South America contains countries.
Poverty in South America . There are many different reasons why a greater proportion of a country 's population may be in poverty than in others , and there are a variety of factors that may explain poverty in South America . South America . It may also be considered a subcontinent of the Americas , which is the model used in nations that speak Romance languages . It includes twelve sovereign states ( Argentina , Bolivia , Brazil , Chile , Colombia , Ecuador , Guyana , Paraguay , Peru , Suriname , Uruguay , and Venezuela ) , a part of France ( French Guiana ) , and a non-sovereign area ( the Falkland Islands , a British Overseas Territory though this is disputed by Argentina ) . Brazil is by far the most populous South American country , with more than half of the continent 's population , followed by Colombia , Argentina , Venezuela and Peru .