	756,102 km^2 (291,933 sq mi)
		Colombia  Republic of Colombia COL	Spanish: Colombia — República de Colombia	Bogotá / Santa Fe de Bogotá Spanish: Bogotá	51,444,203	1,138,910 km^2 (439,736 sq mi)
		Ecuador  Republic of Ecuador ECU	Spanish: Ecuador — República del Ecuador Quechua: Ikwadur	Quito Spanish: Quito	17,846,773	283,561 km^2 (109,484 sq mi)
		Guyana  Co-operative Republic of Guyana GUY	English: Guyana — Co-operative Republic of Guyana	Georgetown English: Georgetown	788,820	214,969 km^2 (83,000 sq mi)
		Panama  Republic of Panama PAN	English: Panama Spanish: Panamá	Panama City Spanish: Panama Citys	4,360,169	75,417 km^2 (29,119 sq mi)
		Paraguay  Republic of Paraguay PRY	Spanish: Paraguay — República del Paraguay Guarani: Paraguai — Tetã Paraguai	Asunción Spanish: Asunción	7,188,700	406,752 km^2 (157,048 sq mi)
		Peru  Republic of Peru PER	Spanish: Perú — República del Perú Quechua: Piruw Aymara: Piruw	Lima Spanish: Lima	33,362,082	1,285,216 km^2 (496,225 sq mi)
		Suriname  Republic of Suriname SUR	Dutch: Suriname — Republiek Suriname	Paramaribo Dutch: Paramaribo	590,088	163,820 km^2 (63,251 sq mi)
		Trinidad and Tobago  Co-operative Republic of Trinidad and Tobago TTO	English: Trinidad and Tobago	Port of Spain English: Port of Spain	1,403,220	5,131 km^2 (1,981 sq mi)
		Uruguay  Eastern Republic of Uruguay[n 4] URY	Spanish: Uruguay — República Oriental del Uruguay	Montevideo Spanish: Montevideo	3,481,746	176,215 km^2 (68,037 sq mi)
		Venezuela  Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela VEN	Spanish: Venezuela — República Bolivariana de Venezuela	Caracas Spanish: Caracas	27,931,667	912,050 km^2 (352,144 sq mi)

Non-sovereign territories

External territories

Flag	Map	English name[6][8]	Legal status	Domestic name	Capital[9]	Population[11]	Area[12]
		Bouvet Island[n 5] BVT	Dependency of Norway	Norwegian: Bouvetøya	N/A	No permanent population	49 km^2 (19 sq mi)
		Falkland Islands FLK	British overseas territory	English: Falkland Islands Spanish: Islas Malvinas	Stanley English: Stanley	3,619[13]	12,173 km^2 (4,700 sq mi)
		South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands[n 5] SGS	British overseas territory	English: South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands	King Edward Point English: King Edward Point	No permanent population[n 6]	3,903 km^2 (1,507 sq mi)

Internal territory

Flag	Map	English name and ISO code[6][8]	Legal status	Domestic name	Capital[9]	Population[11]	Area[12]
		French Guiana GUF	French overseas department and region[n 7]	French: Guyane	Cayenne French: Cayenne	296,711[14]	83,534 km^2 (32,253 sq mi)

Economic statistics

Country/Territory	Currency	GDP (PPP) per capita[n 8] (2008 est. in U.S. dollars)	Notes
Argentina	Argentine peso	14,200	[15]
Bolivia	Boliviano	4,500	[16]
Bouvet Island^† (Norway)	Norwegian Krone	0
Brazil	Brazilian real	10,100	[17]
Chile	Chilean peso	14,900	[18]
Colombia	Colombian peso	8,900	[19]
Ecuador	United States dollar	7,500	[20]
Falkland Islands (United Kingdom)	Falkland Islands pound	35,400 (2002 est.)	[21]
French Guiana (France)	Euro	6,000 (2001 est.)	[22][23]
Guyana	Guyanese dollar	3,900	[24]
Paraguay	Paraguayan guaraní	4,200	[25]
Peru	Peruvian nuevo sol	8,400	[26]
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands^† (United Kingdom)	Falkland Islands Pound	0
Suriname	Surinamese dollar	8,900	[27]
Uruguay	Uruguayan peso	12,200	[28]
Venezuela	Venezuelan bolívar	13,500	[29]

^† Geographically a part of Antarctica, but due to geopolitical reasons, the United Nations geoscheme has included Bouvet Island and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands in South America instead.

