List of the busiest airports in Latin America
2018 -- Latin America 25 busiest airports by passenger traffic
Table:
Rank
Airport
City served
Country
Passengers
Annual
change
Position
change

1
Mexico City International Airport
Mexico City
Mexico
47,700,547[1]
6.63%

2
São Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport
São Paulo
Brazil
42,831,981[2]
13.41%

3
El Dorado International Airport
Bogotá
Colombia
32,716,468[21]
5.57%

4
Cancún International Airport
Cancún
Mexico
25,202,016[4]
6.78%

5
Jorge Chávez International Airport
Lima
Peru
23,659,196[22]
7.61%

6
Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport
Santiago
Chile
23,324,306[23]
8.86%
1

7
São Paulo-Congonhas Airport
São Paulo
Brazil
21,546,480[24]
1.43%
1

8
Brasília International Airport
Brasília
Brazil
17,622,873[8]
4.10%

9
Tocumen International Airport
Panama City
Panama
16,242,679[25]
4.01%
1

10
Rio de Janeiro-Galeão International Airport
Rio de Janeiro
Brazil
15,005,304[26]
7.62%
1

11
Guadalajara International Airport
Guadalajara
Mexico
14,351,600[10]
12.05%
1

12
Aeroparque Jorge Newbery
Buenos Aires
Argentina
13,363,000[27]
3.15%
1

13
Ministro Pistarini International Airport
Buenos Aires
Argentina
11,204,000[28]
8.49%

14
Monterrey International Airport
Monterrey
Mexico
10,733,186[29]
9.84%
1

15
Tancredo Neves International Airport
Belo Horizonte
Brazil
10,591,138[30]
4.20%
1

16
Viracopos International Airport
Campinas
Brazil
9,223,074[31]
1.17%

17
Santos Dumont Airport
Rio de Janeiro
Brazil
9,108,564 [24]
1.50%

18
Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport
San Juan
Puerto Rico
8,373,679 [4]
0.79%

