Capital Cities in South America
More than half of the world’s population lives in Brazil (204 million), which is also the largest country by area. As a curiosity, it can also be mentioned that the country is the world’s fifth largest in terms of population and area.
List of South American Capitals (Alphabetically sorted by country):
- Argentina – Buenos Aires
- Bolivia – La Paz / Sucre
- Brazil – Brasilia
Did you know? Brazil’s capital Brasilia is one of many capitals which is a “planned city”. Construction of the city was completed in the spring of 1960 (until then Rio de Janeiro was the capital). In the background of the picture are some of the buildings where the national assembly of the country holds houses.
- Chile – Santiago
- Colombia – Bogotá
- Ecuador – Quito
Did you know? Ecuador’s capital, Quito, is the capital of the world closest to Equator. It is also the world’s second highest located capital (after La Paz in the same continent).
- Guyana – Georgetown
- Paraguay – Asunción
- Peru – Lima
- Suriname – Paramaribo
- Uruguay – Montevideo
- Venezuela – Caracas
11 Interesting Facts about South America
- Measured by population, South America is the fifth most populous continent with just over 385 million residents
- South America’s largest city is Brazilian Sao Paulo, with just over 11 million residents (more than four times the size of the capital, Brasilia).
- Aconcagua (6961 masl) in Argentina (the Andes) is the highest mountain in the world outside Asia (and consequently also the continent’s highest mountain).
- The Amazon is South America’s longest river. Ranked by the river, the river is by far the largest in the world. It is so large that it is sometimes referred to only as “Rio del Mar” (“Havelva in Norwegian”).
- The rainforest of the same name is the world’s largest and extends over nine countries (6.8 million km², in comparison, Australia is 7.7 million km² in size).
- The name “America” is named after the intelian seafarer and explorer Amerigo Vespucci (1454 – 1512)
- La Paz, Bolivia’s administrative capital is the world’s highest situated capital (3650 meters above sea level)
- Portuguese and Spanish are the two most common languages in South America.
- The world’s highest waterfall, Angelfossen, lies Venezuela (979 meters).
- More than 90 percent of South American residents belong to the Roman Catholic Church.
- The small port city of Puerto Williams with just over 2000 residents is the southernmost city in the world.
