Full Answer
Which South American country should you live in?
The Top 6 Safest South American Countries 1. Uruguay. Previously always pipped to the top spot by Chile, 2020 is finally the year that Uruguay has scored higher... 2. Chile. Chile is one of the most diverse countries on the continent which makes it an amazing destination for intrepid... 3. ...
Is South America a landlocked country?
South America is the fourth largest continent in the world and has twelve sovereign countries and two non-sovereign areas. Of these countries in South America there are two countries that are landlocked: Bolivia and and Paraguay. Map showing the location of Paraguay and Bolivia, the only two landlocked countries in South America.
Is South America considered a continent?
Continent model: In some parts of the world, for example, Latin America, Latin Europe, and Iran, South America is viewed as a subcontinent of the Americas (a single continent named America). In most of the countries with English as an official language, however, it is considered a continent ; see Americas (terminology) .
Is South America a small continent?
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere.It can also be described as the southern subregion of a single continent called America (see the United Nations geoscheme for the Americas).The reference to South America instead of other cultrual or geographical regions (such as ...
What countries are nation states?
Nations and Nation-States When a nation of people have a State or country of their own, it is called a nation-state. Places like France, Egypt, Germany, and Japan are excellent examples of nation-states.
Is South America a state?
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern subregion of a single continent called America.
Is Latin America a nation state?
In the USA the impulse toward constructing a nation-state rather than a national state as defined by Tilly was, like in Latin America, a part of nation-building from the beginning.
What type of country is South America?
The vast majority of countries in South America are Spanish-speaking, though Brazil's official language is Portuguese, French Guiana's is French, Suriname's is Dutch, Guyana's is English, and the Falkland Islands' is also English....12 Countries of South America.CountryPopulationVenezuela28,515,83011 more rows•Mar 16, 2021
How many nations are there?
195 countriesThere are 195 countries in the world today. This total comprises 193 countries that are member states of the United Nations and 2 countries that are non-member observer states: the Holy See and the State of Palestine.
Is South America a continent?
yesSouth America / Is continent?
Is Brazil a nation-state?
Following three centuries under the rule of Portugal, Brazil became an independent nation in 1822.
What is meant by the term nation-state?
nation-state, a territorially bounded sovereign polity—i.e., a state—that is ruled in the name of a community of citizens who identify themselves as a nation.
What is Latin America considered?
Latin America is generally understood to consist of the entire continent of South America in addition to Mexico, Central America, and the islands of the Caribbean whose inhabitants speak a Romance language.
What is South America known for?
South America is a continent of extremes. It is home to the world's largest river (the Amazon) as well as the world's driest place (the Atacama Desert). South America, the fourth-largest continent, extends from the Gulf of Darién in the northwest to the archipelago of Tierra del Fuego in the south.
Why is South America not developed?
Steep mountains and tropical forests made land transport difficult to impossible. This led to the fragmentation of the Spanish New World empire into many, mostly relatively small countries and hindered the development of trade both between and within countries.
Why is South America called South America?
South America and North America are named after Italian navigator Amerigo Vespucci, who was the first European to suggest that the Americas were not part of the East Indies, but an entirely separate landmass. The portions of the landmass that lie south of the Isthmus of Panama became known as South America.
How big is South America?
South America has a total area of about 6,878,000 square miles (17,814,000 square km), or roughly one-eighth of the land surface of Earth. Its greatest north-south extent is about 4,700 miles, from Point Gallinas, Colombia, to Cape Horn, while its greatest east-west extent is some 3,300 miles, from Cape Branco, Brazil, to Point Pariñas, Peru.
Why is Mexico called Latin America?
Because Mexico and Central America share an Iberian heritage with nearly all of South America, this entire region frequently is grouped under the name Latin America. South America’s geologic structure consists of two dissymmetric parts.
What is the fourth largest continent in the world?
Vincent Urban & Clemens Krüger ( A Britannica Publishing Partner) See all videos for this article. South America, fourth largest of the world’s continents. It is the southern portion of the landmass generally referred to as the New World, the Western Hemisphere, or simply the Americas. The continent is compact and roughly triangular in shape, ...
Which continent is located north of the Equator?
No other continent—except Antarctica—penetrates so far to the south. Although the northern part of South America extends north of the Equator and four-fifths of its landmass is located within the tropics, it also reaches subantarctic latitudes.
Which mountain range is occupied by the Andes Mountains?
The western portion is occupied almost entirely by the Andes Mountains. The Andes—formed as the South American Plate drifted westward and forced the oceanic plate to the west under it—constitute a gigantic backbone along the entire Pacific coast of the continent.
Where did the name America come from?
The name America is derived from that of the Italian navigator Amerigo Vespucci, one of the earliest European explorers of the New World. The term America originally was applied only to South America, but the designation soon was applied to the entire landmass.
Where are the West Indies?
To the north, the West Indies stretch from Trinidad to Florida, but those islands usually are associated with North America. Of the remainder, most are small oceanic islands off the coasts of South America, including the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, in the Pacific Ocean.
Why is the United States called America?
So the The United States of America is referred to as “America” (and, by extension, it’s citizens are referred to as “Americans”) because the name follows the pattern used in English when shortening country names, and results in a unique name used by no other country in the world.
