What are the largest countries in South America? The total area of South America is 17,835,252 km² (6,886,229 mi²) split across 12 countries. Eight South American countries are among the ten largest countries in the Americas. The largest country in South America is Brazil, which spans over 8,515,767 km² (3,287,086 mi²). Brazil has a population of over 211 million people. Brazil is also the fifth largest country in the world, right behind the United States. Additionally, Brazil's capital, Brasilia, has the highest GDP per capita in South America. The smallest country in South America is Suriname, which spans over 163,820 km² (63,235 mi²). The population of Suriname is 582,205 people. Here is a list of the largest countries in square miles:
- Brazil (3,287,086 square miles)
- Argentina (1,073,234 square miles)
- Peru (496,093 square miles)
- Colombia (440,715 square miles)
- Bolivia (424,052 square miles)
- Venezuela (353,748 square miles)
- Chile (291,855 square miles)
- Paraguay (157,006 square miles)
- Ecuador (106,861 square miles)
- Guyana (82,978 square miles)