List of sovereign states and dependent territories in South America

There are 12 sovereign states and 3 non-sovereign dependent territories in South America.

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.

[1] 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).

[2] A sovereign state is a political association with effective sovereignty over a population for whom it makes decisions in the national interest.