19
Recife/Guararapes–Gilberto Freyre International Airport
Recife
Brazil
8,399,935 [24]
4.91%

20
Salgado Filho International Airport
Porto Alegre
Brazil
8,301,172[18]
3.61%

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Mexico City International Airport ( Spanish : Aeropuerto Internacional de la Ciudad de México , AICM ) ; officially Aeropuerto Internacional Benito Juárez ( Benito Juárez International Airport ) ( IATA : MEX , ICAO : MMMX ) is an international airport that serves Greater Mexico City . It is Mexico 's and Latin America 's busiest airport by passenger traffic and aircraft movements . The airport sustains 35,000 jobs directly and around 15,000 indirectly in the immediate area . The airport is owned by Grupo Aeroportuario de la Ciudad de México and operated by Aeropuertos y Servicios Auxiliares , the government-owned corporation , which also operates 22 other airports throughout Mexico . In recent years Toluca Airport has become an alternate airport . This airport is served by 30 domestic and international passenger airlines and 17 cargo carriers . As the main hub for Mexico 's largest airline Aeroméxico ( with Aeroméxico Connect ) , the airport has become a SkyTeam hub . It is also a hub for Aeromar , Interjet , Volaris , and a focus city for VivaAerobus . On a typical day , more than 100,000 passengers pass through the airport to and from more than 100 destinations on four continents . In 2018 , the airport handled 47,700,547 passengers , a 6.6% increase compared to 2017 . Operating near the limits of its capacity , calls for replacing the airport were announced in September 2014 , with the proposed location to be built 16 kilometres ( 9.9 mi ) north-northeast of the current airport , east of Ecatepec . In January 2019 , construction of the new airport was cancelled .
Mexico City , or the City of Mexico ( Spanish : Ciudad de México , American Spanish : [ sjuˈða ( ð ) ðe ˈmexiko ] ( listen ) ; abbreviated as CDMX , Nahuatl languages : Āltepētl Mēxihco ) , is one of the 32 states which make up the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico and the capital of Mexico and the most populous city in North America . It is one of the most important cultural and financial centres in the world . It is located in the Valley of Mexico ( Valle de México ) , a large valley in the high plateaus in the center of Mexico , at an altitude of 2,240 meters ( 7,350 ft ) . The city has 16 alcaldías , formerly known as boroughs . The 2009 population for the city proper was approximately 8.84 million people , with a land area of 1,485 square kilometers ( 573 sq mi ) . According to the most recent definition agreed upon by the federal and state governments , the population of Greater Mexico City is 21.3 million , which makes it the second largest metropolitan area of the Western Hemisphere , the eleventh-largest agglomeration ( 2017 ) , and the largest Spanish-speaking city in the world . Greater Mexico City has a GDP of $ 411 billion in 2011 , making Greater Mexico City one of the most productive urban areas in the world . The city was responsible for generating 15.8% of Mexico 's GDP , and the metropolitan area accounted for about 22% of total national GDP . If it were an independent country , in 2013 , Mexico City would be the fifth-largest economy in Latin America , five times as large as Costa Rica and about the same size as Peru . Mexico 's capital is both the oldest capital city in the Americas and one of two founded by indigenous people , the other being Quito , Ecuador . The city was originally built on an island of Lake Texcoco by the Aztecs in 1325 as Tenochtitlan , which was almost completely destroyed in the 1521 siege of Tenochtitlan and subsequently redesigned and rebuilt in accordance with the Spanish urban standards . In 1524 , the municipality of Mexico City was established , known as México Tenochtitlán , and as of 1585 , it was officially known as Ciudad de México ( Mexico City ) .
Mexico ( Spanish : México [ ˈmexiko ] ( listen ) ; Nahuatl languages : Mēxihco ) , officially the United Mexican States ( UMS ; Spanish : Estados Unidos Mexicanos , EUM [ esˈtaðos uˈniðoz mexiˈkanos ] ( listen ) , lit . Mexican United States ) , is a country in the southern portion of North America . It is bordered to the north by the United States ; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean ; to the southeast by Guatemala , Belize , and the Caribbean Sea ; and to the east by the Gulf of Mexico . Covering almost 2,000,000 square kilometers ( 770,000 sq mi ) , the nation is the fifth largest country in the Americas by total area and the 13th largest independent state in the world . With an estimated population of over 129 million people , Mexico is the tenth most populous country and the most populous Spanish-speaking country in the world , while being the second most populous nation in Latin America after Brazil . Mexico is a federation comprising 31 states plus Mexico City ( CDMX ) , which is the capital city and its most populous city . Other metropolises in the country include Guadalajara , Monterrey , Puebla , Toluca , Tijuana , and León . Pre-Columbian Mexico dates to about 8000 BC and is identified as one of six cradles of civilization and was home to many advanced Mesoamerican civilizations such as the Olmec , Toltec , Teotihuacan , Zapotec , Maya , and Aztec before first contact with Europeans . In 1521 , the Spanish Empire conquered and colonized the territory from its politically powerful base in Mexico-Tenochtitlan ( part of Mexico City ) , which was administered as the viceroyalty of New Spain . The Roman Catholic Church played a powerful role in governing the country as millions were converted to the faith , although King Charles III expelled the Jesuits in the 1770s . The territory became a nation state following its recognition in 1821 after the Mexican War of Independence . The post-independence period was tumultuous , characterized by economic inequality and many contrasting political changes .
São Paulo/Guarulhos-Governador André Franco Montoro International Airport ( IATA : GRU , ICAO : SBGR ) , often referred to as GRU Airport , or simply GRU , is the primary international airport serving São Paulo . It is popularly known locally as either Cumbica Airport , after the district where it is located and the Brazilian Air Force base that still exists at the airport complex , or Guarulhos Airport , after the municipality of Guarulhos , in the São Paulo metropolitan area , where it is located . Since November 28 , 2001 the airport has been named after André Franco Montoro ( 1916-1999 ) , former Governor of São Paulo state . The airport was rebranded as GRU Airport in 2012 . In Brazil the airport was ranked first in terms of transported passengers , aircraft operations , and cargo handled in 2012 , placing it as the second busiest airport in Latin America by passenger traffic ( 36,596,326 in 2016 ) after Mexico City International Airport . Guarulhos has slot restrictions , operating with a maximum of 45 operations/hour and being one of the five airports with such restrictions in Brazil ( the others are São Paulo-Congonhas , Brasília , Belo Horizonte-Pampulha and Rio de Janeiro-Santos Dumont ) . Since 2012 , the airport has been operated by a consortium composed of Invepar S/A , Airports Company South Africa , and Infraero . Some of its facilities are shared with the São Paulo Air Force Base of the Brazilian Air Force .
São Paulo ( /ˌsaʊ ˈpaʊloʊ/ ; Portuguese pronunciation : [ sɐ̃w̃ ˈpawlu ] ( listen ) ) is a municipality in the Southeast Region of Brazil . The metropolis is an alpha global city ( as listed by the GaWC ) and the most populous city in Brazil , the Western Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere , besides being the largest Portuguese-speaking city in the world . The municipality is also the world 's 12th largest city proper by population . The city is the capital of the surrounding state of São Paulo , the most populous and wealthiest state in Brazil . It exerts strong international influences in commerce , finance , arts and entertainment . The name of the city honors the Apostle , Saint Paul of Tarsus . The city 's metropolitan area , the Greater São Paulo , ranks as the most populous in Brazil and the 12th most populous on Earth . The process of conurbation between the metropolitan areas located around the Greater São Paulo ( Campinas , Santos , Sorocaba and the Paraíba Valley ) created the São Paulo Macrometropolis , a megalopolis with more than 30 million inhabitants , one of the most populous urban agglomerations in the world . Having the largest economy by GDP in Latin America and the Southern Hemisphere , the city is home to the São Paulo Stock Exchange . Paulista Avenue is the economic core of São Paulo . The city has the 11th largest GDP in the world , representing alone 10.7% of all Brazilian GDP and 36% of the production of goods and services in the state of São Paulo , being home to 63% of established multinationals in Brazil , and has been responsible for 28% of the national scientific production in 2005 . The metropolis is also home to several of the tallest skyscrapers in Brazil , including the Mirante do Vale , Edifício Itália , Banespa , North Tower and many others .
