There are twelve countries in South America and three dependencies with a total of more than 433 million people living on the continent.
The biggest country is Brazil, more than half the continent’s landmass. Brazil is huge and only slightly smaller than the USA. The largest city is São Paolo in Brazil with about 23 million inhabitants and one of the ten biggest cities in the world. Sao Paolo is the fourth most populous city in the world.
The smallest country is Suriname, formerly referred to as Dutch Guiana. It is one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world. Suriname only gained independence from the Netherlands in 1975.
The longest river is the Amazon River (6,437 km/ 4,000 miles). The Amazon is not only the second longest river in the world after the Nile, but also the Amazon carries more water than the world’s other 10 biggest rivers combined.
The biggest island is Tierra del Fuego (Spanish meaning: Land of Fire), at the southern tip of Chile and Argentina.
The highest mountain is Aconcagua in Argentina. This high mountain (6,961 m/ 22,837 ft) is located in the Andes mountain range. The Aconcagua is considered the second highest of the world’s ‘Seven Summits’ – after Mount Everest which is in Asia.
The biggest lake is Lake Titicaca, shared by Peru and Bolivia. This freshwater lake is often referred to as the “Birthplace of the Incas”. Lake Titicaca is the highest navigable lake in the world at about 3,800 m/ 12,467 ft above sea level.
The driest place is the Atacama desert in Chile and is considered the driest place on earth.
There are two landlocked countries in South America, Bolivia, and Paraguay, located in the interior of the continent and have neither access to the Atlantic Ocean nor to the Pacific Ocean.
Evidence of human life in South America dates back to 10,000 BC. One of the earliest South American civilizations is recorded in Peru. South America was colonized from the late 15th century by foreign conquistadores (explorers) who came mainly from Spain and Portugal, but also from the Netherlands, Britain, and France.
The Incas were the largest group of indigenous people in South America when the Europeans arrived in the 15th century. The Incan Empire lasted from 1438 until 1533. Indigenous cultures still are present in South America but the numbers of indigenous people are diminishing. There are still Arawak and Carib people living in Venezuela as well as Guarani people in Brazil. Almost half of the population of the South American continent lives in Brazil.
Spanish is the main language in South American countries. Only in Brazil do people speak Portuguese and in Surinam, formerly a Dutch colony, the official language is still Dutch. Many people speak English as a second language. Quechua, the language once spoken by the Inca people, is the most common indigenous language.
Most of the South American people are Catholics (90%), there are some Protestants, Jews, and some indigenous people still have their indigenous beliefs.
The five most populous cities in South America are São Paulo, Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, Bogotá and Lima. São Paulo in Brazil with 23 million inhabitants is the most populous city in South America and a cultural melting pot
Buenos Aires in Argentina with 15 million inhabitants is known for its architecture and tango. Rio de Janeiro in Brazil with 13 million inhabitants is famous for the Copacabana and Ipanema beaches. Bogotá in Colombia with 12 million inhabitants is the country’s capital city and home to ancient gold treasures. Lima in Peru with 11 million inhabitants is often referred to as the gateway to the ancient Inca site of Machu Picchu.
The southernmost city in the world is located on the South American continent. The city of Ushuaia is located on the Argentinian part of the Tierra del Fuego. More than 55,000 people live in Ushuaia. Countries in South America that are located in the Northern Hemisphere are Guyana, Venezuela, Suriname, French Guiana, and the northern regions of Venezuela, Brazil, Colombia, and Ecuador.
South America is also home to many endangered animals such as the jaguar, the giant otter, and the Amazonian manatee.
Frog on the border 