how many countries in south america

June 27, 2026

There are 12 countries in South America.

Quick Scoop: Core Answer

If you’re just wondering “how many countries in South America?” and want the straightforward, widely accepted count:

South America has 12 sovereign countries.

These are the independent states generally recognized by sources like the CIA World Factbook and major geography references.

The 12 South American countries

Here are the 12 sovereign states that make up South America:

Argentina
Bolivia
Brazil
Chile
Colombia
Ecuador
Guyana
Paraguay
Peru
Suriname
Uruguay
Venezuela

All of these are listed as South American countries in modern geography and world factbook-style references.

Why some people get different numbers

You might sometimes see confusion, like people mixing up South America with Latin America or including territories.

Latin America & Caribbean: This broader cultural region has 33 countries by one UN-related count, which includes parts of Central America and the Caribbean too, not just South America.

Territories in South America :
- French Guiana – actually an overseas department of France, not a sovereign country.

* **Falkland Islands** – a British overseas territory, also sometimes counted when people talk loosely about “places in South America.”

So, if someone says “more than 12,” they’re usually counting dependent territories or mixing in the wider Latin American region.

Simple HTML table: South American countries

Here’s a compact HTML table version you can drop into a page:

html

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Country</th>
      <th>Type</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr><td>Argentina</td><td>Sovereign state</td></tr>
    <tr><td>Bolivia</td><td>Sovereign state</td></tr>
    <tr><td>Brazil</td><td>Sovereign state</td></tr>
    <tr><td>Chile</td><td>Sovereign state</td></tr>
    <tr><td>Colombia</td><td>Sovereign state</td></tr>
    <tr><td>Ecuador</td><td>Sovereign state</td></tr>
    <tr><td>Guyana</td><td>Sovereign state</td></tr>
    <tr><td>Paraguay</td><td>Sovereign state</td></tr>
    <tr><td>Peru</td><td>Sovereign state</td></tr>
    <tr><td>Suriname</td><td>Sovereign state</td></tr>
    <tr><td>Uruguay</td><td>Sovereign state</td></tr>
    <tr><td>Venezuela</td><td>Sovereign state</td></tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

TL;DR

South America = 12 countries (standard, widely accepted count).

Extra numbers usually come from including Latin America + Caribbean or territories like French Guiana and the Falklands.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.