Brazil ( Portuguese : Brasil ; Portuguese pronunciation : [ bɾaˈziw ] ) , [ nt 1 ] officially the Federative Republic of Brazil ( Portuguese : República Federativa do Brasil , listen ( help·info ) ) , is the largest country in both South America and Latin America . At 8.5 million square kilometers ( 3.2 million square miles ) and with over 211 million people , Brazil is the world 's fifth-largest country by area and the sixth most populous . Its capital is Brasília , and its most populous city is São Paulo . The federation is composed of the union of the 26 states , the Federal District , and the 5,570 municipalities . It is the largest country to have Portuguese as an official language and the only one in the Americas ; it is also one of the most multicultural and ethnically diverse nations , due to over a century of mass immigration from around the world . Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the east , Brazil has a coastline of 7,491 kilometers ( 4,655 mi ) . It borders all other countries in South America except Ecuador and Chile and covers 47.3% of the continent 's land area . Its Amazon River basin includes a vast tropical forest , home to diverse wildlife , a variety of ecological systems , and extensive natural resources spanning numerous protected habitats . This unique environmental heritage makes Brazil one of 17 megadiverse countries , and is the subject of significant global interest and debate regarding deforestation and environmental protection . Brazil was inhabited by numerous tribal nations prior to the landing in 1500 of explorer Pedro Álvares Cabral , who claimed the area for the Portuguese Empire . Brazil remained a Portuguese colony until 1808 , when the capital of the empire was transferred from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro . In 1815 , the colony was elevated to the rank of kingdom upon the formation of the United Kingdom of Portugal , Brazil and the Algarves .
El Dorado International Airport ( IATA : BOG , ICAO : SKBO ) is an international airport serving Bogotá , Colombia and its surrounding areas . The airport is located mostly in the Fontibón district of Bogotá , although it partially extends into the Engativá district and the municipality of Funza in the Western Savanna Province of the Cundinamarca Department . In 2018 , it served over 32.7 million passengers and 741,000 metric tons of cargo . This makes El Dorado the third busiest airport in Latin America in terms of passenger traffic , and the busiest in terms of cargo . El Dorado is also by far the busiest and most important airport in Colombia , accounting for just under half ( 49% ) of the country 's air traffic . El Dorado is a hub for the Colombian flag-carrier Avianca , LATAM Colombia , Satena , Wingo , and a number of cargo companies . It is owned by the Government of Colombia and operated by Operadora Aeroportuaria Internacional ( OPAIN ) , a consortium composed of Colombian construction and engineering firms and the Swiss company Flughafen Zürich AG , the company that operates Zurich International Airport . The airport has been named the best airport in South America by World Airport Awards . El Dorado received four-star certification and its staff was rated the best in South America by Skytrax , as well as achieving 42nd place in Skytrax 's World 's Top 100 Airports in 2017 .
Bogotá ( /ˌboʊɡəˈtɑː/ , also UK : /ˌbɒɡ-/ , US : /ˈboʊɡətɑː/ , Spanish : [ boɣoˈta ] ( listen ) ) , officially Bogotá , Distrito Capital , abbreviated Bogotá , D.C. , and formerly known as Santa Fe de Bogotá between 1991 and 2000 , is the capital and largest city of Colombia , administered as the Capital District , as well as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca . Bogotá is a territorial entity of the first order , with the same administrative status as the departments of Colombia . It is the political , economic , administrative and industrial center of the country . Bogotá was founded as the capital of the New Kingdom of Granada on August 6 , 1538 , by Spanish conquistador Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada after a harsh expedition into the Andes conquering the Muisca . The Muisca were the indigenous inhabitants of the region , and they called the place of the foundation Thybzaca or Old Town . The name of Bogotá corresponds to the Spanish pronunciation of the Muisca Bacatá ( or Mueketá ) which was the name of a neighboring settlement located between the modern towns of Funza and Cota . There are different opinions about the meaning of the word Bacatá , the most accepted being that it means walling of the farmland in the Chibcha language . Another popular translation argues that it means The Lady of the Andes . Further , the word 'Andes ' in the Aymara language means shining mountain , thus rendering the full lexical signification of Bogotá as The Lady of the shining mountain ( notice , however , that the language of the Muisca people was not Aymara but Chibcha ) . Others suggest that Bacatá was the name of the Muisca cacique who governed the land before the Spaniards arrived . Jiménez de Quesada gave the settlement the name of Our Lady of Hope but the Spanish crown gave it the name of Santafé ( Holy Faith ) in 1540 when it was appointed as a city . Santafé became the seat of the government of the Spanish Royal Audiencia of the New Kingdom of Granada ( created in 1550 ) , and then after 1717 it was the capital of the Viceroyalty of New Granada .
Colombia ( /kəˈlʌmbiə/ ( listen ) kə-LUM-bee-ə , /-ˈlɒm-/ -⁠LOM- ; Spanish : [ koˈlombja ] ( listen ) ) , officially the Republic of Colombia ( Spanish : República de Colombia ( help·info ) ) , [ Note 1 ] is a country largely situated in the north of South America , with land and territories in North America . Colombia is bounded on the north by the Caribbean Sea , the northwest by Panama , the south by both Ecuador and Peru , the east by Venezuela , the southeast by Brazil , and the west by the Pacific . It comprises thirty-two departments , with the capital in Bogotá . Colombia is ethnically and linguistically diverse , with its rich cultural heritage reflecting influences by various Amerindian civilizations , European settlement , forced African labor , and immigration from Europe and the greater Middle East . Urban centres are concentrated in the Andean highlands and the Caribbean coast . Colombia has been inhabited by various American Indian peoples since at least 12,000 BCE , including the Muisca , Quimbaya , and the Tairona . Spaniards arrived in 1499 and by the mid-16th century annexed part of the region , establishing the New Kingdom of Granada , with Santafé de Bogotá as its capital . Independence from Spain was achieved in 1819 , but by 1830 the Gran Colombia Federation was dissolved , with what is now Colombia and Panama emerging as the Republic of New Granada . The new sovereign state experimented with federalism as the Granadine Confederation ( 1858 ) , and then the United States of Colombia ( 1863 ) , before the Republic of Colombia was finally declared in 1886 . Panama seceded in 1903 , leading to Colombia 's present borders . Beginning in the 1960s , the country suffered from an asymmetric low-intensity armed conflict and political violence , both of which escalated in the 1990s . Since 2005 , there has been significant improvement in security , stability , and rule of law .
Cancún International Airport ( Spanish : Aeropuerto Internacional de Cancún ) ( IATA : CUN , ICAO : MMUN ) is located in Cancún , Quintana Roo , on the Caribbean coast of Mexico 's Yucatán Peninsula . It is Latin America 's fourth and Mexico 's second busiest airport , after Mexico City International Airport . In 2019 , Cancún airport handled 25,481,989 passengers , a 1.1% increase compared to 2018 . It has two parallel operative runways that can be used simultaneously . The airport was officially opened in 1974 . The airport is operated by Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste ( ASUR ) . It is a hub for MAYAir and focus city for Interjet , VivaAerobus , and Volaris ; and currently offers flights to over 20 destinations in Mexico and to over 30 countries in North , Central , South America and Europe .
Cancún ( /kænˈkuːn/ or /kɑːn-/ ; Spanish pronunciation : [ kaŋˈkun ] pronunciation ( help·info ) ) is a city in southeast Mexico on the northeast coast of the Yucatán Peninsula in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo . It is a significant tourist destination in Mexico and the seat of the municipality of Benito Juárez . The city is on the Caribbean Sea and is one of Mexico 's easternmost points . Cancún is just north of Mexico 's Caribbean coast resort band known as the Riviera Maya . In older English-language documents , the citys name is sometimes spelled Cancoon , an attempt to convey the sound of the name .
