South America

South America is a part of the American continent traversed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. South America is situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean.

Political divisions of South America

(Not included in the table are South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands which have no permanent inhabitants, only temporary visitors to research stations.)

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1 Claimed by Argentina

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2 These states have territory in both South and North America. See here

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• Argentina - Buenos Aires founded in 1536. Re-founded in 1580 as it was forcefully abandoned in 1539; independence was formally declared in 1816.
• Bolivia - La Paz founded in 1548. Independent in 1825.
• Chile - In 1541, the Spanish conquered the Incas. Independence was established in 1810.
• Colombia - In 1510 Spaniards founded Darien, the first permanent European settlement on the mainland of the Americas. In 1538 they established the colony of New Granada. Independence in 1810.
• Ecuador - Conquistador Francisco Pizarro conquered the land in 1532; left Spain in 1809 to form Greater Colombia.
• Paraguay - Asunción was founded in 1537. Independent from 1811.
• Peru - Conquered from the Incas in 1531 by Francisco Pizarro. Peru won its independence from Spain in 1821.
• Uruguay - Taken by Spain from Portugal in 1778. Part of Brazil from 1821-1828. Independence in 1828.
• Venezuela - Caracas was founded in 1567. Independent in July 5 1811.