South America Fact File

Facts on Countries in South America

Travel - ARGENTINA 

Location: South America - Official Name: Republic of Argentina –

Formation: 1816 - Capital: Buenos Aires - Population: 37.5 Million -

Total Area: 1,068.296 Sq Miles Languages: Spanish, Italian, English,

German, French, Indian Languages - Religions: Roman Catholic 90%,

Jewish 2%, Protestant 2%, Other 6% - Ethnic Mix: Indo European 85%,

Mestizo 14%, Amerindian 1% - Government: Presidential Democracy -

Currency: Peso (100 Centavos) - Literacy Rate: 96.8% -

Travel - BOLIVIA

Location: South America - Official Name: Republic of Bolivia -

Formation: 1825 / 1938 - Capital: Sucre - Population: 8.5 Million -

Total Area: 424,162 Sq Miles - Languages: Spanish, Aymara,

Quechua - Religions: Roman Catholic 93%, Other 7% - Ethnic

Mix: Quechua 37%, Aymara 32%, Mixed 13%, European 10%, Other

8% - Government: Presidential Democracy - Currency: Boliviano

(100 Centavos) - Literacy Rate: 85.6% -

Travel - BRAZIL

Location: South America - Official Name: Federative Republic

of Brazil - Formation: 1822 / 1828 - Capital: Brasilia - Population:

175 Million - Total Area: 3,286,470 Sq Miles - Languages:

Portuguese, German, Italian, Spanish, Polish, Japanese - Religions:

Roman Catholic 74%, Protestant 15%, Atheist 7%, Other 4% -  Ethnic

Mix: Black 53%, Mixed 40%, White 6%, Other 1% - Government:

Presidential Democracy -Currency: Real (100 Centavos) -Literacy

Rate: 85.2% -

Travel - CHILE

Location: South America - Official Name: Republic of Chile -

Formation: 1818 / 1883 - Capital: Santiago - Population:

15.4 Million - Total Area: 292,258 Sq Miles - Languages:

Spanish, Amerindian Languages - Religions: Roman

Catholic 80%, Other & Non Religious 20% - Ethnic Mix:

Mixed & European 90%, Amerindian 10% -Government:

Multiparty Republic - Currency: Chilean peso (100

Centavos) - Literacy Rate: 95.7% -

Travel - COLOMBIA

Location: South America - Official Name: Republic of

Colombia - Formation: 1819 Capital: Bogota - Population:

42.8 Million - Total Area: 439,733 Sq Miles - Languages:

Spanish, Amerindian Languages, English Creole - Religions:

Roman Catholic 95%, Other 5% - Ethnic Mix: Mestizo 58%,

White 20%, Mixed 14%, Other 8% - Government:

Presidential Democracy - Currency: Colombian Peso

(100 Centavos) - Literacy Rate: 91.8% -

Travel - ECUADOR

Location: South America - Official Name: Republic of

Ecuador - Formation: 1830 Capital: Quito - Population:

12.9 Million - Total Area: 109,483 Sq Miles - Languages:

Spanish, Quechua, Other Amerindian Languages - Religions:

Roman Catholic 93%, Protestant, Jewish & Other 7% - Ethnic

Mix: Mestizo (Euro-Indian) 55%, Indian 25%, Black 10%,

White 10% - Government: Presidential Democracy -

Currency: US Dollar (100 Cents) - Literacy Rate: 91.3% -

South America Fact File

Travel - GUYANA

Location: South America - Official Name: Cooperative

Republic of Guyana - Formation: 1966 - Capital: Georgetown –

Population: 763,000 - Total Area: 83,000 Sq Miles - Languages:

English, English Creole, Hindi, Tamil, Amerindian Languages -

Religions: Christian 57%, Hindu 33%, Muslim 9%, Other 1% -

Ethnic Mix: East Indian 52%, Black African 38%, Other 10% -

Government: Presidential Democracy - Currency: Guyana

Dollar (100 Cents) -Literacy Rate: 98.5% -

Travel - PARAGUAY

Location: South America - Official Name: Republic of

Paraguay - Formation: 1811 - Capital: Asuncion -

Population: 5.6 Million - Total Area: 157,046 Sq Miles -

Languages: Spanish, Guarani, Other - Religions: Roman

Catholic 96%, Protestant (incl Mennonite) 4% - Ethnic

Mix: Mestizo (Euro-Indian) 90%, Amerindian 2%, Other 8% -

Government: Presidential Democracy - Currency: Guarani

(100 Centimos) - Literacy Rate: 93.3% -

Travel - PERU

Location: South America - Official Name: Republic of Peru -

Formation: 1824 - Capital: Lima - Population: 26.1 Million –

Total Area: 496,223 Sq Miles - Languages: Spanish,

Quechua, Aymara, Other Indian Languages - Religions:

Roman Catholic 95%, Other 5% - Ethnic Mix: Amerindian

54%, Mestizo 32%, White 12%, Other 2% - Government:

Presidential Democracy - Currency: New Sol (100

Centimos) - Literacy Rate: 89.9% -

Travel - SURINAME

Location: South America - Official Name: Republic of

Suriname - Formation: 1975 - Capital: Paramaribo -

Population: 419,000 - Total Area: 63,039 Sq Miles -

Languages: Dutch, Sranan, Saramaccan, Javavese,

Sarnami Hindi, Chinese - Religions: Christian 48%,

Hindu 27%, Muslim 20%, Other 5% - Ethnic Mix:

South Asian 34%, Creole 34%, Javanese 18%, Black

9%, Other 5% - Government: Parliamentary

Democracy - Currency: Suriname Guilder (100

Cents) - Literacy Rate: 94.2% -

Travel - URUGUAY

Location: South America - Official Name: Eastern

Republic of Uruguay -Formation: 1828 - Capital:

Montevideo - Population: 3.4 Million - Total Area:

63,039 Sq Miles - Languages: Spanish, Other -

Religions: Roman Catholic 66%, Non Religious 30%,

Jewish 2%, Protestant 2 - Ethnic Mix: White 90%,

Other 10% - Government: Presidential Democracy -

Currency: Uruguayan Peso (100 Centimes) - Literacy

Rate: 97.8% -

Travel - VENEZUELA

Location: South America - Official Name: Bolivarian

Republic of Venezuela - Formation: 1830 - Capital:

Caracas - Population: 24.6 Million - Total Area:

352,143 Sq Miles - Languages: Spanish, Amerindian

Languages - Religions: Roman Catholic 89%, Protestant

& Others 11% - Ethnic Mix: Mestizo 69%, White 20%,

Black 9%, Amerindian 2% - Government: Presidential

Democracy - Currency: Bolivar (100 Centimos) - Literacy

Rate: 92.6% -