Jorge Chávez International Airport , ( Aeropuerto Internacional Jorge Chávez ) , is Peru 's main international and domestic airport . It is located in Callao , 11 kilometers ( 7 mi ) from Lima , the nation 's capital city and 17 km ( 11 mi ) from Miraflores . During 2017 , the airport served 22,025,704 passengers . Historically , the airport was the hub for Compañía de Aviación Faucett and Aeroperú . Now it serves as a hub for many aviation companies . The airport was named after Peruvian aviator Jorge Chávez ( 1887 - 1910 ) .
Lima ( /ˈliːmə/ , Spanish pronunciation : [ ˈlima ] ; Quechua : Limaq ) is the capital and the largest city of Peru . It is located in the valleys of the Chillón , Rímac and Lurín rivers , in the central coastal part of the country , overlooking the Pacific Ocean . Together with the seaport of Callao , it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima Metropolitan Area . With a population of more than 9 million , Lima is the most populous metropolitan area of Peru and the third-largest city in the Americas ( as defined by city proper ) , behind São Paulo and Mexico City . Lima was named by natives in the agricultural region known by native Peruvians as Limaq , a name that it had acquired over time . It became the capital and most important city in the Viceroyalty of Peru . Following the Peruvian War of Independence , it became the capital of the Republic of Peru ( República del Perú ) . Around one-third of the national population lives in the metropolitan area . Lima is home to one of the oldest institutions of higher learning in the New World . The National University of San Marcos , founded on 12 May 1551 , during the Spanish colonial empire , is the first officially established and the oldest continuously functioning university in the Americas . Nowadays the city is considered as the political , cultural , financial and commercial center of the country . Internationally , it is one of the thirty most populated urban agglomerations in the world .
Peru ( /pəˈruː/ ( listen ) ; Spanish : Perú [ peˈɾu ] ; Quechua : Piruw Republika [ pʰɪɾʊw ] ; Aymara : Piruw Suyu [ pɪɾʊw ] ) , officially the Republic of Peru ( Spanish : República del Perú ( help·info ) ) , is a country in western South America . It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia , in the east by Brazil , in the southeast by Bolivia , in the south by Chile , and in the west by the Pacific Ocean . Peru is a megadiverse country with habitats ranging from the arid plains of the Pacific coastal region in the west to the peaks of the Andes mountains vertically extending from the north to the southeast of the country to the tropical Amazon Basin rainforest in the east with the Amazon river . At 1.28 million km2 ( 0.5 million mi2 ) , Peru is the 19th largest country in the world , and the third largest in South America . Peruvian territory was home to several ancient cultures . Ranging from the Norte Chico civilization starting in 3500 BC , the oldest civilization in the Americas and one of the five cradles of civilization , to the Inca Empire , the largest state in pre-Columbian America , the territory now including Peru has one of the longest histories of civilization of any country , tracing its heritage back to the 4th millennia BCE . The Spanish Empire conquered the region in the 16th century and established a viceroyalty that encompassed most of its South American colonies , with its capital in Lima . Peru formally proclaimed independence in 1821 , and following the military campaigns of José de San Martín and Simón Bolívar , and the decisive battle of Ayacucho , Peru completed its independence in 1824 . In the ensuing years , the country enjoyed relative economic and political stability , which ended shortly before the War of the Pacific with Chile . Throughout the 20th century , Peru endured armed territorial disputes , coups , social unrest , and internal conflicts , as well as periods of stability and economic upswing . Alberto Fujimori was elected to the presidency in 1990 ; his government was credited with economically stabilizing Peru and successfully ending the Shining Path insurgency , though he was widely accused of human rights violations and suppression of political dissent . Fujimori left the presidency in 2000 and was charged with human rights violations and imprisoned until his pardon by President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski in 2017 .
Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport ( Spanish : Aeropuerto Internacional Arturo Merino Benítez ) ( IATA : SCL , ICAO : SCEL ) , also known as Santiago International Airport and Nuevo Pudahuel Airport , located in Pudahuel , 15 km ( 9.3 mi ) north-west of downtown Santiago , is Chile 's largest aviation facility and the busiest international airport in the country . Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport has domestic and international services to destinations in Europe , Oceania , Asia and the Americas . In 2011 it was the ninth busiest airport in Latin America and the sixth busiest in South America by passenger traffic . It was the seventh busiest airport in Latin America by aircraft movements , serving 124,799 operations . Its location in Chile 's most populated area , as well as in the central part of the country makes of it an ideal main hub and maintenance center for most local airlines such as LATAM and Sky Airline . LATAM Airlines accounts for approximately 82% of the airport 's total commercial operations . The airport is owned by the Chilean government and has been operated since October 2015 by Nuevo Pudahuel , a consortium of companies formed by Aéroports de Paris ( France ) , Vinci ( France ) and Astaldi ( Italy ) . Air traffic control is handled by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation . Its ICAO category is 4F . The airport functions as a joint civil-military facility . It is the headquarters of the Chilean Air Force 2nd Air Brigade and where its 10th Aviation Group is based . Santiago International is the longest non-stop destination for most European carriers including Iberia , Air France , Alitalia and British Airways from their respective hubs in Madrid-Barajas Airport , Paris-Charles de Gaulle , Rome-Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport and London-Heathrow Airport .
Santiago ( /ˌsɒntiˈɑːɡoʊ/ /ˌsæntiˈɑːɡoʊ/ , Spanish : [ sanˈtjaɣo ] , derived from Saint-James ) , also known as Santiago de Chile , is the capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas . It is the center of Chile 's largest and most densely populated conurbation , the Santiago Metropolitan Region , whose total population is 7 million . The city is entirely located in the country 's central valley . Most of the city lies between 500 m ( 1,640 ft ) and 650 m ( 2,133 ft ) above mean sea level . Founded in 1541 by the Spanish conqueror Pedro de Valdivia , Santiago has been the capital city of Chile since colonial times . The city has a downtown core of 19th-century neoclassical architecture and winding side-streets , dotted by art deco , neo-gothic , and other styles . Santiago 's cityscape is shaped by several stand-alone hills and the fast-flowing Mapocho River , lined by parks such as Parque Forestal . The Andes Mountains can be seen from most points in the city . These mountains contribute to a considerable smog problem , particularly during winter . The city outskirts are surrounded by vineyards and Santiago is within an hour of both the mountains and the Pacific Ocean . Santiago is the cultural , political and financial center of Chile and is home to the regional headquarters of many multinational corporations . The Chilean executive and judiciary are located in Santiago , but Congress meets mostly in nearby Valparaíso .
