How Many Countries Are There In South America?

In total, there are 12 countries in South America. There are also no self-proclaimed independent states on the South American continent making it one of the easiest continents to define the exact amount of countries on it, with a limited amount of “buts” and “ifs”. However, when it comes to dependent territories there are a few caveats worth mentioning. Read on to find out what they are.

To find out how I choose to define what a country is, check out my article where I define all the countries in the world.

Defining South America

So let’s start off by defining South America and its borders. It’s probably the most easily defined continent on Earth, with the exception for Antarctica which has no countries, as it is basically surrounded by water except for the Isthmus of Panama. But to give you a bit more detailed answer:

South America borders the Caribbean Sea to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the northeast, east, and southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and is only connected to North America in the northwest by the thin strip of land known as the Isthmus of Panama.

South America’s border towards the Caribbean Sea in the North can be a bit tricky to define, however, the most common definition is that the country of Trinidad and Tobago, despite its proximity to South America, belongs to the Caribbean Sea and hence North America (see map below)

What Does The UN Say?

According to the UN geoscheme, there are 12 sovereign countries, as well as 4 dependent territories located on the South American continent

Sovereign Nations (12)

1. Argentina
2. Bolivia
3. Brazil
4. Chile
5. Colombia
6. Ecuador
7. Guyana
8. Paraguay
9. Peru
10. Suriname
11. Uruguay
12. Venezuela

Personally, I can only concur with the statement that there are 12 sovereign countries on the South American continent. South America is also the continent with the fewest countries on it (not counting Antarctica). Furthermore, there are no self-proclaimed independent states on the continent, like Kosovo in Europe or Taiwan in Asia, making it the easiest continent to define the countries on.

However, when it comes to dependent territories the UN geoscheme mentions 4, which always adds another layer to this otherwise straightforward continent.

Dependent Territories

Falkland Islands (Malvinas): Located in the South Atlantic Ocean right off the coast of Argentina, the Falkland Islands are a British Overseas Territory. They consist of two main islands and numerous smaller ones. The sovereignty of the islands has long been a point of contention between the United Kingdom and Argentina.

French Guana: Located in the far north of South America. French Guana is one of those cases where you could mistake it for a country if it perhaps wasn’t for the word “French” included in the actual name of the territory. It is a department of France and also a member of the European Union (even though it is located in South America).

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands: This British Overseas Territory includes several remote and uninhabited islands in the southern Atlantic Ocean, that are known for their rich wildlife, particularly penguins and seals.

Bouvet Island

Despite being closer to Africa than South America geographically speaking, the UN geoscheme does consider it to be part of South America than Africa. The Island of Bouvet is uninhabited and also a dependency of Norway and is known as the most isolated land in the world!

Full list

So there you have it. 12 in total in South America, simpel and easily defined. South America is probably my favorite conintent apart from Europe of course! Out of the 12, I have had the privilege to visit 4 of the South American countries so far meaning 1/3 complete, not too bad considering the fact that quite far away from my home country of Stockholm.

1. Argentina ✅
2. Bolivia
3. Brazil ✅
4. Chile
5. Colombia
6. Ecuador
7. Guyana
8. Paraguay ✅
9. Peru ✅
10. Suriname
11. Uruguay
12. Venezuela