# List of sovereign states and dependent territories in South America

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.

## Sovereign states

A sovereign state is a political association with effective sovereignty over a population for whom it makes decisions in the national interest. 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. The following states are all members of the United Nations and current or former members of the Union of South American Nations.
| English short, formal names, and ISO | Domestic short and formal name(s) | Capital | Population 2021 | Area | Currency |
| Argentina Argentine Republic ARG | Spanish: Argentina — República Argentina | Buenos Aires Spanish: Ciudad de Buenos Aires | 45,276,780 | 2,780,400 km$^2$ (1,073,518 sq mi) | Argentine peso |
| Bolivia Plurinational State of Bolivia BOL | Spanish: Bolivia — Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia Quechua: Buliwya — Puliwya Achka Aylluska Mamallaqta Aymara: Wuliwya — Wuliwya Walja Suyunakana Marka | Sucre (official) and La Paz (seat of government) Spanish: Sucre | 12,079,472 | 1,098,581 km$^2$ (424,164 sq mi) | Bolivian boliviano |
| Brazil Federative Republic of Brazil BRA | Portuguese: Brasil — República Federativa do Brasil | Brasília Portuguese: Brasília | 214,326,223 | 8,514,877 km$^2$ (3,287,612 sq mi) | Brazilian real |
| Chile Republic of Chile CHL | Spanish: Chile — República de Chile | Santiago Spanish: Santiago | 19,493,184 | 756,102 km$^2$ (291,933 sq mi) | Chilean peso |
| Colombia Republic of Colombia COL | Spanish: Colombia — República de Colombia | Bogotá / Santa Fe de Bogotá Spanish: Bogotá | 51,516,562 | 1,138,910 km$^2$ (439,736 sq mi) | Colombian peso |
| Ecuador Republic of Ecuador ECU | Spanish: Ecuador — República del Ecuador Quechua: Ikwadur — Ikwadur Ripuwlika | Quito Spanish: Quito | 17,797,737 | 283,561 km$^2$ (109,484 sq mi) | United States dollar |
| Guyana Co-operative Republic of Guyana GUY | English: Guyana — Co-operative Republic of Guyana | Georgetown English: Georgetown | 804,567 | 214,969 km$^2$ (83,000 sq mi) | Guyanese dollar |
| Paraguay Republic of Paraguay PRY | Spanish: Paraguay — República del Paraguay Guarani: Paraguai — Tetã Paraguai | Asunción Spanish: Asunción | 6,109,903 | 406,752 km$^2$ (157,048 sq mi) | Paraguayan guaraní |
| Peru Republic of Peru PER | Spanish: Perú — República del Perú Quechua: Piruw — Piruw Ripuwlika Aymara: Piruw — Piruwxa Ripuwlika | Lima Spanish: Lima | 33,715,471 | 1,285,216 km$^2$ (496,225 sq mi) | Peruvian sol |
| Suriname Republic of Suriname SUR | Dutch: Suriname — Republiek Suriname | Paramaribo Dutch: Paramaribo | 612,985 | 163,820 km$^2$ (63,251 sq mi) | Surinamese dollar |
| Uruguay Eastern Republic of Uruguay URY | Spanish: Uruguay — República Oriental del Uruguay Portuguese: Uruguai — República Oriental do Uruguai | Montevideo Spanish: Montevideo Portuguese: Montevidéu | 3,426,260 | 176,215 km$^2$ (68,037 sq mi) | Uruguayan peso |
| Venezuela Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela VEN | Spanish: Venezuela — República Bolivariana de Venezuela | Caracas Spanish: Caracas | 28,199,867 | 912,050 km$^2$ (352,144 sq mi) | Venezuelan bolívar |

## Non-sovereign territories
### External territories

| Flag | Map | English name | Legal status | Domestic name | Capital | Population | Area |
| | | Falkland Islands FLK | British overseas territory | English: Falkland Islands Spanish: Islas Malvinas | Stanley English: Stanley | 3,398 | 12,173 km$^2$ (4,700 sq mi) |
| | | South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands SGS | British overseas territory | English: South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands | King Edward Point English: King Edward Point | No permanent population | 3,903 km$^2$ (1,507 sq mi) |

### Internal territory

| Flag | Map | English name and ISO code | Legal status | Domestic name | Capital | Population | Area |
| | | French Guiana GUF | Overseas department, region and single territorial collectivity of France and outermost region of the European Union | French: Guyane | Cayenne French: Cayenne | 294,071 | 83,534 km$^2$ (32,253 sq mi) |

## Economic statistics

| Country/Territory | Currency | GDP (PPP) per capita (2008 est. in U.S. dollars) |
| Argentina | Argentine peso | 14,200 |
| Bolivia | Boliviano | 4,500 |
| Brazil | Brazilian real | 10,100 |
| Chile | Chilean peso | 14,900 |
| Colombia | Colombian peso | 8,900 |
| Ecuador | United States dollar | 7,500 |
| Falkland Islands (United Kingdom) | Falkland Islands pound | 35,400 (2002 est.) |
| French Guiana (France) | Euro | 6,000 (2001 est.) |
| Guyana | Guyanese dollar | 3,900 |
| Paraguay | Paraguayan guaraní | 4,200 |
| Peru | Peruvian sol | 8,400 |
| South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands$^†$ (United Kingdom) | Falkland Islands Pound | 0 |
| Suriname | Surinamese dollar | 8,900 |
| Uruguay | Uruguayan peso | 12,200 |
| Venezuela | Venezuelan bolívar | 13,500 |
$^†$ 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.