Chile ( /ˈtʃɪli/ ( listen ) , /ˈtʃɪleɪ/ ; Spanish : [ ˈtʃile ] ) , [ nb 2 ] officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish : República de Chile ( help·info ) ) , is a South American country occupying a long , narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west . It borders Peru to the north , Bolivia to the northeast , Argentina to the east , and the Drake Passage in the far south . Chilean territory includes the Pacific islands of Juan Fernández , Salas y Gómez , Desventuradas , and Easter Island in Oceania . Chile also claims about 1,250,000 square kilometres ( 480,000 sq mi ) of Antarctica under the Chilean Antarctic Territory . [ nb 3 ] , The arid Atacama Desert in northern Chile contains great mineral wealth , principally copper and lithium . The relatively small central area dominates in terms of population and agricultural resources , and is the cultural and political center from which Chile expanded in the late 19th century when it incorporated its northern and southern regions . Southern Chile is rich in forests and grazing lands , and features a string of volcanoes and lakes . The southern coast is a labyrinth of fjords , inlets , canals , twisting peninsulas , and islands . Spain conquered and colonized the region in the mid-16th century , replacing Inca rule in the north and centre , but failing to conquer the independent Mapuche who inhabited what is now south-central Chile . After declaring its independence from Spain in 1818 , Chile emerged in the 1830s as a relatively stable authoritarian republic . In the 19th century , Chile saw significant economic and territorial growth , ending Mapuche resistance in the 1880s and gaining its current northern territory in the War of the Pacific ( 1879-83 ) after defeating Peru and Bolivia . In the 1960s and 1970s , the country experienced severe left-right political polarization and turmoil .
São Paulo/Congonhas-Deputado Freitas Nobre Airport ( IATA : CGH , ICAO : SBSP ) Portuguese pronunciation : [ kõˈɡõɲɐs ] is one of the four commercial airports serving São Paulo , Brazil . The airport is named after the neighborhood where it is located , formerly called Vila Congonhas , property of the descendants of Lucas Antônio Monteiro de Barros ( 1767-1851 ) , Viscount of Congonhas do Campo , first president of the Province of São Paulo after the independence of Brazil in 1822 , during the Empire . In turn , the Viscount 's domain was named after the plural of a shrub known in Brazil as congonha-do-campo ( Luxemburgia polyandra , of the Ochnaceae family ) . Since June 19 , 2017 it is officially named after Deputy Freitas Nobre . The name Congonhas however remains mostly used . It is owned by the City of São Paulo , but operated by Infraero . Congonhas has slot restrictions operating with a maximum of 30 operations/hour , being one of the five airports with such restrictions in Brazil . The central hall of the passenger terminal is considered one of the most outstanding examples of modern architecture in São Paulo . However , modernizing and enlargement work has been conducted at the terminal from 2003 onwards , while trying to preserve the look of the older , historic section . Today the main terminal has 51,535 m2 ( 554,718 sq.ft ) of space .
Brasília-Presidente Juscelino Kubitschek International Airport ( IATA : BSB , ICAO : SBBR ) is the only international airport serving Brasília . The airport was named after Juscelino Kubitschek ( 1902-1976 ) , the 21st President of Brazil . It is located in the administrative region of Lago Sul , in the Federal District . Some of its facilities are shared with the Brazilian Air Force . It is operated by Inframerica .
Brasília ( /brəˈzɪliə/ , Portuguese : [ bɾaˈziljɐ ] ) is the federal capital of Brazil and seat of government of the Federal District . The city is located atop the Brazilian highlands in the country 's center-western region . It was founded on April 21 , 1960 , to serve as the new national capital . Brasília is estimated to be Brazil 's third-most populous city . Among major Latin American cities , it has the highest GDP per capita . Brasília was planned and developed by Lúcio Costa , Oscar Niemeyer and Joaquim Cardozo in 1956 in a scheme to move the capital from Rio de Janeiro to a more central location . The landscape architect was Roberto Burle Marx . The city 's design divides it into numbered blocks as well as sectors for specified activities , such as the Hotel Sector , the Banking Sector , and the Embassy Sector . Brasília was chosen as a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its modernist architecture and uniquely artistic urban planning . It was named City of Design by UNESCO in October 2017 and has been part of the Creative Cities Network since then . All three branches of Brazil 's federal government are centered in the city : executive , legislative and judiciary . Brasília also hosts 124 foreign embassies .
Tocumen International Airport ( Spanish : Aeropuerto Internacional de Tocumen ) ( IATA : PTY , ICAO : MPTO ) is the international airport of Panama City , the capital of Panama . The airport serves as the homebase for Copa Airlines and is a regional hub to and from The Caribbean , South , North and Central America and additionally features routes to some European and Asian cities . There is high terrain to the north of the airport . The Tocumen VOR-DME ( Ident : TUM ) and non-directional beacon ( Ident : AT ) are located just south of the field .
Panama City ( Spanish : Ciudad de Panamá ; pronounced [ sjuˈða ( ð ) ðe panaˈma ] ) , also simply known as Panama , is the capital and largest city of Panama . It has an urban population of 880,691 , with over 1.5 million in its metropolitan area . The city is located at the Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal , in the province of Panama . The city is the political and administrative center of the country , as well as a hub for banking and commerce . The city of Panama was founded on August 15 , 1519 , by Spanish conquistador Pedro Arias Dávila . The city was the starting point for expeditions that conquered the Inca Empire in Peru . It was a stopover point on one of the most important trade routes in the American continent , leading to the fairs of Nombre de Dios and Portobelo , through which passed most of the gold and silver that Spain took from the Americas . On January 28 , 1671 , the original city was destroyed by a fire when privateer Henry Morgan sacked and set fire to it . The city was formally reestablished two years later on January 21 , 1673 , on a peninsula located 8 km ( 5 miles ) from the original settlement . The site of the previously devastated city is still in ruins , and is now a popular tourist attraction , and is regularly visited by school trips .
Panama ( /ˈpænəmɑː/ ( listen ) PAN-ə-mah , /pænəˈmɑː/ pan-ə-MAH ; Spanish : Panamá IPA : [ panaˈma ] ( listen ) ) , officially the Republic of Panama ( Spanish : República de Panamá ) , is a transcontinental country in Central America and South America , bordered by Costa Rica to the west , Colombia to the southeast , the Caribbean Sea to the north , and the Pacific Ocean to the south . The capital and largest city is Panama City , whose metropolitan area is home to nearly half the country 's 4 million people . Panama was inhabited by indigenous tribes before Spanish colonists arrived in the 16th century . It broke away from Spain in 1821 and joined the Republic of Gran Colombia , a union of Nueva Granada , Ecuador , and Venezuela . After Gran Colombia dissolved in 1831 , Panama and Nueva Granada eventually became the Republic of Colombia . With the backing of the United States , Panama seceded from Colombia in 1903 , allowing the construction of the Panama Canal to be completed by the US Army Corps of Engineers between 1904 and 1914 . The 1977 Torrijos-Carter Treaties led to the transfer of the Canal from the United States to Panama on December 31 , 1999 . Revenue from canal tolls continues to represent a significant portion of Panama 's GDP , although commerce , banking , and tourism are major and growing sectors . It is regarded as a high-income country . In 2018 Panama ranked 66th in the world in terms of the Human Development Index . In 2018 , Panama was ranked seventh-most competitive economy in Latin America , according to the World Economic Forum 's Global Competitiveness Index . Covering around 40 percent of its land area , Panama 's jungles are home to an abundance of tropical plants and animals - some of them found nowhere else on earth .
Rio de Janeiro-Antonio Carlos Jobim/Galeão International Airport ( IATA : GIG , ICAO : SBGL ) , popularly known by its original name Galeão International Airport , is the main airport serving Rio de Janeiro , Brazil . It is the country 's second-busiest international airport . It is named after Praia do Galeão ( Galleon Beach ) , located in front of the original passenger terminal ( the present passenger terminal of the Brazilian Air Force ) and where in 1663 the galleon Padre Eterno was built ; and since January 5 , 1999 also after the Brazilian musician Antonio Carlos Jobim . Galeão Airport is explicitly mentioned in his composition Samba do avião . It is the largest airport site in terms of area in Brazil . Since August 12 , 2014 it has been operated by the concessionary Rio Galeão , a consortium formed by the Brazilian investor Odebrecht and Changi Airport Group , with a minority participation of the government owned company Infraero , the previous operator . The new concessionary has been using the brand name RIOgaleão - Aeroporto Internacional Tom Jobim . Some of its facilities are shared with the Galeão Air Force Base of the Brazilian Air Force .