What is the official definition of the USA?
The official USA definition: The Americas are composed of two continents, North America and South America, divided by the Panama-Colombia limit. 2. The original classification: this has been used for centuries and is still the only one used in Latin America.
What countries did Bolivar lead during the Napoleonic Wars?
Simon Bolivar led many of these and wished for a united South America called Gran Colombia. He succeeded in getting Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador.
Is North America more hospitable than the Amazon jungle?
The land and climate in North America is far more hospitable than the Amazon jungle. In North Amerca it is easier too to build infrastructure - labourers aren't dying of tropical diseases, better undersoil, harder wood to build with and make train tracks etc, more open plains instead of dense swampy jungle.
Is the United States of America a single word?
If you want a single-word version of “The United States of America,” that shortens to “America.”. The single-word shortened version of “The Federal Republic of Germany” is just “Germany.” “The United Mexican States” becomes “Mexico.” “The Commonwealth of the Bahamas” becomes “The Bahamas. Continue Reading.
Is the USA a part of South America?
No. USA is a small part of South America. Please beg you to go to the elementary school where you supposedly studied and ask for a refund for all the expenses your family incurred. it was obviously money thrown down the drain. Don't ask these kinds of questions publicly, have a little self-esteem.
Is the US a continent?
The US is in North America the continent. South American is an entire different continent. See the map I have posted below. The US is marked just below Canada. Canada, the US, and Mexico are in North America. South America is that large land mass that include Brazil to the south.
What is South America?
List of countries in South America. This continent occupies the entire southern part of the supercontinent of the Americas, that's why is called South America. It is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean from the west, by the Atlantic Ocean from the east and north, by the Caribbean Sea from the northwest and connected with North America in ...
How many countries are there in South America?
In total, there are 12 independent countries and 3 dependent territories in South America. The largest country by area and the most populated is Brazil, it occupies about 50% of the total mainland area, and more than 52% of the population live on its territory.
Which country in South America speaks Dutch?
The always up-to-date list of countries of South America in alphabetical order. A. Argentina.
What is the size of South America?
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.
Where is the border between North and South 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 ...
Which is the constitutional capital of Chile?
^ Includes Easter Island in the Pacific Ocean, a Chilean territory frequently reckoned in Oceania. ^ While Santiago is the constitutional capital of Chile, Valparaíso is the site of legislative meetings.
How many countries are there in South America?
As of 2020, there are 12 countries in South America: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela. French Guiana is an overseas territory of France and not an independent country.
What is the most spoken language in South America?
The continent has a land area of 17,850,000 square kilometers, accounting for about 12% of the world’s land area. As mentioned above, Spanish is the most spoken language and residents are primarily Christian. South America tourism becomes more and more populous.
Which countries border the Atlantic Ocean?
The countries bordering the Atlantic Ocean are: Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana.
Which country speaks Portuguese?
In this American subcontinent where the predominant language is Spanish, Portuguese is only spoken in Brazil. This country is the most populous with approximately 210 million residents. Brazil is followed by Argentina, with population of approximate 41 million.
Is French Guiana in South America?
Note: French Guiana is a French overseas department in northeastern South America, on the Atlantic Ocean. The area borders Suriname to the west and Brazil to the south and east, and also includes the Îles du Salut archipelago with Île du Diable, Île Royale and Île Saint-Joseph, all close to the country’s coast.
What continent is South America?
Inside the continent of North America can be found the countries of Canada, the US, and Mexico, as well as the smaller countries that occupy Central America, and the island countries and territories of the Caribbean. South America, in contrast, is the southern portion of the Americas, bounded by the Caribbean Sea in the north and northwest, ...
How many countries are there in South America?
The countries of South America, which covers about 6,878,000 square miles (17,814,000 square km), include Colombia, Venezuela, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, ...
What is the name of the layer of the Earth that the continents move on?
Geologists believe the continents move as part of a theory called plate tectonics. This hypothesis states that the outer layer of the Earth including the continents, called the lithosphere, sits on top of a layer that is semifluid, called the asthenosphere.
How many continents are there on Earth?
Depending on where you live in the world and who is teaching you, you may have learned there are just five continents on Earth: Australia, Eurasia, Africa, and North and South America. Sometimes, the Americas are lumped together as one continent, and Antarctica is included as the fifth.
How many square miles are there between North America and South America?
When considering North America and South America as two distinct continents, they are divided in the following way: in general terms, North America sits between the Arctic Circle to the north, and the Tropic of Cancer to the south, extending for some 9,355,000 square miles (24,230,000 square km). This continent is located about 500 miles (800 km) ...
What is the largest continent in the world?
A continent is a larger, continuous mass of land that people generally regard to be one combined region. The largest continent on Earth is Asia, occupying about 17,226,200 square miles (44,614,000 square km), and the smallest is Australia with 3.32 million square miles, (about 8.59 million square km).
What is the southern part of the Americas?
South America, in contrast, is the southern portion of the Americas, bounded by the Caribbean Sea in the north and northwest, and the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans to the east, west, and south. The Atlantic Ocean sits to the northeast, east, and southeast of South America, and the Pacific Ocean sits to its west.
