The countries of South America

Only twelve countries, one of which covers almost half the continent and touches all the others but two.

Reference · 12 countries · game data, updated August 2026

South America is, along with Oceania, the easiest continent to know in full: 12 countries, and a structure dominated by a single giant.

Brazil, a continent inside the continent

At more than 8.5 million km² and 212 million inhabitants, Brazil accounts on its own for nearly half the continent's area and population. It shares a border with nine of the other eleven countries — all except Chile and Ecuador. It is a classic quiz question, and the answer is easier to remember in the negative: which South American countries do not touch Brazil? Chile and Ecuador.

Two landlocked countries

Bolivia and Paraguay are the only South American states with no access to the sea. Bolivia lost its coastline in 1884, at the end of the War of the Pacific against Chile — it nonetheless still keeps a navy, on Lake Titicaca, and publicly claims sovereign access to the ocean every year.

The three Guianas

The north-east of the continent brings together three often-confused territories: Guyana (English-speaking, independent), Suriname (Dutch-speaking, independent) and French Guiana, which is not a country but a French department — it does not appear on this list, and the game does not count it in France's borders either.

The complete list

Country	Capital	Population	Area (km²)	Neighbours
Argentina	Buenos Aires	45,696,159	2,780,400	5
Bolivia	Sucre	12,413,315	1,098,580	5
Brazil	Brasília	211,998,573	8,510,420	9
Chile	Santiago	19,764,771	757,244.88	3
Colombia	Bogotá	52,886,363	1,140,619.1	5
Ecuador	Quito	18,135,478	256,370	2
Guyana	Georgetown	831,087	214,970	3
Paraguay	Asunción	6,929,153	406,752	3
Peru	Lima	34,217,848	1,285,215.6	5
Suriname	Paramaribo	634,431	163,820	2
Uruguay	Montevideo	3,386,588	176,220	2
Venezuela	Caracas	28,405,543	912,050	3

Frequently asked

Which South American countries do not border Brazil?

Chile and Ecuador. Brazil shares a border with the other nine countries on the continent.

Which South American countries have no access to the sea?

Bolivia and Paraguay. Bolivia lost its coastline in 1884, at the end of the War of the Pacific.

Is French Guiana a country?

No: it is a French overseas department and region. It therefore does not appear among the game’s 195 countries, which are sovereign states only.

Can you place these 12 countries on a map?

GeoG's 3D Globe mode plays continent by continent: run South America on its own, or all 195 countries of the world.

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