Rio de Janeiro ( /ˈriːoʊ di ʒəˈnɛəroʊ , - deɪ - , - də -/ ; Portuguese : [ ˈhi.u d ( ʒi ) ʒɐˈne ( j ) ɾu ] ( listen ) ; River of January ) , or simply Rio , is anchor to the Rio de Janeiro metropolitan area and the second-most populous municipality in Brazil and the sixth-most populous in the Americas . Rio de Janeiro is the capital of the state of Rio de Janeiro , Brazil 's third-most populous state . Part of the city has been designated as a World Heritage Site , named Rio de Janeiro : Carioca Landscapes between the Mountain and the Sea , by UNESCO on 1 July 2012 as a Cultural Landscape . Founded in 1565 by the Portuguese , the city was initially the seat of the Captaincy of Rio de Janeiro , a domain of the Portuguese Empire . Later , in 1763 , it became the capital of the State of Brazil , a state of the Portuguese Empire . In 1808 , when the Portuguese Royal Court transferred itself from Portugal to Brazil , Rio de Janeiro became the chosen seat of the court of Queen Maria I of Portugal , who subsequently , in 1815 , under the leadership of her son , the Prince Regent , and future King João VI of Portugal , raised Brazil to the dignity of a kingdom , within the United Kingdom of Portugal , Brazil , and Algarves . Rio stayed the capital of the pluricontinental Lusitanian monarchy until 1822 , when the War of Brazilian Independence began . This is one of the few instances in history that the capital of a colonising country officially shifted to a city in one of its colonies . Rio de Janeiro subsequently served as the capital of the independent monarchy , the Empire of Brazil , until 1889 , and then the capital of a republican Brazil until 1960 when the capital was transferred to Brasília . Rio de Janeiro has the second largest municipal GDP in the country , and 30th largest in the world in 2008 , estimated at about R $ 343 billion ( nearly US $ 201 billion ) . It is headquarters to Brazilian oil , mining , and telecommunications companies , including two of the country 's major corporations - Petrobras and Vale - and Latin America 's largest telemedia conglomerate , Grupo Globo . The home of many universities and institutes , it is the second-largest center of research and development in Brazil , accounting for 17% of national scientific output according to 2005 data .
Guadalajara International Airport ( Spanish : Aeropuerto Internacional de Guadalajara ) , officially known as Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla Guadalajara International Airport ( Spanish : Aeropuerto Internacional de Guadalajara Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla ) ( IATA : GDL , ICAO : MMGL ) , is the main airport of Mexico 's second-largest city Guadalajara . Opened in 1966 , it is located 16 km south of the city center . In 2018 it handled 14,351,800 passengers , and 14,846,300 in 2019 , an increase of 12.05% . It is Latin America 's tenth and Mexico 's third-busiest airport , after Mexico City International Airport and Cancún International Airport and second-busiest for cargo flights . Guadalajara 's International Airport consists of two runways and one terminal . It is also a major airport for connections , being a hub for Volaris , for which it is a primary gateway to the United States , and as well Aeroméxico . It is also a focus city for Interjet , and VivaAerobus . Flights are offered to destinations within Mexico and to Central America and the United States . The airport is named for Miguel Hidalgo , who began the war that brought Mexican independence from Spain . He has been called the father of Mexican independence . In 2020 , it was announced that the Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico group have invested around $ 14 billion pesos to build a new runway and terminal building , along with new facilities and improvements such as an expanded parking lot , a hotel , office block , and a solar-powered plant . Additionally , the airport aims to expand services to the United States as well as Europe .
Guadalajara ( /ˌɡwɑːdələˈhɑːrə/ , Spanish : [ ɡwaðalaˈxaɾa ] ( listen ) ) is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of Jalisco , and the seat of the municipality of Guadalajara . The city is in the central region of Jalisco in the Western-Pacific area of Mexico . With a population of 1,460,148 inhabitants , it is Mexico 's second most populous municipality . The Guadalajara metropolitan area has a reported population of 5,002,466 inhabitants , making it the second most populous metropolitan area in Mexico , behind Mexico City . The municipality is the second most densely populated in Mexico , the first being Ciudad Nezahualcóyotl in the State of Mexico . It is a strong business and economic center in the Bajío region . Guadalajara is the tenth-largest Latin American city in population , urban area and gross domestic product . The city 's economy is based on services and industry , especially information technology , with many international firms having regional offices and manufacturing facilities in the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area , and several domestic IT companies headquartered in the city . Other , more traditional industries , such as shoes , textiles and food processing are also important contributing factors . Guadalajara is a major Mexican cultural center , as it is considered by most to be the home of the famous mariachi genre of music , and plays host to a number of large-scale cultural events such as the Guadalajara International Film Festival , the Guadalajara International Book Fair , and other globally renowned cultural events which draw international crowds . It is home to C.D . Guadalajara , one of the most popular football clubs in Mexico .
Jorge Newbery Airfield ( Spanish : Aeroparque Jorge Newbery , IATA : AEP , ICAO : SABE ) is an international airport located in Palermo neighbourhood , 2 km ( 1.2 mi ) northeast of downtown Buenos Aires , Argentina . The airport covers an area of 138 hectares ( 341 acres ) and is operated by Aeropuertos Argentina 2000 S.A . It is located in the Palermo ward , along the Río de la Plata , and serves as the main hub for domestic flights in Argentina . Since March 2019 , it only serves international flights to Uruguay .
Buenos Aires ( /ˌbweɪnəs ˈɛəriːz/ or /-ˈaɪrɪs/ ; Spanish pronunciation : [ ˈbwenos ˈaiɾes ] ) is the capital and largest city of Argentina . The city is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata , on the South American continent 's southeastern coast . Buenos Aires can be translated as fair winds or good airs , but the former was the meaning intended by the founders in the 16th century , by the use of the original name Real de Nuestra Señora Santa María del Buen Ayre , named after the Madonna of Bonaria in Sardinia . The Greater Buenos Aires conurbation , which also includes several Buenos Aires Province districts , constitutes the fourth-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas , with a population of around 15.6 million . The city of Buenos Aires is neither part of Buenos Aires Province nor the Province 's capital ; rather , it is an autonomous district . In 1880 , after decades of political infighting , Buenos Aires was federalized and removed from Buenos Aires Province . The city limits were enlarged to include the towns of Belgrano and Flores ; both are now neighborhoods of the city . The 1994 constitutional amendment granted the city autonomy , hence its formal name of Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires ; CABA ) . Its citizens first elected a chief of government ( i.e . mayor ) in 1996 ; previously , the mayor was directly appointed by the President of the Republic . Buenos Aires ' quality of life was ranked 91st in the world in 2018 , being one of the best in Latin America . In 2012 , it was the most visited city in South America , and the second-most visited city of Latin America ( behind Mexico City ) .
