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How Many Countries in South America? The 2025 Scoop on 12 Epic Nations

Hafiz Saif October 24, 2025

Man, South America—it’s that place where you can wake up to Andean fog one day and crash a beach party the next. Ever catch yourself staring at a globe, finger tracing from the Amazon to Patagonia, and think, how many countries are in South America? Spoiler: it’s 12, but damn, each one’s like a different flavor in a street food stall—spicy, sweet, or straight-up surprising. I got hooked years back on a whim flight to Bogotá; the coffee hit harder than any trivia quiz.

If how many countries are there in South America is buzzing in your brain, or how many countries are in the continent of South America for that matter, chill—it’s those 12 we’re rolling with. How many countries are located in South America? Same squad, no extras unless you’re counting funky territories like French Guiana, which ain’t sovereign. And yeah, countries in South America how many? Twelve. Heading into late 2025, that number’s as steady as a tango rhythm—no surprises brewing.

Straight-Up Scoop: How Many Countries Are in South America Continent?

Folks trip over this one, lumping in Central or Caribbean spots, but keep it simple: how many countries are in South America continent? Twelve independents. How many countries are in South America in total? Boom, 12. How many total countries in South America? You feel me. How many countries exist in South America? Locked at that.

How many countries are found in South America? Twelve, sprawling over 6.9 million square miles of pure chaos and charm. Whip out a South America map on your phone sometime; it’s like a cheat sheet for daydreams. How many countries are in South America map? Visual proof of the dozen.

Who’s Who: How Many Countries Are in South America and Their Names

Alright, let’s drop the names so you can nod along like you knew ’em all along. How many countries are in South America and their names? Here’s the no-frills list, alpha-style:

Argentina

Bolivia

Brazil

Chile

Colombia

Ecuador

Guyana

Paraguay

Peru

Suriname

Uruguay

Venezuela

There—how many countries in South America and their capitals? We’ll hit capitals next, but this nails the basics. I once bet a hostel mate I could name ’em backward after too many pisco sours in Lima; lost, but the laughs? Priceless.

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Hometown Highlights: How Many Countries in South America and Their Capitals

Capitals are where the real pulse is—think graffiti walls in Santiago or sunset views from Montevideo’s rambla. How many countries are in South America list? Twelve, and Bolivia’s the wildcard with Sucre handling courts and La Paz running the show.

Jot this down or screenshot it; makes a killer cheat sheet:

Country	Capital
Argentina	Buenos Aires
Bolivia	Sucre / La Paz
Brazil	Brasília
Chile	Santiago
Colombia	Bogotá
Ecuador	Quito
Guyana	Georgetown
Paraguay	Asunción
Peru	Lima
Suriname	Paramaribo
Uruguay	Montevideo
Venezuela	Caracas

How many countries in mainland South America? All 12, grounded and glorious. How many countries are in continental South America? No diff.

Chatter Check: How Many Spanish-Speaking Countries Are in South America?

Words are your ticket in—screw up a phrase, and locals just grin and correct you over empanadas. Spanish? It’s the default jam. How many Spanish-speaking countries are in South America? Nine: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela. How many Spanish-speaking countries are there in South America? That crew. How many countries in South America speak Spanish? Spot on.

Flip side, how many countries in South America don’t speak Spanish? Three outliers keeping it fresh: Brazil’s Portuguese swagger, Guyana’s English ease, Suriname’s Dutch holdover. How many non Spanish speaking countries are in South America? Those three.

English vibes? How many English speaking countries in South America? Guyana’s the lone wolf. How many English speaking countries are there in South America? One. How many countries in South America speak English? Guyana all day.

French fix? How many countries in South America speak French? Nada sovereign, but French Guiana’s whispering it nearby. How many French speaking countries in South America? Zero countries. How many French speaking countries are in South America? You know.

Portuguese punch? How many countries in South America speak Portuguese? Brazil’s solo gig. How many hispanic countries are in South America? Nine, all Spanish-hearted.

Mangled my first “hola” in Peru once—guy laughed, taught me the local twist, and hooked me up with fresh fruit. Magic like that? Everywhere.

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Stuck or Surfing: How Many Landlocked Countries in South America?

Land or sea shapes the soul here—coastal crews surf at dawn, inland ones brew up river adventures. How many landlocked countries in South America? Two: Bolivia and Paraguay, hemmed in but hustling. How many landlocked countries are in South America? Yep. How many countries in South America are landlocked? Those two.

Bolivia’s got this poignant “Day of the Sea” thing—folks march with blue flags, dreaming of waves they lost ages ago. Paraguay? River kings. Meanwhile, how many countries in South America border the Pacific Ocean? Four wave-riders: Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru. Endless beaches, dude.

Jungle junkies, how many countries in South America have rainforest areas? Eight sovereigns crash the Amazon party: Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname. That green maze? Sweaty epics waiting.

Flying Solo: How Many Independent Countries Are in South America?

These spots earned their stripes the hard way. How many independent countries are in South America? All 12, no strings. How many independent countries are there in South America? Twelve. How many sovereign countries are in South America? Full deck. How many sovereign countries are there in South America? Ironclad.

Kicked out the colonizers back in the 1800s—think Bolívar’s bad-ass campaigns. Now, how many countries in South America are democratic? Ten-ish, Uruguay’s the golden child with fair fights and free beers (okay, not always). How many countries are democratic in Central and South America? Most of the 19 mash-up, bumpy road though.

Darker turns? How many countries in South America are authoritarian? Venezuela’s got that rep. How many countries in South America are communist? Zilch pure. How many countries in South America are socialist? A few, Bolivia and Venezuela mixing it up with state spice.

Family Ties Up Top: How Many Countries Are in North and South America?

Southie’s got neighbors spilling over. How many countries are in North and South America? Thirty-five: North’s 23 wild cards (Caribbeans count) plus South’s 12. How many countries are in North and South America combined? That sum. How many countries in North & South America? Easy peasy.

Middle ground: How many countries are in South and Central America? Nineteen—South dozen tags Central’s seven (Panama, Honduras, etc.). How many countries are in Central and South America? Same squad.

Grand total? How many countries are in North, Central and South America? Forty-two. How many countries in North America border South America? None smack—Panama’s the connector.

It’s this web that brews the best stories, like migrants swapping recipes across borders.

Ball’s in Their Court: How Many Countries in South America Qualify for World Cup?

Soccer? It’s oxygen down here—miss a match, and you’re the odd one out. How many countries in South America qualify for World Cup? Ten grind in CONMEBOL for six auto-passes and a playoff wild card to 2026. How many countries qualify for World Cup in South America? That ten-pack: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela.

Argentina and Brazil? In the bag. Colombia’s lurking like a pro. Guyana, Suriname? North confed buddies. I blacked out cheering Ecuador once—pure, sweaty joy.

No Shake-Ups Ahead: How Many Countries Are in South America 2025?

Zoom to now, October 2025—how many countries are in South America 2025? Still 12, chugging along. Amazon fires flicker, economies twist, but the map? Unmoved.

South America’s dozen? Messy, magnetic crew begging for your boots on the ground. Me? I’d reroute through Guyana next time—untamed calls. You?