South America has been colonized by multiple European countries.
European colonization of the Americas . Other powers such as France also founded colonies in the Americas : in eastern North America , a number of Caribbean islands and small coastal parts of South America . Portugal colonized Brazil , tried colonizing the coasts of present-day Canada and settled for extended periods northwest ( on the east bank ) of the River Plate . South America . Given a long history of colonialism , the overwhelming majority of South Americans speak Portuguese or Spanish , and societies and states commonly reflect Western traditions .