Argentina ( Spanish : [ aɾxenˈtina ] ) , officially the Argentine Republic [ A ] ( Spanish : República Argentina ) , is a country located mostly in the southern half of South America . Sharing the bulk of the Southern Cone with Chile to the west , the country is also bordered by Bolivia and Paraguay to the north , Brazil to the northeast , Uruguay and the South Atlantic Ocean to the east , and the Drake Passage to the south . With a mainland area of 2,780,400 km2 ( 1,073,500 sq mi ) , [ B ] Argentina is the eighth-largest country in the world , the fourth largest in the Americas , the second largest in South America after Brazil , and the largest Spanish-speaking nation . The sovereign state is subdivided into twenty-three provinces ( Spanish : provincias , singular provincia ) and one autonomous city ( ciudad autónoma ) , Buenos Aires , which is the federal capital of the nation ( Spanish : Capital Federal ) as decided by Congress . The provinces and the capital have their own constitutions , but exist under a federal system . Argentina claims sovereignty over part of Antarctica , the Falkland Islands ( Spanish : Islas Malvinas ) , and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands . The earliest recorded human presence in modern-day Argentina dates back to the Paleolithic period . The Inca Empire expanded to the northwest of the country in Pre-Columbian times . The country has its roots in Spanish colonization of the region during the 16th century . Argentina rose as the successor state of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata , a Spanish overseas viceroyalty founded in 1776 . The declaration and fight for independence ( 1810-1818 ) was followed by an extended civil war that lasted until 1861 , culminating in the country 's reorganization as a federation of provinces with Buenos Aires as its capital city . The country thereafter enjoyed relative peace and stability , with several waves of European immigration , mainly Italians and Spaniards , radically reshaping its cultural and demographic outlook ; 62.5% of the population has full or partial Italian ancestry , and the Argentine culture has significant connections to the Italian culture .
Ministro Pistarini International Airport ( Spanish : Aeropuerto Internacional Ministro Pistarini ) ( IATA : EZE , ICAO : SAEZ ) , but better known as Ezeiza International Airport owing to its location in the Ezeiza Partido in Greater Buenos Aires , is an international airport 22 kilometres ( 14 mi ) south-southwest of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires , the capital city of Argentina . It is the country 's largest international airport by number of passengers handled - 85% of international traffic - and is a hub for international flights of Aerolíneas Argentinas and LATAM Argentina . Aerolíneas Argentinas and its subsidiary Austral Líneas Aereas do operate limited domestic or cabotaje air service from Pistarini Airport as well . Covering 3,475 hectares ( 13.42 sq mi ; 8,590 acres ) , the airport serves Buenos Aires and its metropolitan area . It has been operated by Aeropuertos Argentina 2000 S.A. since 1998 . It is one of three airports serving Buenos Aires , along with Aeroparque Jorge Newbery and El Palomar Airport .
Monterrey International Airport , ( Spanish : Aeropuerto Internacional de Monterrey , IATA : MTY , ICAO : MMMY ) , ceremonial name General Mariano Escobedo International Airport , is an international airport located in Apodaca , Nuevo León , Mexico . Together with Del Norte International Airport , the airport handles domestic and international operations for the city of Monterrey and its metropolitan area . There are almost 300 daily flights to more than 35 destinations in Mexico and the United States . It is the country 's fourth busiest airport and is the busiest in northern Mexico . Only Mexico City , Cancún , and Guadalajara serve more passengers per year than Monterrey International Airport . The airport serves as a hub for Aeroméxico , Magnicharters , and VivaAerobus , and a focus city for Interjet and Volaris . Airport terminals were renovated and expanded in 2003 and 2007 . It 's also one of the fastest growing airports in Mexico and among the Top 15 in Latin America : in 2018 , the airport handled 10,733,186 passengers , and in 2019 it handled 11,176,555 passengers .
Monterrey ( /ˌmɒntəˈreɪ/ ; Spanish pronunciation : [ monteˈrei ] ( listen ) ) is the capital and largest city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León , Mexico . The city is anchor to the Monterrey metropolitan area , the second most productive in Mexico with a GDP ( PPP ) of US $ 123 billion , and the third largest with an estimated population of 4,689,601 people as of 2015 . Monterrey is also considered the city with the best quality of life in the country [ citation needed ] , and serves as a commercial center of northern Mexico and is the base of many significant international corporations . Its purchasing power parity-adjusted GDP per capita is considerably higher than the rest of Mexico 's at around US $ 35,500 , compared to the country 's US $ 18,800 . It is considered a Beta World City , cosmopolitan and competitive . Rich in history and culture , it is one of the most developed cities in Mexico . As an important industrial and business center , the city is also home to many Mexican companies , including Grupo Avante , Lanix Electronics , Ocresa , CEMEX , Vitro , OXXO , FEMSA , DINA S.A. , Gamesa , Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma Brewery , and Grupo ALFA . Monterrey is also home to international companies such as Cognizant , Siemens , Accenture , MSCI , Ternium , Sony , Toshiba , Carrier , Whirlpool , Samsung , Toyota , Babcock & Wilcox , Daewoo , British American Tobacco , Nokia , Dell , Boeing , HTC , General Electric , Johnson Controls , LG , SAS Institute , Grundfos , Danfoss , Qualfon and Teleperformance , among others . Monterrey is in northeastern Mexico , at the foothills of the Sierra Madre Oriental . The uninterrupted settlement of Monterrey was founded by Diego de Montemayor in 1596 . In the years after the Mexican War of Independence , Monterrey became an important business center . With the establishment of Fundidora Monterrey , the city has experienced great industrial growth .
Belo Horizonte - Tancredo Neves/Confins International Airport ( IATA : CNF , ICAO : SBCF ) , formerly called Confins International Airport is the primary international airport serving Belo Horizonte . Since 2 September 1986 the airport is named after Tancredo de Almeida Neves ( 1910-1985 ) , President-elect of Brazil . It is located in the municipality of Confins , in the Minas Gerais . It is operated by BH Airport S.A .
Belo Horizonte ( Portuguese pronunciation : [ ˈbɛlu oɾiˈzõtʃi ] , locally [ ˌbɛloɾiˈzõtʃi ] ( listen ) ; [ a ] Beautiful Horizon ) is the sixth-largest city in Brazil , with a population of approximately 2.5 million . It is the thirteenth-largest city in South America and the eighteenth-largest in the Americas . The metropolis is anchor to the Belo Horizonte metropolitan area , ranked as the third most populous metropolitan area in Brazil and the seventeenth most populous in the Americas . Belo Horizonte is the capital of the state of Minas Gerais , Brazil 's second most populous state . It is the first planned modern city in Brazil . The region was first settled in the early 18th century , but the city as it is known today was planned and constructed in the 1890s , to replace Ouro Preto as the capital of Minas Gerais . The city features a mixture of contemporary and classical buildings , and is home to several modern Brazilian architectural icons , most notably the Pampulha Complex . In planning the city , Aarão Reis and Francisco Bicalho sought inspiration in the urban planning of Washington , D.C . The city has employed notable programs in urban revitalization and food security , for which it has been awarded international accolades . The city is built on several hills and is completely surrounded by mountains . There are several large parks in the immediate surroundings of Belo Horizonte . The Mangabeiras Park ( Parque das Mangabeiras ) , 6 km ( 4 mi ) southeast of the city centre in the hills of Curral Ridge ( Serra do Curral ) , has a broad view of the city .
Viracopos/Campinas International Airport ( IATA : VCP , ICAO : SBKP ) ( sometimes referred to as São Paulo/Campinas ) is an international airport serving the municipality of Campinas , in the São Paulo State . On 6 January 1987 , the airport name was officially normalized to its present form . It is named after the neighborhood where it is located . It is operated by Aeroportos Brasil Viracopos .
Campinas ( Portuguese pronunciation : [ kɐ̃ˈpinɐs ] , Plains or Meadows ) is a Brazilian municipality in São Paulo State , part of the country 's Southeast Region . According to the 2010 Census , the city 's population is 1,080,999 , making it the fourteenth most populous Brazilian city and the third most populous municipality in São Paulo state . The city 's metropolitan area , Metropolitan Region of Campinas , contains twenty municipalities with a total population of 3,656,363 people .
Rio de Janeiro-Santos Dumont Airport ( IATA : SDU , ICAO : SBRJ ) is the second major airport serving Rio de Janeiro , Brazil . It is named after the Brazilian aviation pioneer Alberto Santos Dumont ( 1873-1932 ) . It is operated by Infraero . Santos Dumont has slot restrictions operating with a maximum of 19 operations/hour , being one of the five airports with such restrictions in Brazil .
Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport ( IATA : SJU , ICAO : TJSJ , FAA LID : SJU ) ( Spanish : Aeropuerto Internacional Luis Muñoz Marín , also known as Isla Verde International Airport/Aeropuerto Internacional de Isla Verde ) is a joint civil-military international airport named for Puerto Rico 's first democratically elected governor and located in suburban Carolina , Puerto Rico , three miles ( five kilometres ) southeast of San Juan . It is the busiest airport in the Caribbean region by passenger traffic . Over 4 million passengers board a plane at the airport per year according to the Federal Aviation Administration . The airport is owned by the Puerto Rico Ports Authority and managed by Aerostar Airport Holdings , a public-private partnership which was awarded a lease by the government of Puerto Rico to operate and manage the airport for 40 years beginning in 2013 . SJU is the second international airport to be privatized in the United States or its territories , and , as of 2013 , is the only currently privatized airport in the nation . Taxis and rental cars can transport travelers to and from the airport . The airport serves as a gateway to the Caribbean islands . SJU covers 1,600 acres ( 647 ha ) of land .
San Juan ( /ˌsæn ˈhwɑːn/ , Spanish : [ saŋ ˈxwan ] ; Saint John ) is the capital and most populous municipality in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , an unincorporated territory of the United States . As of the 2010 census , it is the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of the United States , with a population of 395,326 . San Juan was founded by Spanish colonists in 1521 , who called it Ciudad de Puerto Rico ( Rich Port City ) . Puerto Rico 's capital is the third oldest European-established capital city in the Americas , after Santo Domingo , in the Dominican Republic , founded in 1496 and Panama City , in Panama , founded in 1519 . Several historical buildings are located in San Juan ; among the most notable are the city 's former defensive forts , Fort San Felipe del Morro and Fort San Cristóbal , and La Fortaleza , the oldest executive mansion in continuous use in the Americas . Today , San Juan is Puerto Rico 's most important seaport and is the island 's manufacturing , [ citation needed ] financial , cultural , and tourism center . The population of the Metropolitan Statistical Area , including San Juan and the municipalities of Bayamón , Guaynabo , Cataño , Canóvanas , Caguas , Toa Alta , Toa Baja , Carolina and Trujillo Alto , is about 2.6 million inhabitants ; thus , about 80% of the population of Puerto Rico now lives and works in this area . San Juan is also a principal city of the San Juan-Caguas-Fajardo Combined Statistical Area . The city has been the host of events within the sports community , including the 1979 Pan American Games ; 1966 Central American and Caribbean Games ; events of the 2006 , 2009 and 2013 World Baseball Classics ; the Caribbean Series and the Special Olympics and MLB San Juan Series in 2010 . The damage caused in 2017 by Hurricane Maria was extensive . Significant progress had been made in the capital by April 2019 , and particularly by October 2019 . This was significant for tourism , which had rebounded by October of that year and was close to the pre-Maria era .
Puerto Rico [ a ] ( Spanish for Rich Port ; abbreviated PR ) , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( Spanish : Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico , lit . Free Associated State of Puerto Rico ) [ b ] and briefly called Porto Rico , [ c ] is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the northeast Caribbean Sea , approximately 1,000 miles ( 1,600 km ) southeast of Miami , Florida . An archipelago among the Greater Antilles , located between the Dominican Republic and the US Virgin Islands , Puerto Rico includes the eponymous main island and several smaller islands , such as Mona , Culebra , and Vieques . The capital and most populous city is San Juan . The territory 's total population is approximately 3.4 million , more than 21 U.S. states . Spanish and English are the official languages of the executive branch of government , though Spanish predominates . Originally populated by the indigenous Taíno people , Puerto Rico was colonized by Spain following the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1493 . It was contested by the French , Dutch , and British , but remained a Spanish possession for the next four centuries . The island 's cultural and demographic landscapes were shaped by the displacement and assimilation of the native population , the forced migration of African slaves , and settlement from the Canary Islands and Andalusia . In the Spanish Empire , Puerto Rico played a secondary but strategic role compared to wealthier colonies like Peru and New Spain . Spain 's distant administrative control continued up to the end of the 19th century , producing a distinctive creole Hispanic culture and language that combined indigenous , African , and European elements . On September 23 , 1868 , Ramón Emeterio Betances unleashed a revolt against Spanish rule , declaring for the first time the idea of Puerto Ricans as a distinct people , with right to sovereignty .
Recife/Guararapes-Gilberto Freyre International Airport ( IATA : REC , ICAO : SBRF ) is the airport serving Recife , Brazil . It is operated by AENA . Some of its facilities are shared with the Recife Air Force Base of the Brazilian Air Force .
Recife ( Brazilian Portuguese : [ ʁeˈsifi ] ( listen ) ) is the fourth-largest urban agglomeration in Brazil with 4,054,866 inhabitants , the largest urban agglomeration of the North/Northeast Regions , and the capital and largest city of the state of Pernambuco in the northeast corner of South America . The population of the city proper was 1,625,583 in 2016 . The first slave port in the Americas , Recife was founded in 1537 , during the early Portuguese colonization of Brazil , as the main harbor of the Captaincy of Pernambuco , known for its large scale production of sugar cane . It was the former capital Mauritsstad of the 17th century colony of New Holland of Dutch Brazil , established by the Dutch West India Company . The city is located at the confluence of the Beberibe and Capibaribe rivers before they flow into the South Atlantic Ocean . It is a major port on the Atlantic . Its name is an allusion to the stone reefs that are present by the city 's shores . The many rivers , small islands and over 50 bridges found in Recife city centre characterise its geography and led to the city being called the Brazilian Venice . As of 2010 [ update ] , it is the capital city with the highest HDI in Northeast Brazil and second highest HDI in the entire North and Northeast Brazil ( second only to Palmas ) . The Metropolitan Region of Recife is the main industrial zone of the State of Pernambuco ; major products are those derived from cane ( sugar and ethanol ) , motor vehicles , ships , oil platforms , electronics , software , and others . With fiscal incentives by the government , many industrial companies were started in the 1970s and 1980s . Recife has a tradition of being the most important commercial hub of the North/Northeastern region of Brazil , with more than 52,500 business enterprises in Recife plus 32,500 in the Metro Area , totaling more than 85,000 .
Salgado Filho International Airport ( IATA : POA , ICAO : SBPA ) is the airport serving Porto Alegre , Brazil . It is named after the Senator and first Minister of the Brazilian Air Force Joaquim Pedro Salgado Filho ( 1888-1950 ) . It is operated by Fraport .
Porto Alegre ( UK : /ˌpɔːrtuː əˈlɛɡreɪ/ , US : /- ɑːˈleɪɡri , ˌpɔːrtoʊ əˈlɛɡrə/ , local Portuguese : [ ˈpoɾtu aˈlɛɡɾi ] ( listen ) ; [ a ] lit . Joyful Harbor ) is the capital and largest city of the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul . Founded in 1769 by Manuel Sepúlveda , its population of 1,481,019 inhabitants ( 2016 ) makes it the tenth most populous city in the country and the centre of Brazil 's fifth largest metropolitan area , with 4,405,760 inhabitants ( 2010 ) . The city is the southernmost capital city of a Brazilian state . Porto Alegre was founded in 1769 by Manuel Jorge Gomes de Sepúlveda , who used the pseudonym José Marcelino de Figueiredo to hide his identity ; but the official date is 1772 with the act signed by immigrants from the Azores , Portugal . The vast majority of the population is of European descent . The city lies on the eastern bank of the Guaíba River ( also referred to as a lake ) , where five rivers converge to form the Lagoa dos Patos ( Lagoon of the Ducks ) , a giant freshwater lagoon navigable by even the largest of ships . This five-river junction has become an important alluvial port as well as a chief industrial and commercial center of Brazil . In recent years , Porto Alegre hosted the World Social Forum , an initiative of several non-government organizations . The city became famous for being the first city that implemented participatory budgeting . The 9th Assembly of the World Council of Churches was held in Porto Alegre in 2006 . Since 2000 , Porto Alegre also hosts one of the world 's largest free software events , called FISL .