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
• List of sovereign states and dependent territories in the Americas

Notes

1. While Sucre is the constitutional capital, La Paz is the seat of the government.
2. Includes Easter Island in the Pacific Ocean, a Chilean territory frequently reckoned in Oceania.
3. While Santiago is the constitutional capital of Chile, Valparaíso is the site of legislative meetings.
4. Also translated as "Oriental Republic of Uruguay".
5. Sometimes grouped with Antarctica rather than South America.
6. 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.
7. The territory has been fully integrated into the French central state.
8. 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.

References

1. The New York Times Guide to Essential Knowledge: A Desk Reference for the Curious Mind (2nd ed.), New York: St. Martin's Press, 2007, p. 598, ISBN 0-312-37659-6, OCLC 173243876
2. Ashley, Richard K (1 June 1988). "Untying the Sovereign State: A Double Reading of the Anarchy Problematique". Millennium - Journal of International Studies. Sage Journals Online. 4 (2): 227–262. doi:10.1177/03058298880170020901. Retrieved 15 February 2012.
3. "Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of States". Council on Foreign Relations. 26 December 1933. Retrieved 15 February 2012.
4. "United Nations Member States". United Nations. Retrieved 15 February 2012.
5. "Estados Miembros" (in Spanish). Secretaria General de UNASUR. Archived from the original on 27 June 2012. Retrieved 15 February 2012.
6. "Field Listing :: Names". Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
7. "UNGEGN List of Country Names" (PDF). United Nations Statistics Division. 2007. Retrieved 2011-02-24.
8. "List of countries, territories and currencies". Europa. 7 February 2012. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
9. "Field Listing :: Capital". Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
10. "UNGEGN World Geographical Names". United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names. 9 December 2011. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
11. "Country Comparison :: Population". Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
12. "Field Listing :: Area". Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
13. "2016 Census Report". Policy and Economic Development Unit, Falkland Islands Government. 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 January 2018.
14. INSEE. "Estimation de population par région, sexe et grande classe d'âge – Années 1975 à 2019" (in French). Retrieved 2019-01-15.
15. "The World Factbook: Argentina". CIA Directorate of Intelligence. 2008-05-15. Retrieved 2008-06-12.
16. "The World Factbook: Bolivia". CIA Directorate of Intelligence. 2008-05-15. Retrieved 2008-06-12.
17. "The World Factbook: Brazil". CIA Directorate of Intelligence. 2008-05-15. Retrieved 2008-06-12.
18. "The World Factbook: Chile". CIA Directorate of Intelligence. 2008-05-15. Retrieved 2008-06-12.
19. "The World Factbook: Colombia". CIA Directorate of Intelligence. 2008-05-15. Retrieved 2008-06-12.
20. "The World Factbook: Ecuador". CIA Directorate of Intelligence. 2008-05-15. Retrieved 2008-06-12.
21. "The World Factbook: Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)". CIA Directorate of Intelligence. 2008-05-15. Retrieved 2008-06-12.
22. Americas Review 2003/2004: Economic and Business Report (21st ed.). London: Kogan Page. 2003. p. 79. ISBN 0-7494-4064-3. ISSN 1351-4571.
23. "Résultats régionaux des enquêtes de recensement de 2004 à 2007" (in French). INSEE. Retrieved 2008-06-12.
24. "The World Factbook: Guyana". CIA Directorate of Intelligence. 2008-05-15. Retrieved 2008-06-12.
25. "The World Factbook: Paraguay". CIA Directorate of Intelligence. 2008-05-15. Retrieved 2008-06-12.
26. "The World Factbook: Peru". CIA Directorate of Intelligence. 2008-05-15. Retrieved 2008-06-12.
27. "The World Factbook: Suriname". CIA Directorate of Intelligence. 2008-05-15. Retrieved 2008-06-12.
28. "The World Factbook: Uruguay". CIA Directorate of Intelligence. 2008-05-15. Retrieved 2008-06-12.
29. "The World Factbook: Venezuela". CIA Directorate of Intelligence. 2008-05-15. Retrieved 2008-06-12.